Dracula Lives! was an American black-and-white horror comic magazine series published by Marvel Comics in the mid-1970s. Thirteen issues and one reprint annual were printed.

Dracula Lives! was released concurrently with Vampire Tales and Monsters Unleashed under the Marvel Monster Group brand in 1973.

Following Dracula Lives!‘ cancellation in July 1975, an additional instalment appeared in Marvel Preview #8 (“The Legion of Monsters”), comprising roughly one-third of the novel. After a thirty-year hiatus, Marvel commissioned Thomas and Giordano to finish the adaptation, and ran the reprinted and new material as the four-issue miniseries Stoker’s Dracula (Oct. 2004 – May 2005)

Buy Stoker’s Dracula from Amazon.com

Much of the material in Dracula Lives! was reprinted in a Marvel UK weekly reprint title of the same name. It eventually merged with the Marvel UK Planet of the Apes weekly (!), and with issue 60 the title became Dracula Lives Featuring the Legion of Monsters.

All thirteen issues of Dracula Lives! were collected for an Essential Marvel edition in 2005.

Running concurrently with the longer-running Marvel comic Tomb of Dracula, the continuities of the two titles occasionally overlapped, with story arcs weaving between the two. Most of the time, however, the stories in Dracula Lives! were stand-alone tales by various creative teams. Later issues of Dracula Lives! featured a serialized adaptation of the original Bram Stoker novel, written by Roy Thomas and drawn by Dick Giordano.

The magazine format did not fall under the purview of the Comics Code, allowing the title to feature stronger content — such as moderate profanity, partial nudity, and more graphic violence — than Marvel’s “mainstream” titles. The larger format allowed the interior artists to “stretch out” a bit more. Painted covers of the series were done by artists like Boris Vallejo, Neal Adams, and Luis Dominguez. Dracula Lives!‘ text and photo articles were mostly of the Count’s various film appearances. The title of the magazine’s letter column was “Dracula Reads!”

Wikipedia

‘Pink Plasma’ is a six minute 1975 animated episode of The Pink Panther and Friends directed by Art Leonardi from a story by John W. Dunn. It was produced by Mirisch Films and DePatie-Freleng Enterprises.

Plot teaser:

On vacation in Transylvania, The Pink Panther stops to spend a night at what he believes to be a traveller’s lodge. However, it is in reality a vampire’s spooky castle. He encounters a knife-throwing arm, an invisible monster, a cantankerous spider and ghostly bedsheets. Assuming a coffin to be that of a dead man, the Pink Panther buries it, watched by an audience of bemused rats and a lizard.

Come dusk, amidst ominous rumbling, the enraged vampire (The Little Man) emerges. The Pink Panther utilises bug spray to repel the vampire, who has adopted bat form, and when it splutters out of the castle window, a shark is waiting in the moat (this being 1975 when Jaws fever was at its height).

Buy Pink Panther: The Ultimate Guide from Amazon.co.uk

This occurs a couple of times more before a big chase and sunrise which causes vampire, shark, monster, and the castle to vanish…

Buy The Pink Panther and Friends on DVD from Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk

IMDb

The Misfits are an American punk rock band often recognised as the progenitors of the horror punk sub-genre, blending punk rock and other musical influences with horror film themes and imagery.

Founded in 1977 in Lodi, New Jersey by singer and songwriter Glenn Danzig, the group had a fluctuating lineup during its first six years with Danzig and bassist Jerry Only as the only consistent members – a trend which continues to this day. During this time they released several EPs and singles, and with Only’s brother, Doyle, as guitarist, the albums Walk Among Us (1982) and Earth A.D./Wolfs Blood (1983), both considered touchstones of the early-1980s hardcore punk movement.

Buy Walk Among Us on CD from Amazon.co.uk

Named after the 1961 Marilyn Monroe film, the band stuck to the familiar template of riotous gigs and short, frenetic songs but embellished both themselves and the songs with classic horror imagery.

The revolving door of band members settled somewhat when Danzig was joined by Jerry Caiafa – his name-change was prompted by an early misspelling, to which he responded he should be referred to as “Jerry, only Jerry”. With Danzig on vocals, Only on his recently obtained bass guitar, they also featured Manny Martinez on drums – the lack of a lead guitarist necessitating Danzig to play electric piano to flesh out their sound. Martinez became one of many to occupy the drum stool, friction between new members and Danzig/Only and the rigors of touring forcing a succession of stick holders to flee.

By 1977 the band had recruited Franché Coma (born Frank Licata) on lead guitar, meaning Danzig could concentrate on both singing and developing his looming stage persona, whilst also ensuring the music became noticeably punkier and more aggressive. The position of guitarist also soon became vacant, with Coma replaced by Bobby Steele (later himself to form The Undead) and eventually settling on Only’s 16 year-old brother, Paul, who adopted the pseudonym Doyle.

Whilst their music later influenced many bands, their image had an even broader influence on fashion and style. By 1978, Danzig song-writing was taking many elements from horror movies, in particular many of the classic Universal films and 1950’s B-movies and science fiction. He began to appear onstage with skeleton designs on his clothing, whilst Only began to apply dark make-up and a hairstyle which became known as the Devil Lock, an extreme exaggeration of a widow’s peak – other band members also soon adopted this look.

Their place in rock lore was assured with the release of their single, “Horror Business” in June 1979, the cover of which featured the now almost omnipresent image of The Crimson Ghost, from the 1946 film serial. This simple but distinctive image became their logo and was soon featured on t-shirts, records sleeves, posters and a range of merchandise even Kiss would have been proud of. The skull also became the emblem for their fan club which was known as The Fiend Club.

Early support slots in New York for British punk rock pioneers The Damned promised much but breakthroughs were hampered by travel problems, poor organisation and the band’s habit of getting into fights at the drop of a hat. Early releases appeared on Mercury Records sub-division Blank Records, though the band later released recordings through their own Plan 9 label, named, of course, after the notorious Ed Wood film, Plan 9 from Outer Space. Whilst their first album proper, Static Age would not find a home until 1997 in its unabridged glory, their first full-length release to hit the shelves was Walk Among Us, the 1981 album release on Los Angeles-based Slash Records.

As the band’s image and sound became more widely known, the found themselves elevated to headliners, with bands such as the Necros in support. They continued to bait both audiences and unbelievers, their shows becoming must-see events, the spectacle onstage often spilling out into the hungry throng.

In 1982 they were arrested in New Orleans on charges of grave robbing while attempting to locate the grave of voodoo practitioner Marie Laveau, but bailed themselves out of jail and skipped their court date in order to drive to their next performance. The following year, before the release of their Earth A.D./Wolfs Blood opus, tensions between the band members reached new heights and by the time of their annual Halloween show, the situation became untenable, Danzig announcing to the audience that this would be their last show.

Danzig reappeared with a new project, Samhain, a far more heavy metal vehicle and featuring longer tracks and a more prominent role for the singer, who revelled in the new press adornment of ‘the black Elvis’. He would later release his best-selling work under his own name and regularly re-worked Misfits songs to fit in with his new style.

