Review by Roger Carpenter
In his heyday, director/producer Ovidio Assonitis was affectionately known as “The Rip-Off King” due to his blatant copying of popular, more expensive hit films. Thus, we have Beyond the Door (1974), an Exorcist-style film; Tentacles (1977), a killer octopus film in the vein of Jaws; and even the sequel Piranha II: The Spawning (1981), which he famously directed after firing James Cameron shortly after filming commenced. Always on the lookout for the next big idea in exploitation, it isn’t surprising that he would also jump on the slasher bandwagon as well. Madhouse is Assonitis’ entry into that particular subgenre of film.
Though produced in late 1980 or early 1981 in Savannah, Georgia, Madhouse wasn’t released stateside until 1983. So while the film bears more than a passing resemblance to the classic slasher Happy Birthday to Me (also made in 1981), it is unclear how much of a direct rip-off one film is of the other.
In his heyday, director/producer Ovidio Assonitis was affectionately known as “The Rip-Off King” due to his blatant copying of popular, more expensive hit films. Thus, we have Beyond the Door (1974), an Exorcist-style film; Tentacles (1977), a killer octopus film in the vein of Jaws; and even the sequel Piranha II: The Spawning (1981), which he famously directed after firing James Cameron shortly after filming commenced. Always on the lookout for the next big idea in exploitation, it isn’t surprising that he would also jump on the slasher bandwagon as well. Madhouse is Assonitis’ entry into that particular subgenre of film.
Though produced in late 1980 or early 1981 in Savannah, Georgia, Madhouse wasn’t released stateside until 1983. So while the film bears more than a passing resemblance to the classic slasher Happy Birthday to Me (also made in 1981), it is unclear how much of a direct rip-off one film is of the other.
- 6/19/2017
- by Movie Geeks
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
With Run The Series, The A.V. Club examines film franchises, studying how they change and evolve with each new installment.
“You wanna get high, man?”
“Does Howdy Doody got wooden balls, man?”
With marijuana currently nearing legalization on a federal level, it’s been a while since the drug was scandalous enough to make the comedic stylings of Tommy Chong and Richard “Cheech” Marin seem subversive. But back when their stand-up tours were the scourge of moral watchdog groups and local police departments, the common knock against the pair was that they were only funny if you were stoned too. The squares that the duo goofed on across their eight films—institution figures ranging from cops to narcos to nuns to bosses—looked down on Cheech and Chong as hippie jesters for idiots, palatable solely to those wastrels who had sufficiently lowered their consciousness enough to chuckle at the...
“You wanna get high, man?”
“Does Howdy Doody got wooden balls, man?”
With marijuana currently nearing legalization on a federal level, it’s been a while since the drug was scandalous enough to make the comedic stylings of Tommy Chong and Richard “Cheech” Marin seem subversive. But back when their stand-up tours were the scourge of moral watchdog groups and local police departments, the common knock against the pair was that they were only funny if you were stoned too. The squares that the duo goofed on across their eight films—institution figures ranging from cops to narcos to nuns to bosses—looked down on Cheech and Chong as hippie jesters for idiots, palatable solely to those wastrels who had sufficiently lowered their consciousness enough to chuckle at the...
- 2/9/2017
- by Charles Bramesco
- avclub.com
Celebrating 47 years of beautiful madness, fabulous trash, and excellence in character names—shout out to Belvedere Rickettes and Patty Hitler—John Waters has been selected as the recipient of a lifetime achievement award from the Writers Guild Of America. The award will be presented by his fellow Baltimore resident, The Wire’s David Simon, who said in a press release that “Time and again, Waters has celebrated the very American notion that there is, in fact, no normal. I am proud that I share a city with this fine storyteller.” For his own part, Waters returned the praise toward the Homicide creator, albeit in a very John Waters way: “I’m really honored that David Simon is giving me the award,” he said while commenting on the announcement. “He makes the best TV shows since Howdy Doody.”
