Entries Tagged 'gaylords of darkness' ↓

"Ohio"

I tells ya, I don't know how many unfinished posts I have sitting in my drafts, but it surely numbers somewhere around a metric fuckton. Since we last spoke (with our eyes), I have started posts about movies I love, movies I do not love, and movies I have no particularly strong feelings for one way or the other. Every single one of those drafts immediately devolved into what I will generously call pandemic feelings, because how could they not? It is something that everyone in the world is dealing with--even those dum-dums who won't wear a fucking mask--so of course it must be acknowledged. And in case you haven't noticed, in addition to a GD pandemic, the world is on fire in other (vitally important) ways. Hundreds of people are marching every day, even if algorithms and the media have decided not to show us the protests anymore.

See how it happens? Now I have a paragraph of acknowledging the acknowledgments.

I mention all of this not only because it (sort of) explains that I haven't completely forgotten about this place, but because if you're a regular Gaylords of Darkness listener, then you may have noticed we've been absent a couple of weeks. This was a conscious decision, as a podcast talking about horror movies would just be taking up space and diverting from more worthwhile causes. We've been using our social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) to boost other voices. There's often a dissonance when we talk about politics and the world at large on our show--like, there are literally children in cages at our border, while we sit here chatting about Nail Gun Massacre--and that dissonance has never been as pronounced as it's been lately.

Of course, there are a handful of horror movies that are extremely relevant to the current political climate, and one of those horror movies is Suspiria. You may have heard me mention it around here once or twice or 31 times.


Today, Gaylords of Darkness returns with our fourth episode about this masterpiece...and this time, Anthony and I are joined by Suspiria screenwriter David Kajganich and director Luca Guadagnino.

YES YOU READ THAT RIGHT. YES I AM DEAD.

You can listen to it here, or find Gaylords of Darkness wherever you kids conjure your podcasts--Apple, Spotify, whatever.

To say this opportunity and conversation mean absolutely everything is obviously the hugest of understatements. We chat for about an hour about revolution, representation, Final Girls, lesbian sex covens, and so much more. We talk about the film in ways I've never heard or seen it discussed! There are revelations! Revelations, people!

I don't know where we could possibly go with Gaylords after this (or heck, with Final Girl), but we're going to try. As we mention at the end of this show, we've got a small plan that makes us feel okay about continuing to record and publish episodes as the world rages. Consider following us on one of those social media platforms, because that's where we'll be announcing and updating in the next few days. I'll try to post about it here, too, but you'd probably have to read a paragraph of pandemic feelings to get to the good stuff, and who wants that?

"Ohio"

I tells ya, I don't know how many unfinished posts I have sitting in my drafts, but it surely numbers somewhere around a metric fuckton. Since we last spoke (with our eyes), I have started posts about movies I love, movies I do not love, and movies I have no particularly strong feelings for one way or the other. Every single one of those drafts immediately devolved into what I will generously call pandemic feelings, because how could they not? It is something that everyone in the world is dealing with--even those dum-dums who won't wear a fucking mask--so of course it must be acknowledged. And in case you haven't noticed, in addition to a GD pandemic, the world is on fire in other (vitally important) ways. Hundreds of people are marching every day, even if algorithms and the media have decided not to show us the protests anymore.

See how it happens? Now I have a paragraph of acknowledging the acknowledgments.

I mention all of this not only because it (sort of) explains that I haven't completely forgotten about this place, but because if you're a regular Gaylords of Darkness listener, then you may have noticed we've been absent a couple of weeks. This was a conscious decision, as a podcast talking about horror movies would just be taking up space and diverting from more worthwhile causes. We've been using our social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) to boost other voices. There's often a dissonance when we talk about politics and the world at large on our show--like, there are literally children in cages at our border, while we sit here chatting about Nail Gun Massacre--and that dissonance has never been as pronounced as it's been lately.

Of course, there are a handful of horror movies that are extremely relevant to the current political climate, and one of those horror movies is Suspiria. You may have heard me mention it around here once or twice or 31 times.


Today, Gaylords of Darkness returns with our fourth episode about this masterpiece...and this time, Anthony and I are joined by Suspiria screenwriter David Kajganich and director Luca Guadagnino.

