1978 - BEEEEES

 We finished our 1978 horror list fairly fast! It was definitely a mixed bag of horror, with bee films, B films, and some fairly pinnacle titles. So let's dive into the list:

I Spit on Your Grave: I was a little bit anxious going into this rape and revenge film. But it wasn't too bad. I liked it more than Last House on the Left. What made it interesting was how premeditated both the rape and revenge were. Definitely interesting to analyze!

Halloween: We actually cheated and watched this last year, so it was cool to finally get to this year. Loved it. I was anxious a few times, but the jump scares didn't really get me (which is good). The claustrophobia of the houses made the film, and the theme was great, too.

Piranha: Easily the best Jawsploitation film ever. It had a lot going well for it, like the more shallow water, the swarm element, and the cloudiness of the water. It was bound to be a really good film even though we barely see the piranhas. Just a fun time all around.

The Swarm: An action-y bee film set in Texas. It was okay as an action-disaster film. But boy, was I bored. I just didn't care. The bees weren't scary. There were some great actors. But so dull.

Jaws 2: Way better than the original, I thought! Because they focus on the horror more than the drama, that made it so much more enjoyable. The shark felt a lot scarier here and more threatening. And the music was better, too!

The Bees: We literally couldn't finish this one it was so bad.

Invasion of the Body Snatchers: I mean...I liked Sutherland in Don't Look Now, so I was hella excited for this one. The acting was stellar throughout, and the twist at the end was just perfection! One of the best horror remakes we've seen yet.

Jennifer: A Carrie ripoff, but I'd say it does Carrie better. The snakes were a bit weird. But the ending had a lot more high notes than Carrie did, and the special effects were well done. Plus, there are some great political messages in this one.

Magic: A ventriloquist horror with Anthony Hopkins. Hopkins definitely steals the show here, but that's ok! He rocks it, and the ending was amazing in this one, too.

The Manitou: Made by some of the same people as Day of the Animals. Had similar race issues (fairly progressive for the time, but still doing the white savior complex). The special effects were fucking amazing, and I loved the way they captured the supernatural here. Would watch again.

Satan's Blood: A rather obscure horror film that's pretty good. Lots of sex and violence. Pretty eerie, and lots of twists.

Dawn of the Dead: Saw the American version. It was definitely entertaining. I think I like Night of the Living Dead more personally, but the mall definitely had some charm. It deserves its reputation.

Attack of the Killer Tomatoes: Super problematic...but it is super funny when it's not being problematic. It was just such a wacky film.

So, favorites!

Mine: I'd say Halloween, Jaws 2, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Killer Tomatoes, and The Manitou. These were the most entertaining for me. I hate that that's like...half the list. But they were so good.

Sin: Halloween, Piranha, Jaws 2, Invasion, Magic, Dawn of the Dead.

Comment question of the day: Do you have a favorite horror remake?