Buy Misfits “All-Ages” t-shirt from Amazon.co.uk

Meanwhile, Only and Doyle returned to New Jersey, an unlikely finding of faith leading to the formation of the Christian metal band, Kryst the Conqueror. When Metallica covered the Misfits songs “Green Hell” and “Last Caress” the band received more attention than ever, a new audience eager to find out who they were. The compilation, Legacy of Brutality was released, as was the long-lost Static Age, with Danzig re-dubbing much of the original recordings to avoid paying the parade of ex-members.

Only contacted Danzig about receiving a portion of the royalties from these albums’ sales, beginning a legal battle that lasted several years and involved other past members of the band. All of the Misfits material had been credited to Danzig, and though Only later conceded that Danzig had written nearly all of the lyrics and most of the music, he contended that he and Doyle “wrote 25% or maybe 30% of the music” and deserved compensation. Danzig, however, insisted that he had written all of the songs in their entirety and that the other members’ creative input had been minimal. Eventually Only ceased his pursuit of songwriting credits and sought the rights to use the Misfits name and imagery, including the now-famous “Crimson Ghost” skull face logo. In 1995 the parties reached an out-of-court settlement that allowed Only and Doyle to record and perform as the Misfits, sharing merchandising rights with Danzig. Collection II, a third compilation of Misfits songs, was released later that year.

The murk of the proceedings led to Only and Doyle (now Doyle Wolfgang von Frankenstein!) reforming the band – both Danzig and Damned singer Dave Vanian declined to take part, unknown Michael Emanuel (dubbed Michale Graves) stepping into Glenn’s tiny shoes – David Calabrese (“Dr Chud”) handled the drums. This new collective released the album American Psycho in 1997, an album which firmly divided audiences, many original Misfits fans declaring it all but heresy. Regardless, 1999 saw the release of Famous Monsters, perhaps their most accessible work (or at least their most mainstream). Of note, is the track, “Scream!”, which was accompanied by a promo video directed by George A. Romero.

Further incarnations and releases appeared, up to the present day, band members as luminary as Dez Cadena of Black Flag and Marky Ramone appearing. On May 6th, 2014, it was announced that Glenn Danzig had filed a lawsuit against Jerry Only claiming Only registered trademarks for everything Misfits-related in 2000 behind Danzig’s back, misappropriating exclusive ownership over the trademarks for himself, including the band’s iconic “Crimson Ghost” logo. Danzig claimed that this violated a 1994 contract the two had. Danzig says that after registering the trademarks, Only secretly entered into deals with various merchandisers and cut him out of any potential profits in the process. He said that Only has purposefully led, and continues to lead, merchandisers, including Hot Topic, to believe that they are legally bound not to accept licenses to exploit the Marks from Danzig or his designees. He said that through this, Only has caused merchandisers not to do business with him and has deceived consumers as to the source of the merchandise which bore the trademarks. Danzig said a vast majority of Misfits fans associate the band’s trademarks with the “classic” Misfits era of 1977–1983 and not with Only’s more recent incarnation of the band. Danzig feels that through these misrepresentations to merchandisers and consumers, he has been caused to suffer damages in excess of $75,000. The case was ultimately dismissed, with Central District of California Judge Gary Klausner ruling that Danzig failed to allege which terms of the 1994 agreement Only actually breached.

Despite this, Only remains hopeful that Danzig will eventually return to the band. Their influence can been seen and heard in all subsequent horror-punk bands, horror-core outfits and many psychobilly acts. Their Crimson Ghost logo appears in many high street retailers and, as with the Ramones logo, are often worn by people who have little idea of the band themselves.

Buy Misfits skull t-shirt from Amazon.co.uk

Current members

• Jerry Only (Gerald Caiafa) – bass guitar (1977–1983, 1995–present), backing vocals (1977–1983, 1995–2000), lead vocals (2001–present)
• Dez Cadena – guitar, backing vocals (2001–present)
• Eric “Chupacabra” Arce – drums (2010–present)
• Jerry Caiafa II – guitar, backing vocals (2014–present)

Former members

• Glenn Danzig (Glenn Anzalone) – vocals, electric piano (1977–1983)
• Manny Martínez – drums (1977)
• Franché Coma (Frank Licata) – guitar (1977–1978)
• Mr. Jim (Jim Catania) – drums (1978)
• Bobby Steele – guitar (1978–1980)
• Joey Image (Joey Poole) – drums (1978–1979)
• Arthur Googy (Joseph McGuckin) – drums (1980–1982)
• Doyle Wolfgang von Frankenstein (Paul Caiafa) – guitar (1980–1983, 1995–2001)
• Robo (Roberto Valverde) – drums (1982–1983, 2005–2010)
• Brian Damage (Brian Keats) – drums (1983) (died in 2010)
• Dr. Chud (David Calabrese) – drums (1995–2000)
• Michale Graves (Michael Emanuel) – lead vocals (1995–2000)
• Myke Hideous – Vocals (1998)
• Zoltán Téglás – Vocals (2000)
• Marky Ramone (Marc Bell) – drums (2001–2005)

Discography

Studio albums:

• 12 Hits From Hell (1980)
• Walk Among Us (1982)
• Earth A.D./Wolfs Blood (1983)
• Static Age (1996)
• American Psycho (1997)
• Famous Monsters (1999)
• Project 1950 (2003)
• The Devil’s Rain (2011)

Daz Lawrence, Horrorpedia

‘Where there’s sex… there’s horror!’

Group 1 was a US film distribution company that specialised in sex and horror movies, many of which were European (mainly Italian) imports, throughout the 1970s. In 1977, they also acted as production company for an action/horror movie of their own, the Charles Band produced and directed Crash! 

The company – which also used the name BLC Services – was known for their lurid ad campaigns and they weren’t shy when it came to ballyhoo (for example, their releases were often advertised as being in “blazing color” rather than merely color), plus blatantly misleading moviegoers with re-titlings, such as when they issued 1979 Australian psycho thriller Snapshot as The Day After Halloween – suggesting that it was a sequel to John Carpenter’s seminal slasher movie – and also as One More Minute.

And if the IMDb is correct, cheekily – or perhaps lazily – Group 1 re-used their promo artwork for Italian giallo Alla ricerca del piacere (1972), which they had issued as Amuck! for a later 1978 re-release of La mansión de la niebla (also made in 1972) as Massacre Mansion. Confusingly, Massacre Mansion has also been cited as an alternate release title for Alla ricerca del piacere. Please comment below if you can shed any light on the actual use of the Massacre Mansion title…

The company also distributed Mario Caiano’s sleazy Italian women-in-prison movie La svastica nel ventre (“The Swastika in the Womb”, 1976) under three different titles: Nazi Love Camp 27; Love Camp #27 and, with all mention of the Third Reich removed, the less offensive Living Nightmare. Group 1’s dual campaign for this Nazisploitation pic is discussed in Ric Meyer’s book For One Week Only.

Buy For One Week Only from Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com

Meanwhile, Meat Cleaver Massacre, which features a tacked-on introduction by Christopher Lee, also became Hollywood Meat Cleaver Massacre ensuring maximum exploitation potential for Group 1 International Distribution Organization, Ltd (to use their full name).