YES YOU READ THAT RIGHT. YES I AM DEAD.

You can listen to it here, or find Gaylords of Darkness wherever you kids conjure your podcasts--Apple, Spotify, whatever.

To say this opportunity and conversation mean absolutely everything is obviously the hugest of understatements. We chat for about an hour about revolution, representation, Final Girls, lesbian sex covens, and so much more. We talk about the film in ways I've never heard or seen it discussed! There are revelations! Revelations, people!

I don't know where we could possibly go with Gaylords after this (or heck, with Final Girl), but we're going to try. As we mention at the end of this show, we've got a small plan that makes us feel okay about continuing to record and publish episodes as the world rages. Consider following us on one of those social media platforms, because that's where we'll be announcing and updating in the next few days. I'll try to post about it here, too, but you'd probably have to read a paragraph of pandemic feelings to get to the good stuff, and who wants that?

A Wee Streaming Guide for These Troubled Times

Things sure feel weird right about now, don't they? I don't know about you, but I'm vacillating between It's just temporarily different! Everything will be fine! I'm feelin' good and I'm gonna get stuff done and I'm gonna watch all the movies and read all the books! and being completely consumed by a vague, existential dread/anxiety that leaves me unable to do much of anything. Oh well. We will all get through this together, by which I mean sealed away alone inside of our own homes. I used to pine for a real swamp hag cave or cottage, but now I'm thinking I'll end up in a big swamp hag hamster ball, rollin' around safe from germs, just cackling away. Something to look forward to!

But for now, we're all living that shut-in life. A kind Gaylords of Darkness listener wrote and asked if Anthony and I have any streaming horror movie recommendations for all of us in This Time of Plague. We sure do! And we've gone and made lists of 'em. This is not completely comprehensive, of course, but it ain't a bad place to start. Most subgenres are covered. There are classics that perhaps you haven't seen in a while and there's some you might not have seen yet. If you're looking for a particular film, I highly suggest checking JustWatch. It's a streaming service database that will tell you everywhere a film is streaming, whether for free or for rental. Oh! And also, Shudder is currently offering a 30 day free trial, if you use the code SHUTIN. I love Shudder.

Now how about some recommendations? Some of these we've discussed or mentioned on the show, some I've talked about here, and some we just enjoy.

Netflix: 


THE VVITCH
HEAD COUNT
AUTOPSY OF JANE DOE
CANDYMAN
CHILD'S PLAY
CULT OF CHUCKY
THE ENDLESS
THE EVIL DEAD
THE INVITATION
MOHAWK
TRAIN TO BUSAN
UNDER THE SKIN
MARIANNE
DRACULA
AS ABOVE SO BELOW
ROSEMARY’S BABY
THE RITUAL
GREEN ROOM
CARRIERS
EVENT HORIZON
FINAL DESTINATION
THE BYE BYE MAN (haha jk just wanted to see if you were actually reading this)
UNDER THE SHADOW
THE LAST EXORCISM
THE PERFECTION
AWAIT FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS

Hulu: 


THELMA
LITTLE MONSTERS
TRAGEDY GIRLS
MOM AND DAD
PYEWACKET
THE DESCENT
BUG (cockroaches that fart fire, you can't go wrong)

Amazon: 


SUSPIRIA
HEREDITARY
LAKE MUNGO
CHOPPING MALL
BONE TOMAHAWK
TRIANGLE
MIDSOMMAR
ANNIHILATION
NIGHT OF THE DEMONS
THE HOUSE OF THE DEVIL
THE NEW DAUGHTER
SLUGS
SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT PART 2
THE RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD
THE INNKEEPERS
NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD
THE TOWN THAT DREADED SUNDOWN (1977)
JACOB’S LADDER
NOSFERATU THE VAMPYRE
DOLLS
SPIDER BABY
LONG WEEKEND

Shudder: 



