The Ghost of Johnny Barlett

I’ve always enjoyed The Frighteners, even as a little kid. Everything about the film was great; the dark comedy, the effects, the performances by Busey and Combs, the hospital flashbacks and that here were some pretty scary scenes in the film. However, one thing has always stuck with me about this movie and as far back as I can remember I used to draw pictures of it. I’m talking about Bartlett’s ghost and his Grim Reaper disguise. I did find it interesting that he took on the persona of the Grim Reaper and that Jackson’s vision of this Death icon is pretty unique, the one thing that always captured by eye was the way that Bartlett’s ghost appeared before the end of the film.

Up until Frank finally ‘derobes’ Bartlett from his Grim Reaper disguise, Bartlett appears as this giant humanoid monster like ghost that comes out of the walls but he doesn’t do it the traditional way. This is where I think Jackson really did something different that I haven’t seen before. When Bartlett comes out of the wall or the ground or even a rug, he pushes the wall with him so that it molds around his body. This gives him this demonic and almost frightening look to his ghostly character. It also takes away his facial expressions, his eyes and his mouth rendering him to look like some otherworldly demon.

It comes as no surprise as to why I enjoyed those scenes so much; when I was 9 or 10 I had watched Nightmare on Elm Street and I became fascinated with the way Krueger peered down at Nancy as she slept in her bed. These scenes, whether they were inspired or ripped off from, sort of reflect that style and I think that’s why I enjoyed them.

Top 10 Overlooked Horror Movie Villains

I decided that with all the Top 10 Horror Movie Villains of All Time there are, we have seen all the same killers, the only difference is they are all in different orders. So, I have come up with a list of killers that people my have overshadowed or not even thought of simply because they weren’t good enough.

10. Dr. Robert Elliot from Dressed To Kill (1981). What always freaked me out were men dressed up like women and I never could understand why. Perhaps it’s because of the idea or something else… but when one of them finally decides to pick up a razor and slice people up, it’s twice as creepy for me and that’s probably why Elliot my list. Plus, even as a psychiatrist he is strange and very dark.

9. Billy Loomis & Stu Macher from Scream (1996). This killer duo has always been frowned upon when it comes to horror movies and I don’t know why. I enjoyed their style, playing on slasher film killers and I think they know their stuff. It’s like of like Leslie Vernon before Leslie Vernon. Plus, Billy is a hard-core psychotic and Stu is just the manservant. I also enjoyed them because they don’t just stab but they also gut and dismember their victims… something that most adolescent killers don’t do.

From Blogger Pictures

8. Dr. Philip K. Decker from Nightbreed (1990). Like most killers, he slashes through people like scissors through paper but what always scared me as that he had that most killers don’t have… that wicked looking mask. It reminded me of The Scarecrow from the Batman comics and it was frightening.

7. Edward To Swensen from Evil Ed (1995). This was a simple man turned psychopath that I loved only because of personal reasons. His job was a film editor who was hired by Campbell to edit a serious of gruesome hack and slash films. But after seeing so much blood and guts he snaps and becomes a gun totin’, swearin’, killin’ movie editor that acts suave as he’s doing it. It’s like he becomes the person that he always wanted to be rather then a dork.

6. Gus from The Tripper (1995). The only reason why I even categorize him as a worthy villain is because of his costume idea. He takes on the persona as Ronald Reagan and murders hippies. This is something that I am sure every Republican wants to do but never could because of the law… so Gus does it for them in the movie world. Since I am a Republican, I can say I enjoyed a few scenes in this movie.

From Blogger Pictures

5. Johnny Bartlett from The Frighteners (1996). This is one crazy motherfucker! Here is a guy, an orderly, who just went bizerk and started gunning down a bunch of people in a hospital. His M.O.: to out kill every famous murderer that ever lived. What distinguishes him from others is his M.O., it’s simple and not complex and he’s doing it for the fun of it. Plus, you can’t beat that smile that Busey has. It’s so devilish.