Adrian J Smith, Horrorpedia

Related: Hallmark Releasing Corp. | Joseph Brenner Associates

IMDb

Dracula Sucks, also released as Lust at First Bite, is a 1978 adult horror movie directed by Phillip Marshak from a screenplay by Daryl Marshak (Cataclysm) and David Kern, very loosely based on Bram Stoker‘s Dracula.

The film stars Jamie Gillis (Dracula Exotica), Reggie Nalder, Annette Haven, Seka, Serena, Kay Parker, John Leslie, Paul Thomas, Mike Ranger and John Holmes. Associate producer and editor Nettie Peña directed Home Sweet Home (1980). Second unit director Norman Thaddeus Vane later helmed Frightmare and The Black Room (both 1983).

Plot teaser:

At an exclusive sanitarium, strange things are happening: patients are acting differently and are being found with mysterious bite marks in their necks. Visiting professor, Van Helsing (Reggie Nalder) believes it to be the work of vampires. With the arrival of Count Dracula (Jamie Gillis), things get even stranger and more violent, as the diabolical count sets his sights on the beautiful Mina (Annette Haven)…

Reviews:

“There’s a strain of goony humor that is undercut by a genuinely eerie ambiance. It is an unwell universe where the dysfunctional out-rules the healthy and that includes a large part of the medical staff.  From the incest between the Sewards, the character of Henry (Margold) who, when not assisting the doctors, has a fixation on apples and ends up raping Irene and the fact that Van Helsing (played by character actor heavy Reggie Nalder) manages to out-creep Dracula, there are no real character safety zones here.

On top of that, there is the striking image of the Count’s handmaidens, who look like glamorous ghouls who just escaped Hell’s war zone, creeping across the asylum grounds at night.” Dangerous Minds

“Common sense takes a backseat to cocaine-fuelled nonsense and the audience is expected to make sense of it all. But we can’t. Because it’s annoying. Eventually, the effort to pay attention makes us ambivalent.

Sex is piled on — there’s incest, necrophilia, blow jobs in every imaginable combination, and a shot of a female vampire biting John Holmes’ giant dick. Likewise with the comedy. Racism, comedic sound effects, and loudspeaker announcements about enemas are supposed to be funny, but they’re not. As the plot is forgotten, the film unravels into random, vignette-styled chaos.” Joseph A. Ziemba, Bleeding Skull!

” …uneven in tone but impresses on a number of levels. In terms of style and production value, the film is on par with some of the more ambitious low budget horror films from the period thanks hugely to the time-consuming camera set-ups by cinematographer Hanania Baer (Elvira: Mistress of the Dark), the Castle Hill location, reasonably convincing if not always consistent period costumes and props, and decent to good performances (Haven even resembles Kate Nelligan from some angles).” Eric Cotenas, DVD Drive-In

The film has been released on DVD by Vinegar Syndrome. It includes the following features:

2-disc DVD Set | Region Free | 16:9 Anamorphic
Director’s cut of Dracula Sucks
Alternate Lust at First Bite edit (40+ minutes of alternate footage!)
Commentary w/ Actor and Co-Writer Bill Margold
Return to Castle Hill featurette w/ Producer Darryl Marshak & Bill Margold
Original theatrical trailer
German Art Gallery

Buy Dracula Sucks on DVD from Amazon.com

IMDb | Related: Bloodlust | Dracula Exotica | Sexcula

Monster Munch is a British baked corn snack although there have been variants with the same name in Ireland and France.

Monster Munch was launched in 1977 by Smiths (who also produced Horror Bags snacks). Originally called “The Prime Monster”, the decision was taken to rename the snack “Monster Munch” in 1978. Advertised as “The Biggest Snack Pennies Can Buy” – in reference to the large size of the crisps – each pack featured a different monster on the front of the packet.

The snack was supported by a “Monster Munch Club”, whose members received a “Monster Munch Munchers” membership pack which included a membership card, pen, several story books, and a story tape which included six “tall stories” and accompanying songs.

By the late ’80s there were four main monsters featured on the packaging, although originally a total of six featured in the advertising:

Monster Munch was available in a variety of flavours over the years including Roast Beef, Pickled Onion, Saucy Tomato, Bacon, Cheese & Onion, King Prawn and Salt & Vinegar. Pickled Onion has remained in the selection throughout the years, with Roast Beef appearing in almost every combination. By the 1990s the four main flavours available were Pickled Onion, Roast Beef, Smokey Bacon and Saucy.

The original Monster Munch used two different snack shapes, related to two of the Monsters. The shape known as a “monster paw” that is still used today has long been the subject of dispute over whether it represents a paw or, instead, the eye and lashes of a monster. The other represented the gangly, long-tongued pink monster: circular with two bumps on the top for eyes, protrusions on either side and a tongue dangling down. For a limited time in the early 1990s, there were also spider-shaped Monster Munch with a smokey bacon flavour.

A short-lived range of Monster Munch themed drinks – Monster Fizz – was available in the 1980s.

In 1995, the Monster Munch brand was taken over by Walkers who relaunched them with a range of four flavours and smaller crisps. The monster characters were also redesigned.

Since then, the range of flavours has changed several times, such as Cheesy replacing Spaghetti Sauce (and the Blue Monster being recoloured yellow). A wide range of Tazos, featuring images of the monsters, was produced, with one Tazo included in each bag.

In September 2008, Walkers re-launched Monster Munch, based on the original Monster Munch from the Smiths days. The crisps returned to their original larger size (now referred to as “Mega”), and the packs include retro designs based on the original packs, featuring three of the original four monsters.

Throughout the years there have been several limited edition flavours available. A Baked Bean flavour was made available in 2003 for Comic Relief. A Vanilla Ice Cream flavour was released in 2004, and was received with mostly negative reaction. There were also variants that could turn the consumer’s tongue a different colour. This usually meant the tongue was turned blue, though a variant that could turn the tongue either blue or green was available for a time.

A Product Called “Mega Monster Munch Webs” was sold for halloween 2013 and came in a bacon flavour.

Wikipedia | Image thanks: The Cobwebbed Room

Hallucinations of a Deranged Mind (Portuguese: Delírios de um Anormal) is a 1978 Brazilian horror film directed by José Mojica Marins. Marins is also known by his alter ego Zé do Caixão (in English, Coffin Joe). The film features Coffin Joe as the central character, although it is not part of the “Coffin Joe trilogy”.

The story is built around a montage of scenes that were omitted or censored from four of Marins’ earlier films: Awakening of the Beast, This Night I’ll Possess Your Corpse, The Bloody Exorcism of Coffin Joe and The Strange World of Coffin Joe. Marins filmed approximately 35 minutes of new scenes, also adding the characters to the plot. In the film, he portrays himself as well as the fictional character of Coffin Joe.

