Posts Tagged ‘Tom Savini’

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05-13-2011

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SOV Week: The Ripper (1986)

Prof. Richard Harwell (Tom Scheier) discovers Jack the Ripper’s ring in a Tulsa, Oklahoma antique shop. Wearing the ring unleashes Jack from limbo and allows him to increase his bloody body count. Only horror geek Steve (Wade Tower) and skeletal dance instructor Carol (Mona Van Pernis) can stop the two-hundred-year-old killer from completing his mission. But can they save Prof. Harwell’s soul before Jack the Ripper (Tom Savini… for the final three minutes anyway) takes over forever?

The Ripper is a Shot on Video gore fest that lies to its audience. The artwork and credits proudly proclaim “Tom Savini is The Ripper”, yet he only appears at the very end. The stuntman/stand-in featured for almost all of the film looks more like Long John Holmes than Tom Savini. When he finally appears as the Ripper, Savini spouts about five lines of dialogue and has a slow-motion fight. The End.

Director Christopher Lewis pads the running time with lots of talking and bad dance class routines. Writer Bill Groves’ characters’ stand around talking about Vincent Price, Alfred Hitchcock, and of course Jack the Ripper. We even get to watch parts of Blood Cult with the two main characters, now that’s padding. It’s easy to guess the company that helped fund this slasher when the camera zooms in on every Coke can that makes it on screen.

Gore hounds will love seeing slit throats gush blood and Jack playing with entrails, but be patient. The red doesn’t really start flowing until thirty minutes into the film. Sadly, Savini wasn’t involved with the creation of the effects. On the acting front, Andrea Adams gives the best performance as Cindy, girlfriend to the horror geek. Most of the cast lacks chemistry but Adams is fun to watch. Mona Van Pernis is on the other end of the spectrum. Seeing her gaunt, emaciated figure on screen is a distraction. When Pernis pulls those thin lips over those bone white teeth it reminds me of Mr. Sardonicus.

The Ripper, on the surface, should be a slasher fan’s dream; Tom Savini as the world’s most famous serial killer. Something got lost in the mix, mainly suspense, action, and the participation of Savini. Bad movie fans will find enough quirky moments (badly dubbed love scenes, motor scooters exploding into massive fireballs, ill-fitted latex flapping around in the breeze) to warrant a look. Gore hounds are the ones who will really enjoy the stomach ripping and throat slashing. During a time when the MPAA was chopping up every slasher released in theaters, The Ripper slipped uncut onto video store shelves across America.

by
12-24-2010

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A Retro Slasher Salute to Bob Clark

There’s a story circulating among slasher fans that goes a little something like this:  Bob Clark took this young guy named John Carpenter under his wing to help show him how to direct feature films.  While serving as an apprentice, Carpenter learned Clark was working on sequel to Black Christmas called Halloween.  A few years later, Carpenter stole Clark’s Halloween concept and created the modern slasher film.  At least some parts of this slasher urban legend are true.  Carpenter was associated with Clark at one time and Clark had an idea for a film called Halloween that would’ve featured the return of the killer from Black Christmas.  But when asked about the connections between his holiday slasher and Carpenter’s classic, Clark claimed Carpenter never stole anything from him.  Whether the story is true or not, it sheds light on how Bob Clark is seen by some as a major influence on the slasher genre.

Another contribution to the slasher genre can be found in Clark’s ultra creepy Deathdream (AKA Dead of Night).  This underrated fright flick shot in Florida just happens to be Tom Savini’s first film.  Clark liked Savini’s work so much that he kept him around for Deranged, a film Clark produced for his friend Alan Ormsby.  Savini went on to become the sultan of slash and splatter after working with George Romero and Sean Cunningham.  But Bob Clark gave Savini his start in horror films.  Blue Underground’s Deathdream dvd contains a brief interview with Savini who shares his memories about working with Clark.

Popcorn is a favorite here at Retro Slashers, but the production was so troubled that it destroyed the friendship between Clark and Alan Ormsby.  Bob Clark produced the film and was forced to fire Ormsby three weeks into filming after the financial backers got nervous.  Mark Herrier, who’d acted for Clark in Porky’s, was brought in to finish the film because Clark thought the actor could handle the responsibility.  Despite some flaws, Popcorn is still an entertaining entry in the genre Clark influenced with Black Christmas.

If you would like to see some of Bob Clark’s non-genre films, then check out Fox Movie Channel.  FMC usually plays Porky’s, Porky’s II, Turk 182, or Rhinestone several times a year.  Hell, it seems like Porky’s is shown several times every month.  A Christmas Story airs for 24 straight hours on TBS every Christmas.  If you’re in the mood for high camp, hippies, and re-animated corpses, then check out Children Shouldn’t Play with Dead Things.  But if your in the mood for a double dose of goosebumps, then I suggest you watch Deathdream and Black Christmas back to back.

As for Bob Clark’s version of Halloween, one can only wonder at what horrors might’ve been unleashed on the silver screen if Clark had completed the project.  Clark’s notes might be lost, but I like to think a rough draft or an outline for a script is sitting in a draw or an old box just waiting to be discovered.  Right now Clark’s Halloween has to be considered a really lost slasher.  In a few years, who knows.  Maybe one day Clark’s story will see the light of day.

by
07-26-2009

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Scavolini vs. Savini – Nightmare In a Damaged Brain

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When I spoke to Romano Scavolini back in September 2007, he still insisted that the special effects for his notorious video nasty Nightmare (more commonly referred to as Nightmare in a Damaged Brain) were designed and created by makeup legend Tom Savini. Continue Reading

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06-18-2009

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Tom Savini On Joe Spinell

tromaWe recently reviewed the Last Horror Film Uncut Special Edition DVD and if you read that, you know how chock-full the disc is. Troma dropped us a line to let us know they have posted a brand new video filmed at Fangoria’s Weekend of Horrors featuring FX legend Tom Savini & Joe Spinell’s friend Sal Sirchia sharing memories of the late actor and star of THE LAST HORROR FILM. It’s a great supplement to the DVD, so check it out above.