The Mike's Top 10 Made for SyFy/Sci-Fi Channel Monster Movies

SO MANY OF YOU PEOPLE FREAKED OUT ABOUT SHARKNADO LAST WEEK!

Seriously, it blows my mind.  People who only watch Oscar nominated films or big budget blockbusters were coming to me and saying things like "WHOA! There's a movie called Sharknado! About a Sharknado!" And I was like "Yes...these things happen." And I was all calm and stuff.  I've been down this road a few times. It's kind of a busy street where I live in the nerdy genre fan kingdom. It's crowded with all kinds of ridiculous and wonderful and cheesy and poorly made stuff - and it's glorious.

I did watch Sharknado, and will say it had a few moments of brilliance - especially in the final act. But honestly, it kind of left me wanting something more fun. It was a one trick pony with a drab color pallette, an often misplaced sense of humor, and a repetitive nature. I felt cheated, because for such an inspired idea it was actually kind of dull - while also being bad. And I feel a little like some of the people who think Sharknado is the end-all-be-all of ridiculousness might want to watch a few more movies.

Which movies? Well I'm glad you asked!  Below are ten movies that (as far as I can tell) premiered on the SyFy network or its previous incarnation as the (grammatically correct) Sci-Fi Channel. Do I mean to tell you these are fine pieces of cinema? Well...not really. But they stick out in my mind as more inventive, more fun, and more ridiculous than most pieces of trash I've ever seen. And if you're gonna watch something bad, you should at least watch something that does bad right. The ten following movies just might fit that bill.

Bonus Honorable Mention: Atomic Twister

Original Air Date - June 9, 2002

Atomic Twister would have been one of the highest ranked films on this list - until I realized it premiered on TNT, not Sci-Fi. Alas, I will warn you that this one is about a Tornado hitting a town with a nuclear plant and stars Zack Morris and a cougar scientist who never buttons her shirt. Sadly, it's almost impossible to find now - so you're just going to imagine Zack Morris as a sheriff trying to stop a nuclear tornado.

10. Mega Piranha

Original Air Date - April 10, 2010

 You're not going to see a lot of movies by The Asylum - the company responsible for most movies like Sharknado or Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus or Battle OF Los Angeles - on this list. Their cheap knock-offs of big budget thrillers have occasional charms but can end up a little vapid.  But a) there aren't a ton of great movies to chose from here, and b) This one sticks out in my mind as more clever than most of their recent "battle between giant things" movies have been. (And I just love Tiffany. There, I said it.)

9. Mammoth

Original Air Date - April 2, 2006

A frozen wooly mammoth is revived and causes havoc in a small town while Firefly's Summer Glau and the excellent Tom Skerritt try to stop it. Why's it here? Because it's a freakin' mammoth! Those things are/were awesome!

8. Never Cry Werewolf

Original Air Date - May 11, 2008

This is basically a remake of Fright Night with werewolves replacing vampires, future Vampire Diaries star Nina Dobrev being attractive and replacing William Ragsdale, and Kevin Sorbo replacing Roddy McDowell. Before you run away to vomit, you should know that I'm a sucker for the Rear Window-with-monsters film, which is a big reason why I love Fright Night and why I can laugh at this thing.

7. Puppet Master vs. Demonic Toys

Original Air Date - December 18, 2004

Not only do the title toys go to battle in this one, but they're joined by Corey Feldman and Vanessa Angel feuding over control of the miniature forces. This thing also partially comes from the writer of Dark City, The Dark Knight, and Man of Steel (David S. Goyer) and gets bonus points for ticking off the notoriously shady Charles Band, who doesn't recognize this as "canon."

6. Kraken: Tentacles of the Deep

Original Air Date - September 23, 2006

This one gets crazy bonus points for taking itself too seriously, even while it has an O'Connell in the cast. The real star of the show is one of my favorite underloved actresses, Victoria Pratt, who manages to play a very serious marine archaeologist while only wearing bikini tops. It also features recently deceased Glee star Cory Monteith as one of Pratt's assistants.

5. Wyvern

Original Air Date - January 31, 2009

The Academy Award for Best Lead Performance in a SyFy Original Film of All-Time simply has to belong to Nick Chinlund for his work on Wyvern. The co-star of films like Eraser and Con Air stars as a trucker who has to help a small Alaska town battle a snake dragon, and manages to get in a heavy personal monologue on his way to becoming a hero. Like the last flick, major bonus points for taking itself so seriously.