THE HOUSE OF THE DEVIL
BEAST
THE CHANGELING
DEEP RED
LUZ
ONE CUT OF THE DEAD
IN THE MOUTH OF MADNESS
HELLO MARY LOU: PROM NIGHT II
THE FOG
AUDITION
HELL NIGHT
SLUMBER PARTY MASSACRE II
KNIFE + HEART
THE WAILING
BLOODY BIRTHDAY
MADHOUSE
DEAD & BURIED
WAKE WOOD
THE OLD DARK HOUSE
SATAN’S SLAVES
STARRY EYES
DARK WATER
DEMONS
NOROI: THE CURSE
BLACK CHRISTMAS
THE EXORCIST III
BLOOD RAGE
THE HOUSE BY THE CEMETERY
THE LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT OF ROSALIND LEIGH
A TALE OF TWO SISTERS

Got a fave you don't see listed? Feel free to drop it in the comments! I know times are strange and stressful, but hey, if Angela Vidal can make it through [REC] then surely we can make it through this. Take care of yourself, take care of each other. Let's watch some horror movies.

A Wee Streaming Guide for These Troubled Times

Things sure feel weird right about now, don't they? I don't know about you, but I'm vacillating between It's just temporarily different! Everything will be fine! I'm feelin' good and I'm gonna get stuff done and I'm gonna watch all the movies and read all the books! and being completely consumed by a vague, existential dread/anxiety that leaves me unable to do much of anything. Oh well. We will all get through this together, by which I mean sealed away alone inside of our own homes. I used to pine for a real swamp hag cave or cottage, but now I'm thinking I'll end up in a big swamp hag hamster ball, rollin' around safe from germs, just cackling away. Something to look forward to!

But for now, we're all living that shut-in life. A kind Gaylords of Darkness listener wrote and asked if Anthony and I have any streaming horror movie recommendations for all of us in This Time of Plague. We sure do! And we've gone and made lists of 'em. This is not completely comprehensive, of course, but it ain't a bad place to start. Most subgenres are covered. There are classics that perhaps you haven't seen in a while and there's some you might not have seen yet. If you're looking for a particular film, I highly suggest checking JustWatch. It's a streaming service database that will tell you everywhere a film is streaming, whether for free or for rental. Oh! And also, Shudder is currently offering a 30 day free trial, if you use the code SHUTIN. I love Shudder.

Now how about some recommendations? Some of these we've discussed or mentioned on the show, some I've talked about here, and some we just enjoy.

Netflix: 


THE VVITCH
HEAD COUNT
AUTOPSY OF JANE DOE
CANDYMAN
CHILD'S PLAY
CULT OF CHUCKY
THE ENDLESS
THE EVIL DEAD
THE INVITATION
MOHAWK
TRAIN TO BUSAN
UNDER THE SKIN
MARIANNE
DRACULA
AS ABOVE SO BELOW
ROSEMARY’S BABY
THE RITUAL
GREEN ROOM
CARRIERS
EVENT HORIZON
FINAL DESTINATION
THE BYE BYE MAN (haha jk just wanted to see if you were actually reading this)
UNDER THE SHADOW
THE LAST EXORCISM
THE PERFECTION
AWAIT FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS

Hulu: 


THELMA
LITTLE MONSTERS
TRAGEDY GIRLS
MOM AND DAD
PYEWACKET
THE DESCENT
BUG (cockroaches that fart fire, you can't go wrong)

Amazon: 


SUSPIRIA
HEREDITARY
LAKE MUNGO
CHOPPING MALL
BONE TOMAHAWK
TRIANGLE
MIDSOMMAR
ANNIHILATION
NIGHT OF THE DEMONS
THE HOUSE OF THE DEVIL
THE NEW DAUGHTER
SLUGS
SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT PART 2
THE RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD
THE INNKEEPERS
NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD
THE TOWN THAT DREADED SUNDOWN (1977)
JACOB’S LADDER
NOSFERATU THE VAMPYRE
DOLLS
SPIDER BABY
LONG WEEKEND

Shudder: 



THE HOUSE OF THE DEVIL
BEAST
THE CHANGELING
DEEP RED
LUZ
ONE CUT OF THE DEAD
IN THE MOUTH OF MADNESS
HELLO MARY LOU: PROM NIGHT II
THE FOG
AUDITION
HELL NIGHT
SLUMBER PARTY MASSACRE II
KNIFE + HEART
THE WAILING
BLOODY BIRTHDAY
MADHOUSE
DEAD & BURIED
WAKE WOOD
THE OLD DARK HOUSE
SATAN’S SLAVES
STARRY EYES
DARK WATER
DEMONS
NOROI: THE CURSE
BLACK CHRISTMAS
THE EXORCIST III
BLOOD RAGE
THE HOUSE BY THE CEMETERY
THE LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT OF ROSALIND LEIGH
A TALE OF TWO SISTERS

Got a fave you don't see listed? Feel free to drop it in the comments! I know times are strange and stressful, but hey, if Angela Vidal can make it through [REC] then surely we can make it through this. Take care of yourself, take care of each other. Let's watch some horror movies.