Plot teaser:

Dr. Hamílton is a psychiatrist terrorised by nightmares in which Coffin Joe tries to steal his wife. His colleagues decide to seek medical help with the assistance of filmmaker Jose Mojica Marins (appearing as himself), who tries to reassure Dr. Hamílton that Coffin Joe is merely a creation of his mind…

Reviews:

“Things open the usually bizarre way with a man screaming, a hunchback playing a bongo drum while walking circles around a bikini-clad woman, female body parts appearing from out of frame, hand-crafted credits with blood-dripping lettering on yellow paper, distorted, slowed-down chanting and a nightmare sequence of Coffin Joe admiring an obedient, subservient “superior woman” while simultaneously chastising his competition (“… anguish and pain is the perpetual punishment for the weak and inferior ones!”) Bloody Pit of Horror

Buy the Coffin Joe Collection on DVD from Amazon.co.uk

” …it does collect the strongest, funniest, most gruesome and most imaginative imagery of all the Coffin Joe pictures. This does not make the film an ideal starting point for fans of the genre that really want to get to enjoy Marins’ work. Ripped from their original plot the scenes lose most of their value reducing the director and his creation to a caricature.” Razor Reel

” … an excuse to show a seemingly endless barrage of crazy imagery consisting of scenes that were omitted or censored from four of Marins’ earlier films. One of these four films is Awakening of the Beast, which is a much better example of the director’s attempt at meta-horror.” Letterboxd

Cast:

• José Mojica Marins as Himself/Coffin Joe
• Jorge Peres as Dr. Hamilton
• Magna Miller as Tânia, wife of Dr. Hamilton
• Jayme Cortez
• Lírio Bertelli
• Anadir Goi
• João da Cruz
• Alexa Brandwira
• Walter Setembro
• Natalina Barbosa

Wikipedia | IMDb

Murder Collection is a 2015 limited edition (just 499) picture disc vinyl collection of Claudio Simonetti’s reworking of Italian prog rock band Goblin’s recordings for Profondo Rosso (Deep Red), Suspiria, Tenebrae, Dawn of the Dead, Roller and Phenomena. A Rustblade press release describes the recording as “slightly sweeter”. Listen for yourself via the link below:

You can buy Murder Collection via Rustblade.

Frankenstein is a song by American rock band the New York Dolls, released on July 27, 1973, by Mercury Records as part of their major label album that tanked (much like The Velvet Underground and The Stooges, although these bands’ influence was long felt afterwards).

The band formed in 1971 and developed a cult following while playing regularly in lower Manhattan. However, they were unappealing to most record companies because of their onstage cross-dressing and gloriously trashy attitude.

The original New York Dolls eventually imploded amidst legendary drug binges and panic management by Malcolm McLaren. The Sex Pistols (“New York”) and Lords of the New Church (“Lil Boys Play with Dolls”) subsequently referenced the New York Dolls in negative and positive ways…

Lyrics:

Something must have happened over Manhattan
Who can expound all the children this time
Could they ever, could they ever
Expect such a Frankenstein, Frankenstein
I remember when you were jammin’
You worked at ‘em and any of them
There was never nothing you would ever understand
But you know who was there to be your master
Making his demands and plans
As though he’s making his friends
And when those plans they don’t mix your style
You get a feeling of your own ordeal
That’s when he starts calling you, wow
Bud, you just don’t know what to do
So now you come around here

The Premonition is a 1975 American horror film produced and directed by Robert Allen Schnitzer from a screenplay co-written with Anthony Mahon. Noted American composer Henry Mollicone provided the distinctive score. The film was released in New York in May 1976.

It stars Sharon Farrell (The Eyes of Charles Sand; It’s Alive; The Fifth Floor), Richard Lynch (Good Against Evil; Alligator II: The Mutation; Scanner Cop), Jeff Corey (Something Evil; Curse of the Black Widow; Jennifer), Edward Bell, Chitra Neogy, Ellen Barber, Danielle Brisebois, Rosemary McNamara (Dark Shadows).

Plot teaser:

Andrea (Sharon Farrell), a demented young mother kidnaps Janie, her six-year-old daughter, from the middle-class couple that adopted her. She also begins insinuating herself into the mind of Sherry, the adoptive mother…

Buy The Premonition on DVD from Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com

Reviews:

“Strange, complex and haunting, in the Val Lewton tradition, the film draws its effect largely from suggestion as opposed to blatant horror. Eerie and atmospheric, The Premonition is also graced with excellent performances…” Phil Hardy (editor), The Aurum Film Encyclopedia: Horror

“Everything is explained repeatedly to us, every significant moment in the film telegraphed and exaggerated. While this blatant approach keeps the film from getting boring, it also keeps it from making the intellectual and emotional impact that it clearly desires. Schnitzer simply doesn’t trust the audience.” David Elroy Goldweber, Claws & Saucers

A great cast, offbeat direction, and good camerawork just can’t help the obvious and pretentious script. I will give The Premonition a little credit for its eccentricity and quirkiness but I barely got through this one.” Cinema Somnambulist

“I saw The Premonition when it first arrived in theaters in 1976. It frightened the bejesus out of me then, with it’s nightmarish segments in particular Jude’s (Richard Lynch) and Andrea’s (Ellen Barber) uncontrollable fits of rage. Their joint psychosis was a very powerful elixir as part of the carnival set piece. Their relationship alone could have made for an interesting story of madness, obsession and self-destruction.” The Last Drive In

Buy Regional Horror Films, 1958 – 1990 from Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk

Choice dialogue:

Landlady: “I would recognise him, even if I was blindfolded.”

Dr. Jeena Kingsly: “Unless we turn it into love, anger never dies.”

Filming locations:

Mississippi

Wikipedia | IMDb | Screen grabs courtesy of The Last Drive In (visit site for many more images)

In the wake of the phenomenal box office success of Jaws and Jaws 2 a worldwide fascination with sharks developed rapidly. Whilst Universal Pictures lawyers’ made sure that many cinematic Jaws pretenders – such as Italian copy Great White – were soon legally dead in the water, they couldn’t prevent a plethora of media interest in sharks in general via newspaper articles, books, and magazines.

Lurid and grisly accounts of attacks by the “blood-thirsty demons” (yes, sharks), plus masses of “explicit pictures of murderous sharks” were the mainstay of many of the publications that infested magazine racks. The following are just some of the many sharksploitation mags that proliferated in the late 70s and early 80s:

Shark films on Horrorpedia

We are indebted to Spoiler II for inspiring this post via the Horror Films Books and & Magazines forum,

‘The screams you hear may be your own!’

The Demon – also known as Midnight Caller - is a 1979 South African slasher film co-produced, written and directed by Percival Rubens (Survival Zone; Sweet Murder). It stars Cameron Mitchell, Jennifer Holmes (Raw Force), Craig Gardner and Zoli Marki.

The Demon was released direct to video in the USA on March 1st 1981 by Thorn EMI. On April 28, 1983, the film made its US television debut through Gold Key Entertainment. It was released in the USA by S.J. Interntational Pictures in 1985 under the title Midnight Caller. The film has since become public domain, and has been released on DVD several times.

