Happy Halloween!  There’s no better time to wrap up my annual Hoop-Tober horror marathon than by re-visiting some old classics and just marveling at how the masters of the genre did it bigger and better all those years ago.  The first two entries in the Friday the 13th series may have done more damage than good in the sheer glut of poor copycat films that came after, but they’re still a rip to watch.  John Carpenter’s original Halloween still stands as a singular achievement in pacing and streamlined storytelling.  Wes Craven brings the horror a gleefully evil personality for the first time in the original and best A Nightmare on Elm Street.  And to this day there is still no terror like the slam of a steel door signalling you’re trapped in The Texas Chain Saw Massacre.

Step inside and let’s end this thing in style…   Continue reading →