News you can…well "use" seems strong, but

It's been a while. How are you? Are you too worried about the grippe, or not worried enough? Have you bought all of the toilet paper available in your neighborhood? How are you spending your quarantine? I will not lie, my swamp hag shut-in lifestyle actually lends itself quite well to this whole early-apocalypse scenario! It's those poor fools who enjoy things like "sunshine" and "fresh air" that have to worry. I always knew those things would ultimately be bad for me, and trust, my rickets and I are ride this one out just fine.

But! As the world burns and our lungs fill, there are other matters at hand. Important matters. Final Girl matters! Here are some of them:

Okay, fine, I haven't been posting here nearly as often as I should. But that ain't mean I don't still got lukewarm opinions sitting/dissolving under a heat lamp! They just require visiting places besides this website, which I know is hard. You've had this site and only this site open since what, 2005 or so? And your refreshes hardly ever bear cyberfruit.

However, if you've picked up issues of Rue Morgue in the last few months (and why wouldn't you? RM is the best), then perhaps you've seen my name, for it is there I've been a-reviewin'. One film I've seen and talked about for the magazine is Blood on Her Name, which SPOILER ALERT I dug a whole bunch. It's more neo-noir thriller than horror for sure, but who cares? It's intense and anchored by Bethany Anne Lind's fantastic performance. Rue Morgue posted an exclusive clip, which I'm posting here! Highly recommended.


The podcast I co-host, Gaylords of Darkness, continues apace with new episodes every Wednesday. We spent all of February (and then some) on a series we call Great Value Slashers, wherein we discuss slasher flicks that fall outside of the major franchises. Mind you, Great Value Slashers can and do vary wildly in quality--sure, we talk about the greatest of the Greats, like My Bloody Valentine, but we also talk about...whatever the fuck Nail Gun Massacre is.


I love them both! I love every movie we talked about, from Curtains to Don't Go in the Woods...Alone! to everything in between. In fact, the Great Value Slashers really reignited my love of the subgenre. Slashers are the reason I started this dang blog in the first place! They're the formative horror films of my youth! Rewatching the slashers of yore is a terrific way to spend some time. I admit I'm reticent to watch many (most) (all?) of the modern ones, but revisiting classics and trash-ics alike still holds a thrill. I'm looking at them with new eyes (or, to be more exact, older, worse eyes) and it's often a bit like seeing them for the first time. My tastes have changed since Final Girl was born, and I'm a different kind of viewer. A better one, I think. Or, at least, I want a little more out of horror movies than a demand that it scares me or I can make fun of it.

We'll be dropping a Great Value Slasher episode from time to time--there are so many movies to talk about, and my co-host Anthony and I have such fun with them--so give us a subscribe if you like! Gaylords of Darkness is available wherever you find podcasts, or you listen to episodes right on our website.

Lastly, Final Girl is nominated for a Rondo Award! Wholly unexpected, super wholly flattering. Here's a link to the ballot. It's all done by email (ballots are due by March 29th) and the list of nominees is a bit daunting. I'm down under Best Website. If you feel Final Girl deserves that, then gimme a vote why don'tcha.


Is that all the news? I think it is. I didn't like The Lodge. Maybe I would have if I hadn't already seen Goodnight Mommy and really disliked its last 20 minutes or so. Oh well. I'm excited for Saint Maud next month! Aren't you glad you know that now? Scratch this post title...this is all news you can definitely use.

News you can…well "use" seems strong, but

It's been a while. How are you? Are you too worried about the grippe, or not worried enough? Have you bought all of the toilet paper available in your neighborhood? How are you spending your quarantine? I will not lie, my swamp hag shut-in lifestyle actually lends itself quite well to this whole early-apocalypse scenario! It's those poor fools who enjoy things like "sunshine" and "fresh air" that have to worry. I always knew those things would ultimately be bad for me, and trust, my rickets and I are ride this one out just fine.

