William Tobe Hooper (January 25, 1943 – August 26, 2017) was an American film director, screenwriter, and producer best known for his landmark horror feature film, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1973) which he co-wrote with Kim Henkel, for the mini-series adaptation of Stephen King’s Salem’s Lot (1979) and for his collaboration with Steven Spielberg on Poltergeist (1982).

Tobe Hooper was born in Austin, Texas, the son of Lois Belle (née Crosby) and Norman William Ray Hooper, who owned a theater in San Angelo. He first became interested in filmmaking when he used his father’s 8mm camera at age 9. Hooper took Radio-Television-Film classes at the University of Texas at Austin and studied drama in Dallas under Baruch Lumet.

Having initially made Eggshells in 1969, which he referred to as a “hippie movie”, by the early 1970s Hooper was working as an assistant film director at the University of Texas at Austin and as a documentary cameraman. He began to develop ideas for a horror film. He credited the graphic coverage of violence by San Antonio news outlets as one inspiration for what became The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (filmed in 1973, released 1974).

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1973) with Tobe Hooper directing

Although it was marketed as a true story to attract a wider audience and as a subtle commentary on the era’s political climate, its plot is entirely fictional; however the character of Leatherface and minor plot details were inspired by the crimes of real-life murderer Ed Gein, who was also the inspiration for Psycho (1960) and Deranged (1974). Hooper also collaborated with Wayne Bell on the experimental soundtrack for The Texas Chain Saw Massacre.

Hooper’s 1976 film Eaten Alive was filmed entirely on the sound-stages of Raleigh Studios in Hollywood, California, which had a large-scale pool that could double as a swamp. Shooting on a soundstage contributed to the atmosphere of the film, which director Tobe Hooper described as a “surrealistic, twilight world.”

However, Eaten Alive eventually proved to be problematic for the director, who left before production ended, due to a dispute with the producers, an experience repeated on the Film Ventures International movie The Dark (1979). Instead, Hooper had a career boost with his work on the 1979 mini series version of Stephen King’s Salem’s Lot (1979) which has become a landmark horror TV adaptation and it often cited as one of their scariest childhood memories by many fans.

In 1981, Hooper directed The Funhouse (1981) for Universal Pictures but despite some notable imagery and great production values, it received mixed reviews. In 1982, Hooper found greater success when Steven Spielberg hired him to direct his production of  Poltergeist (1982) for MGM. It was a major motion picture event, although some creative differences led to Spielberg himself taking over Hooper’s directing duties.

It was three years until Hooper found work again. He signed a contract with Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus’ Cannon Group, and directed London-based sci-fi epic Lifeforce (1985), the tongue-in-cheek remake of Invaders from Mars (1986), and his black comedy-filled over-the-top sequel The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986). The latter was poorly received at the time but has found considerable favour since, critics and fans having had time to re-evaluate Hooper’s intentions.

Tobe Hooper with one of the Invaders from Mars (1986)

Robert Englund had a minor role in Eaten Alive, and Hooper would go on to direct the horror icon again in Night Terrors (1993) and The Mangler (1995). Throughout the 1990s, the director continued working mainly in television, as detailed below, often in horror or sci-fi series.

Tom Arnold and Tobe Hooper in Body Bags (1993)

In 2003, Hooper helped co-produce the reboot of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre for New Line. The movie took over $107 million at the box office and led to a 2006 prequel, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning, on which Hooper also served as a co-producer. Clearly, the influence of his seminal 1973 horror movie lived on via a younger generation of filmgoers and still does now with the release in 2017 of Julien Maury and Alexandre Bustillo’s Leatherface.

Unfortunately, the director’s own Toolbox Murders (2004) and Mortuary (2005) were poorly received by critics and fans alike. Hooper’s final movie assignment was to be Djinn, a 2011 United Arab Emirates-financed production that struggled for a wider release.

Among his works outside of the movie world was the MTV hit mutant-filled music video for Billy Idol’s “Dancing With Myself.” In 2011 he co-authored a post-modern horror novel titled Midnight Movie in which he himself appeared as the main character.

