The Lucky 13: Week Twelve: Sci-Fi Horror

What happens when you combine horror and science-fiction—those two vaunted pillars of genre entertainment? You wind up with some of the most fascinating, challenging, and downright kick-ass pieces of cinematic gold ever created. The key to great horror/sci-fi is maintaining that balance between the horrific and the…well, science-fictiony elements. This week, we here at the Vault, and the crew over at Brutal as Hell, have selected a bunch of films that do just that.

I've always felt that, generally speaking, science fiction's goal is to make you think, and horror's goal is to make you feel. One's intellectual, the other is visceral. Together, they make for a fascination combination, and this week I have a record-setting number of contributors chiming in to give us some prime examples...

B-Sol on Gojira

The absolute high watermark of giant monster movies--and I'm including the original King Kong in that assessment. If you've only seen this film in its watered-down Americanized edit as Godzilla, King of the Monsters, you're doing yourself a major disservice. Seen in its original Japanese version, Gojira is a stark, terrifying vision, a horror film in the truest sense of the word. In fact, if you're wondering why I'm writing about Godzilla on a horror blog, than you've clearly never seen this film.

Not to take anything away from the many films that followed, but Gojira is infinitely better than any of them. This is not a fun popcorn flick, good for a laugh with your buddies. This is cinema--a viewing experience that moves, and provokes thought. From the opening titles--one of the single most powerful openings credit sequences of any movie, for my money--it grabs hold of you, and doesn't let go.

Director Ishiro Honda is masterful at creating this aura of fear, but massive amounts of credit must also go to score composer Akira Ifukube, whose music is inextricably tied to the power of the film. It is hard to imagine the movie without his iconic score, as much a part of Honda's work as Ennio Morricone's compositions are to the work of Sergio Leone. By turns insistently dire, broodingly nightmarish and profoundly sad, Ifukube's masterpiece of a score is among the most effective ever written.



RayRay on The Thing (1982)

While The Thing was completely unappreciated in its time in the theaters, and roundly panned by critics great and small, over the test of time it has become one of the most beloved and fiercely defended horror films out there. At least this fanboy says so.

The alien creature in The Thing, as presented by two special effects geniuses, Rob Bottin and Stan Winston, is pound for pound, cell for cell, slimy tentacle for slimy tentacle, the scariest, most invasive and probably most dangerous movie monster of all time. It is no man in the "rubber suit." It is a monster of Lovecraftian proportion and perfection, but don't take my word for it... The incredible, pre-CGI effects steal the show, and are superior to much of what we get nowadays. But that is not why this is my favorite horror movie, or one of my favorite films of all time.

No, The Thing is so great because it has it all. The sets, though spare, were effective, especially on location in snowed-in Alberta. The synthesized Ennio Morricone score is simple, but a perfect match to the piano wire-like tension, and also was probably the inspiration for half of the theme songs of the 1980s. The camera work is perfect. The script is executed to near perfection, with each character built rapidly, yet effectively in each sequential appearance. The cast is excellent, with several very accomplished actors, and all in top form.

Unlike most films, much less of the horror variety, The Thing has an onion-like quality. What I mean is that it is a film that keeps on giving upon repeated views, not unlike a film such as The Godfather II, (I know, big comparison). When watched over and over, the significance of the "little things" comes to light, increasing the viewer's joy. An example is the scene when MacReady has been locked out of the compound. Palmer and Norris make statements sowing seeds of doubt about him, and when MacReady breaks in through a supply room window, they silently give each other knowing glances, and Norris says:"All right, all right, we've got no choice now!!" That little sequence gets better every time, and there are others.

Finally, R.J. MacReady is one of the great heroes in cinema, and I don't mean the Han Solo variety. In addition to being a world class drunk--meaning he doesn't let his copious hard drinking get in the way of saving the world--he is smart and ruthless. He rapidly picks up on the threat after only one warning, seizes control, and makes the correct calculation that there is no cost too high to prevail in the battle against the thing[s]. He is uncowed and unbowed by failure, terror and the terrible odds. When his chips are down, he goes all in.



Jason Stroming on Aliens

I'm not usually one for movie sequels. We all know that they are usually (with some rare exceptions) inferior to the original, and usually just the studio's way of wringing some extra cash out of a successful intellectual property. The original Alien was one of the first four horror movies I had as a kid, when VCRs were a luxury item and movies on VHS were extremely hard to come by and very expensive (the other movies being The Thing, Jaws, and An American Werewolf in London). Alien always held a special place in my heart, mixing sci-fi and horror so seamlessly. So how do you top one of cinema's best sci-fi horror movies?

Enter James Cameron. Cameron took the concept of a vicious alien stalking crew members on a spaceship and just multiplied the horror a thousand-fold. For me, Aliens was a much more terrifying movie than the original because of the sheer number of aliens. I'm not afraid of a zombie. I don't think anyone is afraid of a single zombie. The horror of zombies is that there's dozens or hundreds of them, swarming you with a single-minded mentality. The cocky and technologically superior space marines are quickly overwhelmed by the aliens, who seem to be crawling out of every air duct, around every corner. The motion detectors showing hundreds if not thousands of aliens approaching their location was almost claustrophobic.

But the aliens weren't the only enemy. Paul Reiser turns in an excellent performance as the slimy company puppet Carter Burke, who has his own devious motives. Lance Henriksen, a staple of horror films, plays Bishop, another "unknown" amongst the crew. The android couldn't be trusted in the first "Alien;" could he be trusted now? Of course, Sigourney Weaver as Ripley continues to do an excellent job as the ass-kicking heroine, thus solidifying her place in movie history. Michael Biehn plays Hicks with a tough yet subtle calm. But Bill Paxton steals the show as Hudson, whose "Game over, man!" line has forever been immortalized in popular culture.

It's a shame the franchise went so off-course with the third and fourth movies. But Aliens is still one of my all-time favorite horror movies, and I watch it whenever it's on TV.