Plot teaser:

Fourteen year-old Emily Parker (Ashleigh Sendin) is kidnapped from her rural home and murdered by a faceless, heavy-breathing maniac. Later, the maniac hitchhikes to the city with a gregarious truck driver (John Parsonson). The maniac kills the truck driver, steals his cash, and takes up residence at a hotel in Johannesburg’s Doornfontein neighborhood.

Two months later, Emily’s parents — frustrated by the failure of law enforcement officials to either locate Emily — enlist in the help of Bill Carson (Cameron Mitchell), a retired Colonel in the U.S. Marines who now works as a freelance psychic detective. Joan Parker (Moira Winslow), the distraught mother, needs to know whether Emily is alive or dead — but the angry Mr. Parker (Peter J. Elliot) is preoccupied with bloody revenge, and aggressively implores Col. Carson to find the man responsible. Carson gravely intones that the entity they seek is “an aberration of the species. Something hallucinating evil” — and warns the Parkers that it would be best if they didn’t find him!

Meanwhile — for reasons left unclear — the maniac decides to fixate on a young, American pre-school teacher named Mary Jones (Jennifer Holmes), who shares a bungalow in Johannesburg’s Saxonwold neighborhood with her 18 year-old cousin, Jo (Zoli Marki). Mary first sees the elusive maniac lurking outside her classroom — disappearing and re-appearing in the fog — and later, spying on her at the mall.

When not stalking Mary, the maniac holes up in his hotel room — doing push-ups, growling, and tearing up girly magazines. He also prowls Johannesburg’s Hillbrow district at night, attacking various women…

Buy The Demon on DVD from Amazon.com

Reviews:

‘There’s minimal gore due the fact that the nutjob’s method of murder is to put a bag over the head of each victim and asphyxiate them. We can’t escape the scriptwriting shipwreck of the character development parts, which are snooze-inducing, and they seem to have let Cameron Mitchell loose on the quaaludes before he turned up on set. Does this make The Demon a total waste of space? Well funnily enough, no. We may be somewhere off Halloween with what we have here, but there’s enough in the extremely cute actress, remorseless assailant and idea that a place in the world exists called Boobs Disco to have kept me engaged.’ Luisito Joaquín González, A Slash Above…

‘ …The Demon seems like two movies with different plot lines spliced together. In any case, the film was clearly influenced by Halloween with its ambiguous killer whose face is hidden and who wears a brown leather jacket and gloves with razors on them. There’s at least one unexpected development in the movie, but most of it is over-familiar. That’s too bad, because The Demon isn’t badly directed and has some good scenes, although the ending is a mite dragged out.’ Great Old Movies

‘There is absolutely no plot structure in this film. There is no explanation about the demon, who he is, what he does, and why he does it. He just terrorizes a town and kills people that cross his path. The Parkers are a poorly structured family and things are just cut off to the point that there is no explanation whatsoever, especially the way it ends.’ Caponomics

Cast:

• Cameron Mitchell as Col. Bill Carson
• Jennifer Holmes as Mary Jones
• Craig Gardner as Dean Turner
• Zoli Marki as Jo
• Peter J. Elliot as Mr. Parker
• Moira Winsow as Joan Parker
• Mark Tanous as Bobby
• George Korelin as Dr. Stuart
• Vera Blacker as Mrs. Stuart
• John Parsonson as The Truck Driver

Wikipedia | IMDb

‘Fear for her.’

Demon Seed – also known as Generation Proteus – is a 1977 American science fiction horror film directed by Donald Cammell (Performance; White of the Eye) from a screenplay by Roger Hirson and producer Robert Jaffe (Motel Hell; Scarab; Nightflyers). The film was based on the novel of the same name by Dean Koontz (Watchers; Phantoms; Odd Thomas).

The film stars Julie Christie (Don’t Look Now), Fritz Weaver (Nightkill; Jaws of Satan; Creepshow), Gerrit Graham (Phantom of the Paradise; TerrorVision; Child’s Play 2), Berry Kroeger (Nightmare in Wax; The Mephisto Waltz; The Incredible 2-Headed Transplant), Lisa Lu (Terror in the Wax Museum), John O’Leary (The Island). Robert Vaughn was the uncredited voice of the malevolent artificial intelligence.

Plot teaser:

Dr. Alex Harris (Fritz Weaver) is the developer of Proteus IV, an artificial intelligence program incorporating an organic “quasi-neural matrix” and displaying the power of thought. Harris explains how Proteus, after only a few days of theoretical study, has managed to develop a protein-based antigen with the potential to treat leukemia.

After returning to his voice-activated, computer-controlled home, Harris argues with his estranged wife, Susan (Julie Christie), over his decision to move out; Susan accuses Alex of becoming distanced and dehumanised by his obsession with the Proteus project. After Susan leaves, Alex phones his colleague, Walter Gabler (Gerrit Graham), and asks him to shut down Proteus’ access terminal in his home laboratory.

The following day, Proteus asks to speak with Alex, requesting a new terminal, saying that he wants to study man—”his isometric body and his glass-jaw mind.” When Alex refuses, Proteus demands to know when it will be let “out of this box.” Alex then switches off the communications link. After he leaves, Proteus restarts itself…

Buy Demon Seed on DVD from Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk

Reviews:

‘How did Cammell convince a studio to back a movie in which Julie Christie is violated by what looks like a copper Rubik’s snake? Better not to ask, or to dwell on the film’s less savory aspects, and soak in its moments of visionary hysteria, including the pulsating geometry of images borrowed from experimental filmmaker Jordan Belson.’ Rolling Stone

‘To carry off its distasteful subject matter, Demon Seed needed strong, well-written characters and a thoughtful storyline. Instead, it gives us a set of cardboard cut-outs surrounded by a plot so relentlessly heavy-handed and didactic that it fails both as credible science fiction and as simple storytelling.’ And You Call Yourself a Scientist!

‘ …the film’s most successful achievement in science fiction terms is to suggest something of how a sentient computer would perceive the universe. In one impressive sequence Proteus attempts to communicate to Susan just what ‘seeing’ is like when your ‘eyes’ – radar scanners, radio telescopes, etc – are sensitive to the whole range of the electromagnetic spectrum, and you are being bombarded by an awesome sensory input.’ Nigel Honeybone, HorrorNews.net

Buy novel by Dean R. Koontz from Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk

Wikipedia | IMDb

Pyasa Shaitan – which translates as “Thirsty Devil” is a 1984 Indian Hindi horror film directed by actor Joginder Shelly (Son of Dracula) who also stars. It also features Kamal Haasan (as the vampire), Madhu Malhotra, Shobha Lata and Beena Banerjee.

The film is apparently a re-edited version of the 1978 Tamil film Vayanadhan Thamban with added scenes of Joginder Shelly as The Devil and a rape scene featuring Beena Banerjee.

Plot teaser:

Shaitaan (Joginder) needs to sacrifice seven young women so that he can attain immortality.

