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For horror and B-film aficionados, A Nightmare on Elm Street remains a cultural cornerstone, and ranks as an influential and much-imitated film of this genre alongside the likes of Evil Dead and Night of the Living Dead. Fred Krueger, who remains a classic film monster, was first introduced in this low-budget film. The teenagers residing in a small American town seems to be having violent nightmares, and before long they seem to be put to bizarre deaths while they are asleep. Nancy, who too is having those nightmares, finds out that the mystery behind these seemingly inexplicable occurrences lies in an event involving, among others, her mother, that took place years back. Thus, what ensures is a game of cat and mouse between the young girl and the grotesque and disfigured man stalking her in her dreams. The film is not very scary per se, but Wes Craven, who gained both fame and notoriety for directing this cult film, infused enough ingenuity and intelligence in the plot as well as his storytelling to keep the viewers both interested and second-guessing as to what will happen next. It also brought considerable fame to Heather Langenkamp who played the spunky young girl who took on Freddy in her nightmares. Interestingly Johnny Depp made his acting debut in this movie.
Director: Wes Craven
Genre: Horror/B-Film/Teen Movie
Language: English
Country: US
Sam Raimi’s iconic Evil Dead 2 is quite the opposite of his equally iconic debut film The Evil Dead. Though touted as a horror film, it is difficult to be fully considered as one by lovers of this genre as it borders more on the parody front, and has equal doses of over-the-top gore and black humour, unlike the earlier film that was far more genuinely spooky. This cartoonish quasi-sequel saw the return of Ash to the haunted cabin by the woods with his girlfriend. But soon enough she turns into a dancing headless corpse, while he has to fend a new fiend in the form of his hand which gets a mind of its own upon being bitten by her decapitated head. Meanwhile the daughter of the archeologist, who had discovered the “book of the dead” and whose recorded chants had set the evil spirits free, arrives, and must now stop the ghouls once and for all along with the chain-saw wielding Ash, i.e. when Ash isn’t possessed himself. Diabolically funny, unapologetically over-the-top (though with the gore-quotient exponentially clamped down vis-à-vis the first part), and relentlessly fast-paced, this zany roller-coaster of a ride has continued to hold a cult status among B-film aficionados. And the comic talent of Bruce Campbell is on unbridled and uninhibited display here.
Director: Sam Raimi
Genre: Horror/Comedy/Zombie Film/B-Film
Language: English
Country: US
Though I’m not particularly fond of zombie flicks and gore fests, one can’t help but give The Evil Dead its due. One of those rare B-films that even mainstream audiences have watched, the infamous Sam Raimi debut feature remains a cult classic like few others and a landmark film of the 80’s. It begins with a low tracking shot that instantly sets the tone for the movie in terms of spatial disorientation and paranoia. And soon enough we are apprised of its plot that have become a cliché in American horror films – a group of young friends making a stopover at a cabin in the woods that can’t be anything but haunted by ghouls and evil spirits. The film and its sequel turned Bruce Campbell, in the iconic role of Ash, into a legend among B-film enthusiasts. However, what the film lacks in depth or weight, it more than makes up for that with its frenetic pacing, moments of genuine suspense and nightmarish atmosphere. And given its low-budget, the film is a testimony as to optimizing one’s resources through creativity. And as for preserving the spirit of its notorious genre goes, the film abounds in classic bad acting, cheesy plot developments and gleefully outlandish display of blood, gore and other not-so-precious bodily fluids. Yet, despite its schlocky and disreputable splatter film sensibilities, there’s no doubting the fact that Raimi must have had one hell of a fun time in conjuring this “Ultimate Experience in Grueling Terror”.
