Author Archives: Bradley Crain

Brad heads down the BLACKTOP (2000) with Mad Trucker Meat Loaf!

Posted on by Bradley Crain

BLACKTOP opens on stand-up comic David (Lochlyn Munro) in the middle of his act at an out of the way truckers bar. His girlfriend Sylvia (Kristin Davis) is at the show, and she doesn’t look very happy. After the show, we find out that David & Sylvia’s relationship is not in a good place at all. She wants to settle down and get married, and he wants to keep performing his shows even though his career is going nowhere. When he tells her he’s agreed to perform three more nights the next weekend at that same place, she blows a gasket and wants to get out of there. Conveniently, a nice trucker named Jack (Meat Loaf), who she had only just met a little earlier, is there handy, and she asks him for a ride out of town in his truck, Goliath. He happily agrees, almost too happily, because it turns out he just might be a serial killer. Sensing something’s off and wanting to get his girlfriend back, David takes off after them, hoping to find them before she becomes the next victim.

That’s the basis for this “mad trucker” thriller that premiered on HBO back in October of 2000.  If the story sounds ludicrous to you, just know that it is. It takes a completely stupid decision to kick off the events of the story. Seriously Sylvia, David may be a bit of a loser, but do you have to abandon him and ride off into the night with a trucker you don’t know, who looks like Meat Loaf, just to make a point?!! Don’t you think you may be overreacting?!! Some might say that I’m making too big of a deal about this, that it’s just a plot device to set the story of “terror in a big rig” in motion. You are correct in some ways, but her moronic decision stuck with me through the rest of the movie. Later, when she was supposed to be tough, smart and resourceful, I kept thinking about her dumb decision that put her in this predicament, and how many people had already been killed or seriously maimed because of it.

The story also includes these silly little details like Jack leaving clues for David along the way so that he can have a chance to find them. Somehow Jack can perfectly predict David’s exact route and speed so he can place all these notes at the perfect places on the road, with some of them pretty complicated. And he does this without Sylvia even noticing. Sylvia isn’t exactly the most observant person around. Nothing proves this any more than a scene where Jack has Sylvia sit close to him so he can show her how to drive the big rig. While he’s giving her tips, David is trying to drive up and save her. The mad trucker does all this swerving and slamming on breaks and sliding and plays it all off like he’s just showing her some easy and safe driving moves. Sylvia never realizes David is anywhere near them, and since Jack hasn’t gone full psycho yet, she doesn’t seem to care. Maybe I’m just not that big of a fan of Kristin Davis, either. I never really liked her on SEX AND THE CITY, and I don’t like her that much in this either, even though I did kind of like the scenes where she took off her shirt and wandered around in her bra.

Not to sound like this is pick on Kristin Davis day, because I didn’t care for Lochlyn Munro as David either. He was supposed to be this stand-up comic, but he wasn’t funny at all. I mean some people were laughing because the script said so, but he’s lucky tomatoes weren’t being thrown at him. I found everything bland and boring about him, even though he drove a Red 1959 Edsel. That was actually kind of funny, as he kept taking on the big rig with it. I don’t think I’ve ever seen an Edsel / Peterbilt duel in a movie before, but it happens here several times.      

By far the best part of BLACKTOP for me was watching Meat Loaf as Trucker Jack. Loaf had played a villainous trucker in BLACK DOG with Patrick Swayze a couple of years earlier, so the filmmakers must have reasoned that the public wanted more. I’ll admit that his character in this does seem awfully nice at first, and the people around seem to think he’s a pretty good guy too. But he also has this look in his eyes, and when he stops turning on the charm, he’s ready to kill. He’s a kind and empathetic ear to Kristin’s character one moment, and then he’s cutting off someone’s ear with his big knife the next. He’s fixing a nice meal for Kristin one moment, and then he’s shooting at David right in front of her with his high-powered rifle the next. Once she sees that side of him, she starts trying to fight back, and that’s when he gets to go over the top. When he gets to be crazy Trucker Jack, the kind of guy who hangs sides of beef along with murdered victims in the freezer in his truck; those were my favorite parts of the movie.

