Editorials
It Came From the Desert: 10 Horror Films Shot In Arizona
While others were recently celebrating Valentine’s Day, the youngest state in the continental United States was busy celebrating its 106th birthday. That state is Arizona and yes, it is a bit of a wee baby when compared to most other states, but don’t let that baby face fool you. Throughout its relatively brief existence, Arizona has been a major player in the world of film.
Arizona first put its stamp on the western and in 1939 Old Tucson Studios was built by Columbia Pictures for the Wesley Ruggles’ film, Arizona. Old Tucson instantly became a hotbed for westerns with a number of hits like Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, 3:10 to Yuma, Rio Bravo and more filming on location. But the Grand Canyon State has been home to much more than just outlaws and gunfights.
Throughout the years Arizona has been the stomping grounds for a number of horror films. Some great, some not-so-great and a whole lot that fall somewhere in between. If you’re looking to get familiar with Arizona horror films, and you should be, the following list of ten films should serve as a great starting point.
Oh, and I won’t be including Psycho because we all know Psycho and it’s only the beginning scenes that take place in the state.
Without further adieu, I present to you ten horror films shot in the beautiful but deadly state of Arizona.
Night of the Lepus — 1972 — Dir. William F. Claxton
Night of the Lepus is a movie about giant mutant rabbits that terrorize a small Arizona town and it was really nearly 46 years before Peter Rabbit, which means rabbits being assholes is nothing new. The plot isn’t the only thing that makes this film wonderful. It also stars Janet Leigh and DeForest Kelley. How incredible is that? Marion Crane and Bones fight rabbits! If you don’t believe me it means you haven’t watched the above clip yet.
Kingdom of the Spiders — 1977 — Dir. John Cardos
I hate spiders. They’re awful, hideous creatures that I want no part of and that’s precisely why I love Kingdom of the Spiders. William Shatner stars as a veterinarian in a rural Arizona town. When the town is suddenly overrun by the creepy, crawly spiders, it’s up to Shatner and a professor from Arizona State to get to save the day. This movie should be a little cheesy B-movie, but it’s legitimately great. And it features the best acting performance cow that you will ever see.
Near Dark — 1987 — Dir. Kathryn Bigelow
Before Kathryn Bigelow was out winning Oscars she was getting down and dirty in the world of genre cinema. One of her early efforts, and arguably her best film to date outside of Point Break, is a little gem known as Near Dark. This film about a group of traveling vampires is one of the coolest, hippest takes on the bloodsucking genre that there is. It also features one of the best performances from the legendary career of Bill Paxton. The entire movie wasn’t shot in Arizona but enough of it was to claim this one for the desert.
Creepshow 2 — 1987 — Dir. Michael Gornick
A year ago Creepshow 2 turned 30 and in its 30 years, it has been the source of great debate amongst horror fans. Is it a good film and a worthy successor to the original film? I think without question it is and I know many others agree, but I’ve heard some noise from more people than I’d like to admit that don’t like this gem. That’s fine and dandy of course, because everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but one thing we should all agree on is that “The Raft” is one of the best segments from any anthology ever. This is the one were some kids float out into the middle of a lake on a raft and are eaten by some sort of goopied-goop. It’s absolutely terrifying. And to make matters worse you can actually visit that lake in Arizona. Don’t know why you would, but you can.
White of the Eye — 1987 — Dir. Donald Cammell
A series of brutal murders hit a wealthy desert community leaving rich housewives mutilated beyond recognition. David Keith plays the deranged killer and believes he was chosen to carry out his sadistic rituals. White of the Eye has sort of slipped under the radar of the years but it’s a film rich in atmosphere and worthy of your time. And it has a Score courtesy of Pink Floyd’s Nick Mason.
Beastmaster 2: Through the Portal of Time — 1991 — Dir. Sylvio Tabet
Marc Singer returns as Dar in Beastmaster 2: Through the Portal of Time and this go-around he is out to stop his evil half-brother played by Wings Hauser. The plot of this movie has Dar traveling to modern-day Los Angeles but all the other stuff is shot in various Arizona locales. Don Coscarelli didn’t direct this one and there’s no Rip Torn but it’s still a ton of fun. At one point they pass a movie theater in LA and the marquee shows that Beastmaster 2 is playing. Can’t beat that.
Suture — 1993 — Dir. Scott McGehee & David Siegel
Suture is a stylish, low budget thriller about a man that awaken some from an attempted murder by his brother to discover he’s in a new body. It’s not a perfect film and stumbles at points along the way, but it features gorgeous black and white cinematography and is never uninteresting. And it features a great performance from Dennis Haysbert.
Eight Legged Freaks — 2002 — Dir. Ellory Elkayem
Oh, great more spiders! If there’s anything worse than hordes of spiders it has to be hordes of giant spiders. Eight Legged Freaks succeeds by knowing exactly what it is. With roots firmly planted in B-movie sci-fi fare from the 1950’s and the charm of 80’s classics, this is a movie that is willing to poke fun at itself along the way in exchange a good time. As a bonus, the film has Doug E. Doug.
