Let’s All Appreciate The Dance Sequence In ‘Just Before Dawn’ (1981)

Posted on October 30, 2021 by Dirty Horror

I don’t like to dance. But if I do dance, I usually end up doing some goofy shit like Ed Harris in Creepshow. And even though I’m as light on my feet as Jabba the Hutt wearing brick shoes, I do appreciate a good dancing sequence in a horror movie. Enter in the dancing sequence from Just Before Dawn, a 80’s slasher movie that is often brought up when talking about ‘underrated slashers’. The dancing however, is anything but underrated. Watch!

Now that’s a fun dance party in the middle of the woods when a bunch of hillbillies are trying to kill you! The problem with horror movies today, besides people yelling “Evil Dies Tonight!“, is that there aren’t enough bad dancing sequences to set up the demise of those bad dancers. But anyway, I will jump on the bandwagon as far as Just Before Dawn and tell you to go seek it out on Shudder right now, because it actually is a good underrated slasher movie. And feel free to get up and boogie when you watch it too!

Just Here To Give Tobe Hooper’s ‘Lifeforce’ A Little Love!

Posted on July 25, 2020 by Dirty Horror

When I think of ‘bad but good’ 80’s horror movies, Tobe Hooper’s Lifeforce will almost certainly always get mentioned. Space vampires? Oh, ok. Who doesn’t love space vampires? And boobs. Can’t forget about the boobs. I unfortunately didn’t see said boobs (my apologies to actress Mathilda May), because my Mom would always make me cover my eyes when any melons would grace the TV screen. Nonetheless, Lifeforce is a guilty pleasure – and some might even say an underrated gem? This scene below used to scare the shit out of me as a kid, so please watch it. And dig those practical effects, man!

When you look at the first half of Tobe Hooper’s career as a director, it’s pretty damn impressive. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Poltergeist will always get top billing, but it’s those surprise smaller films like The Funhouse and Eaten Alive that gave his horror resume a boost. And yes, Lifeforce is part of that boost as well. Btw, did you know that Billy Idol was supposed to play the head vampire in the movie?? But alas, it was not meant to be as Billy’s touring schedule conflicted with the film’s production. Nevertheless….even without Mr. Idol’s spikey blonde hair, Lifeforce still remains a goofy/fun ride. Seek it out (Scream Factory did a nice release of it somewhat recently), and enjoy the space vampires, the boobs, and the boobs. Boobs!

The Other April Fool’s Day Movie: ‘Slaughter High’ (1986)

Posted on April 1, 2020 by Dirty Horror

Shit! April Fool’s Day is almost over and I forgot to talk about my favorite April Fool’s Day themed movie! This might shock you, but the movie is not…….April Fool’s Day. Oh, I enjoy that movie and Biff from Back To The Future is in it and all – but my favorite movie based on April 1st is……..Slaughter High! Which was actually called April Fool’s Day when it was filmed. This is all very confusing. Let’s watch the original trailer!

What the hell is up with that voiceover guy? Is this a horror movie or a wacky 80’s teen sex romp? Nevertheless, that theme music is the shit – and bad voiceover guy aside, Slaughter High is a pretty underrated 80’s slasher movie in my opinion.

It has the classic ‘kid gets bullied and comes back to kill all of his tormentors‘ storyline, some great death scenes (gut-buster anyone?), and a villain that actually could have spawned some sequels had the actor who portrayed him not passed away after the film was shot. Well that was a downer. Ummmmm……how about that theme music?!?!? The lesson in all of this (other than a voiceover guy can use too many bad puns), is to remember Slaughter High when you think of another April Fool’s Day themed movie to watch on April 1st. Did I mention that theme music btw?

Sunday Bloody Sunday: ‘Murderous Mirror’ From ‘Death Spa’ (1989)

Posted on July 23, 2017 by Dirty Horror

Have you ever been in your gym having a nice workout and wondered if it was possessed? Maybe the bad body odor going through the air can play tricks on your mind, making you think that something is controlling everyone’s smelly armpits. Well, I’m here to tell you that your gym probably isn’t haunted. But in the 1989 horror movie Death Spa (also awesomely known as Witch Bitch), there is a haunted gym/spa and it’s killing people in fun ways!

Welcome to Sunday Bloody Sunday, where I am indeed highlighting the movie Death Spa. A first-time watch for me recently, this movie is pure 80’s horror cheesy greatness. How I let this one slip by me for this long is beyond me. And one of the things that makes it great, besides the 80’s aerobic outfits and multiple boob sightings, are some inventive kills. Case in point, the one below where a woman is literally torn apart by a shattering mirror. But don’t take my word for it – click below to see, and do yourself a favor and watch the whole movie. And horror favorite Ken Foree is in it too!

Great Moments In Horror Hair History: Suzy Putterman And O.D. From ‘TerrorVision’ (1986)

Posted on May 24, 2016 by Dirty Horror

What’s better than one great 80’s horror movie haircut? Well, that would be TWO great 80’s horror movie haircuts! Much like Bonnie & Clyde, the duo of Suzy Putterman and O.D. (yes, his name was O.D.) from 1986’s weird horror/comedy TerrorVision were the perfect couple with perfect 80’s hair to boot.

Nothing says the 80’s like a sweet mullet and some Rainbow Brite hair. Suzy Putterman (Diane Franklin) and O.D. (Jon Gries) were the power couple in TerrorVision, and when they weren’t trying to civilize their googly-eyed large alien friend, they were flaunting their retro dos with no inhibitions.

