News

Late to the Party: Predator (1987)

Published

7 years ago

January 11, 2017

So there I was, flipping through the cable guide on New Year’s Day looking for something to watch. I came across the original 1987 Predator on one of the movie channels, and realized that I had never seen it. With the new reboot, or sequel, or whatever it’s going to be, coming soon, I figured now was as good a time as any to show up Late to the Party for this one.

Predator (1987), courtesy Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Of course, I knew plenty about Predator going in. As a huge fan of the Alien franchise, I had seen both Alien vs. Predator movies, so I was very aware of what the titular creature was capable of doing. I also knew that it starred Arnold Schwarzenegger, because who doesn’t know that? Other than that, I was going in blind…or so I thought.

As it turns out, I wasn’t. I recognized one of the first scenes from a unit on Machismo and Patriotism in a Race and Gender in American Cinema class I had in college. The scene from class was when Dutch, played by Arnie (I’m not going to keep typing Schwarzenegger over and over), first was brought in and sees his old chum Dillon, played by Carl Weathers. The two engage in an awkwardly extended faux-arm wrestling match, each waiting for the other to weaken and call uncle. That pretty much sets the tone for Predator.

Predator (1987), courtesy Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

The rest of the movie fit in perfectly with my initial impressions. It’s much more of an action movie than it is a horror movie, regardless of how badass the monster is. Heck, the audience doesn’t even see the alien until halfway through the movie, thanks to some awesome chameleonic special effects and a little of the old killer POV shot, so they’re as unsure of what the soldiers are up against as the soldiers themselves. The way the alien works its way through the members of Arnie’s platoon is slasher-worthy. So maybe Predator is a horror movie?

Predator is a complete product of the Reagan era. It very obviously was made in the same decade as movies like First Blood and Commando, with sweaty men flexing their biceps as they fire guns that they shouldn’t even be able to lift by themselves, let alone shoot with one hand. Predator is a whole lot of that. Except, instead of shooting at an invading Russian army or a storming band of Sandinistas , Arnie and his boys are shooting at an alien that they can’t see. Groovy.

Predator (1987), courtesy Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Predator actually has a very universal message. If it were made in the fifties, it would be a Rod Serling-esque commentary on the paranoia of the McCarthy-era, with a bunch of hearty, true red-white-and-blue Americans fighting something that blends in seamlessly with its surroundings. If it were made in the sixties, it could have been read as a statement about the conflict in Vietnam. As it stands, one could argue that it’s a reaction to the brinkmanship of the nuclear arms race of the eighties. But that may be overthinking it. Put all of that aside, and just enjoy the ride.

Maybe it’s because I was already familiar with both the alien and the leading man, but nothing about Predator surprised me. Predator is exactly the movie that I thought it would be, nothing more, nothing less.

Predator (1987), courtesy Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

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Editorial

Yay or Nay: What’s Good and Bad in Horror This Week

Published

2 days ago

May 4, 2024

Timothy Rawles

Welcome to Yay or Nay a weekly mini post about what I think is good and bad news in the horror community written in bite-sized chunks.

Yay:

Mike Flanagan talking about directing the next chapter in the Exorcist trilogy. That might mean he saw the last one and realized there were two left and if he does anything well it’s draw out a story.

Yay:

To the announcement of a new IP-based film Mickey Vs Winnie. It’s fun to read comical hot takes from people who haven’t even seen the movie yet.

Nay:

The new Faces of Death reboot gets an R rating. It’s not really fair — Gen-Z should get an unrated version like past generations so they can question their mortality the same as the rest of us did.

Yay:

Russell Crowe is doing another possession movie. He’s quickly becoming another Nic Cage by saying yes to every script, bringing the magic back to B-movies, and more money into VOD.

Nay:

Putting The Crow back in theaters for its 30th anniversary. Re-releasing classic movies at the cinema to celebrate a milestone is perfectly fine, but doing so when the lead actor in that film was killed on set due to neglect is a cash grab of the worst kind.

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Lists

The Top-Searched Free Horror/Action Movies on Tubi This Week

Published

2 days ago

May 3, 2024

Timothy Rawles

The free streaming service Tubi is a great place to scroll when you’re unsure what to watch. They are not sponsored or affiliated with iHorror. Still, we really appreciate their library because it’s so robust and has many obscure horror movies so rare you can’t find them anywhere in the wild except, if you’re lucky, in a moist cardboard box at a yard sale. Other than Tubi, where else are you going to find Nightwish (1990), Spookies (1986), or The Power (1984)?

We take a look at the most searched horror titles on the platform this week, hopefully, to save you some time in your endeavor to find something free to watch on Tubi.

Interestingly at the top of the list is one of the most polarizing sequels ever made, the female-led Ghostbusters reboot from 2016. Perhaps viewers have seen the latest sequel Frozen Empire and are curious about this franchise anomaly. They will be happy to know it’s not as bad as some think and is genuinely funny in spots.

So take a look at the list below and tell us if you are interested in any of them this weekend.

1. Ghostbusters (2016)

Ghostbusters (2016)

An otherworldly invasion of New York City assembles a pair of proton-packed paranormal enthusiasts, a nuclear engineer and a subway worker for battle.An otherworldly invasion of New York City assembles a pair of proton-packed paranormal enthusiasts, a nuclear engineer and a subway worker for battle.

2. Rampage

When a group of animals becomes vicious after a genetic experiment goes awry, a primatologist must find an antidote to avert a global catastrophe.

3. The Conjuring The Devil Made Me Do It

Paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren uncover an occult conspiracy as they help a defendant argue that a demon forced him to commit murder.

4. Terrifier 2

After being resurrected by a sinister entity, Art the Clown returns to Miles County, where his next victims, a teenage girl and her brother, await.

5. Don’t Breathe

A group of teens breaks into a blind man’s home, thinking they’ll get away with the perfect crime but get more than they bargained for once inside.

6. The Conjuring 2

In one of their most terrifying paranormal investigations, Lorraine and Ed Warren help a single mother of four in a house plagued by sinister spirits.

7. Child’s Play (1988)

A dying serial killer uses voodoo to transfer his soul into a Chucky doll which winds up in the hands of a boy who may be the doll’s next victim.

8. Jeepers Creepers 2

When their bus breaks down on a deserted road, a team of high school athletes discovers an opponent they cannot defeat and may not survive.

9. Jeepers Creepers

After making a horrific discovery in the basement of an old church, a pair of siblings find themselves the chosen prey of an indestructible force.

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News

Morticia & Wednesday Addams Join Monster High Skullector Series

Published

2 days ago

May 3, 2024

Timothy Rawles

Believe it or not, Mattel’s Monster High doll brand has an immense following with both young and not-so-young collectors.

In that same vein, the fan base for The Addams Family is also very large. Now, the two are collaborating to create a line of collectible dolls that celebrate both worlds and what they have created is a combination of fashion dolls and goth fantasy. Forget Barbie, these ladies know who they are.

The dolls are based on Morticia and Wednesday Addams from the 2019 Addams Family animated movie.

As with any niche collectibles these aren’t cheap they bring with them a $90 price tag, but it’s an investment as a lot of these toys become more valuable over time.

“There goes the neighborhood. Meet the Addams Family’s ghoulishly glamorous mother-daughter duo with a Monster High twist. Inspired by the animated movie and clad in spiderweb lace and skull prints, the Morticia and Wednesday Addams Skullector doll two-pack makes for a gift that’s so macabre, it’s downright pathological.”

If you want to pre-purchase this set check out The Monster High website.