4. Sasquatch Mountain

Original Air Date - September 9, 2006

Lance Henriksen's wife gets killed by a 'squatch and then a bunch of crooks start pretending their life is Reservoir Dogs in the woods and then there's a bunch of Sasquatch going down and Henriksen is angry and out for blood. There are some obvious flaws, but it still is one of the better Sasquatch movies out there. Then again, there are about zero good Sasquatch movies out there - so I'm not saying much there.

3. Beyond Loch Ness (aka Loch Ness Terror)

Original Air Date - January 5, 2008

If there's one thing I love more than Sasquatch - it's Nessie. I couldn't stop freaking out when that stupid Nessie movie for little kids came out in theaters around the end of 2007. Thankfully, SyFy was there for me. They picked me up and said "Don't worry, The Mike. You want a killer Nessie movie? WE'VE GOT THAT!" And I think that was the moment I knew I was in love.

2. Terminal Invasion

Original Air Date - September 14, 2002

YOU GUYS! You guys! It's Bruce Campbell, you guys!

Campbell stars in what is essentially a feature length (and low-low-budget) adaptation of the classic Twilight Zone episode "Will the Real Martian Please Stand Up?" that is directed by Friday the 13th's Sean S. Cunningham. I KNOW THAT SOUNDS AWESOME. Some bad special effects set the film back a bit, but it's one of the more well-plotted films made for the network and - OH YEAH - it has freaking Bruce Campbell!

1. Mega Python vs. Gatoroid

Original Air Date - January 25, 2011

OK, I know I said I'm not a big fan of The Asylum - but this is their The Dark Knight. Directed by Pet Sematary's Mary Lambert and reuniting '80s pop stars Debbie Gibson and Tiffany - the former reprising her role from Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus and the latter returning from Mega Piranha - this is the one time when the stars just seemed to magically align and everything ridiculous about these movies came together to make one perfectly entertaining work of art.  Plus, we finally get to see a catfight between Debbie and Tiffany that is bookended by quotes from their once popular songs. This is the new American treasure that Sharknado wishes it was.

YEAH I SAID IT.

Evil Dead

(2013, Dir. by Fede Alvarez.)

Evil Dead deserves its place in the world alongside the Evil Dead trilogy. That might be the least important thing you need to know about this reboot and I have so many other thoughts running through my head about the movie that I just experienced, but my first reaction has to be this. It is impossible for me, as a fan of all things in the Evil Dead universe, to see this movie and not immediately consider its worth in comparison to Sam Raimi's trilogy. Unfair or not, it is reality - and I'm excited that I can open this review by saying that - with no comment on "better than" or "worse than" - I'm glad Evil Dead exists.

Balancing - not always delicately - between "homage" and "new vision", Evil Dead offers five characters, a cabin, and a weekend gone wrong.  The mathematics are the same as the film(s) it exists to emulate, but the characters are new and the dynamics are changed. The major change worth talking about is probably the fact that our lead female is now a drug addict who is being forced into a cold turkey weekend by her brother and her friends, and that this character, Mia, is created wonderfully by actress Jane Levy. The young woman undergoes a few transitions in tone and a large amount of turmoil during the film, but she never misses a beat.

You could counteract the great character moments with a few concerns, like the fact that the blonde female character has three lines in the first forty-five minutes of the film, is never involved in any pertinent conversations, and is more often than not referred to as "Baby."  Characterization is not strong across the board, which will surely give some critical viewers pause as they enter this new Deadite-filled universe. I think this is a rather hollow complaint on some fronts - though I did find the fact that a movie with basically five characters appears to lose one of them for large stretches of the exposition - because a movie like this (or like the original The Evil Dead) are not about unique and outstanding characters.

To no one's surprise, this movie is all about the carnage that is unleashed via that dastardly Necronomicon (whose well known name, if I'm not mistaken, is never spoken in this film).  And what carnage it is. Director Fede Alvarez throws in plenty of trademarks from the first two Evil Dead films and sly nods to Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell (for examples, look for returning shirts, camera tricks, and Oldsmobiles), but he also offers a whole new bloody vision that is a complete change of pace from anything we've seen in the preceding films. And a lot of what he does is freaking awesome.

Indeed, this movie works because it invents its own mayhem. It could be mistaken for being too serious, but I find it hard to really accuse a movie who changes pace so often and pushes so many bizarre images in our face as a humorless experience. Maybe I am desensitized to blood on screen, because I rarely found myself flinching - I did cover my eyes all three times a syringe came into play, but I was fine with dismemberment and disfiguration - while others were groaning in their seats. I was too wrapped up in how Alvarez was presenting his story to care that what I was seeing was gross. I knew what I was walking into, and if you've seen the film's trailer (if not, it's posted below) you probably have the idea that this film does not intend to pull its punches.  The changes to what the "evil dead" are and how they are represented is probably the biggest difference from original to remake, but it allows Alvarez to maximize the amount of splatter in the film.