Z for Zombies' Zach Shildwachter on Event Horizon

Many overlook the upsetting horror of 1997’s Event Horizon. Perhaps he sour taste of Paul W. S. Anderson’s previous effort with Mortal Kombat is to blame. But with Laurence Fishburne and Sam Neill as the principle roles, the film has a solid foundation of acting, and its chilling story and visual sensibilities have made it noteworthy among horror fans. Exuding a stylized sense of hyper-violence that The Texas Chainsaw Massacre coupled with Hellraiser, Event Horizon upped the ante, with its graphic depictions of death. There are no laughs or love interest, and there’s no hope to be found.

The story packs in a lot of theoretical elements, and really aims to create a unified vision of future space travel. By creating an artificial black hole, an experimental starship is able to travel vast distances through a gateway in the space time continuum. But this gateway actually opens a portal to another dimension: Hell itself. Unbeknownst to the rescue team that intercepts a distress signal from the missing starship, their boarding of the experimental rig will only trigger their downfall. The starship has returned with a supernatural presence aboard, and it begins to infect and kill the crew members in ghastly ways. With only 20 hours of oxygen, things go from bad to worse when their rescue ship is destroyed, forcing the crew to take shelter on the starship.

The special effects seem all too real, almost like a snuff film from the future. The quick flashes of Hell shown to Laurence Fishburne are almost too much to bear at their formatted speed; woe to those that watch them in slow motion. The film walks a fine line between philosophy and technology, fear and faith, religion and science, offering a solid example of sci-fi horror. But the one universal truth is that life is pain, and you’d wish for death before returning to where the abandoned starship has traveled.

Sadly, test audience research led many studio executives to the opinion t that the initial director’s cut was too unnerving, so they ordered a trimming of 30 minutes from the film, with large snippets to be taken from the graphic violence and gore. Anderson has said he regretted the edits, and one can feel for him, as he turned down the original X-Men to make Event Horizon.



The Blood Sprayer's Kristy Jett on Night of the Creeps

I can’t say for sure when exactly I saw Night of The Creeps for the first time, though I am sure it was around the age of 11. I can tell you that I rewound it and watched it twice more within the same six-hour span. I was smitten. It blew my mind in a way I couldn’t remember a film having blown my mind before. I had seen Alien and I had seen Predator, but here was a straight-up horror film with sci-fi elements. I felt like this was meant for me for some reason. I guess I had never really been a huge fan of sci-fi--hell, I can’t really say I am the biggest one now. But NOTC took me in, sat me down and made it OK to be fully embroiled in a sci-fi mindset.

The film itself focuses on Chris Romero (Jason Lively) and JC Hooper (Stephen Marshall) as they unwittingly unleash an alien-infused zombie epidemic on campus. And if you’re thinking they’re named after George A. Romero and Tobe Hooper, you’re 100% correct. Another great nod comes in the form of classic bad-ass cop, Ray Cameron (yes, named after James Cameron, a friend of Dekker’s) as played by veteran actor Tom Atkins. To this day Tom Atkins says of his storied career, this is his favorite role of all time.

It’s truly remarkable now as an adult when I realize what a feat Dekker’s first film was. When I first saw it I just remember the childlike wonder as I saw the “creeps” slither for the first time, and when I saw the first head explode only to be eviscerated further by a flamethrower. The special effects were done by three hugely talented artists; David Miller of the Nightmare on Elm St franchise, and Howard Berger and Robert Kurtzman who would soon go on to KNB EFX along with Greg Nicotero.

I recently had the pleasure of meeting both Fred Dekker and Tom Atkins in person. The T-shirt company I work for, Fright Rags, hosted a double feature of Night of The Creeps and The Monster Squad here in Rochester, New York. I spent an entire weekend with one of my film-making heroes, and a living legend. It was a fangirl dream come true. I have more memories than I can include in one post, but one conversation that I found quite interesting was on the subject of James Gunn’s Slither. I am one person who wholeheartedly looks at it as a rip-off of Creeps . Fred said that James Gunn vehemently denies this, and that he could indeed be telling the truth. Fred said when his film came out, that people accused him of ripping off an old sci-fi film he had never even seen. His message was to simply understand that there is never a definite answer when it comes to those accusations. Maybe he did get ripped off, but so be it, Fred Dekker has far more on his mind than to worry about it. Another sidebar: The line that Atkins delivers, “Good news is your dates are here, bad news is they’re dead,” was from a day of pick-ups, and improvised.

All in all, what do I have to say about Night of The Creeps that hasn’t been said before? Maybe nothing different, but the point to be made is, if I had to choose my favorite sci-fi horror film of all time, I would choose Night of The Creeps. Go ahead, Thrill Me!



Fascination with Fear's Christine Hadden on Moon

Even a seasoned sci-fi fan wants something different once in awhile. Moon is one of those films. While at first it seems like you may be watching a rehash of 2001: A Space Odyssey, you soon realize things are not as they seem. And if I do say so, Sam Rockwell really puts on a tour de force performance here, carrying nearly the entire movie by himself. Written by Duncan Jones, Moon tells the story of one Sam Bell, an employee of Lunar Industries, Inc. who is nearing the end of a three-year contract in which he is alone on the moon, extracting helium-3 to be used as energy for Earth. His only companion for the long venture is GERTY (voiced by the wonderfully monotone Kevin Spacey)--think HAL, but less controlling. Sam is anxious to get back to his family, a wife and daughter which he can only see through long distance video hookup pre-recorded transmissions that are far and few between.

The scares here are mostly psychological, which to me is more than just creepy when you're the only one on an entire planet. But then again, is he?

Moon succeeds on so many levels. The feeling of complete and utter isolation is so tangible here, so frightening, that you can't help but to be a bit anxious. GERTY, while certainly Sam's only friend and confidant, still has us curious if "he" knows more than he is letting on. The movie keeps you wondering--you'll be guessing, and you'll be wrong. Confusion abounds, but not in a Memento kind of way. It's a good confusion, one you will be thinking about long after the final few moments.

