Before writing & directing Gods and Monsters (1998), Bill (William) Condon started his career by penning two cult films directed by producer-turned-director Michael Laughlin: the teen slasher Strange Behavior (1981), and Strange Invaders (1983), an affectionate homage to tales of small, insular townships being infiltrated by alien creatures…
Nestled between Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990) and Small Soldiers (1998) is Matinee, director Joe Dante’s surprisingly reverent tribute to B-movie showmanship, and that other master of suspense, director William Castle. Castle’s forte wasn’t directing but creating escapism built on a hook, and giving thrills through gimmicks, be they ‘ghosts’ gliding over audiences…
Crafting an homage from the recombined DNA of fifties monster movies requires a deft touch, particularly when its set in the genre’s peak period of the late fifties. There’s also those dangerous pitfalls where filmmakers can either get lazy and rely on visual artifice instead of a solid script and characters, or be overly earnest and create a film that’s more naïve than the genre they’re trying to embrace…
Larry Blamire’s film spoofs the multitude of grade Z, schlocky sci-fi films made during the fifties and early sixties when directors carrying a passing familiarity with Filmmaking 101 and an independent spirit crafted a flurry of low, low budget films, and allowed untalented hacks such as Ed Wood, Jr. to flourish in clumps and small clusters…
As Elite Entertainment continues its productive association with producer Anthony Ginnane, another cult film makes its debut on DVD. Originally titled Dead Kids (and released under that name outside of North America), the name was changed to Strange Behavior…
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