I know my review sounds very critical in places, and I don’t want to come off too hard on the film. If you’re looking for some solid big rig stunt driving work, and a very simple story featuring a psychopathic truck driver, you could have some fun with this one. Meat Loaf has some fun in his role, so if you’re a fan you should enjoy his work. Just keep your expectations low and don’t ever think that any of the characters are about to make some smart decisions. That seems to be the recipe for enjoying this trip down the BLACKTOP!

Brad reviews BELL, BOOK AND CANDLE (1958), starring James Stewart & Kim Novak!

Posted on by Bradley Crain

I love Jimmy Stewart. He’s one of my favorite actors. If Charles Bronson had never existed, there’s a chance he could be my all-time favorite. I watch IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE (and cry) every holiday season, and I believe his series of westerns with Anthony Mann in the 1950s are some of the best ever made. And then there’s his work with Alfred Hitchcock. REAR WINDOW and VERTIGO are movies I discovered as a young and impressionable movie lover. They helped cement Stewart, and Hitchcock, as legends in my mind. In 1958, the same year that he made VERTIGO, Stewart starred in BELL, BOOK AND CANDLE with his VERTIGO co-star Kim Novak. I’ve owned the movie on DVD for years, but I’ve never sat down and watched it before. That changed today!

In this supernatural, romantic comedy, Stewart stars as Shep Henderson, an engaged publisher in New York City who finds himself falling for his beautiful neighbor, Gillian Holroyd (Kim Novak). The problem is that Gillian just happens to be a witch, and she has a bad past with Shep’s fiancé, Merle (Janice Rule). What starts as a ruse to get back at an old rival eventually turns into true love and Gillian doesn’t know how to handle these new feelings. Is she willing to confess what she’s done and give up her powers for a chance at love? I guess you’ll just have to watch and see! 

Stewart makes almost anything enjoyable just by being himself. That amazing voice, combined with his natural humor and charm, gives me something I can latch ahold of, and I always pull for his characters. Kim Novak is just so beautiful, and downright sexy, as Gillian. This character has spent her life operating by one set of rules and all of a sudden, she’s trying to figure out how to deal with feelings she hasn’t dealt with before. Her ability to cast spells and work magic takes on a different meaning when the hearts of people she loves are at stake, and Gillian soon has a crisis of conscience. Stewart and Novak have incredible chemistry, which goes a long way in helping this complicated romance work.

And then there’s the movie’s setting. I came in October for a romantic story involving witches and warlocks, but I ended up with characters falling in love in New York City at Christmastime. I could see this as a movie I watch every year over the holidays moving forward, especially since Stewart is the star. I know my mom will love it!! 

The film also features an incredible supporting cast that includes Jack Lemmon, Ernie Kovacs, Hermione Gingold, Howard McNear and Elsa Lanchester, who’s especially effective as Gillian’s Aunt Queenie. If you leave the movie feeling like you want to go back and watch the old show BEWITCHED, starring Elizabeth Montgomery, I’ll just let you know that makes perfect sense. This movie was actually an acknowledged inspiration for that classic series.

BELL, BOOK AND CANDLE may feature a witch as a main character, but this story doesn’t feature any scares. It’s a fun romance with a charming premise and a great cast. Even a witch has a chance for love, and when that chance is with someone played by Jimmy Stewart, that’s about as magical as it gets! 

Brad reviews DEATH WEEKEND (1976)!

Posted on by Bradley Crain

With October being a fun month for horror, I’ve been searching for some scary movies that I’ve never seen before. As I was browsing the horror genre on Tubi the other day, I came across this little Canadian movie called DEATH WEEKEND. Also known as “The House by the Lake,” I noticed it has a simple story, a solid cast and a short running time. I decided to give it a shot. 

