We celebrate the world of haunted attractions with a retro review of “Scream Park” and a look at the new documentary “Spooktacular!”
As always, we begin the show with some horror headlines.
Akela Cooper has become a low-key regular on our humble little podcast. We raved about M3gan earlier this year and covered Hell Fest previously. We talk about her latest project, which covers one of horror’s most popular tropes.
Earlier this year, we were shocked to hear that Glen Danzig would be making an appearance at the Cannes Film Festival. He recently showed up at Fantastic Fest and made waves at a screening of V/H/S/85.
Then, it’s on to our featured presentation and new movie spotlight.
Nothing says Halloween like a good old-fashioned haunted amusement park. (Not an amusement park that is literally haunted, but one that is horror-themed, though the former is also really cool.) Scream Park from 2013 is a goofy idea that has promise for a fun horror movie. A scary park is having financial woes, so the owner decides to stage a series of murders to drum up interest.
It may not be the best way to get people to pay for your rides, but it works for an indie horror movie. And it was clearly made with love as it has horror vibes from the 1970s and 80s.
But there are a lot of issues. From bad pacing to its poor treatment of its female characters – including a kill that is funny and gross for all the wrong reasons — the film will constantly frustrate audiences.
For our second film, we talk about a new documentary about a famous spooky attraction.
Spooktacular! will also bother those who watch but in a different way.
Again, it is a great idea; the documentary looks at the rise, fall, and lasting impact of Spooky World, the first haunted amusement park. There is lots of great archival footage, and the whole thing is filled with a sense of nostalgia.
But it also comes with a lot of filler. Constant clips of Vincent Price movies and incomplete tangents take away from the overall feeling. There is a lot to like here, but was it enough?
ABOUT THIS PODCAST:
Every week AIPT Movie Editor Nathaniel Muir and his cinema partner in crime Blake Heath discuss indie and genre movies you have have never heard of, the ones you cannot hear enough about, and the ones you never want to hear about again.
It is almost impossible to quantify what Roger Corman has done for horror. He pretty much invented B horror, launched the careers of some of the most talented directors of all time, and is behind some of the most iconic genre films of all time. His influence can be seen in the video box art that older fans pine about and in podcasts like our own. He is a true icon.
Typecasting is an interesting part of Hollywood. Some like scream queens and rom-com hunks lean into it. Others try to break out of the box others try to put them in. Think all of the comedic actors who have tried their hands at serious roles or child actors who appeared in more risque fare. It is always a shame to see an actor who obviously has a range of talents regulated to the same types of roles.
But what if an actor typecasts themselves?
Faceless After Dark stars Terrifer’s Jenna Kanell as an actor whose breakout role was in a movie about a killer clown. The synopsis is a little misleading (when she is held hostage by a fan dressed as said clown, she must do whatever she can to survive) as it is more of a revenge story than the logline implies. And that is just the first confusing thing.
The lead character is completely unlikable, the direction is headache inducing, and motivations are nonsensical. Are we supposed to root for Bowie Davidson (Kanell)? Why does she hate her fans so much? Is jealousy truly the root of all evil. Faceless After Dark has something to say, and it touches on real issues like toxic fandom and gender, but it is all done in a way that is confusing and just plain insulting. This movie was absolutely directed towards Terrifer fans and they are not going to like what it has to say.
Bruceploitation Month ends with the most famous Bruce Lee imitator of all. He was also the person who brought an end to the genre. Initially, Jackie Chan was supposed to continue in the footsteps of Dragon Lee, Bruce Li, Bruce Lea, and so many others. He did not want that and proceeded to carve out his own name. But not before he gave us 1976’s New Fist of Fury.
Xenophobia, confounding death scenes, a complete downer of an ending and, of course, a completely random Bruce Lee reference are all part of the film. It is a chance to see Jackie Chan very early in his career and has a powerful story to boot. At least, it seems powerful. Since the subtitles do not translate everything, we are left to assume that much of what is happening is very poignant and meaningful. The final shot certainly left us feeling something; too bad none of it was good.
Adventures in Movies! is a part of the Morbidly Beautiful Podcast Network. Morbidly Beautiful is your one stop shop for all your horror needs. From the latest news and reviews to interviews and old favorites, it can be found at Morbidly Beautiful.
Adventures in Movies! is hosted by Nathaniel and Blake. You can find Nathaniel on Instagram at nathaninpoortaste. Blake can be found on Twitter @foureyedhorror and on Instagram at foureyedhorror. You can reach us personally or on Twitter @AdventuresinMo1.
Music in the background from https://www.FesliyanStudios.com
Adventures in Movies! is hosted by Nathaniel and Blake. You can find Nathaniel on Instagram at nathaninpoortaste. Blake can be found on Twitter @foureyedhorror and on Instagram at foureyedhorror.
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