It is with great sadness that I write that Mr. Purdom has passed away at the age of 82 years old.
Purdom began acting in theater in 1945 and went on to have a prestigious career in films, including appearing in the films Julius Caesar (1953) and The Egyptian (1954). But let’s face it, he was most loved by us for appearing in the cult classic Pieces (1982). In fact, he was a regular face in B horror, especially Italian fare such as Rosso Sangue (aka Anthropophagus 2, 1981) and 2019: Dopo la cuduta di New York (2019: After the Fall of New York, 1983). Purdom’s dignified appearance and regal acting style always brought up the bar for whatever production he appeared in.
Purdom took the director’s chair once, helming the nasty slasher Don’t Open Until Christmas (1984), which featured the brutal slayings of men dressed as Santa Claus. It has gone on to be a favorite among holiday slasher fanatics, myself included!
Purdom was married four times and has two children. His daughter Lilian Purdom is a journalist for French television.
Thank you Mr. Purdom for all those hours of entertainment.
*This review originally appeared on Pretty Scary, but the site has been down for an overhaul, so I just thought I’d reprint it here! Have a great New Year’s EVIL!
Although it’s slipped through many a crack, New Year’s Evil should be notorious for several reasons:
The star, Roz Kelly, better known as Pinky Tuscadero to Happy Days fans, went on a shooting spree in the 1990’s…
Grant Cramer was Kato Kaelin’s best friend and was rumored to have been with him the night he met Nicole Brown Simpson for the first time…
And scariest of all, Kip Niven was married to Linda Lavin!
Before these actors were all featured in their own horror show (of course I kid, Kip), they gathered together to star in the Golan Globus extravaganza New Year’s Evil. Set on the last day of 1980 at a posh hotel, Kelly plays Blade, a hot KROQ DJ hosting a live telecast countdown to the New Year. Blaze is perhaps the most selfish Final Girl in the annals of slasher history. Already waaaaay past her prime, she’s a self-absorbed egomaniac who ignores her son Derek (Cramer) when he announces he’s just landed a part on Space Ship America (!) – Now who could discount that?!? There must something to Blaze’s narcissistic attitude, because she begins receiving phone calls from a guy who likes to be referred to simply as “Evil”. This guy tells Blaze that he’s going to commit murder at the stroke of midnight as she rings in the New Year in each North American Time Zone (excluding Alaska and Hawaii of course). He makes pretty good on his promise too and calls Blaze immediately after he snuffs his victims so he can replay the scene of the crime via an archaic looking tape recorder. This takes up a lot of Blaze’s time (as does her hilarious banter with an investigating cop), so she ends up ignoring her son even more as he begins to reveal a very sinister side of himself. Well, sinister if pulling a pink stocking over your head is scary. As the clock ticks down to midnight Pacific Time, Evil joins the party as he tries to take Blaze down in all her flaming glory.
There are two major reasons to see New Year’s Evil: One is for the ultra-cool post punk bands, whose performances make up almost half of the film’s running time. The best band is obviously Shadow, who sing the title song. And the second reason to watch is to enjoy the time capsule this movie truly is. The opening credits of New Year’s Evil really capture that what-we-all-thought-LA-would-really-be-like attitude, including Sunset Boulevard steaming with obnoxious punks, girls in vans who love flashing their considerable assets and of course, Hell’s Angels.
There are other reasons to kick in the New Year with this too. If you’re interested in catching a glimpse of a semi-topless Teri Copley pre-We Got it Made or if you’d like to see the lovely and underrated Louisa Moritz (Last American Virgin, Death Race 2000) in a wonderful performance as the ditzy blonde who uses meditation to go potty, than this is movie is calling your name! I’m not giving anything away by revealing Kip Niven as the killer. His identity is revealed in Scene #2. Niven pours on the charm though and becomes a rather charismatic (and semi-believable) killer. A mask does come into play later, but never makes much of an impression. Actually that device he sticks in his mouth to distort his voice is probably the scariest part of all.
New Year’s Evil may play purely by the numbers, but there is more than enough retro-charm to push it into the next century. So what do you say, New Year’s Eve or New Year’s EVIL?