Waters is currently in Texas, touring his stage show A John Waters ...
Waters is currently in Texas, touring his stage show A John Waters ...
- 12/15/2016
- by William Hughes
- avclub.com
O bitterness! O shame! I devoted a lot of bandwidth last recently to blathering about Howdy Doody, a marionette who had his own, pioneering, television show, a kiddie show back when I was, in fact, a kiddie. Nothing wrong with that. No bitterness, no shame.
But… This bandwidth-waster is part of an enterprise devoted to comic books and I neglected to mention that our little bestringed buddy had his own comic book. It was published by Dell, which seemed to like puppets since it also had Beany and Cecil Comics, Rootie Kazootie Comics, and Charlie McCarthy Comics. (Okay, Charlie was a ventriloquist dummy, but isn’t that a kind of puppet?)
Before I knew much about the business that put food on my table for about a half-century, I was even less aware of Dell than I am now. Actually, I’m not sure I knew what a publisher was,...
But… This bandwidth-waster is part of an enterprise devoted to comic books and I neglected to mention that our little bestringed buddy had his own comic book. It was published by Dell, which seemed to like puppets since it also had Beany and Cecil Comics, Rootie Kazootie Comics, and Charlie McCarthy Comics. (Okay, Charlie was a ventriloquist dummy, but isn’t that a kind of puppet?)
Before I knew much about the business that put food on my table for about a half-century, I was even less aware of Dell than I am now. Actually, I’m not sure I knew what a publisher was,...
- 7/21/2016
- by Dennis O'Neil
- Comicmix.com
A review of tonight's The Americans coming up just as soon as I know who Howdy Doody's brother was... "Maybe we should take a break." -Elizabeth Philip and Elizabeth never met Nina, and their work was only occasionally impacted by what she was up to with Stan, Oleg, and Arkady. But even if they couldn't pick her face out of a lineup, much less know that she was shot dead in a basement back in Mother Russia, her execution last week underlined the fundamental danger that any Kgb or FBI asset can be in at this stage of the Cold War. Her death hangs over all of "Clark's Place," whether we're seeing the men in Nina's life learn one by one about her death, or simply witnessing Philip and Elizabeth dealing with their increasingly fraught relationships with Paige, Pastor Tim, and Martha. Let's start with the direct fallout from Nina's death,...
- 4/14/2016
- by Alan Sepinwall
- Hitfix
Nobody Waved Good-Bye
Directed by Don Owen
Written by Don Owen
1964, Canada
Like many classic films, Nobody Waved Good-Bye (1964) began as something different. Don Owen was commissioned to create a television documentary about probationary officers, but expanded it into a fictional coming-of-age story. Producer Tom Daly liked the idea and ensured an increased budget: still, the final product only cost $75,000 Canadian, shot over three weeks in Toronto. The movie initially flopped in Canada, but became a sleeper hit in the United States and earned a BAFTA nomination in England. Over time, it became recognized as a landmark in Canadian cinema.
Nobody focuses on Peter (Peter Kastner), an 18 year old juvenile delinquent railing against middle class morality. He argues with his well-off parents (Claude Rae and Charmion King), who disown him after a traffic offense. He emancipates, drops out of school and moves into an apartment, working menial jobs. His girlfriend...
Directed by Don Owen
Written by Don Owen
1964, Canada
Like many classic films, Nobody Waved Good-Bye (1964) began as something different. Don Owen was commissioned to create a television documentary about probationary officers, but expanded it into a fictional coming-of-age story. Producer Tom Daly liked the idea and ensured an increased budget: still, the final product only cost $75,000 Canadian, shot over three weeks in Toronto. The movie initially flopped in Canada, but became a sleeper hit in the United States and earned a BAFTA nomination in England. Over time, it became recognized as a landmark in Canadian cinema.