Yes, I get that Evil Dead is not a perfect bit of storytelling and I am more than aware of the fact that it is not the original Evil Dead. These two issues will no doubt derail many viewers, but I prefer to look past them and see that Evil Dead is a perfect version of what Evil Dead wants to be. It's got a manic energy, a great visual style, and - probably most importantly - some of the most jaw-droppingly entertaining gore you'll ever see on a movie screen. I had a great time watching it. That's all I care about at this point.

The Mike's Top 50 Horror Movies Countdown: #7 - The Evil Dead

Previously on the Countdown: Number 50 - Happy Birthday to Me  Number 49 - Prince of Darkness  Number 48 - House on Haunted Hill  Number 47 - The Monster Squad  Number 46 - Hellraiser  Number 45 - The Fog  Number 44 - Creature From the Black Lagoon  Number 43 - Zombie  Number 42 - Tales from the Crypt  Number 41 - Bubba Ho-Tep  Number 40 - Phantom of the Paradise  Number 39 - Dog Soldiers Number 38 - Pontypool  Number 37 - Dark Water  Number 36 - Army of Darkness Number 35 - The Legend of Hell House  Number 34 - Poltergeist  Number 33 - The Abominable Dr. Phibes  Number 32 - The Phantom of the Opera  Number 31 - The House of the Devil   Number 30 - Evil Dead II  Number 29 - Dead of Night  Number 28 - Carnival of Souls  Number 27 - Nosferatu  Number 26 - Candyman  Number 25 - The Texas Chain Saw Massacre  Number 24 - Horror of Dracula  Number 23 - The Wicker Man  Number 22 - Suspiria  Number 21 - The Omen  Number 20 - Spider Baby or, The Maddest Story Ever Told  Number 19 - Rosemary's Baby  Number 18 - The Devil Rides Out  Number 17 - The Blob  Number 16 - Gremlins  Number 15 - Targets  Number 14 - Fright Night   Number 13 - Frankenstein  Number 12 - Alien  Number 11 - The Shining  Number 10 - An American Werewolf in London  Number 9 - The Thing  Number 8 - Dawn of the Dead

The Evil Dead

(1981, Dir. by Sam Raimi.)

Why It's Here:

I don't know man. I'm really second guessing myself at this point in the list.  Maybe this is too high on the list for The Evil Dead.  But it might be too low too.

If the competition is dealing with inventiveness and ingenuity, then The Evil Dead would probably be in a class of its own.  Aside from its sequels, there just aren't a lot of films out there like it. Some might say it's just a splatter flick, but I dare them to name a movie that splatters like The Evil Dead does.  We've got glop of all colors and consistencies spraying from all over the place, we've got pencil stabbing, and - yes - we've got tree rape.  The whole thing is just so ridiculous, yet at the same time it manages to be incredibly tense and quite unsettling.  And that's pretty awesome.

The Moment That Changes Everything:

I simply can not talk about The Evil Dead without mentioning tree rape.  And I'm a dude. A fat one. I'm 99% less likely to be raped than anyone else (outside of a prison). And it still creeps me out to the max.  If there was ever a moment when a horror movie literally stuck it to the audience, this might be it.

It Makes a Great Double Feature With:
There aren't a lot of movies like Evil Dead out there, but fans of do-it-yourself horror and practical special effects should jump backwards in horror history and find Equinox, a low budget monster film from 1970 that has since been restored by the Criterion Collection.  It lacks the shock value and tension of Evil Dead, but the theme and the method behind the film are surprisingly similar and there's fun to be had there.  (Bonus pick from the low-budget and fun genre - Thou Shalt Not Kill...Except.  Raimi co-stars in friend Josh Becker's backwoods cult picture, which is ridiculous and fun in all the wrong ways.)

What It Means To Me:

When I dug up The Evil Dead as a teenager, I was promptly told I was doing it wrong.  It was the '90s, after all, and Army of Darkness was how the cool kids knew Ashley J. Williams.  Now I love Army of Darkness as much as the next guy - the poster's on the wall in front of me and the movie's already been talked about on this list - but I kind of feel bad for anyone who worked their way to The Evil Dead in reverse.  I wasn't ready for what I saw when this movie came to me, which left it as one of the most new and thought provoking movies I've ever seen. If you're like me, your first time with The Evil Dead is one of the most memorable movie events of your life.