I'm not your average sci-fi fan. I love Alien, The Thing, and am a huge X-Files fanatic, but I'm not as well-versed in the sub-genre as many others. But Moon comes highly recommended. It's one of my favorite films of the last year.



Big Daddy Horror Reviews' Brandon Sites on Hardware

Hardware was the last of the post-nuke films to get a theatrical release. Audiences didn't get it. Critics were all over the place on their feelings for the film. As a result, the film flopped at the box office and the post-nuke genre died down after soaring with films like Mad Max and The Running Man. Hardware takes place during the Christmas season in the post-nuke future, as a scavenger (Dylan McDermott) presents his artist girlfriend (Stacy Travis) with some robot parts. After a passionate night together, the robot reassembles itself to continue on with its life mission--population control.

I was lucky enough to catch this back when it was released in theaters. I was only 8 or 9 at the time, but it was a breathtaking experience for me. The visual aesthetic of the film captivated me. The film's pulsating techno score by Simon Boswell added to the excitement of the film's on-screen carnage and gore (which had to be trimmed to avoid an X rating). A shocking death about two thirds into the film added to that breathtaking factor for me.

As I got older, I was able to appreciate to an even greater degree that Hardware was one film that didn't play by genre rules and was willing to take chances. From director Richard Stanley's claustrophobic, voyeuristic atmosphere. To his willingness to try out experimental camera angles and to commit to one of the bleakest portraits of the future ever portrayed on screen. The colorful supporting cast included the likes of character actors John Lynch and William Hootkins, mixed with musicans like Iggy Pop, Carl McCoy of the goth band Fields of Nephilim, and Lemmy of Motorhead. The use of religious iconography and references contrasted against the film's strong use of sexuality and violence gives it a bit of a sense of irony.

Hardware went pretty much ignored during the '90s, but luckily for us, the film gained a cult following over the years and went on to receive both a DVD and Blu-Ray release. Hardware is hands down my favorite film to mix elements of science fiction with horror. It also ranks as one of my top five favorite films of the '90s.



Flowers of Flesh and Blood's Keri O'Shea on Soylent Green

From my point of view, the most plausible dystopias are the most menacing ones, and Soylent Green (1973), set a mere twelve years on from the time I’m writing this, seems increasingly, uneasily recognizable. The 2022 of the film--riddled with environmental damage, grotesque overpopulation, hunger and an increasing gap between rich and poor--could so easily be our own legacy, and Detective Thorn’s final discovery speaks a familiar language of corruption, bleak utilitarianism and desperation. ‘Desperation’ is the single word I’d choose to sum up Soylent Green: it runs through the film like a seam; in its malnourished masses, its non-status women and its euthanasia depots (the latter providing one of the film’s most poignant--and most appalling--scenes).

But, for all that palpable desperation, all that horror, there’s a real sense of humanity here, too. Detective Thorn (Charlton Heston) has a long-standing friendship with Sol (Edward G. Robinson in his final role). They take a real pleasure in life, in each others' company: when Thorn can get hold of ‘luxury’ food items, he shares them. Thorn also loves Shirl (Leigh Taylor-Young), and implores her to ‘LIVE!’, to get any happiness she can, when he is no longer able to protect her. And, of course, Thorn’s determination to get to the bottom of the ‘Soylent Green’ brand mystery comes from his sense of decency and honesty. Ultimately, there’s a grain of hope here that basic humanity can remain intact, can avoid being consumed, even when humans are unwittingly consuming each another. Humanity stands opposite the cold rationale of the Soylent Corporation, so when the tagline declares ‘People are still the same’, perhaps that bleakness has something positive embedded within it, even when a startling and ambiguous ending keeps us wondering.

Profound, clever, with a stellar cast and a pervasive, disturbing atmosphere, Soylent Green derives both its horror and its hope from a hell that might be right around the corner…



From Midnight with Love's The Mike on The Blob (1958)

Though there's no good reason, from a technical (or even logical) standpoint, that I should call this my favorite film in which the sci-fi and horror genres cross their streams; I'll be damned if I don't have an immense amount of love for Jack Harris & Irvin Yeaworth's production of The Blob. A large reason for this was the impact the film had on me at a young age--it was one of the first monster movies I was allowed to watch on VHS--but time has only helped the film tunnel its way deeper into my heart.

It was the late 1950s, and Harris' idea was simple. Take two of the most popular sub-genres going--Earth-based science fiction and teenage delinquency drama--and put them together in one film. (To the trained viewer, there's no hiding the fact that this movie borrowed more from Rebel Without a Cause than any of the “Watch the Skies!” films of the '50s.) This didn't matter to me when I was a kid. I was too busy pondering how the Blob worked and wondering how big it could get if it kept eating. The kids were running around trying to convince the adults that they weren't just punks, and I was too busy trying to figure out how many people Sir Blob would have to eat to get big enough that he could cover my family's entire house. And I loved it.

But with age, I've come to love the human aspects of The Blob just as much as any of the carnage the gelatinous carnivore starts. Unlike other teen flicks of the era, there's so much hope for humanity at work in this film. These kids fit the same stereotypes that films like Rebel put them in...and still go out of their way to help others. There's no bad guy who's out to settle a petty score, and there's no evil mastermind who we need to hate. As a film, The Blob breaks from dramatic traditions, showing that it understands that people aren't generally as bad as movies paint them to be.

Of course, I wouldn't be ranting about this sentimental favorite if it didn't have one of the most fun monsters ever put on screen and a slew of horror and sci-fi staples. They were the hooks that got me to watch the film, and they still bring me back to it frequently. But when I look past those hooks, and remember how much I love the film's ability to spread hope alongside its camp and fear, I'm reminded why The Blob still stands as one of the most beloved flicks I've ever known.