Nobody focuses on Peter (Peter Kastner), an 18 year old juvenile delinquent railing against middle class morality. He argues with his well-off parents (Claude Rae and Charmion King), who disown him after a traffic offense. He emancipates, drops out of school and moves into an apartment, working menial jobs. His girlfriend...
- 4/11/2015
- by Christopher Saunders
- SoundOnSight
In this week’s kickoff of American Horror Story: Freak Show’s Halloween two-parter, most of the superstitious carnies refused to perform on October 31, for fear that doing so would conjure up Edward Mordrake (Wes Bentley), a two-faced bogeyman who, based on his description, you’d think would fit right in.
At the same time, a potentially even more terrifying situation was developing: With the arrival of faux fortuneteller Maggie Esmeralda (Emma Roberts), Dot suddenly had competition for Jimmy’s attention.
Here’s your rundown of all the treats (and tricks) that the episode held in store…
She’S Got...
At the same time, a potentially even more terrifying situation was developing: With the arrival of faux fortuneteller Maggie Esmeralda (Emma Roberts), Dot suddenly had competition for Jimmy’s attention.
Here’s your rundown of all the treats (and tricks) that the episode held in store…
She’S Got...
- 10/23/2014
- TVLine.com
American Horror Story: Freak Show opened in Philadelphia at the American Morbidity Museum where Dr. Mansfield (Denis O’Hare) is attempted to sell a fake Baby Sasquatch alongside his partner in crime Ms. Rothschild (Emma Roberts). The proprietor, though calling Mansfield out on his fake specimen and fake degrees from Harvard, suggests that should he find something authentic, the Morbidity Museum would pay handsomely for it, and directs him and Rothschild to a freak show.
'Ahs: Freak Show' Recap
At one of the last two freak shows in the country in Jupiter, Fla., Jimmy “Lobster Boy” Darling (Evan Peters) is mourning Meep’s death. Bette and Dot (Sarah Paulson) suggest they dedicate the night’s show to his memory, but Ethel (Kathy Bates) informs them that no freak show performs on a Halloween. Drowning in liquor after finding out she has at most a year left to live because of her cirrhosis of the liver,...
'Ahs: Freak Show' Recap
At one of the last two freak shows in the country in Jupiter, Fla., Jimmy “Lobster Boy” Darling (Evan Peters) is mourning Meep’s death. Bette and Dot (Sarah Paulson) suggest they dedicate the night’s show to his memory, but Ethel (Kathy Bates) informs them that no freak show performs on a Halloween. Drowning in liquor after finding out she has at most a year left to live because of her cirrhosis of the liver,...
- 10/23/2014
- Uinterview
Michael C. here. The audience can be forgiven if it assumes that Lenny Abarahamson’s Frank will be another cookie cutter indie quirkfest. The title character certainly seems at first glance like a contrived package of screenwriting conceits. Played by an actor we have to take on faith is Michael Fassbender, Frank is an artist who, despite a recent stay in a mental institution, still wears at all times a beach ball-sized fiberglass head with a smiling Howdy Doody face. Frank is the lead singer of an avant-garde band with an unpronounceable name (the Soronprfbs) and an unlistenable sound. When they perform it looks like five people having a synchronized nervous breakdown. With this shooting gallery of easy targets we sit back and wait for the movie to rain down mockery on its characters, sort of like a Napoleon Dynamite for hipster musicians.
The great surprise of Frank is that it avoids the easy jokes,...
The great surprise of Frank is that it avoids the easy jokes,...
- 8/23/2014
- by Michael C.
- FilmExperience
The opening and closing images in the Toy Story trilogy are one and the same: a picture-perfect blue sky with a couple of carefully placed, nonthreatening fluffy clouds in the middle. While both are computer-generated facsimiles, the former is a facsimile of a facsimile: the comforting wallpaper in the bedroom of a little boy named Andy Davis. The latter is closer to the real thing, greeting the teenage Andy as he drives off to college and out of the lives of the toys with whom he populated his imagination for over a decade. As the series opens, the 6-year old Andy, a suburban Christopher Robin of sorts, proves in the confines of his tiny room, overstuffed with plush animals, board games, action figures, and other toys, that his world of make-believe is limitless. As the series closes, Andy ventures into the known unknown of the real world, secretly wished an...