The Mike's Top 50 Horror Movies Countdown: #30 - Evil Dead II

Previously on the Countdown: Number 50 - Happy Birthday to Me  Number 49 - Prince of Darkness  Number 48 - House on Haunted Hill  Number 47 - The Monster Squad  Number 46 - Hellraiser  Number 45 - The Fog  Number 44 - Creature From the Black Lagoon  Number 43 - Zombie  Number 42 - Tales from the Crypt  Number 41 - Bubba Ho-Tep  Number 40 - Phantom of the Paradise  Number 39 - Dog Soldiers Number 38 - Pontypool  Number 37 - Dark Water  Number 36 - Army of Darkness Number 35 - The Legend of Hell House  Number 34 - Poltergeist  Number 33 - The Abominable Dr. Phibes  Number 32 - The Phantom of the Opera  Number 31 - The House of the Devil

Evil Dead II

(1987, Dir. by Sam Raimi.)

Why It's Here:

Though it's obviously a sequel - some would argue that it's a remake - Evil Dead II holds a unique place in horror history. Sam Raimi, Robert Tapert and Bruce Campbell followed up their beloved first film with a most excellent blend of horror and comedy that is still a crowd pleaser today. It might not top the splatter that we saw in The Evil Dead (SPOILER ALERT: Few films do.) but the addition of more blatant comic aspects - and the evolution of Campbell's iconic Ash character - have put this on the short-list of the greatest horror sequels out there.

The Moment That Changes Everything:

Ash goes through a lot through the Evil Dead series, but he might be at his low point during the darkly comic scene in which he joins most of the generally-inanimate objects in that cursed cabin in a bit of hysterical laughter.  I think my favorite side character in the scene is the lamp that dances with Ash for a few moments, but that's not the point I'm looking for. The point is that Evil Dead II keeps finding new ways to surprise, and this is one of my favorites.

It Makes a Great Double Feature With:

One of the most interesting things about the Evil Dead films, at least to me, is that there really wasn't much like them released in the 1980s.  This was the decade of the slasher, the sequel, and the teen horror film - and I'm pretty stumped to find something of its era that matches ED2. If there's anything I've seen that matches the crazy intensity of this film, it might be the recent horror hit and future cult classic The Cabin in the Woods, which not only refers to the Evil Dead 'verse but honors it wonderfully.

What It Means To Me:

It was once just an entertaining diversion, but Evil Dead II has kind of become a case study in horror to me over the years. There's so much in this film series that is without equal anywhere else in horror, and I always seem to find something new and unique about all three films. Evil Dead II has lost a little luster over the years - might be because I've seen it dozens of times and know the gags too well - but it's still a fascinating piece of horror that I can admire any day.

The Mike's Top 50 Horror Movies Countdown: #36 - Army of Darkness

Previously on the Countdown: Number 50 - Happy Birthday to Me  Number 49 - Prince of Darkness  Number 48 - House on Haunted Hill  Number 47 - The Monster Squad  Number 46 - Hellraiser  Number 45 - The Fog  Number 44 - Creature From the Black Lagoon  Number 43 - Zombie  Number 42 - Tales from the Crypt  Number 41 - Bubba Ho-Tep  Number 40 - Phantom of the Paradise  Number 39 - Dog Soldiers Number 38 - Pontypool  Number 37 - Dark Water

Army of Darkness

(1993, Dir. by Sam Raimi.)

Why It's Here:

Are you freakin' kidding me? Any list of any kind of movies that has to do with me has to include Army of Darkness.  It's pure, unadulterated, awesomeness.  It's pretty much the most fun movie to watch.  Ever.  I don't really have to explain Army of Darkness, at least not to myself.

The Moment That Changes Everything:

When that chainsaw gets tossed into that pit and Bruce Campbell leaps into the sky and everything clicks into place...well, that's when my soul really starts dancing.  Of course, there's about 97 moments in the short film that create the same feeling, but that's the first one that comes to my mind tonight.

It Makes a Great Double Feature With:

Well, there's two films that OBVIOUSLY go so well with this one - but I just might end up talking about them later in this list.  So, if we're gonna pair something else up with Army of Darkness, we're gonna need something funny, exciting, monstrous, and good looking.  Something like....Tremors.  Yeah.

