R.I.P. Tobe Hooper (1943-2017)

As to why seeing our beloved artists die has such an effect on us, some eloquent soul said: "We don't cry because we knew them, we cry because they helped us know ourselves."

There are a small group of films that changed the Horror Genre forever. A very few of those groundbreaking efforts could be said to have helped create it.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is on that shortest of short lists.

Regarded as one of the best Horror films ever made, TCM is a clinic on low-budget atmosphere and terror. It's a relatively bloodless film, but it remains a disturbing and difficult watch none the less. It was one of the very first Slasher films, and it gave us one of the first, and arguably best, Final Girls in Sally Hardesty. Backwoods Horror began in earnest here. Hell, grungy, realistic, terror began here.

And let us not forget that he also gave us what we consider to be the best vampire story ever filmed with Salem's Lot. When we started this site, we chose The Master as our mascot because we could think of no more terrifying of an image to convey what we were all about. The vampires in that film are still to this day, the most terrifying ever committed to film.

Poltergeist was a huge film as well, ushering in the era of family-friendly scares in the 80's. The Funhouse, Lifeforce, and Invaders From Mars were all solid Genre efforts as well, and he produced most of the TCM films that came after his magnum opus, a few of which were good, but never quite recaptured the magic that he created back in 1974.

Leatherface, however, is eternal. 

All of this came from the mind of Tobe Hooper, and it all shaped our lives in a special way.

It's not yet know how Hooper died, but it really doesn't matter. Another Genre legend is gone, and more importantly, another good man is gone, and we are lesser for it.

Sleep well, sweet prince. We'll all save our last crazed dance for you.

R.I.P. Sam Shepard (1943-2017)

He may not have been a big name in the Horror genre, but we lost another giant today as Sam Shepard passes away at 73 from complications from ALS.

If you knew the guy's work in front of the camera, then you know it's hard to match him for intensity and gravitas. He brooded and emoted sympathy and emotion with ease. He played tough. He played terrifying. He played loving.

And he played them all captivatingly well.

I think I took his talent for granted until I saw him a few years back in the excellent Cold in July (review HERE.) He blew me away in that movie, and over the following weeks I sought out and re-watched other movies that he shined in, like The Right Stuff, Country, Thunderheart, The Pledge (review HERE), Mud, and of course, Blackhawk Down.

All excellent films, each of which boasted great performances by the man. Seek them out if they are new to you, you won't regret it.

And let us not forget what a prolific playwright he was, to the tune of winning a Pulitzer Prize.

A headline on Twitter today read "Sam Shepard: the Poet Laureate of America's emotional badlands", and that just about says it perfectly.

Rest in peace, good sir, and thank you for giving us so much.

R.I.P. Master of Horror, George A. Romero

Argento, Bava, Carpenter, Craven, Fulci, Romero.

When you discuss great Horror Directors, those are the names that tend to come up first. From there, the list moves on to names like Cronenberg, Raimi, Hitchcock, and the like, but it's those first six names that are pretty much the top of the heap. They're all guys whose work was so prolific, that you only need to refer to them by last name for people to recognize them.

At the top of that short list for many, sits George A. Romero, and rightly so. The man not only helped shape the Horror Genre into an important pallet for artists to ply their terrifying wares, but he flat out created the zombie sub-genre, with one little movie back in 1968.

What George Romero did with Night of the Living Dead on such a small budget, and during such a huge time of crisis in America, changed the Horror Genre, and movies in general, forever. Called subversive, and viewed by many as a harsh critique of 1960's America, NOTLD struck a nerve and shocked a nation, and rightly so. In the late 60's, our country was losing it's innocence; whether it was Civil Rights or Vietnam, the Sexual Revolution or the realization that the Government wasn't as pious as we had always believed, America was changing, and George Romero wanted to say something about it. He also wanted to make a bloody Horror flick, so he ended up doing both. He was thrifty like that. His zombie opus spoke volumes, both compelling and repulsing moviegoers, and changing what Horror movies were, forever. Brutal, shockingly graphic, and terrifying, Romero kicked the status quo in the nuts, and then spat in its eye. Hell, his hero was a black guy, which was unheard of in 1968, unless you were talking about Sidney Poitier. Our black hero persevered too, surviving the zombie onslaught only to be gunned down by a posse of clueless rednecks. Now or then, it doesn't get more subversive than that.