Selected filmography:

• The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)
• Eaten Alive aka Death Trap (1976)
• The Funhouse (1981)
• Poltergeist (1982)
• Lifeforce (1985)
• Invaders from Mars (1986)
• The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986)
• Spontaneous Combustion (1990)
• Night Terrors (1993)
• Body Bags (1993)
• The Mangler (1995)
• Crocodile (2000)
• Toolbox Murders (2004)
• Mortuary (2006)
• Djinn (2011)

Television:

• Salem’s Lot (1979)
• Amazing Stories (1987) – Episode: “Miss Stardust”
• The Equalizer (1987) – Episode: “No Place Like Home”
• Freddy’s Nightmares (1988) – Episode: “No More Mr. Nice Guy”
• I’m Dangerous Tonight (1990)
• Haunted Lives: True Ghost Stories (1991)
• Tales from the Crypt (1991) – Episode: “Dead Wait”
• Nowhere Man (1995) – Episode: “Turnabout” / “Absolute Zero”
• Dark Skies (1997) – Episode: “The Awakening”
• Perversions of Science (1997) – Episode: “Panic”
• The Others (2000) – Episode: “Souls on Board”
• Night Visions (2002) – Episode: “Cargo” / “The Maze”
• Taken (2002) – Episode: “Beyond the Sky”
• Masters of Horror (2005–2006) – Episode: “Dance of the Dead” / “The Damned Thing”

Wikipedia | IMDb

The latest horror and sci-fi related news from around the world is here, to peruse at a glance, plus details of all the posts that have recently been updated daily on Horrorpedia, in one handy place.

The most hotly anticipated theatrical release this month is undoubtedly the remake of Stephen King’s IT, due out in five days time on the 8th. Meanwhile, other movie house releases include:

Jackals – Our coverage of this movie has just been updated with more review quotes/links. Reviews so far are largely negative, unfortunately, but make up your own mind by taking a look at the trailer here

The Vault – Dan Bush’s heist/horror hybrid with James Franco is out via a limited US release  and we’ve updated our again coverage which now features six of the first reviews

Temple (2017) – Our movie overview has just been updated again with the trailer, UK DVD release and more reviews, which are all negative, so far. Read more

The Limehouse Golem – expect lots of fogbound London streets and Bill Nighy grimacing throughout…

Friend Request – ‘Evil is trending’ in this German movie filmed in South Africa.

Welcome to Willits – It’s amusing and icky so worth a look, but is also a tad heavy on the druggy culture references, which become slightly tiresome.

Flatliners – Remake of the 1990 hit.

The Kindred is finally set to be unleashed on Blu-ray

Entertainment Weekly has reported that, having purchased the rights over ten years ago and then running into long-running legal issues, Synapse Films will finally be unleashing Jeffrey Obrow and Stephen Carpenter’s The Kindred (1986), which stars Rod Steiger (The Amityville Horror) and Amanda Pays (Leviathan), on Blu-ray and DVD in 2018. Plus, Synapse Films’ version will apparently contain more gore than the original release.

President Donald May Jr. commented:

“Almost ten years later, I can now say that, yes, we are doing The Kindred, finally, for 2018. While we didn’t spend four years restoring it, it took us ten years to get out of all the legal mess to finally announce it again, ten years later. I could probably write a book as to what happened with The Kindred. [Laughs] We’ll do The Kindred on Blu-ray and DVD, because honestly it’s never been legally available on Blu-ray or DVD in the U.S. So, we’ll be the first company to actually release it.

Read more about The Kindred here

Black Rose Anthology coming soon

Drew Barrymore’s production company, Flower Films, has begun work on a new hour-long horror anthology series titled Black Rose Anthology, which will air on the CW reports Deadline.

Each episode will be written and directed by women and will explore such themes as “guilt, jealousy, repression, paranoia, insanity, sexual obsession and survival through a modern and distinctly feminine lens.” The pilot episode of Black Rose Anthology is being written by former Scream showrunner Jill Blotevogel.

Hellraiser 30th Anniversary Vinyl Soundtrack Release

On October 6, 2017, Lakeshore Records is reissuing the Hellraiser soundtrack by Christopher Young as a 30th Anniversary Collector’s Edition vinyl release, remastered from the original 24 track, 2 inch analog master session tapes.

The single LP gatefold release includes digitally restored original artwork and photography from the film’s archives. Furthermore, the disc sleeve features the long lost original theatrical sales sheet.

The record itself is 140g multi-coloured translucent red with black smoke vinyl.

Buy vinyl soundtrack: Amazon.com

Buy Blu-ray + DVD combo: Amazon.com

Night of the Living Dead – Horrors of Copyright

Kaptain Kristian has produced a YouTube video for blinkist.com explaining why George A. Romero’s Night of the Living Dead accidentally became a public domain title in 1968 and how this impacted positively on the explosion of the zombie pop culture in years to come.