Sasquatch Mountain — 2006 — Dir. Steven R. Monroe
I have never seen Sasquatch Mountain. In fact, prior to putting together this list, I had never even heard of it. But I did find the above 10-minute video featuring the film’s best scenes and I think it’s self-explanatory.
Piranha 3D — 2010 — Dir. Alex Aja
Joe Dante is one of my favorite filmmakers and it is my belief that his Piranha is nearly perfect. In 2010, director Alex Aja proved you can remake a nearly perfect film by creating a new, nearly perfect film when he released Piranha 3D. This film is an absurd spectacle of boobs and gore and a prime example of when 3D actually works in a movie. If you don’t like this film I can only assume you don’t like fun. Why don’t you like fun?
Editorials
‘The Vampire Lestat’ Concert Event Launches New Season With The Ultimate Expression Of Fandom
There are thousands of passionate fans decked out in gothic chic and champing at the bit like feral creatures. They’re screaming for Lestat, a legendary vampire-turned-rock star, as if the entire crowd has been glamored into submission.
The entire experience is magic, but not because some supernatural thrall has been activated. What’s going on is even more special. It’s the power of the effusive fandom that’s been authentically assembled by AMC’s sublime Immortal Universe, namely Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire, now, The Vampire Lestat.
The Vampire Lestat is far from the first Anne Rice adaptation, and it’s not as if there’s been a lack of erotic vampire material for audiences to sink their teeth into. On June 2nd, during a one-night-only spectacle, New York City’s prestigious Beacon Theatre shook from Sam Reid’s bravado performance and an audience full of adoring fans who had already memorized Lestat’s songs.
It’s clear that The Vampire Lestat just hits differently than its predecessors. It’s become more than just a TV series at this point, and this opulent display of ego, swagger, and pure sex is the perfect way to premiere the new season and give back to the fans who helped make Interview with the Vampire/The Vampire Lestat such a breakout success. It’s exactly the sort of hyperbolized hedonism that would make Lestat cackle.
For all intents and purposes, AMC has successfully created the illusion that this concert/premiere is just one of the many destinations on Lestat and his band’s 54-stop tour that is simultaneously playing out on this season of television. It’s such a sophisticated and thorough level of interactive fan engagement that the audience doesn’t just understand, but also manages to accentuate through its involvement.
It’s a level of seamless synergy that’s not unlike the give-and-take relationship of vampire and victim.
Before the concert started, “LeStans” were sitting in the Beacon and flipping through a fake Rolling Stone issue with Lestat emblazoned on the cover, complete with interviews with the undead frontman inside. Other fans were admiring the vinyl pressing of Lestat’s EP as they walked past a section of undead band merch. Fandom and fantasy blur together, and it all becomes this elaborate, immersive experience. Fan celebration, erotic gothic fantasy, and a lavish rock concert transform into one beautiful thing.
To this point, AMC Global Media’s Chief Content Officer and President of AMC Studios, Dan McDermott, introduced the event by reiterating to fans, “You are the heartbeat of the series.” That’s abundantly clear on nights like this as that heartbeat collectively pulses to this performance. In terms of how AMC engages with The Vampire Lestat’s fans, it’s as bold a reinvention as the season itself.
This intuitive gamble speaks to AMC’s creativity in this department and a fandom that is eager to seize such opportunities. It’s the same innovation that led to zombie walks for The Walking Dead and real-life Los Pollos Hermanos restaurant pop-ups from Breaking Bad. It’s a great way to pump up the audience for The Vampire Lestat and then maintain that enthusiasm for the whole season.
For most series, a rock ‘n’ roll concert just doesn’t make any sense as a promotional tool. The Vampire Lestat finds itself in a very unique position where it can deliver an excellent concert at an iconic theater, but also use it to showcase The Vampire Lestat’s music by Daniel Hart (who was shredding on stage alongside Reid and the rest of their band) and, more than anything, Sam Reid’s endless charisma.
The way in which Reid feeds off of the crowd’s energy, modulating his performance and giving different sections of the Beacon life, is a perfect distillation of the series’ thoughtful relationship with its audience and how it’s become such a breakout success for AMC. AMC Studios President Dan McDermott emphasized that the fans are the reason that the show is still here and why an event like this is even possible. It’s rare to see a series in which every single cog in the machine is so perfectly attuned to its fans. Reid’s fans already cheer whenever they see him, so why not translate that to a concert setting?
It’s clear in this season of television that Reid was born to be a rock star, but it’s surreal to see him effortlessly command the stage — and the audience — at every step of the concert. He recites Shakespeare monologues and bitches out Armand between songs, all while the audience screams in support. For the duration of this concert, Reid is Lestat, and he’s given thousands of fans a memory that’s as immortal as any vampire.
Now bring on the encore and get this show on the road!
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