His Dead films only got better from there. 

Considered his greatest film by some, Dawn of the Dead was Romero's tongue-in-cheek jab at the consumerism-happy American public of the 1970's. It also allowed him to push the envelope even further than he had 10 years earlier, and give us more gut-munching, more flesh tearing, and a really awesome exploding head gag. A score by instrumental rock gods, Goblin, didn't hurt either. Of course, that was only in the European cut of Dawn (there were 4 cuts: Theatrical, Euro, Director's, and Extended.) Dario Argento cut the European version of the movie. Ken Foree played yet another strong, black, non-stereotypical hero.

The first of the "Dead" movies that I ever saw, Day of the Dead holds a special place in my heart. Whether it's because Bub was so sympathetic and lovable, or because the gore in the third reel was so insane and awesome, this was the movie that made me hunger for all things undead. I remember ads for this movie saying it was Rated-X, which in the 80's was a HUGE thing for a movie.These days, NC-17 is the naughty kiss of death rating handed out by the MPAA, and it's really not a big deal at all. Hell, every other movie has an unrated DVD when they hit video now, which is the same damned thing. 20+ years ago though, and X or NC-17 rating screamed perversion, meant good luck finding solid distribution, and riled parents groups and the religious right up to no end. Romero did push the boundaries with the gore on this one, making it more... wet? Messy? Dirty, sloppy and rough? All of those and more really. Combined with the vacant feel of the now mostly human devoid earth, and some interesting and unique characters, this was one hell of a good zombie flick.

Romero was a filmmaker who pushed boundaries. Sure, he set out to give audiences a bloody good time, and in that he succeeded wildly, but he also laced his films with plenty of social commentary, which made him a maverick of sorts in Hollywood.

He also gave us films like The Crazies, Martin, Creepshow, And the Dark Half, all of which were excellent. My personal favorite will always be Land of the Dead. That may sound like blasphemy, but seeing Romero do his zombie/commentary thing on a bigger budget was a thing of beauty to behold.

It's been reported that Romero died in bed, surrounded by his family, listening to the score of one of his favorite films, The Quiet Man.

If you've got to go, which we all do at some point, that doesn't sound like a bad way at all.

Thank you for everything, good sir, and you ill be missed and mourned by a world full of people tonight, and in the years to come.

And your work will surely endure.

R.I.P. Bill Paxton (1955-2017)

As to why seeing our beloved artists die has such an effect on us, some eloquent soul said: "We don't cry because we knew them, we cry because they helped us know ourselves."

Jesus Christ, every time we turn around it seems like another part of our childhood, as well as a staple in our artistic hall of fame, is dying far too early, and breaking our hearts.

This time, it's Bill Paxton, a guy who entertained us for over three decades with his brilliant and unique brand of acting. He was funny, and he could do intense as well, but it was always Bill Paxton's humanity, which shone brightly in any role he inhabited, that made him such a great talent.

If Bill Paxton is known for one thing by a vast majority of moviegoers, it's his delivery of the line "Game over!" in the Sci-Fi classic, Aliens. Of course fans of the man's work know that he brought way more than that once iconic scene tho the world of entertainment.

He was an excellent actor who filled our childhood (and adulthood) with so many entertaining roles in awesome movies, that it's hard for us to pick a favorite, so here are the Bill Paxton movies that get the most play in our Blu-ray/DVD players.

ALIENS (1986)

A perfect movie, and a truly iconic role for Mr. Paxton. Do supporting characters get any better than Hudson?

"Well why don't you put her in charge?" is a perfect example of just how great he was at line delivery.

NEAR DARK (1987)

Severin is one of the best vampire characters ever committed to film, and Bill Paxton owned the hell out of this movie.

Fun Fact: Near Dark was made a year after Aliens. Vasquez and Bishop were his co-vampires in this one.

TOMBSTONE (1993)

Oh man, I can't begin to describe to you how much I love this movie, or how many times I've seen it. Bill Paxton had a smaller supporting role in this one, but per his usual, it was an important one. As great as Kurt Russell and Val Kilmer were in this one, that's saying a hell of a lot.

