Powerful Pages: They Thirst by Robert R. McCammon (1981)

Powerful Pages: They Thirst by Robert R. McCammon (1981)

They Thirst is far from a great book.  It may not even be that good.  It has an abundance of flaws, and in the early stages, it was so derivative that I wasn't sure that I would able to stick with it.  And while I'm not opposed to pulp or trash, I do have my limits.  Despite these complaints and the presence of maybe half a dozen stupendous coincidences too many, I didn't put this early venture from Robert R. McCammon aside.  Why?  Three reasons, mostly.  First, while the villains were largely cliches and the protagonists were cut from the same cloth, the latter group resonated with me for reasons I don't fully comprehend.  I followed them deeper and deeper into this sprawling opus with a certain degree of trepidation, but the more I read, the more pressing my need to know how they would fare became. Secondly, McCammon did an excellent job with the ghastly elements of this vampire yarn, deftly portraying the vicious bursts of carnage that kept propelling the characters into greater jeopardy and firmly establishing a sense of creeping dread.  Lastly, raw as it may have been in so many ways, one can't help but marvel at the scope of this fanged saga.  McCammon dared to tell a vampire story on as grand a scale as one could imagine.  Maybe he fumbled and stumbled a bit along the way, but in the end, he put the entire city of Los Angeles and even the world as we know it in immense peril.  In doing so, he delivered a tremendous conclusion that may have been just as serendipitous and overwrought as the first act, but somehow proved to be both engrossing and satisfying.  Seldom has the phrase "grand finale" been so appropriate.  Yes, They Thirst is far from a great book, but it is entertaining as hell, and I have to salute the author for putting so much at stake.

Final Grade: C+

Top 20 Horror Movies - #19) The Howling (1981)

As I celebrate the month of October with all my fellow horror fanatics, I'm ranking my Top 20 Horror Movies for you.  Thus far, the list includes:

#20) The Fly (1986)

And now I'm pleased to unveil my latest selection, another spectacular horror movie from the 80s!

Top 20 Horror Movies - #19) The Howling (1981)

One of two werewolf movies to make the list, The Howling is a twisted frightfest that I have a lot of affection for.  It has all the necessary ingredients for a quality horror flick, to include a worthy cast, an excellent setting, some creepy visuals, and an ominous mood.  The script by John Sayles varies greatly from the novel by Gary Brandner, but brings an engaging and fearsome story to the screen to superb effect.  Director Joe Dante does a tremendous job, and while I'm a big fan of Joe's other genre efforts (most notably Gremlins and Piranha) I believe that this is his best feature film.  It's tightly paced, brimming with atmosphere, and loaded with shocking sequences.  I'm awarding some serious bonus points for the unnerving opening and the equally disturbing conclusion.  There's also a nifty scene midway through the picture that surely ranks as one of the most frightening horror scenes out there that takes place in broad daylight.  The cast is stellar, with Dee Wallace slaying it in the lead role with quality support from players like Patrick MacNee, Kevin McCarthy, Slim Pickens, and the one and only John Carradine.  Pino Donaggio gave the film an eerie score that is a splendid fit for all the spooky shenanigans unfolding on the screen.  The Howling is equal parts engrossing, entertaining, and terrifying.  It is somewhat amazing to me that both this picture and that other werewolf movie released in 1981 (a superior effort that is ranked much higher on my list) remain the finest attempts to bring lycanthropy to the cinema.

Chief among the strengths of The Howling are
an ominous mood and some nightmarish visuals.

Short Attention Span Review: The Road is Jericho (2015)

Hello, my name is Jimmy and I'm a Jerichoholic.  I enjoy wrasslin' and there are many superstars past and present who I have cheered for, but Jericho is the bee's knees.  Thus, I was pretty damn excited when I scored The Road is Jericho on Blu-ray.  First off, be sure to pick up the Blu-ray if that's an option for you.  7 hours of material on DVD is cool, but 8 and a half hours on Blu-ray is better.  Secondly, while it is true that most of Jericho's most celebrated matches were contained in the first set, dude has epic matches to spare.  This is a nifty collection that spans much of Jericho's career and features several of his finest rivals, to include the Rock, Shawn Michaels, Rey, and HHH.  His most recent rivalries with CM Punk and Bray Wyatt also made the cut by virtue of a Chicago Street Fight and a good old-fashioned cage match, and the best match in the set may be a no-frills but lengthy bout against RVD on RAW that is an absolute showstopper.  Understandably, there's no mention of Chris Benoit and none of Jericho's legendary matches with him are included, but Jericho's legacy is strong enough to survive despite the absence of what may have been his strongest rival.  My favorite Jericho match, a "Last Man Standing" showdown with HHH from Fully Loaded in 2000, is still missing in action, but lo and behold, the match with HHH that is included in this collection actually sees Chris emerge victorious.  Despite the presence of so many notable superstars and so many incredible matches, the real highlight of The Road is Jericho has to be the segments where Jericho discusses his career and the various matches included in the set.  Chris is very candid, funny as always, and dishes out lots of cool tidbits about himself, his opponents, and the wrestling business.  The Road is Jericho will definitely thrill any Jerichoholic, and any true wrasslin' fan should find something to love in this terrific set.

Final Grade: A

The "best there is at what he does" may be absent from the WWE at present,
but his second collection of matches is sure to break the walls down.