Source: Dread Central

Prime Evil and Lurkers – Vinegar Syndrome is bringing two 1980s Roberta Findlay (Snuff) horror movies to Blu-ray + DVD on October 24.

Prime Evil: Nestled in a Manhattan monastery, evil is lurking. A group of devil worshipping monks are stalking the city, looking for victims to sacrifice to the dark lord in the hope of bringing satanic rule to the world! A stylishly photographed neo-gothic horror, Prime Evil packs in gore, nudity, and loads of 80s NYC locales.

Lurkers: When Cathy was a girl, she saw her deranged mother murder her father and only narrowly escaped with her life. Haunted by memories of her macabre childhood, her nightmares turn into a terrifying reality when she’s lured back to her childhood home, only to be transformed into a ‘lurker;’ members of the vengeful dead who seek to terrorize those who wronged them. Findlay’s suspenseful ghost story explores trauma and grief between moments of shocking violence.

Both films are making their Blu-ray debuts from Vinegar Syndrome, newly restored in 2k from their 35mm original camera negatives!

Directed by: Roberta Findlay
1987-1988 / 173 minutes / Color / 1.85:1
Starring: William Beckwith, Christine Moore, Gary Warner

Features Include:
• Region free Blu-ray/DVD combo pack
• Newly scanned and restored in 2k from the 35mm original camera negative
• Commentary track for Prime Evil with Roberta Findlay (director)
• Original theatrical trailers for both films
• TV spots for both films
• Isolated soundtrack for both films
• Reversible cover artwork
• English SDH subtitles

The Fright-Rags Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth collection obviously features Pinhead, plus poster artwork reworked as a shirt design. The new apparel is available at Fright-Rags.com

Horrorpedia site updates:

Leatherface (2017) – Updated with a behind-the-scenes promo featurette plus a FrightFest video interview with Julien Maury and Alexandre Bustillo. Our latest update also includes the new poster (above) and more reviews, of course. Check it all out here

Ghost Stories (UK, 2017) – The first image (above) from the new comedy film adaptation of the successful stage play has arrived online. The movie is directed by Jeremy Dyson (The League of Gentlemen) and Andy Nyman (ABCs of Death 2: segment ‘A’; Black Death; Severance). The latter stars alongside Martin Freeman (Cargo; Hot Fuzz; Shaun of the Dead) and Alex Lawther. Read more

The Crucifixion (2017) is currently the most top trending post on Horrorpedia although, as with our perennially popular Mythical Demons of Hell: Who’s Who in Satan’s Underworld article, we suspect that it may not just be fans of horror cinema clicking on it.

A Lionsgate trailer for The Crucifixion has arrived online, view here

The Old Dark House (1932) – James Whale’ Universal comedy horror classic featuring Boris Karloff has been given a 4K restoration. Read more

Gerald’s Game (2017) is the Mike Flanagan directed, Jeff Howard scripted adaptation of Stephen King’s novel of the same name about kinky sex gone wrong. The film will debut on Netflix on September 29. Read more here

The Evil Within (2017) The late Andrew Getty’s horror “masterpiece” has caused a flood of positive reviews that, whilst noting the film’s flaws, also praise its uniqueness and nightmare qualities. We watched it yesterday and can confirm that The Evil Within is a MUST SEE and a genuine cult item, for sure. More images and reviews have been added to the film’s Horrorpedia overview

Pyewacket (2016) is a Canadian indie horror thriller in which a frustrated, angst-ridden teenage girl awakens something in the woods when she naively performs an occult ritual to evoke a witch to kill her mother. Our overview of the movie has just been updated with the poster and news that the film is being shown at this year’s TIFF. Read more and watch trailer

Hitchhiker Massacre (2017) has been updated on Horrorpedia with new artwork (above) and a second trailer, in glorious Vimeo HD. Watch here

Jeepers Creepers 3 is receiving a one day only theatrical showing on September 26 via Fathom Events.

