TheMikeJustice

I have very fond memories of watching this film every year during my childhood. This film has EVERYTHING! A frumpy, 40-something millionairess gets eaten by a crocodile, survives, pays for a very extensive plastic surgery & rehabilitation program with the money she gets from cashing in some opals at a pawn shop, and then become an international model. Choice scenes of edge-of-your-seat intrigue include her lunch date with Wendy Hughes, the woman who helped feed her to a crocodile. Fifteen pounds thinner with a Pat Benatar haircut, she is completely unrecognizable to her former best friend. Although Ms. Hughes does remark, "Hmm, Stephanie was a beer drinker...." Oh no! Two beer-drinking women in Australia! Do you think she knows?? Intrigue ensues.

I saw this film on Commander USA's Groovie Movies, which used to play on the USA cable network. What a great movie! My favorite part was how the women weren't really psychotic. But, aside from that, my favorite character was the slutty sister, Nicole. I also loved the prudish, sexually repressed sister with no hand, the sneaky nurse with fake eyelashes, and hypocondriacal, wheelchair-bound chick with ex-husband issues. That's not to mention the hairy-chested, weight-lifting handyman who knew that the real way to seduce women is to grab them and throw them up against walls. Meanwhile there's a mad killer who's knocking off blond-haired bimbos, plucking out their (blue) eyes, and preserving the orbs in little pitri dishes of formaldehyde. Is it the handyman? One of the sisters? Did I mention the musical score yet? It's the same swinging piccolo flute song over, and over, and over again (never changing one iota despite scenes ranging from sexy to horrific to action-based). Of course, the stalk-and-slash sequences (of which there are three) are set to a musical box-rendition of "Frer Jacques." Nice way to save on music royalties. I absolutely loved this film.

I had one of the best times I've ever had at the movies last night watching "The Grudge." I wouldn't say it was brilliant film. The low-budget look and PG-13 rating combined with the fact that the audience was filled with teenagers definitely contributed to an overall B-Movie vibe. But, DAMN, was this movie scary! Even though it's not as high-budget as "The Ring," or as densely plotted, it compares favorably (if you're one of those retarded Americans who HAS to compare one Japanese horror-inspired remake to another). What "The Grudge" has going on in its favor is an unmistakable and potent aura of creepiness and unpleasantness underscoring some of the most intensely orchestrated shocks in recent memory. I saw it in a packed house and I can't even begin to describe the screaming, gasping, and shrieking that went on around me. It's been a long time since I've seen an exceedingly well-crafted and skillfully made horror film. This one definitely comes VERY close to being just that.