But! As the world burns and our lungs fill, there are other matters at hand. Important matters. Final Girl matters! Here are some of them:

Okay, fine, I haven't been posting here nearly as often as I should. But that ain't mean I don't still got lukewarm opinions sitting/dissolving under a heat lamp! They just require visiting places besides this website, which I know is hard. You've had this site and only this site open since what, 2005 or so? And your refreshes hardly ever bear cyberfruit.

However, if you've picked up issues of Rue Morgue in the last few months (and why wouldn't you? RM is the best), then perhaps you've seen my name, for it is there I've been a-reviewin'. One film I've seen and talked about for the magazine is Blood on Her Name, which SPOILER ALERT I dug a whole bunch. It's more neo-noir thriller than horror for sure, but who cares? It's intense and anchored by Bethany Anne Lind's fantastic performance. Rue Morgue posted an exclusive clip, which I'm posting here! Highly recommended.


The podcast I co-host, Gaylords of Darkness, continues apace with new episodes every Wednesday. We spent all of February (and then some) on a series we call Great Value Slashers, wherein we discuss slasher flicks that fall outside of the major franchises. Mind you, Great Value Slashers can and do vary wildly in quality--sure, we talk about the greatest of the Greats, like My Bloody Valentine, but we also talk about...whatever the fuck Nail Gun Massacre is.


I love them both! I love every movie we talked about, from Curtains to Don't Go in the Woods...Alone! to everything in between. In fact, the Great Value Slashers really reignited my love of the subgenre. Slashers are the reason I started this dang blog in the first place! They're the formative horror films of my youth! Rewatching the slashers of yore is a terrific way to spend some time. I admit I'm reticent to watch many (most) (all?) of the modern ones, but revisiting classics and trash-ics alike still holds a thrill. I'm looking at them with new eyes (or, to be more exact, older, worse eyes) and it's often a bit like seeing them for the first time. My tastes have changed since Final Girl was born, and I'm a different kind of viewer. A better one, I think. Or, at least, I want a little more out of horror movies than a demand that it scares me or I can make fun of it.

We'll be dropping a Great Value Slasher episode from time to time--there are so many movies to talk about, and my co-host Anthony and I have such fun with them--so give us a subscribe if you like! Gaylords of Darkness is available wherever you find podcasts, or you listen to episodes right on our website.

Lastly, Final Girl is nominated for a Rondo Award! Wholly unexpected, super wholly flattering. Here's a link to the ballot. It's all done by email (ballots are due by March 29th) and the list of nominees is a bit daunting. I'm down under Best Website. If you feel Final Girl deserves that, then gimme a vote why don'tcha.


Is that all the news? I think it is. I didn't like The Lodge. Maybe I would have if I hadn't already seen Goodnight Mommy and really disliked its last 20 minutes or so. Oh well. I'm excited for Saint Maud next month! Aren't you glad you know that now? Scratch this post title...this is all news you can definitely use.

Every victim in DON’T GO IN THE WOODS…ALONE ranked

This week on Gaylords of Darkness we dissect the rotting corpse of the 1981 slasher flick Don't Go in the Woods...Alone. I reviewed the movie once upon a time–I mean, as much as a "movie" such as it can be reviewed–but it's been playin' in my mind something fierce as of late, so we gave it a go on the show. In fact, it's kicking off our Great Value Slashers event, wherein we're going to tackle non-franchise slashers of varying budgets and quality.

I've come to develop a real fondness for these oft-terrible movies over the years. The way they play by their own rules, eschewing our preconceived notions about what constitutes, you know, "narrative" and "story" and "structure" reveals true maverick "filmmaking." The folks behind these movies looked at the big boy franchises and said "Why not me? I can do that" and they did do that, even though they clearly cannot do that.

Don't Go in the Woods...Alone hits these Great Value hallmarks and many more of them besides. The gore is never convincing, but it is abundant; limbs and too-bright red blood fly liberally. The massive cast comprises crew members, crew friends, and, well, I'm not sure any of them qualify as "actors" beyond the strictest definition. But that's part of the joy of a Great Value Slasher: anyone can be an actor.