FRAILTY (2001)

Not only was this maybe Bill Paxton's greatest performance in a leading role (bold claim, I know), but it was his directorial debut, which makes the fact that this little-known serial killer thriller is such a gem.

A truly excellent movie.

TITANIC (1997)

Come on, just looking at that picture warms our cold, lifeless hearts.

A SIMPLE PLAN (1998)

Even lesser know than Frailty, this excellent Sam Raimi thriller featured Paxton vs. Billy Bob Thornton in a battle of greed and wits, and once again showed that the actor could easily carry a film.

APOLLO 13 (1995)

 "I could eat the ass out of a dead rhinoceros."

WEIRD SCIENCE (1985)

Holy shit if the guy didn't steal the movie every time he was on-screen. If you were alive in the 80's, then Chet is definitely a part of your lexicon.

Special shout outs to Streets of Fire, The Terminator, True Lies, Navy Seals, Trespass, Twister, and U-571, all of which were great flicks, and feature great work by Bill Paxton.

R.I.P., good man. And thank you for everything.

Now it's time for us to go marathon these flicks. You should too. 

R.I.P. Anton Yelchin 1989-2016

Most people probably know Anton Yelchin from movies like Star Trek or Alpha Dog, but for Horror fans like us, it was his roles in Fright Night, Odd Thomas, Burying the Ex, and this year's breakout Indie hit, Green Room, that endeared him to us. Especially Odd Thomas; there was just something special to us about that movie, and his performance.

He a critically acclaimed actor, he was fearless with the roles he chose, and he always came off as likable on camera. If the reactions of the people who knew him personally are any indication, he was just as fearless and likable off screen. 

In a year where we've already lost so many talented actors, musicians, and otherwise creative people, this one smarts in a different way, because he was only 27 years old, and he had so much ahead of him to look forward to, on and off camera.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to his friends and family. 

R.I.P. Gunnar Hansen

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre shocked moviegoers, and changed the Genre back in 1974, and it was all because of its iconic main character, Leatherface. Even now, 41 years on, and as jaded as we've become over those years, the mere sight of Leatherface is still terrifying.

Now, the man who brought the flesh-wearing maniac to life, is gone.

Gunnar Hansen died on Saturday, November 7th, at his home in Maine, from pancreatic cancer. Last year we lost Marilyn Burns, and now Gunnar, and you know what, it hurts.

How do you write about the passing of someone that you never knew personally, and make it sound sincere? To us, and to many Horror fans the world over, he was the guy that played Leatherface. We only "knew" him because of that role (and the ones he took after that, of course), but with as many nightmares as he gave us a kids, and as much as he helped to shape our imaginations, that should be enough, right?

The guy was more than a role that he played 40 long years ago though. He had friends and family who loved him. He was a writer, a documentary filmmaker, and I've yet to hear anyone say that Gunnar Hansen was anything but a sweet, kind, and gentle man, which makes his passing even harder to take.

He's the kind of guy who we'd have loved to buy a beer, chat with, and tell him thanks for scaring the living shit out of us. Just so he knew that we appreciated him, you know?

It's alright to remember him as Leatherface, and to love him for it. After all, that's how we knew him, and for what that small part of his life gave us, that's why we loved him. It's good to know though that Gunnar Hansen got to live a life in which he was so revered, respected, and loved by millions of fans the world over, us included... and not just because he played a fantastic character in a fantastic movie, four decades ago.

Sleep well, sweet prince, and may you swing that 'saw forevermore.

R.I.P. Wes Craven (1939-2015)

In the 70's, Wes Craven helped give birth to the Horror Genre as we know it with Last House on the Left, and The Hills Have Eyes.

In the 80's, he turned the Slasher Genre on its head, giving us one of the best Horror movies ever made (as well as one of the most popular movie characters in history) with A Nightmare on Elm Street.

In the 90's, Craven single-handedly revitalized a near-dead Horror Genre with Scream.

The man was a true pioneer, in both the Horror Genre and film in general, and in a day and age where the term "Legend" gets thrown around far too often, and far too carelessly, that's exactly what the man was: A LEGEND.

And now, he's gone.

"HORROR FILMS DON'T CREATE FEAR. THEY RELEASE IT."