Oh, the Horror's Brett Gallman on The Thing from Another World

John Carpenter immortalized this one by making it a part of Tommy Doyle and Lindsay Wallace’s Halloween night monster movie marathon in 1978, but it was always destined to be a classic. Few films manage to capture a dread sense of isolation and paranoia as well as The Thing From Another World; released at the dawn of McCarthyism and the UFO craze in a post-atomic world, the film conceptualizes all of these very real fears into a horrifying story (as good science fiction often does). The mysterious, single-minded monster that’s “devoid of morality” represents anti-Communist rhetoric that no doubt was frightening Americans from coast to coast.

Even stripped of its historical and allegorical contexts, it’s still a great, suspenseful monster movie. The titular creature is brought to life by James Arness, and the hulking monster tears apart everything in its path. The isolated, arctic setting intensifies the suspense by creating no escape for the protagonists. However, in typical fashion, these characters might be more of a threat to each other than the monster is; though the creature isn’t a shape-shifter like in Carpenter’s redux, the situation still creates a natural dissension and paranoia among them all. It’s a standard horror motif that’s been used countless times since: a group of survivors trying to keep itself from unraveling while fending off something hideous (George Romero has practically made a career out of this plot).

In particular, The Thing From Another World presents a divide among military and scientific lines, with each side battling to determine the fate of “The Thing.” Captain Hendry wants to destroy it, while Dr. Carrington wishes to study it to learn from it, no matter how deadly the results. This conflict might be the film’s ultimate legacy, because it’s one that’s shown up a number of times since, with each side taking their share of the blame over the years. Here, Carrington, the meddling scientist, is the untrustworthy character that reminds us of how dangerous unbridled scientific ambition can be.

At the end of the day, though, it doesn’t matter who comes out on top because the movie preys on the fear of the unknown to the end. For a '50s monster movie, it’s rather ominous and plays well as a spookfest on Halloween or any other cold, dark night. Even as the film comes to a close, we’re warned to “keep watching the skies,” because something might still be out there, waiting…



From Beyond Depraved's Joe Monster on Horror Express

Planes, trains, and extraterrestrials… Horror Express is not your average alien-goes-amok story. After hearing about this film a few years back, I finally took the time to sit down and watch it on one of those glorious 50-film packs that you can find in the dusty recesses of the bargain bin. I was astounded by what I had seen; for all the typical trappings of a Eurotrash feature with cheesy, rubber-suited monsters, this little chiller was quite effective. I have subsequently re-watched and resoundingly enjoyed this film more than some may think it deserves.

The story is entertaining in and of itself. Sure, the science may be hokey and totally off-the-wall, but the craziness only serves to make the film that much more enjoyable. You can’t help but grin as the scientists calmly reason the possibility of an intergalactic mental vampire sucking passengers dry on the very train they’re on.

With the added benefit of having Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing in the film, it’s guaranteed to serve as a full evening of entertainment. The duo’s chemistry is spot-on as always, both of them playing rival scientists here. While they may be a bit competitive and pushy towards one another, they actually stick together and work as a team for the majority of the film. It’s a delight to see them as partners instead of being at opposite ends of a wooden stake. Lee goes about with his usual somber and demanding presence, while Cushing lightens things up with his ever-affable and charming personality. He also gets probably the best line in the entire film. When accused of being possible hosts for the galactic monster, Cushing responds with genuine shock: “Monsters? We’re British you know!” Telly Savalas pumps some sadistic energy into the piece when he shows up later as the iron-fisted Captain Kazan, rounding out an already impressive cast.

Upon viewing the film recently, I was also taken by how astounding some of the musical pieces are. Especially awesome is the heavy bass that plays every time the creature’s eyes glow that ominous red as it prepares to kill. The pacing of the film is just perfect, each minute growing with more tension as the alien stalks about the claustrophobic aisles of the train. It all builds and climaxes in an appropriately fiery finale that caps off this terror from beyond the stars in a most satisfying manner. If you haven’t already heard of this film, it comes with my highest recommendation. You may be prone to just throw it away as another cheapie feature, but Horror Express is probably the most exciting and charming ride you’ll take into the dark realms of sci-fi madness for a while.



Cinema Suicide's Bryan White on Forbidden Planet

Originally, I was set to write a love letter to Ridley Scott's Alien--until yesterday when I found myself trying to explain to a skeptical friend of mine why Forbidden Planet is so cool. If you were to make a venn diagram of horror and science fiction, the crossover would be ridiculous. The human race, in general, has a strange fear and fascination with technology, so there's not a lot of sci-fi out there that doesn't have at least one foot in horror territory. Forbidden Planet is no different. Inspired, at least a little bit, by Shakespeare's The Tempest, a spooky favorite or writers looking to add horror and mystery to their scripts, the film easily qualifies as my favorite sci-fi horror flick, as well as my favorite flying saucer movie.

A crew of astronauts are dispatched to the planet Altair to investigate the disappearance of an expedition lost some 20 years earlier. What they find is that the missing Dr. Morbius has set up a permanent home on Altair with his daughter Altaira and robot servant. There he survives using the amazing technology left behind by a long dead race called the Krell; but a powerful and invisible force keeps them there, and intruders out.

It's a killer flick from top to bottom. I can't find a single negative criticism to level against it while I explore it. Forbidden Planet is a seriously broad vision at the height of the flying saucer phase in Hollywood. In 1956, everyone was still aping every move from The Day The Earth Stood Still, and the era produced some of the shoddiest, crappiest science fiction in the entire history of Hollywood. But Forbidden Planet took a different route and chose to eschew the entire notion of the red scare in favor of something a little more classic hidden beneath a slick science fiction veneer.

The cast is absolutely astonishing, featuring Leslie Nielsen, better known for his zany comedies, in a serious role as the ship captain, and the flamboyant Walter Pidgeon as Dr. Morbius. Anne Francis is beautiful and hypnotic in every scene, and her costuming covers just enough of her to keep the censors at bay. To top it all off, we're treated to a set of stunning special effects and amazing sets and props. The C-57D flying saucer and the iconic Robby the Robot suit go on to make many appearances on The Twilight Zone, and this fantastic setting is rounded out with some amazing matte paintings that convey the sheer size and anthropology of Altair. It's amazing, I tell you! But we're not done. Often mistakenly believed to have a full-on theremin score, Forbidden Planet is scored by musique concrete masters, Louis and Bebe Baron. A multi-layered soundtrack of circuitry modulation that sounds alien and psychedelic at all times, Forbidden Planet's score is the first all-electronic score.

