Wednesday January 7, 8.30pm
Flash Gordon
(USA/UK, action/adventure/sci-fi)
Director: Mike Hodges
Starring: Sam J. Jones, Melody Anderson, Max von Sydow
What's it about?In this '80s all-star camp classic, a bored alien king - Ming the Merciless keeps the blues at bay by conjuring up a series of disasters on Earth. He doesn't count on coming up against the star footballer and everyday hero Flash Gordon, who leads the charge to save the earth from certain destruction. Retrotastic special effects and a soundtrack by Queen make this required viewing for any self-respecting B-movie buff.
Heavy Metal
(Canada, animation/adventure/fantasy)
Director: Gerald Potterton
Starring: Richard Romanus, John Candy, Joe Flaherty
What's it about?With graphic violence, sexuality, and nudity abounding, the animated movie Heavy Metal (1981), based on the eponymous adult fantasy magazine, offers an anthology of various science fiction and fantasy stories told via Loc-Nar, a green crystal orb from outer space ("the sums of all Evils") to a terrified little girl. Not one for the kids!
Wednesday January 14, 8.30pm
Scanners
(Canada, horror/sci-fi)
Director: David Cronenberg
Starring: Jennifer O'Neill, Stephen Lack, Patrick McGoohan
What's it about?In the mindblowing Scanners, David Cronenberg (Videodrone, The Fly) explores his theme of choice: body modification. Scanners are people with extraordinary telepathic powers, who can read people's minds, make them mad or even explode. Darryl Revok, a rebellious scanner, is the leader of an underground movement and decides to wage a war against a weapons manufacturer who uses people of his ilk for their dastardly purposes.
Evil Dead II
(USA, comedy/horror)
Director: Sam Raimi
Starring: Bruce Campbell, Sarah Berry, Dan Hicks
What's it about?The pitch-perfect gory slapstick made Sam Raimi's Evil Dead franchise a must-see of the horror comedy genre. In this second part, our hero Ash Wiliams is the sole survivor of an onslaught of flesh-possessing spirits, who infected his girlfriend Linda and forced him to decapitate her. But she comes back from the dead, albeit disjointed, and is well intent on getting a piece of him.
Wednesday January 21, 8.30pm
An American Werewolf in London
(UK/USA, comedy/horror)
Director: John Landis
Starring: David Naughton, Jenny Agutter, Joe Belcher
What's it about?Lauded at the time of its release (1981) for its outstanding make-up effects, this cult "scary-funny" movie follows two American college students on a backpacking holiday in England. When they are attacked by a werewolf, only one of them, David, survives and is taken to the hospital in London. His dead friend appears to him in his dreams, and warns David that he was infected and that he will be turning into a werewolf at the next full moon. Wouldn't you know it - his dead buddy's right.
The Blob
(USA, horror/sci-fi)
Director: Chuck Russell
Starring: Shawnee Smith, Kevin Dillon, Donovan Leitch Jr.
What's it about?"Terror has not shape" in The Blob, a remake of the 1958 version starring Steve McQueen, which follows a growing gelatinous byproduct of secret government chemical experiments, that crashes from outer space in a meteorite. The slimy goo then proceeds to eat and dissolve every living thing, particularly the citizens of Downingtown, Pennsylvania.
Watch original Movie Show review
Wednesday January 28, 8.30pm
Red Dawn
(USA, action/drama/war)
Director: John Milius
Starring: Patrick Swayze, C. Thomas Howell, Charlie Sheen
What's it about?Before invading each other's personal space in Dirty Dancing, Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey had already shared the bill on Red Dawn (1984), a ra-ra Cold War-era classic, which deals with a whole different kind of invasion scenario. The 'Commies' are on the march globally, and America is the only one still standing, but not for long. A group of high school students decide to team together to fight against the Soviets.
River's Edge
(USA, crime/drama)
Director: Tim Hunter
Starring: Keanu Reeves, Crispin Glover, Ione Skye
What's it about?Keanu Reeves has a decidedly un-excellent adventure in this disturbing high school drama, which follows a group of slackers who aid their friend when he starts to brag about having committed murder.