What It Means To Me:

I think I've written about my evolving favoritism in regard to the Evil Dead series before, and how my appreciation of each film differs by the year.  (Yup, I have.) But Army of Darkness has always won me over as the most accessible film of the trilogy, the kind of flick I could put on even with my least horror-friendly friends and still get plenty of smiles and laughs.  It's gotten me through a lot of bad moments, too, and no amount of age and recognition of the film's lesser qualities will ever take that from me.

The Mike's Top 50 Horror Movies Countdown: #41 - Bubba Ho-Tep

Previously on the Countdown: Number 50 - Happy Birthday to Me  Number 49 - Prince of Darkness  Number 48 - House on Haunted Hill  Number 47 - The Monster Squad  Number 46 - Hellraiser  Number 45 - The Fog  Number 44 - Creature From the Black Lagoon  Number 43 - Zombie  Number 42 - Tales from the Crypt

Bubba Ho-Tep

(2002, Dir. by Don Coscarelli.)

Why It's Here:

I feel like this list is waaay heavy on lighter/more comedic horror filcks so far, but it's darn impossible to find many horror movies that are more rewarding than Bubba Ho-Tep.  Anchored by what is undeniably Bruce Campbell's best traditional acting performance, it's one of the most unique horror films thanks to its ability to balance drama, comedy, and scares in one well-drawn script.  I've argued since day one that Bubba - despite its sensational plot - is the rare horror movie that's rooted in real human drama, and I still think there's a lot of people out there who don't give Bubba Ho-Tep enough credit for what it does.

The Moment That Changes Everything:

The first showdown between The King and a "big bitch cockroach" is a terrifically fun sequence in the tradition of the Evil Dead films.  When Campbell utters a fine one liner at the end of the battle, the whole audience is alerted to the fact that it's about to get FUNKY.

It Makes a Great Double Feature With:

If there's one film that has captured a similar quirky balance of character and splatter since Bubba, it's the soon-to-be-worldwide indie hit Some Guy Who Kills People.  The stories couldn't be more different, but there's a willingness to share the lead's inner fears and embarrassing secrets that makes both films so accessible and even a little sweet.  If you're a fan of Bubba, you should definitely be keeping your eyes out for this one.

What It Means To Me:

When it was just a blip on the horror radar - if it seems like that was a decade ago, it's because it was(!) - Bubba Ho-Tep mostly meant the return to prominence for Mr. Bruce Campbell, who many of us nerds were dying to see back in a leading horror role that mattered.  To me, Bubba Ho-Tep passed those selfish expectations with ease and became something truly special.  There are few horror films out there that make me smile and feel at peace like this one does.  Those aren't horror's biggest goals most of the time, but in this case they are worth lauding.

8 Things I Love About... Army of Darkness

If I had it entirely my way, I'd have posted 8 pictures of the guy with the Fu Manchu 'stache. This one's also cool for the kid in the background who's so excited that you'd think he was at a Stryper concert.

The Chainsaw Leap.

"It's a trick. Get an axe."

Attack of the Four-Inch Tall Groovies.

I strongly believe that "I'm blind. I'm blind!" moment that's followed by that wink and that noise is the best thing the great Bruce Campbell has ever done.

The three words from the undeniably great The Day The Earth Stood Still.

That moment when Fu Manchu 'Stache Dude basically saves the day and keeps the movie going.

The S-Mart Ending.  Sorry Sam, I know you didn't want this and I may be a primitive knucklehead for saying this, but "Hail to the King, Baby." did a lot more for this movie's success than that goofy time travel ending would have.

The Mike's True Heroes of Horror (6/10) - Bruce Campbell

Gotta admit it...there were a few times when I almost convinced myself to vote this guy off the list.  That's less a statement against him and more of a statement about how many people there are who could be listed as true heroes of horror.  But, when push came to shove, I realized that every list needs a King. Who am I to deny y'all that?

Bruce Campbell

Who is Bruce Campbell?

Born and raised in the land of Michigan, Bruce Campbell started making Super 8 movies with friends as a teenager and never looked back.  His first feature - made alongside old friends Sam Raimi and Robert Tapert - would slowly but surely make its mark in the horror viewer's mind.  A couple of sequels and a few other horror roles - but mostly those sequels, would skyrocket Campbell to the top of the nerd love food chain in the early '90s.

Campbell has spent much of the last twenty-five years at work thanks to this horror trilogy. His travels have included frequent collaboration with Raimi and the Coen brothers, a couple of cult favorite television shows (I still think The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. is one of the greatest things ever on TV, but that's a different story), and recent mainstream success in the USA series Burn Notice.  Campbell has also written a couple of books, done some voice acting, and even starred in Old Spice commercials.  Oh, and he's made a few more horror movies too.