I really can't say enough about this piece of classic sci-fi. Afficionados celebrate it until the cows come home, but I have such a hard time selling your average movie viewer on it. Forbidden Planet is timeless!



* * * * * * * * * *

Now head over to Brutal as Hell to see what Marc Patterson and his crew have come up with. And if you're interested in taking part in the FINAL installment, just give Marc or myself a holler.

Week 1: Grindhouse & Exploitation
Week 2: Creature Features & Monster Movies
Week 3: Demons, Witches & The Devil
Week 4: Gore!
Week 5: Horror Comedies
Week 6: Vampires
Week 7: Psychological Horror
Week 8: Werewolves
Week 9: Serial Killers
Week 10: Ghosts, Haunted Houses and Psychic Phenomena
Week 11: Zombies!

Join us next week for the very last edition of The Lucky 13, in which we tackle what may be the most popular sub-genre of them all--slashers!

VAULTCAST: Conversations in the Dark... w/Britt Hayes

Make yourself comfortable tonight, ladies and gentlemen. Because this time around, we have a very special, double-length edition of Conversations in the Dark. As part of the ongoing Lucky 13 series in which both the Vault and Brutal as Hell are currently embroiled, I was originally going to be joined by BAH's Britt Hayes for back-to-back weeks, discussing both the recent zombie edition and upcoming sci-fi edition of The Lucky 13. But plans changed, and so instead we combined both into one mondo, 90-minute Vaultcast.

Fortunately for you, we happen to be two individuals with very radio-friendly voices, so it won't be too unpleasant to listen in as we ramble on ecstatically about both the living dead and the horrors of science fiction, along the way leaping madly into random non-sequiturs involving everything from the merits of Nic Cage's career and the hotness of Cillian Murphy, to the glories of the Anthony Weiner tirade and why the Friedberg/Seltzer spoof movies may be signaling the apocalypse.

You can listen on the embedded player below, or over at the official Vaultcast page. Download it right here--proud to declare, by the way, that the Vaultcast has grown so popular that I had to upgrade to a pro account on PodOmatic in order to accommodate all the bandwidth. Keep listening! My wallet doesn't thank you, but I do!


Brutal as Hell: http://www.brutalashell.com
Chud.com: http://chud.com/articles/authors/276/Britt-Hayes
Twitter: http://twitter.com/_iheartzombies

ALIEN vs. THING: Battle of the Ensemble Casts

If you're an astute reader of the Vault, you may have noticed that I haven't changed up the poll on the right sidebar, despite the fact that the last one has been closed for several days now. The reason for this is that I've been very intrigued with what a heated competition it turned out to be, and how close it was. The question is: Which film has the superior ensemble cast, Alien or John Carpenter's The Thing?

Both movies are superb science-fiction/horror films (perhaps the two best ever), and a big reason why is their absolutely excellent casts, made up of terrific veteran actors who are riveting in every scene. It's fascinating how the movies parallel each other in this way. In the end, The Thing won the vote, but with only 51%. It doesn't get any closer than that! So where do you stand? Truth be told, I give Alien the slight edge, but let's take a look at the players:

ALIEN

Sigourney Weaver as Ripley
The star of the film, and quite possibly the greatest performance by an actress in a horror movie, ever.

Tom Skerritt as Dallas
As the doomed captain of the Nostromo, Skerritt is able to portray both the exasperation and the inevitable failure of a good man in way over his head.

Ian Holm as Ash
Possibly the film's most memorable performance. Holm brought the rigorous training of the English stage to bear in tackling his role as the haywire android.

John Hurt as Kane
In his relatively limited time on screen, Hurt is nonetheless unforgettable as the victim of the notorious face-hugger.

Harry Dean Stanton as Brett
One half of the movie's duo of frustrated flunkies, Stanton is perfect as the ultimate put-upon space stoner.

Yaphet Kotto as Parker
And Kotto is the other half, bringing a certain physicality and presence to his role that takes a small part and makes a lot more out of it.

Veronica Cartwright as Lambert
Perhaps the film's most underrated performer, Cartwright play Lambert as the anti-Ripley, a hysterical woman who collapses under the stress of the situation.

In the case of The Thing, there are several more cast members involved than in Alien, so in the interest of relative "fairness", I've left out some of the more minor roles and focused on those who contribute most to the great ensemble work that goes on in the movie...

THE THING

Kurt Russell as R.J. MacReady
For some, he is the ultimate genre leading man/hero figure in this role. It's interesting to compare MacReady to Dallas, in that MacReady is just as unready, but rises to the occasion so much better.

Wilford Brimley as Dr. Blair
If you only know him as the sweet old man telling you about diabetes on TV, you need to watch Brimley as a serious-as-cancer hardass in this movie.

Keith David as Childs
Speaking of hardasses, David is terrific as always, and of course brings that unmistakable voice with him.

David Clennon as Palmer
The parallel to Stanton's Brett, as the put-upon stoner/slacker of the crew, Clennon provides what little bone-dry humor this movie has to offer.

Richard Dysart as Dr. Copper
Playing "cool-just-on-the-edge-of-losing-it", Dysart is very effective in a situation that has to be any doctor's worst nightmare.

Richard Masur as Clark
A somewhat atypical role for Masur, who made a career of playing semi-comical schlemiels. It's interesting to see how he plays this part.

Donald Moffat as Garry
A capable character actor if ever there was one, although I'll always have a soft spot for him as the tax collector in Popeye...

Thomas G. Waites as Windows
Packs a punch as the disgruntled grunt/techie of the crew, almost an everyman figure.