Lyst (2017)has been labelled the most grotesque film in Norwegian history. Our coverage has just been updated with some brief behind-the-scenes footage of the crew setting up special effects shots. Watch and read more about Lyst here

The School (2017) is an Australian supernatural thriller. Our coverage of the movie has been updated today to include a new poster (above). Read more about The School and watch the trailer here

78/52 (2017) is a documentary film written and directed by Alexandre O. Philippe (Doc of the Dead). It looks at the iconic shower scene in Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho, the “man behind the curtain”, and the screen murder that profoundly changed the course of world cinema. The overview on Horrorpedia has been updated today with the trailer for 78/52 Read more/watch trailer

Cavity Colors has issued some eye-catching Maniac Cop 2 t-shirts and enamel pins. Visit their site for ordering details and our post to read about the movie itself. Remember, ‘You have the right to remain silent… forever!

The latest new Blu-ray and DVD releases includes:

C.H.U.D. II: Bud the Chud – Vestron Blu-ray (UK)

Buy: Amazon.co.uk

Crow – 4Digital Media DVD (UK)

Buy: Amazon.co.uk

Darkness Wakes – Left Films DVD (UK)

Buy DVD: Amazon.co.uk

Granny of the Dead – Matchbox Films DVD (UK)

Buy DVD: Amazon.co.uk

Mansion of Blood – Three Wolves DVD (UK)

Buy DVD: Amazon.co.uk

Pieces – Arrow Video Limited Deluxe Edition Blu-ray (UK)

Buy: Amazon.co.uk

• Brand new 4K transfer from the original camera negative
• Two versions of the feature: Pieces, the US theatrical version, and Mil Gritos Tiene La Noche, the original uncensored director s cut, presented in Spanish with original score by Librado Pastor [Blu-ray exclusive]
• High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) and Standard Definition DVD presentations
• Original English and Spanish Mono Audio
• Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• 5.1 Vine Theater Experience
• Alternate Re-score by composer Umberto
• Brand new audio commentary with The Hysteria Continues
• It s Exactly What You Think It Is! brand new featurette offering up an appreciation of Pieces by various filmmaker fans
• Brand new interview with art director Gonzalo Gonzalo
• The Reddest Herring extensive interview with actor Paul Smith, including a discussion of Pieces
• • Audio Interview with producer Steve Minasian
  • Image Galleries
  • Theatrical Trailer
  • Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Marc Schoenbach
  • Collector s booklet featuring new writing on the film by critic Michael Gingold
  • Soundtrack CD featuring the entire original score
  • 100-piece jigsaw puzzle replicaPieces of Juan a career-spanning interview with director Juan Piquer Simon

• Voice from the Stone – Precision Pictures DVD (UK)

Buy DVD: Amazon.co.uk

Zombie Creeping Flesh (aka Hell of the Living Dead, Bruno Mattei) – 88 Films Blu-ray (UK)

Buy: Amazon.co.uk

Snapshot aka The Day After Halloween (Australia, 1979) – Vinegar Syndrome Region Free Blu-ray + DVD

Buy Blu-ray + DVD combo: Amazon.com

The Houses That October Built 2 – has been updated on Horrorpedia with new artwork. There is also a trailer for this hotly anticipated sequel. Read more

The Domicile (2017) – has been updated on Horrorpedia with several reviews which can be read here

The Corpse Grinders (1971) – Ted V. Mikels’ exploitation trash, erm, ‘classic’ gets a major Blu-ray upgrade courtesy of Vinegar Syndrome. Check out the specs here

BloodBeat (1982). Or is it Bloodbeat or Blood Beat? The online title is one word so we’re going with that. Its bonkers by any title and recommended for those who appreciate somewhat incoherent yet amusingly head-scratching surreal (in the genuine sense of the word, not just weird) 80’s low budget fodder. Vinegar Syndrome is releasing a very welcome Blu-ray with a slew of extras. Details here

Nightworld (2017) – updated on Horrorpedia with first reviews and more images. The reviews aren’t very positive but the imagery shows promise. Take a look here

Trench 11 (2017) – The Canadian movie set during the horrors of war now has a new Raven Banner trailer that can be watched here

Psychos in Love (1986) – Gorman Bechard’s idiosyncratic indie black comedy cost a mere $75K in the mid-eighties and yet has an indie vitality and wit far exceeding that of many bigger budget efforts from the era (such as House). Vinegar Syndrome have gone to town with an incredible extras-packed Blu-ray release that shows their love for this oddball movie. Read more

What the Waters Left Behind (2017) – Updated on Horrorpdia with the first poster and news of the world premiere at the Sitges film festival in Spain. This Argentinian horror movie apparently has the same vibe as The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and The Hills Have Eyes. The trailer and a sneak peek of footage at last year’s Cannes festival caused a big buzz. Click here to read about the intriguing plot and watch the trailer horror fans are talking about