The movie opens with a playboy dentist named Harry (Chuck Shamata from DEATH WISH 5) and his fashion model girlfriend Diane (Brenda Vaccaro) driving out to his countryside home for a weekend getaway. While on the way, they cross paths with a group of crazy, drunk guys in a fast car, led by Lep (Don Stroud), and end up engaging in a dangerous game of road rage. They’re finally able to give them the slip, but they’ve made some enemies who are determined to find them and get even. When they track the couple to the home, the weekend is now set for death!

I have to admit I was very uncomfortable with this one from the very beginning. The guys are truly awful. Lep and the drunken thugs terrorize the couple on the road for no other reason than they can. And when the couple gets away, with a woman behind the wheel, no less, they use this as an excuse to track them to the home, and this is where things get really disturbing. They are cruel, vicious people, and the movie doesn’t give us any more information about them. They just seem to enjoy rape and murder. This nihilistic behavior seemed to go on and on and was hard for me to watch. 

There’s no hope for Harry, either. He had lied to Diane about the entire weekend. They were supposed to be there with other couples, but Harry had set the whole thing up for them to be alone just so he could get laid. What a jerk! And when the thugs take over, he’s a perfect coward much more worried about his safety and his property than he is about Diane. I can understand being scared and wanting to survive, but he’s revealed as a completely selfish person and about as unlikable as it gets. 

The only person who has a shred of humanity in this film is Diane. Of course, this being a 70’s movie, she’s terrorized, abused, and raped. I know I may be coming off as a hypocrite, because I love Charles Bronson and his DEATH WISH franchise notoriously features brutal scenes of rape. Well, those scenes are sickening to me, and I don’t like to watch them. And I didn’t like watching this one either. This movie seemed to revel in cruelty for the sake of cruelty and nothing else. I won’t say that I didn’t enjoy it when she finally gets a chance to get some revenge, but I wish the movie had given us more time to enjoy it. After everything she goes through, I wanted a little more satisfaction out of seeing her fight back. I will give the movie props for one impressive throat slash death, though. 

I did think that the actors were fine in their various roles. Don Stroud was effectively crazy as the lead murderer / rapist, Chuck Shamata made me really dislike his lecherous liar, and you can’t help but pull for Brenda Vaccaro after what she goes through. But at the end of the day, I can’t say that I enjoyed the movie that surrounded them very much. This movie presented relentless cruelty for most of its run time before finally giving Diane a few minutes to try to get some payback. Not only did the movie make me uncomfortable, it also left me feeling unsatisfied. 

Brad reviews URBAN LEGEND (1998), starring Alicia Witt!

Posted on by Bradley Crain

I’m not always successful, but I spend a fairly large part of my life trying to make my wife happy. One of the ways I do that is I try to find movies for us to watch that she will enjoy, and that I will have at least some interest in. So anytime I can find a movie starring Alicia Witt, most notable in our household for her voluminous work with the Hallmark Channel, I’m definitely heading in the right direction. I was looking through her filmography on IMDB the other day and noticed she was in URBAN LEGEND. I remember the movie coming out in the late 90’s, but I had never seen it, and I had no idea she was the primary lead! It being the spooky season, I thought now was the perfect time for the two of us to cuddle up on the couch with some popcorn and enjoy the show! 

Alicia Witt is Natalie Simon, a student with a dark, secretive past, who begins to suspect that a series of gruesome murders on the campus of Pendleton College are being committed by a killer obsessed with “urban legends.” Each murder seems to take a cue from those scary stories that pretty much all of us grew up hearing, and maybe even believing. As her friends are being picked off one by one, Natalie must do everything to find the killer before she becomes the next victim!

I must admit I had fun with this one. We watched it on a night where we just wanted to relax and see a bunch of obnoxious college students getting whacked in a variety of ways while we try to figure out who the killer is. I remember when SCREAM came out back in 1996 when I was 22 years old. Like so many others, I saw it in the theater and loved it. URBAN LEGEND is in that same tradition. It gives us some suspicious characters and some interesting murders inspired by stories I heard as a kid, and that late-90’s nostalgia kicked right in for me.

