Teens are horrific on a good day so, I think any teen flick could work but I don’t think that is quite the theme Wandering Through The Shelves was looking for. I remember being a teen and I was a good gal, to be honest, but I could still grunt and drag my heels to help out my dad when he came back with groceries to unload. Anyhoo, teens always get into bad trouble especially when a group of them decide to rent out some cabin. You have the 2 horny teens that get the hatchet just after they “do it.” You have the token African American, the geek, the jerk, a funny guy, the nice guy and the nice girl who usually runs down the middle of the road with one high heeled shoe still on who is having a hard time running away from the killer with a limp where a turtle is outpacing him. Big Sigh. Anyhoo, I chose 3 that I think works, and here they are...
1. I WAS A TEENAGE WEREWOLF-1957
I love this tacky flick starring Michael Landon, yes that Landon of Bonanza, Little Outhouse on the Prairie and Highway to Heaven fame. He plays a troubled delinquent who ends up going to a therapist for help. Unbeknownst to poor Michael, the therapist is a mad quack who decides to use him as a guinea pig and pump him with serum when he is under hypnosis. With some mad scientist talk, poor Michael turns into a werewolf and wrecks havoc at his high school. I actually thought the makeup was quite good and young Michael was ok as the nutty teen who likes to howl at the moon.
2. THE GHOST IN THE INVISIBLE BIKINI-1966
This film used to be on TV quite frequently and now, hardly ever shows up. Ok, it might be short on horror but it is a fun movie even though this marked the end of these teen beach movies. You have the old corpse, played by Boris Karloff( of Frankenstein fame and The Original, and best, Grinch fame) who must do a good deed in 24 hrs so he can go to heaven. He enlists his old girlfriend to help him .yes, she is the ghost in the invisible bikini, make sure his crooked lawyer, played by Basil Rathbone, and his stooges don’t get their hands on his mansion and millions. Of course, his very young relative and a group of teens come to the mansion to have fun along with a man posing as a gorilla, a real gorilla and Erik Von Zipper and his gang of numbskulls. It’s fun and who doesn’t love the teen music, dancing and Erik Von Zipper and his gang.
3. FRIGHT NIGHT-1985
This is one of my favourite movies of the 80s. I thought Roddy McDowell as Peter Vincent, the late night host and scaredy cat who is reluctantly brought into teen Charlie Brewster's world, who believes there is a vampire living next door to him. The teen has a weird friend and a girl friend who worry about him especially when he decorates his room with crucifixes and garlic. Poor Charley(not the fish) thinks all is well until his daffy mother invites the suave neighbour over for a drink. Chris Sarandon plays the suave neighbour with a love of apples and Brewster's girlfriend. I have to admit I jumped when I saw the girlfriend's new teeth. This had great humor along with some great effects from 1985. I love the quick scene of Roddy McDowell, in an old 60's movie(playing on TV that Charlie turned on) playing a Von Hesling character who is ready to drive a steak through the busomy Vampiress but the steak is backwards. A very fun with some scary moments film. Worth a look.
What films would you choose?
Hi, Birgit!
ReplyDeleteI've been checking all morning and didn't think you were posting today. Mrs. S and I are traveling today and hitting the road soon but, before we do, I wanted to comment on this one.
As you know, teen horror is one of my favorite genres. I have seen all three of these movies. When I was a boy my big brother took me to see Mike Landon in Teenage Werewolf. As you know, my dream girl, the future Mrs. Shady, Yvonne Lime, played his girlfriend in the film. I also saw I Was a Teenage Frankenstein and have two framed lobby cards from that flick on my wall. When I was a teenager I saw Ghost in the Invisible Bikini. What a cast! Along with Boris and Basil there was Tommy Kirk, Deborah Walley, Jesse White (the lonely Maytag repairman), Nancy Sinatra and The Bobby Fuller Four. In my thirties, I saw Fright Night and loved Roddy's performance in it. I'm sure everyone remembers one of the film's other stars, Amanda Bearse, as "Marcy" from the TV sitcom Married... with Children, The soundtrack song "Give It Up" by Evelyn King, is my favorite from the movie and my favorite recording by that talented and underrated female vocalist.
This was fun, BB. Thank you and enjoy the rest of your week, dear friend!
I've actually seen that third one. Not the other two, however. You brought up an interesting point about teen couples who get whacked after "doing it". I saw a documentary somewhere on how those types of horror movies are reinforcing certain sexual mores (and how the "good girl" is the one who usually gets to live). It's a whole thing.
ReplyDeleteLOVE these!!
ReplyDeleteThe first two are wonderfully cheesy but fun if you're a fan of these sort of low budgeters.
Landon had a sense of humor about his appearance in Teen Werewolf always laughing along when it was brought up and saying "Hey I was young and starting out and at least it was work."
Karloff and Rathbone were on the other end of their careers in Invisible Bikini but while it's schlock they both appeared in far worse.
I saw Fright Night in the theatre when it was out and it was an enjoyable chiller. Both McDowell and Sarandon tear into their parts and have fun with them so the audience does too. The remake despite my fondness for Colin Farrell was crap.
As I look at everyone else's picks it turns out I've seen more of this subgenre than I thought but I went with the first three that came to me thinking my choices were more or less all I'd seen.