What is there to give thanks for if you can’t give some love to the best Thanksgiving slasher ever, Home Sweet Home. OK, it’s the only Thanksgiving Day slasher I can think of but still, you get my meaning.
Now pass the stuffing… And have a great day, willya?
Retro Slashers’ dear friend Joseph Henson of the Bodycount Continues board (which is temporarily down) has created a niftly little blog called 80s Slasher Cup as a place to vote for your favorite slashers.
This is how it works kids, every day Joe picks 2 movies and pits them up agains each other. Their survival is based on our votes. When all is said and done, we will have the definitive list of the best slashers. We did this once over at TBC and it was one of the highpoints of my life. I know, I have a boring life, but you know, it’s the little things.
Anyway, stop on by, vote and post comments and let the good times roll!
Whatever is going to happen in the new My Bloody Valentine has already been signed, sealed and delivered. It is what it is. I think it’s got tons of potential, but being the die hard fan I am I can’t help but hope that they will keep the elements that made the original such a classic. I think these key components are guaranteed to keep us old fogies happy!
1. Keep the characters adult – Looking at the cast on IMDb, I see they are using older actors (well, older by Hollywood standards), but I also hope they keep the whole affair mature. One of the great things about the original was that a slasher featuring downtrodden grown-ups working in a coal mine was a unique angle.
2. Don’t forget Hollis – Besides using more mature actors, the character of Hollis (played by the late Keith Knight) may very well sum up what it is about MBV that made it so damn fantastic – likeable characters. Hollis was by far my favorite character in the film. An overweight and fun loving soul, he added that touch of realism to the friendships of the men working in the coal mine.
3. Location, Location, Location (i.e. keep it dreary) – The depressed atmosphere of MBV helped to propel the movie into that dark vortex that made it a classic. Gray, chilly days and a small community hall for a party gathering only accented the dead end world TJ had to return to.
4. Take it seriously – No more post-modern horror/comedies please. Seriously. They don’t work. Keep a sense of fun, but don’t belittle the whole affair with half-cocked insults and bitchy dialog. Nobody buys it.
5. Create a good legend – The story of Harry Warden’s descent, along with the reveal of the killer’s motivation, is chilling stuff – let’s not try to do what the remake of Black Christmas did. Don’t over think it. Keep it simple and scary.
6. Don’t skimp – Fans of the original have been clamoring for an unrated cut featuring all the gore since the move was originally released. The remake can help make up for that. And that leads me to the next one:
7. Don’t Over Do the CGI – Nuff said.
8. Respect the real thing – Don’t betray the original audience by making MBV something it’s not – which goes back to my post-modern horror/comedy diatribe. We’ve already had to endure the massacring of Black Christmas, Prom Night and April Fool’s Day. I’m not saying don’t create new storylines, but know the original worked because it was a GOOD concept.
9. All horror movies need a good ballad – OK, I feel spoiled because the theme song to the original is so out of this world! I’d love a new folk song about the legend of Harry Warden. Hey, a girl can dream, right?
10. Make it in 3D – Oh wait! They’ve got this one nailed!
I first caught The Unnamable on USA’s Saturday Nightmares at a ripe age when horror movies were leaving quite the impression on me. To say that this movie became a huge influence would be an understatement. It introduced me to not only a great film but also to the work of H.P. Lovecraft, who I was unfamiliar with at the time. Gimme a break – I grew up in Vegas. Culture for that town is EFX Alive
The Unnamable definitely took some liberties with Lovecraft’s short story of the same name, but does create an eerie gothic setting and unsettling atmosphere which would be perfectly at home with the author. Mark Kinsey Stephenson is Randolph Carter, nerd extraordinaire, and a well versed scholar on the local condemned house, which is supposedly cursed with an unnamable evil (He also goes to… you guessed it… Miskatonic University). It takes about two seconds for one of Randolph’s friends to challenge the story and off he goes to spend the night in the house.
Guess who never returns?