More than most horror films I've seen, characters in Don't Go in the Woods...Alone exist solely to be killed. If you thought the victims in the Friday the 13th franchise were shallow, well, you ain't seen nothin' yet. These often unnamed folks rarely speak a word. We don't know who they are or why they are in the woods, alone or otherwise. There is very little, if any, buildup to the murders. They show up on screen, they get killed–and not always in that order. Every one of them is a gift from the bad moviemaking gawds but some of these gifts are gift-ier than the rest, so why not rank 'em?

15. Camper


This guy shows up solely as a dead body hanging from a tree at a ransacked campsite. Oh, you thought the "body gauntlet" trope could only consist of victims we know? Don't Go in the Woods...Alone says guess again, you fool.

14. Hiker


This guy shows up solely to be stabbed by Final Boy Peter, who mistakes the poor fellow for the killer. To his credit, Final Boy Peter apologizes profusely. Then the hiker gets speared by the real killer. Whoopsie!

13. Craig


Craig is ostensibly one of the four main characters, leading a trio of hikers into the woods for some reason. He's a bit of a pill and even his death scene, wherein he is stabbed, is a bit boring.

12. Running Girl


Running Girl, as she is listed in the end credits, is the first death in the movie. She runs, falls in a stream, and then the water turns red. That's it! That's her whole role! I love this movie.

11. Sleeping Bag Man


Sleeping Bag Man is in a sleeping bag (sleeping? we do not know) and then he gets stabbed to death. Again I say: that's it!

10. Sleeping Bag Woman


Sleeping Bag Woman is ranked higher than Sleeping Bag Man because she has some dialogue. Their death scene literally begins with her saying "Where are you going? Don't leave me alone!" To whom is she speaking? We don't know. No one is going anywhere. It doesn't make sense. She says this, then–still in her bag–gets hoisted up a tree and pummelled-n-stabbed to death.

9. Cherry 
and 
8. Dick



The deaths of "sexy" couple Cherry and Dick constitute what is perhaps the closest to an actual "horror movie sequence" this movie has. Cherry is nervous about having sex with her–husband? boyfriend? fwb?–Dick for some reason. Then she sees something outside, or so she says. Dick wanders off to investigate, gets killed, and then their VW bus is rolled over a cliff. Unfortunately, Cherry is still inside! She burns to death when the VW catches on fire for whatever reason.

7. Fisherman


Fisherman is merely another wordless, nameless victim who went in the woods...alone. But! He gets a bear trap in the face, which you must admit is...sure something.

6. Dale


Dale has gone in the woods...not alone to take photos "of the train coming in." Do we see the train? No, of course not. Dale is next to a waterfall and river, in the middle of the woods! Where would there be a train?? I think it's in our hearts. The real train is the friends we made along the way.

5. Birdwatcher


Birdwatcher has no name or dialogue (I mean, that's pretty much par for the course, so why do I keep repeating it?), but he sure does dress snazzy for his sojourn. And he gets an arm whacked off–look at that blood gush! Tom Savini would be proud, wouldn't he? WOULDN'T HE?

4. Dale's Mom


Dale's Mom has an awful death scene, even by this movie's standards: we don't see anything happen to her, then she crawls along the ground moaning as some drops of blood fall from her. We can't really tell where her wounds are because the shot of her crawling is an extreme closeup...we just see a part of her arm and the drips. So why is she ranked so high? Because look at her outfit! A muumuu, several Marge Simpson-style necklaces, those cool-ass shades and that hat. She is a delight. And if her visual appeal weren't enough, trust me: once you hear her shriek-bleat "Dale? DALE!" repeatedly, her shriek-bleating "Dale? DALE!" will echo in your mind forever.

3. Wheelchair Hiker


It takes forever for the Wheelchair Hiker to roll himself up the mountain, which should be a surprise neither to him nor to us. Such hard work! Such a struggle! At one point, he even falls out of his chair, but he is not deterred. In true inspirational fashion, he ever-so-slowly he inches his way to the top. He takes in the view for approximately two seconds before he is decapitated. That's a metaphor for the absurdity of human existence, ain't it? A depressing one, but still.