- 2/3/2014
- by Josh Spiegel
- SoundOnSight
Canadian actor Larry D Mann has died, aged 91.
Mann was perhaps best known for playing the train conductor in The Sting and voicing Yukon Cornelius in Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.
He was also known for his many TV appearances including Howdy Doody and MacGyver.
Mann also had roles in dozens of other shows during his long career, including My Favourite Martian, Get Smart, The Man From Uncle, Quincy Me and The Dukes Of Hazzard.
The character actor also had a recurring role as a judge on Hill Street Blues.
In film, he had parts in Robin And The 7 Hoods, The Singing Nun, In The Heat of the Night and The Octogon.
Mann was perhaps best known for playing the train conductor in The Sting and voicing Yukon Cornelius in Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.
He was also known for his many TV appearances including Howdy Doody and MacGyver.
Mann also had roles in dozens of other shows during his long career, including My Favourite Martian, Get Smart, The Man From Uncle, Quincy Me and The Dukes Of Hazzard.
The character actor also had a recurring role as a judge on Hill Street Blues.
In film, he had parts in Robin And The 7 Hoods, The Singing Nun, In The Heat of the Night and The Octogon.
- 1/8/2014
- Digital Spy
With every new "Man of Steel" trailer and TV commercial, there's always a smattering of comments from naysayers suggesting that the latest interpretation of Superman is missing the mark.
True, the new dark and moody translation is indeed a far cry from the spit-shiny slice of Rockwellian Americana that Superman has always exemplified. However, superhero purists should be grateful that Henry Cavill's latest iteration of Big Blue only deviates from the classic Superman formula by lacking red underpants and being a little more frowny than usual.
After all, he could be a little person. Wearing a dog mask. Talking to a hand puppet.
Yes, the producers of the 1958 pilot episode of "The Adventures of Superpup" made papier-mache animal masks and dapper diminutive actors the order of the day, seemingly eschewing the idea of "human superheroes" as being too inaccessible for the simple minds of children. The end result, clearly...
True, the new dark and moody translation is indeed a far cry from the spit-shiny slice of Rockwellian Americana that Superman has always exemplified. However, superhero purists should be grateful that Henry Cavill's latest iteration of Big Blue only deviates from the classic Superman formula by lacking red underpants and being a little more frowny than usual.
After all, he could be a little person. Wearing a dog mask. Talking to a hand puppet.
Yes, the producers of the 1958 pilot episode of "The Adventures of Superpup" made papier-mache animal masks and dapper diminutive actors the order of the day, seemingly eschewing the idea of "human superheroes" as being too inaccessible for the simple minds of children. The end result, clearly...
- 6/11/2013
- by Nick DeSantis
- NextMovie
Pretend Jeff Koons is an artist. Not a happy hotshot in a suit, serving as crystal meth to big-game-buying megacollectors and auction houses. Pretend he’s not a self-styled weird Mitt Romney–like family man, a hollowed-out Howdy Doody. Imagine that he isn’t so easy to bash that even comatose critics like John Yau lose it when they see his art, trashing Koons’s flowered Puppy and then admitting to never having seen it. (Yau once beat me up in print for liking it, too.) Finally, pretend that Koons’s concurrent gigantic shows—one at the Battlestar Gagosian on West 24th Street, the other in the West 19th Street branches of the David Zwirner empire—were in less turbocharged environments, and that they constituted any other double show by a 58-year-old artist. One who’s made some of the most vexingly paradoxical sculpture of the past 30 years, work...
- 5/26/2013
- by Jerry Saltz
- Vulture
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.