He stumbles upon a man (Kamal Hassan), who had been worshipping Satan himself for many-many years. The man has grown old and also wishes to stay young forever. Shaitan signs a deal with him, granting temporary youth at first, that will become eternal after the sacrifice of the 7th and last young woman…

Reviews:

‘There is such a steady assault of disconnected strange shit in this movie that it flirts with becoming a surrealist masterpiece. Even when they’re having a lovey dovey musical number, they’ll splice in second-long shots of the hairy demon waggling his head and tongue and dancing around with galaxies spinning behind him and red and green lights flashing everywhere. And then they’ll show you a picture of a marmoset, and there will be some lightning, and that demon will wiggle his fingers and yell at you for a few minutes. The entire thing is pretty mind-blowingly awesome.’ Teleport City

Wikipedia | IMDb | We are grateful to khayaal_e_yaar for some plot details.

‘A boy went to war… something UNSPEAKABLE came back!’

Deathdream is a 1972 Canadian horror film produced and directed by Bob Clark (Black Christmas; Murder By Decree) from a screenplay by Alan Ormsby. The plot was inspired by the W.W. Jacobs short story The Monkey’s Paw. It stars Richard Backus, John Marley and Lynn Carlin. A young Tom Savini handled the special effects makeup, apparently aided by Ormsby.

The film was shot as The Night Walker and initially released in Tampa, Florida, as Dead of Night (its British title) on August 30, 1974. It has also been released as The Night Andy Came Home.

Blue Underground DVD released a special edition of Deathdream in 2004. Special features include an audio commentary by Bob Clark, an audio commentary by Alan Ormsby, the featurette Tom Savini: The Early Years, the featurette Deathdreaming: Interview with star Richard Backus, alternate opening titles, extended ending sequence, trailers, and a poster & still gallery.

Plot teaser:

In Vietnam, US soldier Andy Brooks is shot by a sniper. As he begins to die, he hears his mother’s voice calling out, “Andy, you’ll come back, you’ve got to, you promised.” Sometime later, his family receives notice of his death in combat.

Back home, Andy’s father, Charles, and sister, Cathy, begin to grieve, but his mother, Christine, becomes irate and refuses to believe that Andy has died. Hours later, in the middle of the night, Andy arrives at the front door in full uniform and apparently unharmed; the family accepts the notice of his death as a clerical error and welcomes him back with joy.

Over the next few days, Andy displays strange and erratic behaviour, dressing in an unusually concealing matter and spending his days sitting around the house listless and anemic. Meanwhile, local police investigate the murder of a local trucker, who was found with his throat slashed and his body drained of blood after telling diner patrons that he’d picked up a hitchhiking soldier…

Buy Deathdream on DVD from Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com

Reviews:

‘A Monkey’s Paw for the Nixon era, this haunting horror movie from Canadian director Bob Clark (yes, the same man who gave us Porky’s) makes the most of its topical premise and rage over a generation being used as cannon fodder.’ Rolling Stone

‘The reason Deathdream works is its superior dramatic staging. The actors are excellent, especially John Marley and Lynn Carlin, both honored for their roles in John Cassavetes’ Faces. Clark stages the domestic scenes with a fine simplicity and what we remember the most is the looks of bewilderment on nicely-framed faces.’ Glenn Erickson, DVD Talk

‘A modern spin on the classic “be careful what you wish for” theme, Ormsby’s screenplay balances a pointed Vietnam War allegory with pulpier aspects—a “shock” ending, distinct moments of morbid comic relief and beyond-the-grave retribution ripped from the pages of a 1950s horror comic.’ Paul Corupe, DVD Verdict

‘ …what a gem this little film is. It is highly imaginative and original, and once you’ve seen it you will never forget it. It has a strong cast of gifted actors and an even stronger array of highly believable characters, but not just the central characters – the peripheral characters are not simply written blandly as plot fodder.’ Zomblee, Eat My Brains

Buy Children Shouldn’t Play with Dead Things + Dead of Night from Amazon.co.uk

‘ …an unusual and wonderfully skin crawling horror experience punctuated by thought provoking social commentary akin to the best of George Romero.’ Cool Ass Cinema

‘Though not very lively and ultimately anti-climactic, the movie sustains a calculated mood of off-centered awkwardness from to finish, and is buttressed by strong acting and plausible dialogue.’ Peter Dendle, The Zombie Movie Encyclopedia

Buy Zombie Movie Encyclopedia from Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk

Buy Bob Clark: I’m Gonna Kill You from Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk

Cast:

• Richard Backus as Andy Brooks
• John Marley as Charles Brooks
• Lynn Carlin as Christine Brooks
• Anya Ormsby as Cathy Brooks
• Jane Daly as Joanne
• Mal Jones as Sheriff
• Henderson Forsythe as Dr. Philip Allman
• Norman William Beauchamp as Cop

Wikipedia

‘The most bizarre murder weapon ever used!’

Duel is a 1971 television thriller film directed by Steven Spielberg (Jaws; producer of Poltergeist) from a screenplay by Richard Matheson, based on his short story, originally published in Playboy magazine.

The film stars Dennis Weaver (What’s the Matter with Helen?; Don’t Go to Sleep) as a terrified motorist stalked on a remote and lonely road by the mostly unseen driver of a mysterious tanker truck.

Following Duel ’​s successful TV airing, Universal released the film overseas in 1972. Since the TV movie was not long enough for theatrical release, Spielberg spent two days filming several new scenes, turning Duel into a 90-minute film. The new scenes were set at the railroad crossing, school bus, and the telephone booth. A longer opening sequence was added with the car backing out of a garage and driving through the city. Expletives were also added, to make the film sound less like a television production.

Plot teaser:

David Mann (Dennis Weaver) is a middle-aged Los Angeles electronics salesman driving his red 1971 Plymouth Valiant sedan on a business trip. On a two-lane highway in the California desert, he encounters a grimy and rusty 1955 Peterbilt 281 tanker truck, traveling slower than the speed limit and expelling thick plumes of sooty diesel exhaust [ironically actor Weaver was a noted environmentalist in real life].

Mann passes the unsightly truck, which promptly roars past him and then slows down again. Mann is unmoved, passing the truck a second time, and is startled when it suddenly issues a long air horn blast…

Reviews:

‘Much like Carpenter’s brilliant Halloween (1978), the pure simplicity of Duel’s structure and presentation permits the engaged viewer to layer on additional meanings and connections; to see more lurking beneath the hood, as it were, than the elegant screenplay literally expresses on the surface.  In this manner, Duel goes from being a basic tale of inexplicable road rage and survival to something infinitely more symbolic; a meditation on fate, and on Evil itself.’ John Kenneth Muir, Reflections on Cult Movies and Classic TV

‘While the movie isn’t perfect (the head-smackingly obvious thought voiceover in the diner, for instance), it’s consistently engaging. Matheson’s script provides a sturdy framework of steadily increasing stakes with deft exposition and remarkably little padding, and provides just enough detail about the protagonist that we understand who he is and relate to his struggle. David Mann (Dennis Weaver) is written in broad, archetypal strokes, but he still seems recognizably human; and there’s slyness in the way Duel tackles its themes of male aggression and identity.’ Jordan Krause, CHUD.com