Director: Sam Raimi
Genre: Horror/Zombie Film/B-Film
Language: English
Country: US
Even long before he went ‘mainstream’ with the masterly A History of Violence and its engaging quasi-sequel Eastern Promises, David Cronenberg enjoyed cult status among horror aficionados. And if you were to believe them, Videodrome, released way back in 1982, was his first great masterpiece. Though I wouldn’t go that far, I’d still call it a very interesting movie that deserves wider dissemination. Of course, given that the maker is Cronenberg, there’s a catch here – this deeply distressing and unabashedly provocative look into paranoia, hallucination, sadomasochism, mental breakdown and the decidedly sinister nature of technology, is certainly not meant for everyone. The movie isn’t just non-conformist, or for that matter grotesque and lurid, it is deeply shocking as well – for its content graphic violence and gore, as well as for its deliberate depiction of sexual innuendoes. The movie is about a sleazy television network owner, played with characteristic energy by James Woods, who accidentally stumbles upon an underground broadcast that unleashes upon him a chain of grisly consequences. Despite its typically B-movie look, the been-there-done-that sort of harangue on the evils lurking behind the friendly garb of technology, and the extremely disturbing contents, one must nonetheless appreciate the director’s bravado, the terrific SFX, and the bizarre yet vivid visual (and psychological) imageries.
Director: David Cronenberg
Genre: Horror/Sci-Fi Horror/Psychological Horror/B-Film
Language: English
Country: Canada
Grindhouse is a no holes barred homage to the sleazy, low-budget, ultra-violent, Z-grade slasher films and exploitation pics (in essence, B-movies) that maverick filmmakers Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino feasted on, in run-down single screen halls (grindhouses), during their days of growing up. Planet Terror, directed by Rodriguez, which forms the first segment of the kinetic double-bill, is a post-apocalyptic dystopian tale of tussle between ravenous zombies and humans. Though mercilessly gory, the movie has enough smart-ass action and wry humour to get blood racing. The second feature, Death Proof, directed by Tarantino, and arguably the far superior of the two, has a psycho stuntman (played to perfection by Kurt Russel) who loves taking down his beautiful victims while driving at 125 mph. Though the more sedate of the two, this is no less thrilling, and is filled to brim with high-octane virtuosity, pop-culture references and enormously engaging ‘Tarantino talk’, as they say. And boy, does Tarantino have a thing for dancing! First there was the chilling ear-cutting sequence in Reservoir Dogs, then the cool Saturday Night style Travolta-Uma Thurman tango in Pulp Fiction, and now the awesome lap dance scene in Death Proof. In order to get the feel right, the editing and film quality have been deliberately made to look crappy, the content is as politically incorrect and gleefully shocking as humanly possible, and to top ‘em all, the features are punctuated by some bizarre faux-trailers. Though an empty stomach is a prerequisite for watching Grindhouse, this is one hell of a fun ride down memory lane.
Directors: Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino
Genre: Action/Thriller/Horror/B-Film
Language: English
Country: US
Bollywood, in the last few years, has developed a ready-made formula for quick and easy success – plagiarize a famous/cult foreign flick, suitably modify/delete contents that viewers might find incomprehensible or controversial, ‘Indian-ize’ them by adding songs, dances, romance and comedy, and voila, your movie is ready to go for shoot. Ghajini is the latest in this crappy trend, with the source being the brilliant, mind-bending thriller Memento, but bereft of the bravura filmmaking of the Nolan classic. Ghajini is filled with inane characterizations, a complete lack of an eye for detail or rationale, filled with comic-book like action sequences that are a straight lift of B-grade Tamil movies and containing more bloopers than the makings of sitcoms; consequently we had a few more laughs (make that a lot) than perhaps was the director’s intent. And to make matters worse, the movie stars Amir '8-Pack' Khan, who, with his fame for Method acting, had created an enormous hype prior to release, thus making the show that much more ludicrous. Being afflicted with ‘Short Term Memory Loss’ can be a boon when you are watching a movie like this.
Director: A. R. Murugadoss
Genre: Action/Revenge Movie/Romance/Musical/B-Film
Language: Hindi
Country: India