Bruce is most known for....

Being groovy. Even though his character in the first Evil Dead film was far from it, Ashly J. Williams - or, just Ash - has a place at the top of most horror fans' lists of cool dudes.  Campbell played the character across all three Evil Dead films - The Evil Dead, Evil Dead II: Dead by Dawn, and Army of Darkness, if you're counting along at home - and his progression from ambitious young actor to posterized cult God can be graphed in a linear fashion through the films.  By the end of Army - and I'm talking about the superior "Eff Yeah, Ash Rules" ending that the studio tacked on, not the drab and dopey ending Raimi wanted - Campbell's appeal to the horror fan had become everlasting.  And, based on those three movies alone, that appeal was completely earned.

Other horror hits....

After the Evil Dead flicks, finding Bruce Campbell movies became a favorite pastime of many horror lovers.  Though his career has taken many paths into many genres, he's always had a place in the horror genre, for better or worse.  Early in his career he popped into films like Maniac Cop - which I loved last night - and Intruder, but with time he started making fun cameos in things like Waxwork II (a personal favorite).  Campbell has strayed from the horror genre at times, but has made many returns in the last decade, even directing himself in a couple of campy films, The Man With The Screaming Brain and My Name is Bruce.

To be honest, my favorite performance from Campbell doesn't come from any of these movies or any of the Evil Dead flicks.  It comes from Don Coscarelli's brilliant Bubba Ho-Tep, in which Campbell rocked the screen as a retirement home Elvis who battles a soul sucking mummy.  I kid you not when I say that this ridiculous sounding movie pretty much rocked my socks off dramatically; Campbell's ability to bring the King to the screen in such a sad state is insanely moving.  It's one of my favorite movies of the new millennium, easily.

(Oh, I also have to mention Terminal Invasion here.  Sure, it's a bad movie that premiered on what is now SyFy, but it borrows from one of my favorite Twilight Zone episodes and Campbell rocks and I just love it. So yeah, Terminal Invasion. And I'm saying that now, even though I just watched an interview where Bruce made fun of people who like Terminal Invasion.)

So, why's Bruce Campbell here?

Part of me thinks that question is too easy to answer, part of me thinks that question deserves more thought.  I mean, he IS Bruce Campbell, after all.  That fact alone makes him one of the most important, raddest, and best people to ever step foot in horror.  At least that's what a lot of horror fans think, and Campbell knows it.  The deification of the Evil Dead star has often left Campbell reacting to fans in a darkly humorous manner that doesn't seem too far off from the spoof version of himself that appeared in My Name is Bruce.

In recent years, I've really come to respect that side of Campbell.  No human who's worth a hoot wants to spend all day having people blow sunshine up their rear and treat them only with reverence.  If you've ever checked out footage of Bruce interacting with fans at screenings or conventions, you'll generally find an air of disregard for the drooling and screaming that goes on around him.  The guy knows he's just a guy who's been in movies - some good, some bad - and he doesn't buy in to that diva mindset that many other celebrities are cursed by.

Some have read Campbell's attitude as a dislike for these fanatical fans, but I've always found the guy to be a fresh kind of humble.  Since joining Twitter a few months back, Campbell has used the microblogging tool to interact with plenty of fans who have plenty of questions for him, and provided a good insight into just who Bruce Campbell is by sharing his thoughts and humor with most of us.  I got my own little interaction with Campbell back when I questioned him about the new Evil Dead project - and inadvertently started an internet feeding frenzy - which I must admit is one of the highlights of my year.  But it's not a highlight because I'm in awe of Campbell, it's a highlight because I really respect what Campbell has done in horror.

And truthfully, what became of Ash in the Evil Dead films was worth the accolades.  Campbell's willingness to throw himself - and his body, which must have been battered thoroughly throughout the three films - into the splattery situations of these films is nothing but wonderful, and his snarky charisma really carried the latter films at times.  The resulting iconic quotes and hilarious sight gags of Evil Dead II and Army of Darkness were just what horror fans needed at the time, breathing life into the slasher filled wasteland that was the '80s and early '90s.

When we think of Campbell as Ash, it's easy to want to throw ourselves at his feet and scream "We're not worthy!"  Heck, I stumbled into calling him a King in the opening of this post.  But Bruce Campbell should be recognized as a hero of horror for more than just his character in an iconic trilogy.  The fact that Bruce Campbell continues to throw himself into the horror scene and interact with his fans, even when some of them lack sanity, is what's cemented his status as a true hero of horror to me.  He's having fun with us, just as we're having fun with him.  I dig that.