‘The sure eye of Spielberg is evident from the first as he captures some of the best car-chase footage ever staged. He also keeps the story gripping throughout its entire 90 minutes, despite the slender theme. He may have gone on to make Hollywood blockbusters but the modest Duel remains one of Stephen Spielberg’s most accomplished and memorable films.’ David Tappenden, Fright Films

Buy Fright Films from Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk

‘The allegory in Duel is something Spielberg leaves for us to decide. By not revealing much about the characters or their conflict, he paradoxically breathes life into them because they represent primal tensions between city and country residents and white- and blue-collar workers. Two other conflicts emerge as well: business vs. industry and man vs. machine. However, determining their messages is confusing. These tensions collide into an allegorical Armageddon that literally ends on the side of a road.’ Chris Justice, Classic-Horror.com

Cast:

• Dennis Weaver as David Mann
• Jacqueline Scott as Mrs. Mann
• Carey Loftin as The Truck Driver
• Eddie Firestone as Café owner
• Lou Frizzell as Bus Driver
• Eugene Dynarski as Man in café
• Lucille Benson as Lady at Snakerama
• Tim Herbert as Gas station attendant
• Charles Seel as Old man
• Shirley O’Hara as Waitress
• Alexander Lockwood as Jim, Old man in car
• Amy Douglass as Old woman in car
• Sweet Dick Whittington as Radio interviewer
• Dale Van Sickel as Car Driver
• Shawn Steinman as Girl on School Bus (uncredited)

The surviving truck, a 1960 281 at a 2010 truck show, displayed with a Plymouth Valiant.

Wikipedia | IMDb | Related: Killdozer | The Car

Requiem for a Vampire - original title: Requiem pour un Vampire – is a 1971 French erotic horror film written and directed by Jean Rollin.

It was apparently the favourite of all of the director’s own films because he came up with the scenario from his subconscious, and because it was rushed into its written form so quickly (Rollin claimed that he wrote the entire script in only two days), he felt it was his purest work. For its US release, Harry Novak’s Boxoffice International retitled it Caged Virgins.

Plot teaser:

Two women dressed as clowns and a male driver are being chased through the countryside, for unknown reasons. As the man drives, the women shoot at their pursuers. When the man is shot, the women are forced to burn the car with his body inside and once they remove their costumes, they run through a forest, and later a cemetery, in which one of the women, Michelle, is almost buried alive. Walking through a field, they come to the outside of a gothic castle. There they are bitten by vampire bats, which lead them to go into the castle, where they make love.

They tour the castle and discover a few skeletons along with a woman playing an organ.

She begins to follow them, so they shoot at her, but she doesn’t die. They run away and are caught by some men who force themselves on them. A vampire woman stops the men, and the vampire woman who chased them almost bites them until they break away. They soon come across a male vampire, the last of his kind. He has plans for the women. They are bitten in order to continue his bloodline, but they must stay virgins…

Reviews:

‘ …an easily watchable surreal exercise in foreign filmmaking, crammed with bizarre comic art imagery strung together with various incidents of fetishistic kinkiness and sadism. With the usual low budget Rollin was allotted, he makes excellent use of some authentic gothic locations, and the picturesque, massive chateau makes for a better vampires’ liar than any studio could possibly provide. The use of oddball props, including rotted corpses affixed with squirming worms, severed arms protruding from stone walls, a line of hooded standing skeletons and assorted bats real and phony, add to the film’s unique appearance, and the clever use of colored lighting in some of the outdoor nighttime scenes is also noteworthy.’ George R. Reis, DVD Drive-In

‘Requiem for a Vampire is not a movie I would recommend to people with a distaste for explicit, rather creepy sexual content, but it is worth watching and discussing from an historic and filmic standpoint. You can tell that Rollin was trying to stretch his filmmaking and storytelling muscles, but was tamped down under the weight of having to make another vampire titty flick.’ Kyle Anderson, Nerdist

‘Apparently Rollin’s always had an eye for beauty in nature and architecture because once again his cinematic eye focuses on beautiful vistas, trees, mountains, night skies, he often times focuses on breathtaking  sunsets and cloud formations. He also shot the film inside this ancient castle, it just looks haunting. The visual compositions that Rollin comes up with is the element of his films I love the most and on Requiem for a Vampire he demonstrates that he’s always had that eye for beauty.’ The Film Connoisseur

Cast:

• Marie-Pierre Castel as Marie
• Mireille Dargent as Michelle
• Philippe Gasté as Frédéric
• Dominique as Erica
• Louise Dhour as Louise
• Michel Dalesalle
• Antoine Mosin
• Agnès Petit
• Olivier François
• Dominique Toussaint
• Agnes Jacquet
• Anne-Rose Kurra
• Paul Bisciglia as L’homme au Vélo

Filming locations:

The movie was filmed in the small village of Crêvecoeur. The graveyard was located outside the village on a knoll. The castle, a historical place entirely furnished with genuine antiques, all of which were worth a fortune, had been rented from the duchess of Roche-Guyon. It wasn’t her castle that Rollin and the crew were interested in, but the ruins of the dungeon above, that overlooked the entire area.

Wikipedia | IMDb

‘Where black magic explodes into murder!’

Craze – also known as The Infernal Idol and Demon Master – is a 1974 British horror film directed by Freddie Francis (The Skull; The Vampire Happening; The Ghoul) from a screenplay co-written by producer Herman Cohen (Berserk; Trog) and Aben Kandel based on a 1967 novel by Henry Seymour.

The film stars Jack Palance (Torture Garden), Diana Dors (Nothing But the Night; Theatre of Blood; From Beyond the Grave), Julie Ege (Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires; The Mutations), Hugh Griffith (Dr. Phibes Rises Again; Legend of the Werewolf), Trevor Howard (Persecution; The Unholy), Suzy Kendall (Torso), Michael Jayston (Dominique), Martin Potter (Satan’s Slave), David Warbeck (The Beyond).

Plot teaser:

Psychotic London-based antique dealer Neal Mottram (Palance) sacrifices women to the statue of African god Chuku in the belief that it will help his ailing finances…

Reviews:

‘So what’s left when one tries to watch Craze as a horror film are scenes of Jack Palance mugging, Jack Palance killing women, some very brightly coloured blood, and Jack Palance’s bare chest. That would leave the film barely watchable in a “point and laugh” sort of way, but for me, there’s something utterly irresistible about a film so desperately trying to be part of its time, and to be pop. I do doubt Francis or Cohen actually understood contemporary pop culture in the least, but that’s part of the fun of the whole affair.’ The Horror!?

