(1981)
Dir - Frank De Felitta
Overall: GOOD
Probably one of the overall strongest made-for-television horror movies, Dark Night of the Scarecrow is a patiently slow, EC comics-esque tale of supernatural revenge and comeuppance. Premiering on CBS in October of 1981, screenwriter J.D. Feigelson initially penned it with the idea that it would be a theatrical release, but the TV format thankfully does not hinder the end result at all. That is so long as you do not mind the camera shying away from overt gore and fading to black at regular intervals for commercials. Directed by author and fellow screenwriter Frank De Felitta, a tremendous amount of mileage is gotten out of its elementary premise. As a statement about ignorance and fearful delusion turning men into villains, it is certainly on the nose, but the suspenseful, brooding presentation takes center stage above any overt preachiness. The first act wastes no time in setting up who the bad guys are and what most likely is going to happen to them at the hands of the title "monster" so to speak. Such predictability is not a drawback at all; on the contrary, it gives the movie a menacing edge as paranoia gradually overcomes those who wronged who they wronged. The performances are solid top from to bottom, but the eerie set pieces that work their power more on suggestion than anything are the true highlights.
(1986)
Dir - Richard W. Haines/Michael Herz/Lloyd Kaufman
Overall: MEH
This staple for Troma Entertainment which has spawned four sequels to date is as low-brow and moronic as any from the company. Which is something they would certainly be most proud of. Continuing the theme set by The Toxic Avenger with nuclear waste providing the source for gross, mutated shenanigans, Class of Nuke 'Em High, (Atomic High School), certainly fulfills its green puss quota and then some. Monsters, boobs, drugs, gross-out gags, gore, and horndog nonsense ensue and for the most part it keeps the immature disgustingness flying at a breakneck pace. Given the film's setting, on top of all the barf-out, infantile details, it also acts as a parody of high school comedies. Think like a Rock 'n' Roll Highschool/The Warriors hybrid except with knowingly worse acting and dialog than either and in far, far more despicable taste. The film is oozing, (literally), with a level of classless sleaze that may be ideally satisfying for some viewers and tortuously annoying for others. In any event, Troma does loud, measly-budgeted trash as loud, measly-budgeted, and trashy as anyone and this is a textbook example to be sure.
(1988)
Dir - Tom Holland
Overall: MEH
The first in the quite successful Chucky franchise, Child's Play might not be as strong as Tom Holland's fantastic debut Fright Night, but it certainly fairs better than his Stephen King adaptation Thinner at least. Comparisons from the directors other horror works aside, he takes an unavoidably goofy premise yet balances the schlock value quite expertly and surprisingly. While Brad Douriff could not underact if the life of himself and his loved ones depended on it, as the black magic meddling criminal-turned living Good Guy doll, he is rather ideally cast. It is no wonder that he stuck around for the entire franchise until Mark Hamill took over in the 2019 remake. While Chucky never genuinely comes off as scary and is more laughable than anything, it is all done in a knowing way which helps the movie avoid being embarrassingly misguided. What is also a bit unexpected and lacking in all future installments, the doll is not given all too much screen time, but this may not exactly be to the film's benefit as there is no doubt for any viewer under any circumstances that Chucky is NOT behind all of the evilness. So why under utilize him then? Still, it is another example of an initial movie in a series being less over the top than the ones that would follow in its wake, if not altogether better depending on the camp value that one is more interested in.
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