2. Lady Painter


The enigma of Lady Painter, as she is so named in the end credits, will never end. She has driven to the middle of the woods to engage in some landscape painting, but she does not paint the landscape before her. She brings along her toddler–daughter? sister?–then wraps the child in a sling, then ties the sling to a tree a good distance from where she is painting. She gives the child a jar full of dirty water to drink. She wears high-heeled boots and mirrored aviators. She does not speak a word, not even a "Huh?" or a "Whazzat?" Then, she is killed. She rules my world!

1. Joanne


Like Craig, Joanne is one of the four main characters. Unlike Craig, her death is noteworthy! In fact, it's by far the most brutal in the film and largely the reason became one of the UK's infamous "video nasties." Of course, this is Don't Go in the Woods...Alone, so "brutal" is somewhat relative. Joanne is hacked repeatedly by a machete, but the wounds/impacts aren't explicit. There's a shit ton of blood, but it looks like tempera paint. Her clothes are torn, but there is no nudity. But still, her death counts as "elaborate" for this movie, so of course it's number one.

There you have it, the world's definitive (only) ranking of every victim in Don't Go in the Woods...Alone. They're all perfect. Their only mistake was going (or rolling) in the woods alone! Or with other people.

But! We know that the true queen of this movie is Rollerskates.  She rolls by the sheriff with an "Okay, thanks a lot!" when he tells her to be careful. And you know what? She doesn't get killed at all. She's too fast, look at her go.


Who says you can't hike in rollerskates? See, it's like I said: these Great Value Slashers play by their own rules. We're all going to learn so much during this event.

Every victim in DON’T GO IN THE WOODS…ALONE ranked

This week on Gaylords of Darkness we dissect the rotting corpse of the 1981 slasher flick Don't Go in the Woods...Alone. I reviewed the movie once upon a time–I mean, as much as a "movie" such as it can be reviewed–but it's been playin' in my mind something fierce as of late, so we gave it a go on the show. In fact, it's kicking off our Great Value Slashers event, wherein we're going to tackle non-franchise slashers of varying budgets and quality.

I've come to develop a real fondness for these oft-terrible movies over the years. The way they play by their own rules, eschewing our preconceived notions about what constitutes, you know, "narrative" and "story" and "structure" reveals true maverick "filmmaking." The folks behind these movies looked at the big boy franchises and said "Why not me? I can do that" and they did do that, even though they clearly cannot do that.

Don't Go in the Woods...Alone hits these Great Value hallmarks and many more of them besides. The gore is never convincing, but it is abundant; limbs and too-bright red blood fly liberally. The massive cast comprises crew members, crew friends, and, well, I'm not sure any of them qualify as "actors" beyond the strictest definition. But that's part of the joy of a Great Value Slasher: anyone can be an actor.

More than most horror films I've seen, characters in Don't Go in the Woods...Alone exist solely to be killed. If you thought the victims in the Friday the 13th franchise were shallow, well, you ain't seen nothin' yet. These often unnamed folks rarely speak a word. We don't know who they are or why they are in the woods, alone or otherwise. There is very little, if any, buildup to the murders. They show up on screen, they get killed–and not always in that order. Every one of them is a gift from the bad moviemaking gawds but some of these gifts are gift-ier than the rest, so why not rank 'em?

15. Camper


This guy shows up solely as a dead body hanging from a tree at a ransacked campsite. Oh, you thought the "body gauntlet" trope could only consist of victims we know? Don't Go in the Woods...Alone says guess again, you fool.

14. Hiker


This guy shows up solely to be stabbed by Final Boy Peter, who mistakes the poor fellow for the killer. To his credit, Final Boy Peter apologizes profusely. Then the hiker gets speared by the real killer. Whoopsie!

13. Craig


Craig is ostensibly one of the four main characters, leading a trio of hikers into the woods for some reason. He's a bit of a pill and even his death scene, wherein he is stabbed, is a bit boring.

12. Running Girl


Running Girl, as she is listed in the end credits, is the first death in the movie. She runs, falls in a stream, and then the water turns red. That's it! That's her whole role! I love this movie.

11. Sleeping Bag Man


Sleeping Bag Man is in a sleeping bag (sleeping? we do not know) and then he gets stabbed to death. Again I say: that's it!