Let’s be real, TerrorVision is not a great movie by any stretch of the imagination, but it is fun. And pretty gooey too. And gooey is always good. Not to mention that O.D. sported a W.A.S.P. T-shirt throughout the movie, which perfectly accentuated his mullet. Now I have to say, that is a first. Not one, but two heads of hair are being welcomed into the illustrious Dirty Horror Hair Hall Of Fame. So without further adieu, it gives me great honor to induct Suzy Putterman and O.D. into the class of Great Moments In Horror Hair History! Now I really want to go find a W.A.S.P T-shirt on eBay.

Horror Movie Posters I Love: Alone In The Dark (1982)

Posted on April 5, 2016 by Dirty Horror

Back in the day, horror movie posters could make or break whether you would put down your hard earned cash to watch a film. Trailers helped as well (more so nowadays), but if you saw a poster hanging in the theater lobby in the 80’s – you would most likely either be drawn to it or just walk right past it. So once in a while, I like to go back and find old horror movie posters that I love, even if the actual movie ended up being crap. Case in point: this poster for the 1982 slasher Alone In The Dark.

This poster realllllllly makes me want to watch a slasher movie. Maybe even go buy an axe too. Actually, I really miss the old school slasher films and would give my right nut to get some decent additions to the sub genre nowadays. That sounds extreme, I know, but that should tell you how much I love slashers. I also love this poster, even though it’s simple. And it reminds me of the original poster for Maniac, which only makes my love grow fonder.

As for the actual Alone In The Dark film, I wouldn’t get your hopes up if you haven’t seen it. Sorry to bring this post down. Sure it has big names like Jack Palance, Donald Pleasence, and Martin Landau – but overall it’s nothing more than a tepid (albeit somewhat enjoyable) 80’s slasher movie about mental patients who escape a hospital. Yawwwwwn. You can watch it on Youtube if you’d like, but instead I would suggest gazing up at the poster again and drooling all over your keyboard. Just make sure to have a towel handy because drooling isn’t very attractive.

Ummmmmm: The Rocking Horse Scene From ‘Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II’ (1987)

Posted on June 4, 2015 by Dirty Horror

One of my favorite surprising horror sequels of all time is Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II from 1987. It easily surpassed the original Prom Night in my opinion even though it didn’t have Leslie Nielsen, Jamie Lee Curtis in a bra, or a fantastic disco soundtrack. The sequel had something that the original couldn’t even come close to though: a horny rocking horse.

Yeah, that was pretty disturbing. And I’m not talking about the old man make-out session. Putting something like a horny rocking horse with a big tongue in a horror movie was pretty much the norm when it came to 80’s horror. Which is yet another reason why I miss that era. Sigh. Thankfully, we have avenues like Youtube to relive those magical times. It’s too bad the horny rocking horse didn’t ever get a spin-off movie. It would have been tremendous.

Ebay Find Of The Week: The Boogey Man Soundtrack On Vinyl (1980)

Posted on August 22, 2014 by Dirty Horror

I’ve mentioned before that I’m on a bit of a horror vinyl soundtrack kick lately. Because of that, I am constantly jumping on Ebay to see if I can find any good deals. Case in point: I snagged an original copy of The Fog soundtrack still in shrink wrap for $40. So imagine my joy when I came across a copy of the elusive soundtrack to the 1980 horror humdinger, The Boogey Man.

Only 1000 of these were pressed and each are individually hand numbered. So it’s a rare find indeed and a pretty sweet soundtrack. The only problem? The jackass who’s selling it is selling it at a starting bid of $1000. Now, it’s somewhat rare, but come on man! What’s funny is this dumbass constantly keeps posting it up week after week, never lowering the price and even charging close to $40 for shipping too. Peep the listing HERE.

So does it come in an enclosed tomb with dry ice packed in it or something? Are there valuable jewels hidden within the vinyl that only can be revealed if you play the record backwards? No clue if this is a joke or if this guy is for real, but I’m about to burst his bubble a bit. It was just announced that they are re-releasing The Boogey Man soundtrack on vinyl, and you can pick it up right HERE for a lot cheaper than $1000. Only 500 of these were made though, so snag it fast. And if you don’t know about The Boogey Man, then perhaps this clip below will sell you on it.

Great Moments In Horror Hair History: Tawny Kitaen In ‘Witchboard’ (1986)

Posted on June 5, 2014 by Dirty Horror

“In the still of the night I hear the wolf howl, honey – sniffin’ around your door!!!!!” Sorry, I had to get my quick Whitesnake karaoke fix in written form considering I’m about to do a story about Tawny Kitaen who was famous for sexing it up in their videos. We’re strictly talking hair here though, which in many ways can be equally as sexy. In 1986, Tawny and her ginger locks starred in Kevin Tenney’s underrated horror flick, Witchboard.

Breathtaking. When Tawny wasn’t fighting off the powers of an evil Ouija board in the movie, she was flaunting her 80’s hair around like nobody’s business. And what a mesmerizing mane it was. It’s not everyday that hair takes center stage over a murderous Ouija board, but in this case it did. And I for one, had no complaints at all. So with that being said, I can easily announce that Tawny Kitaen’s hair in Witchboard was a Great Moment In Horror Hair History! Now let’s reminisce and watch her have some fun on top of some automobiles.

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