Beyond looking at the individual actors, there is of course also that intangible "ensemble" factor--the way all these fine performers come together and interact with each other to produce scenes that are absolutely gripping in one way or another. As I've said, I give a slight edge here to Alien, if only because it's a tighter group, but I don't want to prejudice you guys too much. I'm very interested in what others have to say about this. So now it's your turn...

* * * * * * * * * *

In other news, allow me to puff out my chest a bit here and declare that The Vault of Horror has finally attained the top spot at HorrorBlips. If you've never visited it, HorrorBlips is an excellent website which gathers together horror news from sites and blog across the web in one place, and also ranks tons of horror blogs based on traffic and linkage. Yours truly currently reigns supreme at #1, thanks in large part to the support of all you loyal Vault Dwellers. And thanks to that sweetheart BJ-C, who dedicated her post on Day of the Woman this morning to my triumph (and who is also currently ranked #3, by the way).

District 9 Does NOT Disappoint

[Tonight, a very special reader-submitted review of the incredible new flick District 9, first published a few days ago on Day of the Woman. Loyal Vault Dweller Wendy Winant Bodine sent this in to me--enjoy, and check out the movie at your earliest convenience...]

As a witness to the viral video campaign for this film for the past 6 months (it’s been going on for at least over a year now), I had some idea of what District 9 was going to be about probably a bit more so than those who hadn’t noticed the campaign. But that still didn’t prepare me for much of what was witnessed at the midnight showing I attended last weekend. I also knew that producer Peter Jackson wouldn’t let me down, having been a fan of not only the Lord of the Rings trilogy, but his earlier horror work with Braindead (1992) and Bad Taste (1987). And the short film by fledgling director Neill Blomkamp upon which the film was crafted (“Alive in Joburg” (2005)) left enough of a pleasant aftertaste to make one look forward to the cinematic buffet that is District 9.

The film tells of a race of aliens whose mothership comes to rest directly over Johannesburg, South Africa, sometime in the early '80s. After several days with no action on the aliens’ part, humans make their way to the ship and literally drag the occupants out under the pretense of helping them. They set them up in what was supposed to be a temporary facility that quickly grew into the slum known as “District 9”. Heavily regulated and living in squalor, the aliens just want to be left alone, or better yet, to be allowed to return to their ship, although the humans keep insisting that them leaving is not an option. While the humans in charge of District 9 talk continually of their desire to help the aliens, the real motive is to gain access to their highly-advanced weaponry. The aliens are so hard pressed, they willingly trade their technology for food. All their technology is useless to humans, however, as it is all biologically based on the alien’s DNA—only they can use it.

Enter Wikus van der Merwe, an executive at Multi-National United (MNU), the mega-corporation hired by the government to take charge of the upcoming relocation of the aliens to “District 10”, a supposedly better living area. Wikus and his team, assisted by MNU mercenaries lead by the malicious Obesandjo 7, attempt to serve the aliens with eviction notices to make the move as uncomplicated as possible. While inspecting one shack, Wikus runs across a vial of black fluid, which he unwittingly sprays into his face. This is the turning point for the future of aliens and humans alike, as the chemical spreads into Wikus’ system, altering his DNA and slowly morphing him into an alien. When MNU becomes aware of this, they seize him and, rather than trying to save him, force him to test alien weaponry, which he does reluctantly but successfully. MNU plans to dissect him for further study, to see how alien DNA can be merged with human so that humans can use alien technology. Wikus escapes and finds sanctuary in the only place he can—District 9.

This movie is a breath of fresh air in a long-stale movie atmosphere of too many remakes and sequels, of brain-dead bathroom humor and teen-oriented romances. My main pleasure was finding out how intelligent this movie is—it doesn’t insult the audience by relying solely on high-tech special effects and an over-abundance of violence. To be sure, such elements exist, but in the proper ratio to an actual PLOT, something that’s been lacking in mainstream sci-fi for too long. ALL the characters are 3-dimensional—the aliens have their own language (although how they communicate with humans verbally, understanding each other’s language, is never quite explained, but doesn’t hinder the storyline) and speak it at all times (with English subtitles), giving us insight into their culture and history by observation, not just by some human explaining it to us.

Some might be put off by the overtly-obvious and oft-used theme of “evil humans”, but if you’re familiar with the history of South Africa at all, you realize that in this case, it cannot be ignored. Most of the humans depicted in the film, whether they’ve interacted with the aliens or not, view them as inferior (the slang term for them is “prawns”). The hapless Wikus especially maintains his negative view of the aliens; as his change progresses, all that matters is reversing the process, to the detriment of those around him, human and alien alike.

There is much more to be said about District 9, but I will end here for fear of giving away much more of the excellent plot and of repeating the comments of other reviewers. I can say definitively though, that District 9 was worth the hype, and if the ending is to be believed (and I certainly hope so), I look forward to more from Blomkamp and Jackson in the future. Rated R for bloody violence and pervasive language. 5/5

MOON: Hard Sci-Fi Meets Psychological Horror

It's days like today when I'm actually thankful to have so much free time on my hands this summer. I had the opportunity to go check out a brand-new sci-fi/horror film that has completely blown me away. The film I'm talking about is Moon (which, incidentally, was the inspiration for the last list that BJ-C and myself put together over at Bloody-Disgusting), a superb picture directed by second-time auteur Duncan Jones and starring Sam Rockwell, probably best known for playing Chuck Barris in Confessions of a Dangerous Mind.

First off, for those who don't enjoy the privilege of being my Facebook friend or following me on Twitter, let me reiterate my initial reaction to watching this movie: Sam Rockwell deserves an Oscar nomination for his performance, and I dare the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences to look past their notorious genre bias, and do the right thing. In the lead (and basically, only) role of Sam Bell, Rockwell is a revelation. This is, I believe, what is known as a "star-making turn".