Demon Wind (1990) – Slapdash, silly, yet undoubtedly surreal in a good way, Charles Philip Moore’s low budgeter is a must for Evil Dead fans and those who appreciate rabid regional horror made with genuine enthusiasm. Vinegar Syndrome have done the film proud with their upcoming Blu-ray + DVD combo. Details here

Cut Shoot Kill (2017) – Our coverage has been updated with ten reviews to peruse before you view Cut Shoot Kill

Our Evil is Brazilian director Samuel Cunha Galli’s uncompromising brutal combination of a serial killer and a possession pic. However, despite the strong material, initial reviews have been positive. The Horrorpedia overview of this controversial movie is being updated daily with more critical opinions. Read the latest round-up here

Mindhunter (2017, TV series) – There’s not been much buzz about this upcoming serial killer thriller series but it’s David Fincher (!) and looks great. Check out the trailer and a new teaser clip here

The Terror of Hallow’s Eve (2017) – Todd Tucker’s loving homage to 80s horror (another one!) had its world premiere at FrightFest and here are the initial – largely positive – reactions from reviewers

Voice from the Stone (2017) – This Italian set mystery movie looks lovely, but is somewhat sedate in style. A ‘slow burner’ as is oft said. Our Horrorpedia overview has been updated with more reviews, images and the film’s British DVD release. And we love John Llewellyn Probert’s comment that this is “the kind of film you can safely recommend to elderly relatives who enjoy non-threatening gothic dramas where you don’t have to be awake throughout the entire thing to understand it.” Read what the other reviewers say here

Eat Locals – This Brit comedy horror directed by actor Jason Flemyng has garnered both praise and derision from reviewers. There’s a review round-up here

Beeline Creative presents Geeki Tikis 18 oz ceramic mugs based on six classic Universal monsters are due out in September. Frankenstein, Bride of Frankenstein, Dracula, The Mummy, The Wolf Man, and Creature from the Black Lagoon can be pre-order via Entertainment Earth for $16.99 each. News source: Broke Horror Fan

Halloween Headtrip!

Featuring wonderfully lurid and brightly coloured limited edition packaging designs by Orlando Arocena, nineteen Twentieth Century Fox and MGM Home Entertainment horror releases are being issued to celebrate Halloween with gorgeous new collectible Blu-ray and DVD packaging.

The titles below and more will be available at major US retailers for a limited time and while supplies last beginning on September 12, 2017…

• 28 Days Later
• Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter
• Black Swan
• Carrie (1976)
• Child’s Play
• Devil’s Due
• The Fly (1986)
• From Hell
• The Hills Have Eyes (2006)
• Jeepers Creepers
• Jennifer’s Body
• Joy Ride
• Killer Klowns from Outer Space
• The Other Side of the Door
• Poltergeist (2015)
• The Return of the Living Dead
• Victor Frankenstein
• Wrong Turn
• Young Frankenstein

News source: Bloody Disgusting

‘A living, crawling, hell on earth!’

Kingdom of the Spiders is a 1977 American science fiction horror film directed by John “Bud” Cardos (The Dark) and produced by Igo Kantor, Jeffrey M. Sneller and James Bond Johnson. The screenplay was by Richard Robinson and Alan Caillou, from an original story by Jeffrey M. Sneller and Stephen Lodge. It stars William Shatner, Tiffany Bolling and Woody Strode.

The $1 million movie took $17 million at the US box office, making it one of the biggest independent horror hits of the 1970s.

Dr. Robert “Rack” Hansen, a veterinarian in rural Verde Valley, Arizona, receives an urgent call from a local farmer, Walter Colby. Colby is upset because his prize calf has become sick for no apparent reason, and the animal is brought in to Hansen’s laboratory. Hansen cannot explain what made the animal so ill so quickly, but takes samples of the now deceased calf’s blood to a university lab in Flagstaff.