As kids, there were plenty of movies that terrified us to no end and gave us many sleepless nights, but none of them did so in the same way that A Nightmare on Elm Street did. I can still remember watching the commercial for the movie, late at night, on a local TV Channel, and how that 30 second spot was enough to make me have fits, and stay up until dawn. That's not an exaggeration, that actually happened. *Of course I was 12-years-old, but still, it terrified me.

That didn't stop me from begging my mom to take me to see it... which I did, endlessly, until she finally agreed. ANOES might be the first Rated-R Horror movie that I ever sat through in its entirety, and it was most definitely the first one I ever saw in a theater. And it changed my life.

Over the years, once i grew and realized that there was a man behind Freddy and his nightmares, I sought out Wes Craven's other works. From his raw and brutal beginnings in the 70's (Last House & Hills), to his more fun and quirky offering of the late 80's and 90's (Shocker, People Under the Stairs), I discovered a man with a unique voice who got what Horror was, and used his talent and vision to repeatedly make films that entertained, as well as terrified us.

We didn't even know that Wes Craven had been suffering from brain cancer before we got the news of his passing last night, and so it floored us. Like a right hook to the jaw, it absolutely floored us. The 76 years that he got on this Earth just don't seem like enough.

All of us here at THC love you, Wes Craven, and we sincerely thank you from the bottom of our hearts for stirring our imaginations, intensifying our nightmares, and entertaining us for over four decades. We will miss you.

Rest in Peace.

THE MAN WAS A GENIUS.

The links below will take you to Amazon in case you want to add some of Uncle Wes’s films to your collection, or you can click HERE to visit his IMDB page, if you just want to read about the man, and look through his filmography.

Either way, let's just remember and celebrate him and his works. Forever.

R.I.P. Christopher Lee (1922-2015)

The words "Legend" and "Icon" get thrown around far too often in reference to celebrities. When it comes to Sir Christopher Lee however, he's earned those titles, and then some.

In his personal life: He fought for both Finland and Britain during WWII. After the war ended, he hunted Nazi War Criminals.  He released multiple Heavy Metal albums, two of them being Christmas themed (and he did this well into his 90's.) He was Ian Flemming's cousin. He was related to Robert E. Lee. He was a descendant of Charlemagne. He was fluent in six languages. He was knighted by the crown.

On screen, he became one of the most iconic actors of the 20th century: He was Dracula. He was a Bond Villain. He was a Sith. He was Saruman. He was Sherlock Holmes. He was Lord Summerisle. He was in more than 280 movies, 20 of them with his best friend, Peter Cushing.

He was the last of the great Gothic Horror Icons, and now he is gone. 

TIMELESS.

Most people probably know him for his portrayal of Saruman The White in the Lord of the Rings movies, and there's nothing wrong with that at all, but for us, he will always be the guy who warped our fragile little minds as children. The Hammer Films of the 60's and 70's were some of the very first bits of Horror that we were ever exposed to, and Lee's Dracula was one of the very first movie images that gave us nightmares.

He lived the lives of both a hero and a rockstar, quite literally, and above all else, he seemed like an awesome guy in general. He loved movies, and he loved making them for folks like us who needed an escape from reality:  


"We all love to dream. We don’t live in a particularly attractive world. I don’t really remember, except as a small boy, anything but a pretty grim world. I’m old enough to have seen Hitler in the flesh. I’m old enough to have been in Munich in 1934, on the night of the long knives, when Hitler butchered so many of his own people. I’m old enough to remember the Second World War and all the other things. So I’m not being a Cassandra, who prophesied nothing but evil and misery; I’m simply facing reality. So, yes, let us not lose faith, let us be optimistic, let us believe in the good things, but we still have to face the world as it is. When you live in a world like that, what do you want? You want to escape, to get out of this world from time to time, into another world, a magical world, an enchanted world, where things happen we dream about, a world of fairy stories and wizards. It is like the conjurer, the enchanter, or magician who says, “Look, nothing up my sleeve. When I do this, you will come into my enchanted world!” Dreaming, escaping, that is what we’re talking about."

With his passing, it feels like an era has passed along with him. We hope that wherever he is now, he's with his old friends, and most of all, we hope that he is at peace.

Rest in peace, good sir, and thank you for everything. Sincerely.