It was also fun looking back at the popular young cast whose careers have gone a variety of ways since the movie was made. Along with Witt, our cast of potential killers and victims include Jared Leto, Rebecca Gayheart, Joshua Jackson, and Tara Reid. I really enjoyed seeing veteran genre actors pop up as the movie goes along. The opening scene with Brad Dourif is very effective and lets us know immediately that we can’t trust our normal expectations. Robert Englund is also on hand to provide a creepy and suspicious professor. Heck, Danielle Harris is also in the cast, which was right at the beginning of her extensive career in horror movies.

Until I watched this movie, I didn’t realize just how universal some urban legends really are! A couple of freaky ones I remember as a kid include the story of the gang initiation where potential members drive around with their lights off just waiting for someone to flash their lights at them. Even more disturbing is the one where someone hides under your car ready to slice your Achilles tendon. Each of those stories are represented here. Building a scary movie around those legends, and many more, is a darn clever idea, and I enjoyed seeing what the filmmakers might come up with next.

URBAN LEGEND isn’t a horror masterpiece. It’s not very original, and it’s full of dumb characters making dumb decisions. But I still had a good time with it. For me, it’s a fun little slasher that takes an interesting premise and provides a few cheap scares.  And most importantly, it made my wife happy, and that means a lot!

Brad spends some time ON THE LINE (2022) with Mel Gibson! 

Posted on by Bradley Crain

As far back as I can remember I’ve been a fan of Mel Gibson. I also truly believe that the LETHAL WEAPON series is one of the greatest action franchises of all time. Of course, part of that could be because it meant so much to me when I was growing up. I remember renting the original action classic with my family when we were on a spring break vacation at a resort in Hot Springs. I was 16 when part 2 became a huge hit in the late summer of 1989, and one of my first real dates was to see the film at the theater. Part 3 didn’t have as lasting an impact, but part 4 introduced me to the action legend Jet Li. Needless to say, if the long-rumored part 5 ever materializes, I’ll be there.

So, when I recently came across the thriller ON THE LINE (2022) on Netflix, I was happy to see Gibson back in a leading man role that appears to give him a chance to have some real fun. Here, he plays Elvis Cooney, a controversial late-night radio host whose show takes a serious turn when a distraught caller threatens to murder his family if he doesn’t play a dangerous game with him. What begins as any other night at the station turns deadly, with Elvis trying to figure out who he’s dealing with and just how far he’s willing to go.

One of the things I’ve always liked about Gibson is his ability to play characters who can be funny, obnoxious, and downright nuts, sometimes all at the same time. He brings plenty of that crazy personality to Elvis, who often comes off as a complete A-hole. But Gibson has a way of making even a real jerk entertaining to watch, and I enjoyed seeing him carry this film. I’ll just say this right now, if you don’t like Gibson, this is probably not the movie for you. He’s the primary reason to watch. I know Gibson has had some very public controversies over the years, and I certainly don’t condone some of his actions. But that doesn’t change the fact that this guy, his performances, and his movies were a staple of those early years when I was falling in love with cinema.

ON THE LINE reminded me a little of THE GAME (1997), the David Fincher thriller starring Michael Douglas and Sean Penn. Both films use the lead character’s birthday to set into motion an elaborate deception. I don’t want to give away this film’s surprises, and I’m certainly not suggesting that it’s nearly as accomplished as THE GAME, but I found it interesting that the two movies brought those same thoughts to my mind.

Is ON THE LINE a great movie? I wouldn’t go that far, and I’m sure there are plenty of folks who may feel cheated by the twisty ending(s). While I understand all of that, I’m the kind of viewer who doesn’t need every movie I watch to be a masterpiece. First and foremost, I’m a fan of actors, and I enjoy having a chance to see Mel Gibson being the true lead in a film that allows him to shine. That goes a long way with me. 