10. Sleeping Bag Woman


Sleeping Bag Woman is ranked higher than Sleeping Bag Man because she has some dialogue. Their death scene literally begins with her saying "Where are you going? Don't leave me alone!" To whom is she speaking? We don't know. No one is going anywhere. It doesn't make sense. She says this, then–still in her bag–gets hoisted up a tree and pummelled-n-stabbed to death.

9. Cherry 
and 
8. Dick



The deaths of "sexy" couple Cherry and Dick constitute what is perhaps the closest to an actual "horror movie sequence" this movie has. Cherry is nervous about having sex with her–husband? boyfriend? fwb?–Dick for some reason. Then she sees something outside, or so she says. Dick wanders off to investigate, gets killed, and then their VW bus is rolled over a cliff. Unfortunately, Cherry is still inside! She burns to death when the VW catches on fire for whatever reason.

7. Fisherman


Fisherman is merely another wordless, nameless victim who went in the woods...alone. But! He gets a bear trap in the face, which you must admit is...sure something.

6. Dale


Dale has gone in the woods...not alone to take photos "of the train coming in." Do we see the train? No, of course not. Dale is next to a waterfall and river, in the middle of the woods! Where would there be a train?? I think it's in our hearts. The real train is the friends we made along the way.

5. Birdwatcher


Birdwatcher has no name or dialogue (I mean, that's pretty much par for the course, so why do I keep repeating it?), but he sure does dress snazzy for his sojourn. And he gets an arm whacked off–look at that blood gush! Tom Savini would be proud, wouldn't he? WOULDN'T HE?

4. Dale's Mom


Dale's Mom has an awful death scene, even by this movie's standards: we don't see anything happen to her, then she crawls along the ground moaning as some drops of blood fall from her. We can't really tell where her wounds are because the shot of her crawling is an extreme closeup...we just see a part of her arm and the drips. So why is she ranked so high? Because look at her outfit! A muumuu, several Marge Simpson-style necklaces, those cool-ass shades and that hat. She is a delight. And if her visual appeal weren't enough, trust me: once you hear her shriek-bleat "Dale? DALE!" repeatedly, her shriek-bleating "Dale? DALE!" will echo in your mind forever.

3. Wheelchair Hiker


It takes forever for the Wheelchair Hiker to roll himself up the mountain, which should be a surprise neither to him nor to us. Such hard work! Such a struggle! At one point, he even falls out of his chair, but he is not deterred. In true inspirational fashion, he ever-so-slowly he inches his way to the top. He takes in the view for approximately two seconds before he is decapitated. That's a metaphor for the absurdity of human existence, ain't it? A depressing one, but still.

2. Lady Painter


The enigma of Lady Painter, as she is so named in the end credits, will never end. She has driven to the middle of the woods to engage in some landscape painting, but she does not paint the landscape before her. She brings along her toddler–daughter? sister?–then wraps the child in a sling, then ties the sling to a tree a good distance from where she is painting. She gives the child a jar full of dirty water to drink. She wears high-heeled boots and mirrored aviators. She does not speak a word, not even a "Huh?" or a "Whazzat?" Then, she is killed. She rules my world!

1. Joanne


Like Craig, Joanne is one of the four main characters. Unlike Craig, her death is noteworthy! In fact, it's by far the most brutal in the film and largely the reason became one of the UK's infamous "video nasties." Of course, this is Don't Go in the Woods...Alone, so "brutal" is somewhat relative. Joanne is hacked repeatedly by a machete, but the wounds/impacts aren't explicit. There's a shit ton of blood, but it looks like tempera paint. Her clothes are torn, but there is no nudity. But still, her death counts as "elaborate" for this movie, so of course it's number one.

There you have it, the world's definitive (only) ranking of every victim in Don't Go in the Woods...Alone. They're all perfect. Their only mistake was going (or rolling) in the woods alone! Or with other people.

But! We know that the true queen of this movie is Rollerskates.  She rolls by the sheriff with an "Okay, thanks a lot!" when he tells her to be careful. And you know what? She doesn't get killed at all. She's too fast, look at her go.


Who says you can't hike in rollerskates? See, it's like I said: these Great Value Slashers play by their own rules. We're all going to learn so much during this event.