Maniac Cop

(1988, Dir. by William Lustig.)

Maniac Cop is one of those movies I'd always heard the cool horror fans talk about, but never checked out anyway.  I'm not sure if I was just trying to be a nerd rebel or if I was afraid it was gonna be one of those movies that SAYS it stars Tom Atkins and Bruce Campbell but really only has small doses of said actors.  Maybe it was a combination of both (or maybe it was the fact that my first brush with director William Lustig was the laughable, yet entertaining, Uncle Sam - which I never took too seriously), because I just kinda let Maniac Cop be up until recently.

Curiosity never lets go, however, and I finally found myself sitting down with Synapse Films' new blu-ray disc of Maniac Cop this evening.  And now I'm kicking myself, because those cool horror kids obviously know what cool is. 

Maniac Cop is pretty much the story of a maniac, dressed as a cop, who puts a hurtin' on anyone and everyone in New York City.  He's one of the '80s most imposing killers, towering over victims in his proper uniform and police hat while brandishing a club that has a knifey surprise inside.  This presentation makes him one of the most ominous killers of the decade, even if he isn't at all stealthy.  In fact, the Maniac Cop presents himself more like Frankenstein's monster and other lurching killers than your run-of-the-mill slasher killer, because he's actually a seemingly undead gigantor with a chip on his shoulder.

And when you've got a seemingly undead gigantor, you gotta call in the pros.  It appears the Ghostbusters wouldn't take this case, which leaves a bunch of cops on the case - including Atkins, Campbell (playing the honest cop who was set up, presumably by the Maniac Cop himself), Richard "Shaft" Roundtree and veteran gruff guy William Smith (who I most love for being Conan the Barbarian's dad).  We sadly don't get a lot of Atkins and Campbell on-screen together - possibly because the combination of such amazing elements could have combusted the space-time continuum - but both actors are very welcome as foils to Robert Z'Dar (I checked, he's NOT a robot despite his name) and his massive Maniac Cop frame.  (And, if I'm being honest, I kinda wanted a little more Atkins than Campbell.  Bruce's character just wasn't quite "groovy" yet.)

Maniac Cop combines elements of the slasher genre with the inner city style that made Lustig's previous films Maniac and Vigilante so intriguing, particularly capitalizing on the latter film's gangland focus.  Some of the police scenes feel like they'd be more at home in an action film of the '80s, with Smith and Roundtree occasionally appearing to not even know they're in a horror film.  The balance between police drama and horror isn't hard to find, and the gritty realism of some scenes - even ones with Sam Raimi as a news reporter talking about tensions in the city or a shockingly beardless George "Buck" Flower as a nice homeless man - occasionally makes the film seem a little more serious than it is.

Then the film speeds to a cheesy final act that's full of violence and silly carnage, which makes me dig it even more.  I'm not sure the finale does anything really well - though I did find the final moments very pleasing - but it's at least a fun wrap-up to the film's interesting set up.

I think my thoughts on the finale not doing anything extremely well are indicative of the whole film's quality.  I don't know if I'd really call Maniac Cop a good film compared to Lustig's preceding films - Maniac provided a more interesting look at a killer and Vigilante gave us a crime story that involved us in the inner city action - but there's still a lot of charm to be found in this movie.  Maniac Cop is a brute of a film, just like its killer, and it's a lot of fun to see its mixture of genres play out.  With its unique villain and its horror heroes leading the charge, Maniac Cop should at least provide an entertaining viewing experience for horror fans who are simply looking for a campy thriller.

Evil Dead Remake....for real? Bruce Campbell tells The Mike to believe!

That's what internet rumors are saying...and that's what Bruce Campbell is saying.

After rumors started rolling around the internet (hey look, here's some of them!) I - knowing we've been down this path before - voiced some skepticism on Twitter regarding the project.

That "GroovyBruce" fellow? Well, according to Bruce-Campbell.com - it's Bruce Campbell.

And a bit later....GroovyBruce had some reassuring words for The Mike.....

So, do you believe?

Update - 7/12/11 - As is noted in Bruce's tweet (and now the title of the post) it's an Evil Dead REMAKE that is being produced.  And, today, Bloody Disgusting (after picking up our scoop on Bruce's tweet) found out that Fede Alvarez - not Sam Raimi - will be directing the low budget remake.

Alvarez got Raimi's attention with this short film, which is well worth seeing.