Happy Birthday to Elizabeth Shue, my first movie star crush!

Posted on by Bradley Crain

The lovely actress Elizabeth Shue was born on October 6th, 1963. She is very special to me because back in 1984, an 11-year-old Brad Crain wanted to be Daniel LaRusso, aka the Karate Kid. He knew karate, beat the bullies in the All-Valley tournament, and had an awesome friend and teacher like Mr. Miyagi. But even more important than all of that, his girlfriend was the beautiful Ali Mills, played by Elizabeth Shue. I was smitten with her, and I can honestly say she was the very first movie character I had a crush on!

In honor of her birthday, and also recognizing that we’re in the midst of Horrorthon here at TSL, I thought I’d share this clip of her in the horror flick LINK, a movie that came out a couple of years after THE KARATE KID. It’s about Jane Chase (Shue), a zoology student who’s invited to a remote seaside mansion to assist primatology professor Steven Phillip (Terence Stamp) with his experiments involving chimpanzees. Soon, dangerous events begin to occur, all involving the intelligent 45-year-old chimp, Link. I’ve never actually seen this one before, but I do remember seeing the VHS box at my local rental shops back in the day. In the spirit of the season, I may just have to finally give it a watch!

Brad’s favorite horror thriller of the past decade…HUSH (2016)!

Posted on by Bradley Crain

I may be contributing to our annual Horrorthon here at TSL, but I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not as knowledgeable about the horror genre as the rest of the crew. Most of the horror films I watched growing up were the edited versions that would play on my favorite local channel, Fox-16 out of Little Rock. If not there, I’d see scary movies at my friend’s bunking parties when I was in grade school or junior high. That’s how I first saw the FRIDAY THE 13TH series, and I even remember seeing Fulci’s HOUSE BY THE CEMETERY (1981) at one such party. I didn’t have a clue who Fulci was at the time, but I do remember a victim’s throat being ripped out! I’d go home and have a hard time sleeping. I’ve never been good with gore, and I’ve always preferred action films. With that said, I’ve been trying to up my horror game over the last few years. I try to take part in the weekly #ScarySocial live tweet event, and I’ll watch horror films periodically that my friends tell me about or that seem interesting for some reason. I’ve still got a large backlog to get through, and I’ll never watch the classic gorefests, but I know way more now than I did a few years ago. Horrorthon is an amazing place to learn more.

I came across a horror movie ten years ago that I loved, and I still watch it every year. That film is HUSH, which I see as more like a nightmarish thriller than a straight on horror film. The setup is incredible as our lead character Maddie, who’s both deaf and unable to speak, finds herself being stalked at her remote home. There are some early visuals that illustrate the psychopathic evil of “The Man” (John Gallagher, Jr.) as he turns his attention towards Maddie, while also showing us how vulnerable her inability to hear or speak make her in this situation. There’s also a sequence involving the Man sending current pictures to our heroine’s laptop that show her being watched. It’s here that she first realizes something horrific is going on, and it’s a truly chilling scene. The movie hooked me right there, and I was completely invested as the psycho played his cruel games with her.

I thought Kate Siegel was exceptional in the lead role. I didn’t know a thing about the actress going into the film all those years ago, and I’m not sure I’ve watched any of her work since, but I still don’t think anyone could have been better. She proves herself to be smart, resourceful, and not near the fun, easy target our killer thinks she’s going to be.  After being put through hell both physically and mentally over the first couple of acts, I can only describe her character as a total bad-ass as the film races towards its conclusion! She also co-wrote the film with its director, Mike Flanagan, which helped me appreciate her work even more as she helped craft the amazing character. John Gallagher, Jr. is effectively creepy as the killer. This character could have walked straight out of an 80’s horror film, as we never understand why he’s so evil, which makes him more terrifying as far as I’m concerned. I don’t have to understand his motives to want him to die by the end.