Carrie (1976)-Carrie White (Sissy Spacek) an introverted teenager is taunted by classmates at school and abused by her fanatically pious mother Margaret (Piper Laurie) at home. When strange occurrences start happening around Carrie, she begins to suspect that she has supernatural powers. Invited to the prom by teen dream Tommy Ross (William Katt), Carrie tries to let her guard down, but things eventually take a dark and violent turn to a fiery conclusion. Both Sissy and Piper are fantastic in this above average adaptation of Stephen King’s novel.
The Lost Boys (1987)-New in town teen brothers Michael (Jason Patric) and Sam (Corey Haim) and their mom Lucy (Dianne Wiest) have just moved to a small town in northern California. Somewhat goofy young Sam befriends geeky comic-book nerds Edward (Corey Feldman) and Alan (Jamison Newlander) while the combative Michael falls for Star (Jami Gertz). Problem is Star is dominated by David (Kiefer Sutherland), leader of a local gang of vampires. Soon things come to a showdown and Sam and his new friends must save Michael and Star from the undead. A classic case of style over substance, and the birth of the Coreys, but enjoyably junky.
I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997)-Four friends Julie (Jennifer Love Hewitt), Barry (Ryan Phillippe), Helen (Sarah Michelle Gellar) and Ray (Freddie Prinze Jr.) are speeding down a road late one night and are involved in a hit and run killing a fisherman which they dispose of in nearby water. They swear to keep it a secret but a year later Julie receives a letter telling her that their crime was seen. Barry thinks he knows who is responsible for the letter but is run over by a man with a meat hook during the pursuit. It’s then that the screaming starts! Wacky trash is fun in its silly way but led to far too many sequels and copycats.
Nope not seen any of these Birgit. Again I'm not a horror kind of person, although I have seen Carrie, but so long ago I can't remember what I thought about it. Hope you are well, Kate x
ReplyDeleteGreat list! I've heard a bit about Fright Night, so I might give this movie a try!
ReplyDeleteHere’s my Thursday Movie Picks!
Ronyell @ The Surreal Movies and TV Blog
I usually don't watch this genre, but I used to. Your first choice, which I have seen, reminded me of another from that era--The Blob.
ReplyDeleteArlee Bird
Tossing It Out
Yeah, most of them are so mind numbing as the teens act super stupid. Fright Night is a great one. Scream I liked too, but they ran that into the ground.
ReplyDeleteI’m too squeamish for horror! I’ve never even heard of the middle one. Hope you are ok.
ReplyDeleteHokey-Smoke! You can count me out this time. Definitely not my kind of genre. And, in fact, I believe the only "Teen Scream" type of movie I've ever seen is the original 'Carrie' from the 1970s. I saw it in the theatre when it was first released and, frankly, I didn't like it. So, I'm "one and done" when it comes to this particular genre.
ReplyDelete~ D-FensDogG
STMcC Presents BATTLE OF THE BANDS
POSTSCRIPT: Wait! I've seen another one that I believe qualifies for this genre: Brian DePalma's 'The Fury' (1978), starring Amy Irving, Andrew Stevens, Kirk Douglas, and John Cassavetes. It's basically 'Carrie' dressed up as some kind of pseudo-political psychic thriller. The only reason it came to mind is because I'm in it. I was in a scene with Charles Durning and Amy Irving, where she was supposedly reading my mind and identifying the picture cards I was focusing on while we were sitting in chairs back-to-back. No dialogue from me, and just as well, because I think it's a ridiculous movie. Even *I* couldn't save it! ;^)
I work with teens and yup, sometimes you just don't know what you are going get. But I am not familiar with any of these films. But I think Micheal J Fox did a remake of being a teenage werewolf, maybe? Hugs-Erika
ReplyDeleteWhen you said Erik Von Zipper I had to go look up the movie. I only remember the scene of Nancy Sinatra singing. "Outhouse on the Prairie" hahahahaha
ReplyDeleteI have not seen any of these films, but my first thought was The Blair Witch Project. My best friend dragged me to the theatre to see it when it opened here. Friends should not do that to friends, lol.
ReplyDeleteI can't think of anything else but Scream.
ReplyDeleteI haven't seen these.
ReplyDeleteJust when I had the pesky squirrel problem under control, I got back online just in time to learn there was going to be a hard freeze tonight. I spent the entire day cutting back my herbs and getting the ones I could lift into the house. The others I covered tonight with sheets.
ReplyDeleteI've never seen any of these except while reading through everyone's responses, I have seen Lost Boys. None of your picks, though and certainly not Carrie, which everyone seems to pick. I'm also with Erika and think Michael J Fox did a Teen Werewolf film or maybe a remake.
I haven't seen any of your picks this week but I did enjoy the Fright Night remake well enough.
ReplyDeleteI love that you did Teenage Werewolf!!
ReplyDeleteHorror is definitely not my genre but your choices sound like fun. The Karloff one, in particular, has a fantastic title!
ReplyDeleteI avoid horror movies whenever possible:)
ReplyDeleteHope you're enjoying your extended weekend and are feeling wondrous.
"The Ghost In the Invisible Bikini"- I've never heard of that and it just sounds too weird! My kids love horror movies, but I haven't enjoyed them for years, since I was a pretty much a kid myself actually.
ReplyDeleteHappy October to you,
Andrea
The only one I've seen is Fright Night. I like it. Have you seen the remake, I thought it was good as well.
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