In addition to the usual reviews and comments you would find on a horror movie blog, this is also a document of the wonderfully vast horror movie section of the video store I worked at in my youth.

Tuesday, November 15, 2016

Trailer Tuesdays: Ithaca Retrospectives


Along with their premieres, Ithaca had several retrospectives this year that included 1981: The Year of the Wolf featuring Wolfen and An American Werewolf In London.




I, of course, adore the latter, so seeing it on the big screen was a huge treat. On the other hand, it had been so long since I'd seen Wolfen that it was almost like watching it for the first time. The two things that stuck out to me were how much of a time capsule it was of early eighties NYC, as well as how characters such as Albert Finney's Dewey Wilson are virtually extinct these days. If this movie was made now, Dewey would be thirty (at the most), erasing all of the character and grizzled experience that came with Finney's portrayal.

Moving on though was a programme called The Known Unknowns, which included the likes of Deliverance, The Long Weekend and most excitingly, Ken Russell's 1980 mind fuck Altered States.



This was another one that I only had a vague recollection from my childhood viewing. Man, that movie is a trip, and yet another example of something that would never be made today as is. It's wacko science fiction that is really more experienced than watched. I miss Ken Russell.

Most importantly for me was the 30th anniversary screening of James Cameron's Aliens. I was unfortunately elsewhere when it played, but I did pick up one of these beauties exclusive to the fest.

Art by Steve Ellis.

Tremendous programming from the Ithaca Team!

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