This freaky little flick just called out my name when I saw it on the video rack. I checked the back of the case… Babysitter stalked by killer baby, interesting but it’s been done. Black and White, that’s interesting. Then I saw the name Reggie Bannister: the ice cream man in the Phantasm movies. That dude is cool, one of a select few actors to become horror icons playing a good guy, Bruce Campbell is the only other one I can think of…
So I decide to get it. Wow, what a cool movie… It’s like a classic Twilight Zone episode with a little more unique style. In a way it reminds me of Guy Madden’s films, it’s not so much a copy of old style movies as it is like an artifact from a time and place that never existed.
And that cast, Forry Ackerman, Reggie Bannister, Bob Frikkin’ Hope!! actually his cameo consists of telling some jokes over the end credits, but he appears in various forms thruought the movie… an old movie of his plays on an ancient television, a group of monstrous statues includes a caricature of Bob Hope, at one point the babysitter is attacked by a Robot Bob Hope Doll that shoots missiles…
I was quite impressed, has anyone else seen this movie?
blatant pathetic bump
So nobody’s seen this?
According to the interviews on the DVD it was apparently originally planned as an episode of Monsters, which was the campier, more humorous spin off of Tales From the Darkside. The producer for Monsters died, and plans for the episode fell through, but the writer/ director decided to make the film anyway… and it turned out far more interesting than it would have been as an episode of Monsters.
There isn’t much to the story, but the black & white visuals are amazing and the sets are very cool… especially considering this was a low budget flick.
Geez, i STILL have to pick up those two Japanese films divemaster mentioned a month ago, now i have to look for this two!! (maybe if i actually went back to the video store, mondays and weekends are the only days i can go there now, maybe i’ll head by today if i remember…)
I saw it last night, was less than impressed with the story itself, and the lead actress was atrocious (or however it’s spelled). The cinamatography was pretty cool, very reminecent of classic horror films and how they were filmed. But the visuals and Bob Hope was all i enjoyed (actually, i probably would have turned it off had i not been watching it for this thread)
stupid thread, bump, damn you!!
Oh, the story was nothing new, but the way it was told was interesting. Aside from the way it was shot, the way the characters were all just- “off”. From Twelvetrees offerring the babysitter a soda to the dad singing before the parents left… it was just off.
I also liked how the humans were presented as being like the worst example of the “ugly american”, making fun of their hosts behind their back. And the way the babysitter’s death was presented was cool, the dance and then her spirit seeing the body and being at peace.
Also, I want to find a “hey doll” doll now.
I actually cheered when she got offed, not liking her at all. Granted, tonight after Japanese lab, i am gonna watch Shiri and Robot Vampire, the latter having a painting of Robocop strangling a vampire while shooting another on the video box cover. Instant rental when i saw that…