As a warning for the more squeamish viewers like me, some of the violence is extremely difficult to watch, with various hands and necks being the most susceptible to extreme harm. The violence is realistic and personal, and I still look away because I know it’s coming and can’t really handle it. It also is one of the reasons the movie stays with me year after year. Just writing about it now is making my toes curl up a bit.

If you’ve seen HUSH before, I hope this makes you want to watch it again. If you’ve never seen it, I’ll let this serve as my recommendation that it’s a movie I love and think you probably will too. And if you want to know even more about the film, check out Lisa’s REVIEW from when it first came out back in 2016. It has more detail about her own personal reactions to the film, as well as her unique critical insight.

Brad’s thoughts on the rural nightmare, MACON COUNTY LINE (1974)! 

Posted on by Bradley Crain

Max Baer, Jr. co-wrote, co-produced and co-starred in this southern fried thriller about a couple of good ‘ole boys (brothers Alan & Jesse Vint) who break down in the wrong county. The sheriff (Baer), who’s somewhat suspicious of the boys, goes after them with a fierce vengeance when his wife is murdered.

I’m a big fan of this classic drive-in film. Baer is excellent as the small town sheriff who eventually goes mad with rage, which he directs squarely onto a couple of brothers who happen to be passing through. The film takes its time with the story and the characters, and when everything goes to hell near the end, you can somewhat understand why the sheriff goes nuts. It’s a nightmare scenario built around the suspicion of outsiders and then jumping to the wrong conclusions when a tragedy occurs. It definitely seems like something that could happen, and that’s one of the things that makes it so good. The marketers of the film definitely agreed. In a move that was very hot at the time (THE LEGEND OF BOGGY CREEK, WALKING TALL, THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE, etc.), the ads for the film implied that the film was based on true events. While that may not be true, the plan worked as the film was made for roughly $250,000 and would go on to earn over $30 million worldwide. Interestingly, I’ve read that Baer wrote the film’s story on the backs of his BEVERLY HILLBILLIES scripts during breaks in filming on the television classic. Eager to break free from his Jethro typecasting, he took matters into his own hands and made it happen!

I’m also a big fan of the Vint Brothers, Alan and Jesse. Both are good here as the drifting brothers looking for a little fun before reporting in for some military service the next week. Their fun turns into a horrific struggle for survival when they find themselves the target of the sheriff’s misplaced wrath. As part of the “This Week in Charles Bronson Podcast,” I was blessed to be part of an interview with Robert F. Lyons, who’s close friends in real life with the boys. He told us a fun story about them all making these motorized airplanes that they would then fly around and try to knock each other out of the sky. Robert would laugh and giggle while he talked about it. Alan had an important role a year after this was made in the Charles Bronson action hit BREAKOUT. In the film, he stands up to Bronson at a critical moment and lives to tell about it, which is not something every actor can say!

And what can I say about Jesse. Over the last few years, he’s actually become a fun acquaintance in real life. If you enjoy these 70’s “redneck” movies, I recommend one called BLACK OAK CONSPIRACY (1977) that Jesse co-wrote and stars in, with his buddy Lyons playing an over the top villain. Jesse’s a great guy, and he’s very proud of MACON COUNTY LINE. He told me one day that Tarantino has said it was one of “the best stories in cinema!” In the first season of his Video Archives podcast, I personally heard Tarantino brag on Jesse’s performance in THE FORBIDDEN WORLD. I love it when good things happen to good people.

Brad’s Scene of the Day features Chuck Norris in SILENT RAGE!

Posted on by Bradley Crain

One of the first movies I chose to write about when I started contributing to this site was SILENT RAGE. It was the Chuck Norris movie I watched most as a kid, because they played it all the time on one of our local TV stations. I thought it was pretty scary at the time as Chuck took on the type of indestructible killer who could have walked straight off of a horror film set. I think this opening scene sets the stage pretty well on why I liked the film. It’s violent, Chuck is badass, and Stephen Furst even provides a little bit of sweet and silly humor. Enjoy!