Undaunted, Randolph and his good friend Howard (Charles Klausmeyer) decide to investigate. This works out kind of well because not only has Howard’s big crush, Wendy (the voluptuous Laura Albert) gone to house on a date, but she brought along her friend Tanya (Alexandra Durrell) who has a big crush on Howard! Gee, how will it all work out? It’s not going to matter because once the unnamable creature gets a taste for human flesh, it becomes more about surviving than getting laid (good priorities!).
The Unnamable is an extremely charming film with Klausmeyer and Stephenson putting in good work in the lead roles. I particularly liked Klausmeyer who reminded me just a touch of Andrew McCarthy circa Pretty in Pink… But I digress…
The effects in this film are tremendous, especially the creature itself which is a nasty she-beast. It’s a strikingly beautiful creation and saved for the last bit of film, proving that less is more when it comes to traditional scare tactics.
The Unnamable got a sequel, aptly title the Unnamable II: The Statement of Randolph Carter and although not quite as good as the original, it does keep a little of the atmosphere and brings back the two excellent leads.
This time, Randolph and Howard head back to the house with Professor Warren (John Rhys-Davis) to retrieve the creature (for research purposes of course). After a bit of mayhem, they manage to separate the spirit of the cursed girl inside monster, Alyda Winthrop (Maria Ford), but the creature is hell bent on getting her back and follows them to Miskatonic U, doing a bit of damage along the way.
Released 5 years apart, the sequel picks up right after the original ended without missing a beat. The humor is upgraded and horror tends to take a backseat, but it’s still a fun rollercoaster ride of man vs. monster. Maria Ford is pretty good as Alyda and Julie Strain fills out the creature’s costume and then some!
Maybe I’m in the minority, but I’ve always been enamored with both of these films. The two actors are just so captivating and fun to watch. Shot on an extremely low budget, I think that director Jean-Paul Ouellette (who made both films) makes the most of what he has available. Neither film shirks on gore but most importantly it remains an engaging monster romp that pleases beyond what a lot of major studios were bringing to the table. OK, so I have a soft spot for USA’s Saturday Nightmares and I have an even softer spot for guys who look like Andrew McCarthy, but I can’t be the only one out there, right?
Right?
Anyone?
Piece of trivia: Klausmeyer and Stephenson would team up again in 2000 as writers for the Lifetime friendly movie Someone is Watching, starring Stefanie Powers and Margot Kidder!!!
I’m not sure this is a regular thing or if it’s only for the month of Halloween, but do check out their Website
Also, here in Los Angeles The New Beverly Cinema is having a cool fundraiser this weekend and check out the movies they are playing this Saturday, the 18th:
House on Sorority Row
Creepers (aka Phenomena – this is the US Theatrical Cut)
Zombi
The Power
… and more!!!
And the rest of the month looks awesome too. Check out their schedule.
They don’t ‘officially’ allow you to drink at this theater, but they do actually encourage you bring your own forty (and have even raffled them off from time to time).
Drunks who love horror. What more could you ask for?
Sure, it says you don’t have to go there to get your chainsaw massacre, but I’m leaving for the Lone Star State tomorrow night anyway and will be back next week. Who knows if carnage awaits but a girl can still dream, right?
It might be a little late in mentioning, but Lilyan Chauvin who played the incredibly terrifying Mother Superior in Silent Night, Deadly Night passed away on June 26th of this year.
Some things about Miss Chauvin you might not know:
She was quite beautiful (She was actually compared to Greta Garbo)
She was a DGA Director (how cool is that?!?) – The Guild actually gave her a memorial in their main theater on August 16th, 2008.
Her filmmography was intense. She had well over 100 film and movie credits to her name.
She taught acting and her students included such people as Raquel Welch and Suzanne Sommers
Apparently she knew she was very sick because she left this message behind:
To my Family, Friends, Students, Fellow Actors and my Industry as a whole, I have not left you… you made me who I am or who I was… I tried to guide and learn from you. If you look in the mirror, I will be there- because I have looked into your souls. I am eternally grateful for each and every one of you making my life here so complete. Merci – and be kind to each other… -Lilyan Chauvin
Of course, I know her best as the bible-thumping nun from hell but it’s obvious that she not only left an indelible mark on horror but was also a well respected and much loved woman who deserves some note.
