Editor's Note: I asked my friend and fellow blogger Stacy Still (of Staystill Reviews) to write up this month's Fresh Meat entry. She is a huge fan of December's honoree, who I chose purposely for Christmas :) -Heather
There are certain actors that you instantly associate with one's childhood. I'm sure I'm not alone when I say Zach Galligan is one of those actors. It all began in 1984 when Zach played Billy Peltzer, the young man who received the coolest and most dangerous Christmas present ever in the Dante, Columbus, and Spielberg classic, Gremlins. Starring alongside 80's hottie Phoebe Cates, Zach played the likable wide-eyed lead who sadly didn't follow the rules that went along with his new pet Gizmo. Changing how audiences viewed the traditional Christmas movie, the film was a box office hit and became one of the first movies ever rated PG-13. Nearly thirty years later, Gremlins is a staple to watch around the holidays.
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| Gremlins |
In 1988, Zach starred in the film that I have fond memories renting over and over again as a child simply because of the eye-catching and iconic artwork on its VHS cover. This of course was Anthony Hickox's Waxwork, a highly underrated horror film that still withstands the hands of time even though it just turned twenty-five this year! In this extremely-ahead-of-its-time film, Zach played Mark Loftmore, a young college student who visits a wax museum in the middle of the night with a couple of friends.
Once inside, they are transported into a different dimension, becoming trapped inside with the the famous killers and monsters on display. With plenty of memorable moments - dealing with such creatures as werewolves, vampires, mummies, zombies, aliens, and even Marquis de Sade - Waxwork is by far one of the coolest horror movies of the 1980's simply because it has everything but the kitchen sink thrown into it.
Once inside, they are transported into a different dimension, becoming trapped inside with the the famous killers and monsters on display. With plenty of memorable moments - dealing with such creatures as werewolves, vampires, mummies, zombies, aliens, and even Marquis de Sade - Waxwork is by far one of the coolest horror movies of the 1980's simply because it has everything but the kitchen sink thrown into it.
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| Waxwork |
Zach truly matured in the role of Mark Loftmore, the extremely handsome and off-beat lead who makes his poor maid write his history papers. I'm sure everyone remembers the famous black-and-white scene where poor Zach is trapped in the graveyard with hundreds of zombies stumbling after him as he tries to escape, only to walk into the waxwork barrier and become trapped! I'm also sure almost every teenage girl at that time swooned whenever he tries to kiss Sarah in front of her apartment building. Such a dream boat..."sigh"...
Following Waxwork, Zach went on to star in the exotic thriller Mortal Passions, and then Psychic where Zach plays a young college student with the gift of second sight who tries to solve a series of murders being committed around his campus. Teaming up a few years later with his Gremlins co-star Corey Feldman, Zach played in the extremely guilty pleasure B-rated movie, Round Trip To Heaven. You'll never look at pizza the same way again after you see Zach puke an entire pie onto a woman's breasts!
Zach also returned in the early 90's for sequels to his most popular films from the 80's - Gremlins 2: The New Batch and Waxwork II: Lost In Time. Both sequels were very over-the-top, and ten times more crazy than the original, yet have gained cult status over the years. Zach teamed up again with director Anthony Hickox when he did cameos in Warlock 2: The Armageddon, and Hellraiser III: Hell On Earth where you can spot Zach for a brief second getting killed with a pool cue!
Zach also made a very memorable appearance in the forth season of Tales From The Crypt in the famous Kevin Yagher episode, "Strung Along." Also, one of my favorite works of Zach from the late 90's in Cupid, a thriller which stars Zach as a deeply disturbed killer who is obsessed with finding his one true love. For the better part of the last twenty years, Zach has worked on different independent films, and appeared in several popular television shows. Working as an acting teacher in New York, Zach's most recent film was the epic final conclusion, Hatchet III.
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| Psychic |
Zach also made a very memorable appearance in the forth season of Tales From The Crypt in the famous Kevin Yagher episode, "Strung Along." Also, one of my favorite works of Zach from the late 90's in Cupid, a thriller which stars Zach as a deeply disturbed killer who is obsessed with finding his one true love. For the better part of the last twenty years, Zach has worked on different independent films, and appeared in several popular television shows. Working as an acting teacher in New York, Zach's most recent film was the epic final conclusion, Hatchet III.
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| Hatchet III |
Still working on upcoming projects, Zach is by far one of the friendliest, humble guys who does the convention circuits. With a popular Twitter following, Zach can be reached by his handle @zwgman, through which he interacts with fans on a daily basis. I for one love whenever he does Waxwork Wednesday and posts rare behind-the-scenes photos from both Waxwork movies.
The reason why I feel Zach makes an awesome hottie of the month is simple - those eyes! Seriously, though, I think it's because Zach is an actor most of us fondly remember watching from our childhoods, whether it be the Gremlins or Waxwork movies. I feel plenty of people, myself included, will be watching Gremlins this month on a constant loop and forever and always have our hearts melted at the scene when Billy asks Kate out while it's snowing out - adorable.
I have had the chance of meeting Zach several times (of course, mostly gushing over how much I love the Waxwork movies) and Zach has always been charming, friendly, and a complete sport posing for as many dumb photos that I ask him to do. Truly, God bless that man...
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| Zach & Stacy |
A great actor who has aged wonderfully, Zach is crazy talented and a very cool approachable guy. With plenty of classics under his belt, I can only look forward to his works in the future!
By: Stacy Still of Staystillreviews
http://staystillreviews.blogspot.com
And now, some final eye candy ;)