4. Patrick Bateman from American Psycho (2000). He is a suave, intelligent and sophisticated killer that murders over the most mundane things like the color of your business card. He knows who he is, he fucks people and then kills them, is a cannibal, has a large arsenal of shiny weapons but are we to believe all of this is real or in his head. He murders without cause or without reason and not to mention he is also a good artist.

From Blogger Pictures

3. Truck Driver from Duel (1971). Though it’s unknown, the number of people he may have killed but all we know is that he tortured poor David all the way down the road and played near-fatal chicken games. This is something that I really enjoyed about him, the fact that he uses psychological fear to kill you as well as his mighty truck. He lures you into a false sense of security and then runs you off the road… and the best part is: you never see his face. Well, until the picture above.

2. Anne Wilkes from Misery (1990). Now this is one crazy bitch. What makes her my #2 is not what she did in the novel or the film, but what she did that the both the novel and film hint on. She was a nurse that would murder patients by overdosing them and then she also killed babies in the maternity ward. She is depressed, paranoid and psychotic… plus, she has a knack for taking a hammer to people’s legs, screams and slams typewriters on your legs. She has such an innocent façade but she is a wicked person who will stop at nothing to keep her number one fane with her.

From Blogger Pictures

1. Axel Palmer from My Bloody Valentine (1981). This is number one solely based on the fact that the killer scared me as a kid. Out of all the costumes and masks that killers wear… a minor mask freaked me out. Why? Because of the breathing, those bug-eyed goggles and that breather made him look like an actual machine that kills. Plus, he uses a pickaxe rather then a knife, which made it bloodier and violent. I also have to give Axel credit for having his killer alter ego choose the costume. Also, I always thought it was awesome the way he laughed and the way that he knocked out those tunnel lights… such greatness.

So that is the list… running down them again:

10. Dr. Robert Elliot (Dressed to Kill)

9. Billy Loomis & Stu Macher (Scream)

8. Dr. Philip K. Decker (Night Breed)

7. Edward Tor Swensen (Evil Ed)

6. Gus (The Tripper)

5. Johnny Bartlett (The Frighteners)

4. Patrick Bateman (American Psycho)

3. Taxi Driver (Duel)

2. Anne Wilkes (Misery)

1. Axel Palmer (My Bloody Valentine)

Review - 2001 Maniacs (2005)

I had the… fun of watching a very campy movie known as “2001 Maniacs,” which I guess was a remake of the ’64 movie “Ten Thousand Maniacs.” It’s really about a group of college kids that travel to a small southern town for spring break only to find out that everybody that inhabits this town are psychopathic cannibals. I don’t know where to begin with this review.

First off, there were a lot of bloody effects and it was pretty gory. I enjoyed this, and some of the strategies used to ‘off’ the characters were pretty gruesome. The main problem that I had with this movie was that the horror and gore aspect of the film is overshadowed by the slapstick comedy, the crude redneck humor the terrible puns. Most people would find some of the puns funny but I found them campy and unnecessary and it was so over the top.

What I found a little displeasing was hw they viewed Southerners: there is a retarded kid that likes to kill cats, a young man who fucks sheep, inbred sisters, a dumbfounded black man and everybody seems talks in stereotypical southern lingo. I am from the south so I am a little iffy on that but I can overlook it.

This movie wants to be a horror comedy but it failed as a horror movie and I can only consider it as a comedy. Sure there is gore, some scares and a lot of deaths and cannibalism but I found myself laughing over ridiculous actions. The movie, of course for sex appeal, it littered with gorgeous girls who serve no purpose but as eye candy. 

I have not seen the original one, I might have to so that I can compare them… but I could still watch this movie again and find it appealing as a dark comedy, but I cannot say that this is everything a horror is. If you like “Dead Alive,” “The Frighteners” or even “Shaun of the Dead” then you might like this movie.