Wikipedia defines Night Flight as “an eclectic variety television show.” I have also been described as eclectic, but that usually means unhinged. In any case, the network endures in the era of streaming as Night Flight Plus. With their formidable roster of high-proof schlock like Raw Meat, Turkey Shoot and The Burning Moon, it was only a matter of time until I had to try a slice of that pie! (Vince Neil voice).
So, adopting the lyrical stylings of ace NJ-born filmmaker Glenn Danzig, I bring you: WHERE EAGLES DARE! Each installment will feature a pair of thematically-connected flicks available to stream on Night Flight Plus, as well as a “For Fiends Of” section highlighting similar fare that’s available on the streaming service. Without further ado, let’s get into some witchery!
On this very special installment, I bring you two hallowed gems to tickle your necro-fancy (Crypt Keeper laugh)! This duo is always on my watchlist for the Halloween season because of the quality of their souls. They overflow with jack-o’-lantern grins and chilly October nights, the full-sized candy bar stuff of true Samhain. Eat up!
NIGHT OF THE DEMONS (1988)
I wondered whether it would be low-hanging fruit to choose Kevin Tenney’s legendary Halloween party turned possession massacre. Retrospectively, that’s like feeling it’s wrong to eat your Reese’s cups first out of the loot-jammed pillowcase. Indulgence is the way, sayeth Satan! NIGHT OF THE DEMONS is THE Halloween party flick, without room for debate. Until you can top possessed goth angels dancing to Bauhaus and a hyper-violent razorblade gag, you’ll always be a Beistle black cat playing second fiddle.
It’s Halloween 1988 and every ditz, burnout and jock is looking for the perfect rager. The answer lies inside the gates of Hull House, a dilapidated former mortuary with the kind of sordid history that would make H.H. Holmes blush. Goth princess Angela Franklin has organized the bash, and the turnout includes invited guests and unwanted party crashers. After the gang participates in an unwise game of spirit peek-a-boo, the unclean entities of the house are unleashed, primed for what’s to become a black celebration.
Angela’s having a party, Jason and Freddy are too scared to come … But you’ll have a hell of a time. From a lesser movie, such a tagline would be a death sentence. You have to have some serious horror chops to stake claims against the drowned murder machine and the burnt (implied) pedophile wiseass. Well, Tenney brought his A-game. Establishing the various party-goers before they converge in Hull House is just as much of a treat as when the demons come out to play. Tenney understands that teenagers speak wiseass, using that to flesh out the attendees and throwing in a well-deserved jack-o’-lantern themed mooning. Once possessed, Steve Johnson’s fantastic makeup takes center stage as The Evil Dead adjacent antics ensue. It all ends on a mean spirited zinger that’s pure, unadulterated Hallows’ Eve.
HAUNTEDWEEN (1991)
Look, I have no defense for the title. Webster’s dictionary has no profound definition for a HAUNTEDWEEN, but it is the spirit of the Ween which makes it so special. Shot in Bowling Green, Kentucky, HAUNTEDWEEN presents a fairly rote slasher setup, then drops our unstable killer into a haunted house attraction. With attendees expecting scares, our masked menace has the perfect setup to get his gruesome kicks with the bonus of a captive audience!
In 1971, young Eddie Burber snuck into his mother’s haunted house attraction and brutally killed a girl. Mother and son fled the scene, living in isolation for the next twenty years. Upon his mother’s death, Eddie’s murderous urges resurface, and he drags the corpse of Mrs. Burber back to the abandoned haunted house. Turns out the haunt is being reopened for business by Sigma Phi, a fraternity looking to fundraise so they can remain on their charter. Instead the boys will be witness to a bloodbath resulting in minimal financial compensation!
HAUNTEDWEEN falls into a category I call “Movies You’d See Characters Watching in a Horror Movie.” We start with a store-brand Halloween intro to establish our slasher’s psychosis. Then the movie takes a left turn, becoming a pseudo-boner comedy as frat bros chug beer and play grab-ass. All of this makes for a tasty appetizer, but the true feast lies in the final act. Unleashed from the bowels of the house, Eddie Burber blends into the staged horror show, committing acts of violence that the attendees assume are fake! In many ways, it’s like a 16mm micro budget version of the criminally underloved Haunt. While the premise is simple, there’s something intoxicating about the imagery of this movie. Don’t take it from me, check out the screening my pal Yasmina Ketita is doing at the Paradise Theater on October 18th!