Now I love Douglas Adams as much as the next geek, but I in no way saw this coming when I first discovered Rockwell playing the role of Zaphod Beeblebrox in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (although I will admit his decision to play Zaphod as a two-headed Dubya was inspired). Rockwell's performance is gut-wrenching, multi-layered, and especially challenging (spoilers ahead) due to the fact that he is essentially playing the same character twice--and usually in the same scene!


The film is set in the near future, and Bell is an astronaut stationed on the far side of the moon for years at a time, with his duty being to mine a special substance that is being used as a new renewable energy source for much of planet Earth. Along the way, he makes some startling discoveries about himself and what he thought was his life--specifically when he comes face to face with a different, slightly younger version of himself inexplicably on the same lunar base. It's shocking, claustrophobic, poignant and completely gripping. The best way to describe Bell would be a cross between Keir Dullea in 2001, and Tom Skeritt in Alien.

After we establish Bell and his surroundings, the pace does drag ever-so-slightly immediately after the big revelation of his mysterious twin--and for some reason, the reactions of the two doppleganger Bells doesn't quite ring true at first. One would imagine the suitable reaction to discovering a clone of yourself wandering around would be complete and abject panic, as opposed to the mild head-scratching and almost comedic mugging that goes on. But fortunately, the drag is very temporary, and I was pulled right back into it once the two Bells start to put the pieces of the puzzle together to figure out exactly what the hell is going on.

On board the base with Bell is the all-knowing computer GERTY, voiced by the always-excellent Kevin Spacey. Thanks to the Oscar-winner's performance, the computer becomes a fully-fleshed out character in this film, and a very pointed reference to the infamous HAL of Kubrick's aforementioned 2001. In fact, lovers of that film will enjoy so much about GERTY. For example, in place of HAL's ambiguous red light is a screen boasting a giant emoticon that expresses GERTY's "state of mind" at any particular time.

Plus, since Duncan and his co-screenwriter Nathan Parker (in his first screenplay effort) are well-aware of the expectations ingrained in us by HAL, they have a little fun playing with those expectations and turning them on their head, including a particularly powerful moment that was almost "stand-up-and-cheer" worthy.

It's very rare these days to still find quality "hard science fiction" in cinematic form--our moviegoing tastes have been directed almost exclusively at space opera ever since that little George Lucas movie in the late '70s--and there are many who have given up hope that true, intelligent, thought-provoking sci-fi movies could still be produced in a culture that equates genre flicks with popcorn fare. But this is a film that would do any of the giants of classic sci-fi literature proud.

I've always felt that out of the genre's "holy trinity"--Heinlein, Asimov and Clarke--that is was Heinlein who was most concerned with the human and the personal (with Asimov focusing on the cultural perspective, and Clarke the scientific). As such, I believe it would be Heinlein--author of Stranger in a Strange Land, Red Planet and Starship Troopers, who would best identify with this film, and whose work most inspired it.


I'll freely admit this movie is more sci-fi than it is horror, but the horror is certainly there, and in a finer, more sophisticated form than you'll find in most of the pablum being passed off in the genre these days. It's been said that hard sci-fi does not mix well with horror, since the latter is usually intended to provoke a strictly emotional response, while the former dwells on the cerebral. However, in the grand tradition of Ridley Scott's Alien, Moon pulls it off. And like Alien, there are times where it has the feel of something ripped right out of the pages of Heavy Metal magazine.

Even moreso than with Scott's masterpiece, the elements of horror here are subtle, yet powerful. There is no monster on the prowl. There is very little gore, aside from the strictly circumstancial. The horror here is better described as terror, or better yet--dread. It is the horror of what goes on in the human mind. Unfortunately, it's probably also horror of the kind that will go over the head of moviegoers looking for the usual jump scares and blood-and-guts extravaganzas. This is the horror of Dave Bowman trapped outside the Discovery bay doors; of Taylor held prisoner by mad, sentient apes; of Ripley trying her best not to scream.

Kudos to Jones and Parker for crafting a script that eloquently communicates the existential angst of long-term off-world habitation. I'll submit that Alien is still the benchmark in that department, but this is nevertheless some fine work, pulled off by Rockwell and Spacey in what could essential be done as a stage play. I also give heaps of credit to Cinesite, the company which provided some refreshingly realistic and restrained special effects, especially nice to see in this age of CGI overkill (and surprising from the same firm that has produced some of the worst CGI I've ever seen for the Harry Potter series). This is a real throwback to the likes of 2001, and that's a real pleasure for this old-school sci-fi nerd.

The proceedings are marred slightly by the presence of a beautiful, but strangely out-of-place piano-driven score by Clint Mansell. The composer is certainly more than capable--this is the guy who wrote the iconic music performed by the Kronos Quartet in Requiem for a Dream--but his stirring keyboard strains very rarely conjure up the kind of creeping dread the material requires.

That relatively minor quibble aside, Moon is an outstanding thriller, and I strongly recommend it for those who like their horror cerebral and their sci-fi intelligent. This is that rarity of rarities--a restrained piece of genre entertainment. Truly a breath of fresh air in an era when most genre entertainment resembles nothing so much as the cinematic equivalent of a sack of dead fish to the jaw.

The Top 20 Horror Sci-Fi Films Ever Made

It's really, really late, but I wanted to make sure to direct all y'all's attention to my latest and definitely greatest list featured on Bloody-Disgusting. This one was co-authored by Day of the Woman's BJ-C, and features the greatest horror/science fiction films of all time--in our not-so-humble opinions--in anticipation of the upcoming horror/sci-fi flick, Moon. I urge you all to check it out, and leave some well-mannered, carefully considered comments :-)

First Time Around: Space Monsters

Hello, all. You can call me RayRay, the name so nice you say it twice.

I would like to say that I am honored to have been invited to contribute to this page. I was pretty much offered an outlet for my opinions, on subjects which I love, which are monsters and horror movies. I assumed books and stories were also part of the fare. For that I have to say: thank you.