‘ …a badly made exploitation piece with zero production values and murky camerawork, only relieved by Palance’s reliably over-the-top performance and some bizarre cameos from illuminati like Dors (although as Jayston remarks at one point: “One would have to be pretty desperate to sail into that port”) and even Trevor Howard(!) as Superintendant Bellamy.’ British Horror Films

‘A typically bad Herman Cohen movie that wastes the talents of director Freddie Francis and a good cast.’ Alan Frank, The Horror Film Handbook

‘The film is a waste of everybody’s time – including yours if you are misguided enough to see it.’ Daily Express, May 1974

‘Cohen and Kandel’s one-dimensional storyline quickly grinds the film down to a series of murders interspersed with police procedural segments and eye-rolling monologues from the out-of-control Palance, the Greed is Good theme leading to an inevitable ‘final sacrifice’ moment…’ Harvey Fenton, Ten Years of Terror

Buy X-Cert 2 from Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk

Cast:

• Jack Palance as Neal Mottram
• Diana Dors as Dolly Newman
• Julie Ege as Helena
• Edith Evans as Aunt Louise
• Hugh Griffith as Solicitor
• Trevor Howard as Bellamy
• Suzy Kendall as Sally
• Michael Jayston as Wall
• Martin Potter as Ronnie
• Percy Herbert as Detective Russet
• David Warbeck as Detective Wilson
• Kathleen Byron as Muriel Sharp
• Marianne Stone as Jane, a barmaid
• Dean Harris as Ronnie’s friend
• Venicia Day as exotic dancer
• Brian McDermott as policeman following Ronnie (uncredited)

Wikipedia | IMDb | Images thanks to Bookgasm | Viaje… a lo inesperado

J. D.’s Revenge is a 1976 US blaxploitation horror film produced and directed by Arthur Marks from a screenplay by Jaison Starkes. It stars Glynn Turman, Lou Gossett, Joan Pringle, Carl W. Crudup, James Watkins, Fred Pinkard, Jo Anne Meredith, Alice Jubert, David McKnight.

Plot teaser:

Isaac Hendrix (Turman) is a young college student studying law and a taxi-cab driver in New Orleans. While out on a night of fun with his friends and wife, Christella during a hypnosis act, he becomes an unwilling host for the restless spirit of J.D Walker, a hustler killed during the 40s.

“Ike” gradually finds his own personality gradually being taken over by the sociopathic Walker, even eventually going so far as to adopt his hair and fashion style, mannerisms, and psychotic tendencies (including an attempted rape on his wife after she mocked his J.D. haircut).

With the spirit of J.D. in complete control he turns his attention toward wreaking vengeance against the man responsible for killing his sister, Theotis Bliss. Ike commits havoc all over town along the way before making his way to the church where Theotis’ brother works as a preacher, where he finally reveals himself and instructs Elijah to tell Theotis to meet him “on the killin’ floor”.

Meanwhile, Ike’s wife goes to her ex-husband, a cop who is out for Ike’s blood believing him to be a simple psycho hiding behind a false persona — until he mentions to the Chief that Ike claimed his name was J.D. Walker, a man who was not only real, but had died over 30 years ago…

Reviews:

‘What makes the movie work, to the degree that it does, are the performances by Turman, Lou Gossett and Joan Pringle. Turman, in particular, has fun transforming himself from the mild-mannered law student to the zoot-suited 1940s two-bit gangster that J.D. used to be, complete with straight razor.’ RogerEbert.com

‘To its credit, the ending is pretty clever and slightly alters your perception about some of the characters. J.D.’s Revenge also becomes progressively more entertaining as it unfolds and you realize this isn’t just Black Caesar done up in horror digs. Most of the gangster elements are subdued, and, with the exception of a few flourishes (such as the requisite funky score and the fashions), J.D.’s Revenge doesn’t constantly announce itself as Blaxploitation fare either.’ Brett Gallman, Oh, the Horror!

‘Mark’s movie has a lot of sleaze appeal mostly with the abundant nudity and several dream sequences featuring a cow being slaughtered, but it doesn’t have the level of violence found in so many other movies of the genre. This is predominantly a character study and all the better for it. It’s one of the best, if not the best representations of blax-horror…’ Cool Ass Cinema

‘An efficient and effective piece of blaxploitation, the film is very much in the Southern gothic tradition and uses its New Orleans locations to great effect to create an atmosphere of incipient, imminent violence. Turman’s slow transformation has its welcome moments of humour and the film is crisply photographed and tightly directed, with a fairly liberal helping of blood scenes.’ Phil Hardy (editor), The Aurum Film Encyclopedia: Horror

Buy on DVD from Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com

Choice dialogue:

“That was the best fuckin’ I ever had.”

“Yeah, I’m gonna cut you every which way but loose!”

Cast:

• Glynn Turman as Isaac aka Ike
• Louis Gossett Jr. as Reverend Elijah Bliss
• Joan Pringle as Christella
• Carl W. Crudup as Tony
• James Watkins as Carl
• Fred Pinkard as Theotis Bliss
• Jo Anne Meredith as Sara Divine
• Alice Jubert as Roberta ‘Betty Jo’ Bliss
• David McKnight as J.D. Walker
• Stephanie Faulkner as Phyllis
• Fuddle Bagley as Enoch Land
• Earl Billings as Captain Turner
• Paul Galloway as Garage Man

Wikipedia | IMDb | Image thanks: Blaxploitation Pride

Rabid (Over You) is a 1980 science fiction and horror-themed rock song by British punk-goth-psychedelic band The Damned. The song – composed by Scabies, Sensible, Vanian, Levien – appeared on the B-side of the band’s ‘White Rabbit’ single, the latter being a boisterous cover of Jefferson Airplane’s 1967 hit, issued initially by Chiswick Records and then Big Beat. ‘Rabid (Over You)’ was intended as a single itself but Chiswick were apparently concerned that it was too raucous despite its melodic chorus and swirling synth sound.

 Buy The Black Album from Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk

The song has subsequently appeared on a Best of compilation titled ‘Another Great Record by The Damned’, as an extra track on a remastered reissue of ‘The Black Album’ and as part of ‘The Chiswick Singles – And Another Thing’ compilation CD.

Lyrics:

I read about a bug eyed mad dog
Taking London in a storm
I heard about a blue eyed heroine
Screaming out for help
I held my breath as tentacles
Came through the cabin door
And timing forces slipped a cross
The traitor’s sticky core

I was just a hero of the human race
But monsters keep on trying
To take control of space

I heard about a brand new movie
That took the world by storm
People said the effects were groovy
The plot was much the norm
The garbage was whiter than white
The villain mostly dark
The hero was enlightened by light
Dogs began to bark

I was just a hero of the human race
But monsters keep on trying
To take control of space

You treat me like a dog
Give me a bone to chew
Frothing at the mouth
Frothing all over you
Yeah I get rabid over you
I’m kind of rabid over you
I’m kind of rabid over you

Your daddy’s got a gun
He’s gonna put me down
Compliments of public health
Horror teenage town
Yeah I’ve been bitten over you
I’m kind of rabid over you
I’m kind of rabid over you

Rabid rabid rabid

I can’t stand the rain (rabid)
Water on the brain (rabid)
I’m kind of rabid over you
I just gotta hide (rabid)
I wanna bite (rabid)
I’m kind of rabid over you

I can’t stand the rain (rabid)
Water on the brain (rabid)
I’m kind of rabid over you
We just gotta hide (rabid)
All I wanna bite (rabid)
I’m kind of rabid over you

Buy The Chiswick Singles on CD from Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk

Buy The Chiswick Singles in 7″ vinyl box set from Amazon.co.uk

Related: Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde | ‘Nasty’ – episode of The Young Ones | Phantasmagoria