Midnight Movie of the Week #64 - Evil Dead II

(Note from The Mike: The MMOTW is coming at you a little early this week.  I assure you, there's a very good and very awesome reason for this.  Prepare yourselves, because MARCH MIDNIGHT MADNESS at FMWL starts very, very soon.....)

I do not believe that it is possible for me to choose Evil Dead II as Midnight Movie of the Week and only talk about Evil Dead II.  It simply can not be.  To me, the three Evil Dead films are about as closely intertwined as any trilogy out there.  Sure, the likes of Star Wars and The Lord of the Rings shine as linear narratives, but the Evil Dead films represent one of the most unique triads out there due to their overlapping narrative and the shift in tone throughout the series.

Raimi's trilogy not only fascinates me due to its content - because they're certainly three of the most unique films in the horror 'verse - but due to the impact they've had on me at different times of my life.  When I started digging into horror films in my early high school years, I knew of Bruce Campbell's Ash only through my friends.  So when I did finally find a copy of Raimi's original The Evil Dead, I'm not quite sure I was ready for it.  The Ash I'd heard of was funny, but this was a dark, demonic tale that was full of splatter and tree rape.  I knew what I was seeing was something different and special, but it wasn't at all what I expected.  When I told my friends that I had seen it, they shrugged and said something like "Nah, man, you need to see Army of Darkness!"

It didn't take much prodding to convince me to check out that film, which is 100% my kind of movie.  I wasn't even sure what my kind of movie was at this point, but that didn't matter.  It was my kind of comedy, mixing a slew of sight gags and practical effects with Campbell's over the top hero and that ridiculously fist-pump inducing finale.  (Note from The Mike: Sam Raimi, I love you...but the theatrical ending is about one million times better than your drops of potion ending.  Sorry, it's true.)  But it also kept me involved with its bit of horror, which is admittedly a Grand Canyon's width goofier than Raimi's first film yet not far from the likes of some of my faves like Tremors and Gremlins.  I'm not saying it was instant love, but lets just say I geeked out hardcore when I saw the Evil Ash dummy at Planet Hollywood in Orlando and made the theatrical poster one of the first things to adorn my first dorm room's walls.

It wasn't long after I experienced Army of Darkness that I, now acting on my own accord, hunted down a copy of Evil Dead II, and not just because of that fantastic VHS box cover that it had back then, which came complete with a three-star endorsement from no less than Roger Ebert.  Some may find it odd that I watched the series completely out of order, but in retrospect I think it may have amplified everything I would come to love about Evil Dead II.  Raimi's sequel isn't exactly in line with the films that would bookend it - both the prologue and epilogue only loosely match the other films - but it somehow manages to feature most of what I had already come to love about these films.  There's the ridiculous violence and extra splatter of the first film, but there's also a ton of the comedy of the latter.  And when Bruce Campbell finally truly becomes Ash in the final act...well, it's nothing short of GROOVY.

Throughout the years, my relationship with the trio of Evil Dead films has undergone some dramatic change.  After seeing part two, it instantly became my favorite of the trio due to its ability to balance the horror and comedy.  Later, my love of Army of Darkness pushed it back up the ladder, thanks to a thrilling midnight showing at the theater I once haunted.  Then, as college passed and the real world set in, I suddenly felt myself developing a connection to the grittier original film.  No, I don't know why I a) care about which is my favorite when I love them all dearly or b) have such a hard time sticking to my opinions on these films.  They're just all too special to me, and I can't settle on one of them.

Of course, now that I've said that....I'm settling on Evil Dead II as this week's Midnight Movie of the Week.  I've already mentioned my main reason for loving it as part of the series, but as I look at the film now I also think there's a bit more poetic artistry at work here than in the other two films.  There are plenty of shots of blowing fog and other scenery that just seem to match up perfectly with the sound effects that permeate the film.  The demonic howling and blowing winds set the scene for untold horrors, which might be why the slapstick comedy gets to me so easily.  All three of these films are about untold horrors being released upon the Earth, but Evil Dead II seems more intent on creating the feel of a nightmare on screen.  There are few films - Suspiria and The Shining come to mind - that do a better job of imitating what a great night terror might look like.  And then it adds in a scene where Bruce Campbell laughs with a lamp. 

I guess this means that Evil Dead II sits atop my heart at the moment, though I'm not sure where the trio will rank tomorrow.  And as long as I can keep watching any of them whenever I like, I don't really care.  Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell, if you're out there, you've adequately rocked my socks.  Well done.