I have to confess that horror is not my favorite genre. I would have to say that I am a bit more of a science-fiction/fantasy fan more than anything, but from there you get some of the best monsters. And honestly, I love monsters. And that is the one thing movies have over books - you get to see the monsters. And science-fiction horror is a big sub-genre, and has some of the best monsters, so I guess I am in the right ballpark. And I love me a good space monster, be it intelligent or just plain mean. And there are soooo many good monsters from outer space.

Let's see, there are the hunters from the "Predator" franchise. They were a pretty good concept, and the first movie, with Arnold, had some very serious horror elements, especially when the small commando unit finally figures out that they are actually being hunted. The scene occurs during broad daylight (albeit in the jungle) which really adds to the tension. You have Schwarzenegger looking around, bug-eyed, at this unseen force which had just (if memory serves) picked off one of his own men. The horror implications of the movie wear off, though, once it is Arnold alone, and the creature's camouflage stops working, and you can see it is a man in a suit. At this point it more or less devolves back into a pure action flick, though it is still a good movie.

The monster in Predator is scary when you can't see him, and don't what he's about, except he really likes spinal columns. The ability to move about the trees is also disconcerting, as is the speed and obvious toughness. But when you get your first good look at him, when he emerges from the river and his camo-unit goes haywire, he is somewhat strange, but aside from his mask and his huge size, it's just a really big man, and all tension is dissipated.

But one of the great monsters from outer space, and of all time, are the bio-mechanical, H.R. Geiger-created "Aliens." Sure, I know, this is nothing new. Everyone has seen the movies of this franchise. Everyone knows that this is a very scary set of monsters. But I want to put my own 2 cents in. The original, Ridley Scott's Alien, is a pure classic, and the follow up, James Cameron's aptly titled Aliens, is one of the few sequels which actually stands up to the original [See: The Godfather]. (I will not comment at this time about the following movies of this franchise, or the AVP series.) The monster is the secret of these two movies. Simply, it is one of the most terrifying monsters ever thought up. To quote: "Its structural perfection is matched only by its hostility." It is tough enough to withstand hard vacuum, and even a good blast by a spaceship's engines. It is essentially a black insectizoidal armored shell over what otherwise appears to be a humanoidal skeleton, but with a barbed tail, and a haunting eyeless face over a double mouth with teeth that appear to be metallic in nature. It is the very visage of soullessness - it is malevolent beyond a vicious animal; perhaps manufactured, but to what end? Even without eyes you can feel an inhuman consciousness burning into you, like when it is contemplating the cat, Jones, towards the end of Alien. And I haven't even mentioned its blood type or its less than charming form of procreation. It is almost industrialized horror made animal - manufactured in an assembly line, one of a series, in identical rows, oozing the slime from within the machine, precise in its actions, measured in its movements, hidden in the nooks of its nest. What isn't human is insect; what isn't flesh is chitin or metal. It is almost a realization of Kafka's bad dream, but we don't get to be the bug - the bug comes from us. All in all, I have long thought of this creature as the #2 scariest monster in horror, all time.

Now, that last sentence is begging a question: well, RayRay, what's the scariest monster of all time? I can tell you, and it is, in my humblest of opinions, also one of the best movies ever made: John Carpenter's The Thing. The Thing, you say? That bomb from 1981? The remake that was missing a cameo from James Arness? Yeah, that one. If you never saw it, then do so, and make sure the lights are out. If you don't want it spoiled for you, read no further.

There is nothing about this movie that is lacking. It is cast wonderfully. It's got a great script. It's screen shots and angles are great. The effects are top notch, and have held up for a quarter of a century, well into the CGI years (Rob Bottin did it right, and did it old school). And it has the single most terrifying monster of all time. The film combines the alienation from civilization with the alienation between the characters, where trust becomes the most valuable and vanishing commodity, in the midst of an Antarctic winter storm. And all with the lurking, oppressive horror of a monster that could be......is........one or more of the fellow men you are trapped with. Even after the monster is revealed for the first time - when it attacks the dogs in the kennel - it is immediately hidden again. This is the type of movie you watch over and over again, looking in the background to see if there was a raised eyebrow or a glance that you missed.

The Thing is such an effective monster as it can infiltrate at will; it can change shape at will; the forms it can take on are essentially unlimited; it possesses the souls of its victims (rare for a sci-fi monster from space); and when it attacks it...........well, what it does is not exactly explicable but it comes with generous helpings of slime and tentacles and wholly inhuman shapes, a horror of Lovecraftian proportions (more on the great HPL another time). As a victim you become just part of the creatures' coterie or its repertoire, depending on how you think of it. Also, once you begin to give it thought, the ramifications of this creature that absorbs its victims are troubling. Clearly, early in the movie at least one member of Outpost 31 is infected by the alien creature via the dog from the Norwegian base. Yet that person is not revealed until much, much later (it is either Norris, Palmer, or Blair, you never find out; and that person infects at least one or more of the others). At what point does that person cease to be that person? During the scene when MacReady, the putative hero, is performing the "blood and hot needle" tests, just before he tests Palmer's blood, you see resignation flash across Palmer's face. Is that Palmer, or the Thing, who is so resigned, sighing to himself? If it creates a perfect imitation, does the underlying person EVER stop being?

It is often forgotten (at least by me until it was pointed out) that MacReady, the pilot and aforementioned hero, takes a long helicopter ride to the site of the actual spaceship with the two characters that must have already been at least infected, if not full blown 'things' at the time - Palmer and Norris. Does anything happen off camera we don't find out about? Probably not, but that gnawing doubt is part of the essence of this monster.

Continuing, the "Thing" is no dumb animal. Whatever it is, it knows what it wants, and it wants to get the hell off Antarctica. And in furtherance of this it is building itself a SPACESHIP (!!) from the parts of terrestrial vehicles (while distracting the humans from discovering this activity). This is an extrememly intelligent creature (even if it is acquired intellect), with a lot of technical know-how (same caveat). Couple the toughness to lie dormant and frozen for a thousand centuries with all of the above, and the result is the most capable and frightening movie monster I can think of. Ever. All time. Period. At least to this casual observer.

Until next time, watch the skies.................