A few days later, Diane Ashley, an arachnologist, arrives looking for Hansen. Ashley tells Hansen that the calf was killed by a massive dose of spider venom, which Hansen greets with scepticism and disbelief, until he sees the giant mound atop the spiders’ nest on Colby’s farm…

Reviews:

” …the spiders are all real, so there’s nothing really ridiculous about the attack scenes, unlike something like Squirm or even The Birds, where bad effects/fake antagonists tend to ruin everything. Shatner really does have the goddamn things crawling all over him.” Horror Movie a Day

“With some very scenic Arizona terrain as the backdrop, the film not only boasts some terrific and clever camera work but also a number of stunts and well-orchestrated chilling situations with the live tarantulas, making the majority of what’s on screen convincing when it could have been a pure campfest… ” George R. Reis, DVD Drive-In

” …all the characters who got the most screen time and remain alive are herded into a house by the spiders and attempt to keep the flurry of furry 8 legged Theraphosidae from getting inside at them. It’s a non stop onslaught as the spiders manage to enter every nook and cranny found within the large cabin. It makes for a taut, expertly handled conclusion and the somber denouement is surely one of the great shock endings of all time.” Cool Ass Cinema

• Interview With William Shatner
• Jim Brockett: Spider Wrangler Featurette
• Audio Commentary By Director John Bud Cardos, Producer Igo Kantor, Spider Wrangler Jim Brockett And Cinematographer John Morrill; Moderated By Hostel Producer Scott Spiegel and Lee Christian
• Rare Behind-The-Scenes Footage
• Interview With Writer Stephen Lodge
• Poster Gallery
• Original Theatrical Trailer
• Widescreen Transfer

Buy DVD: Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com

“The effect of 5,000 spiders swarming over everything (and everybody) is chilling and will have you watching where you step for days afterwards.” John Stanley, Creature Features

” … a film weighed down by stiff emoting, clunky dialogue, and some unintentionally humorous moments, but nevertheless, remains a gritty, B-grade, up-all-night, elemental thrill. Produced on a budget one-16th that of Spielberg’s shark opera, the film drew a dazzlingly profitable $17 million at the box office.” Terrence Butcher, Pop Matters

“There are no two ways about it, Kingdom of the Spiders is a great low-budget horror film, probably the best of the 1970s ‘animal’ pack (after Willard), and it bristles with delight, suspense, humor, and in the end, flat-out shock.” John Kenneth Muir, Horror Films of the 1970s

Buy: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.ca

“It’s got a beautiful Southwest setting, an appealing hero and heroine, believable and sympathetic supporting characters, a simple but not simplistic plot, a touch of humor, and a steady balance between quiet scenes and action scenes that gradually tilts towards action. It’s also got a nice score accented by slinky piano notes as the tarantulas creep into view.” David Elroy Goldweber, Claws & Saucers

Buy: Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com | Amazon.ca

“Director John “Bud” Cardos betrays no particular feel for this kind of picture and there are no real moments of inventiveness or inspiration. A big problem is that the tarantulas, as ugly as they may seem to some viewers, don’t really exude much menace – they are just big, fat, slow and dumb, hardly anything to work up a sweat over. It is up to the actors to try to dredge up as much excitement and sense of peril as they can.” William Schoell, Creature Features: Nature Turned Nasty in the Movies

Buy: Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com

Choice dialogue:

Doctor Rack Hansen: “Hey, the only person who is uptight about you being a woman is you, you know.”

Diane Ashley: ” …through the excessive use of insecticides, like DDT, we are inadvertently killing off the spiders’ natural source of food.”

Birch Colby: “Are you crazy, lady? This is our home! And no damned spiders are gonna run us out!”

Cast and characters:

• William Shatner – Doctor Rack Hansen (Incubus; The Devil’s Rain; Visiting Hours; et al)
• Tiffany Bolling – Diane Ashley (Open House; The Centerfold Girls)
• Woody Strode – Walter Colby (Scream aka The Outing)
• Altovise Davis – Birch Colby
• Lieux Dressler – Emma Washburn (Grave of the Vampire)
• Natasha Ryan – Linda Hansen
• Marcy Lafferty – Terry Hansen
• David McLean – Gene Smith
• Joe Ross – Vern Johnson
• Adele Malis-Morey – Betty Johnson
• Roy Engel – Mayor Connors

Offline reading:

Up Till Now by William Shatner, 2009

Production:

Kantor told Fangoria magazine in 1998 that the film used 5,000 large, hairy spiders, though a number of rubber model spiders were also used during production. The live tarantulas were procured by offering Mexican spider wranglers US$10 for each live tarantula they could find; this meant that $50,000 of the film’s $500,000 budget went towards the purchase of spiders.

The large amount of tarantulas kept on-hand led to some unusual production difficulties. Not only did each spider have to be kept warm, but because of the creatures’ cannibalistic tendencies, all 5,000 spiders had to be kept in separate containers. Additionally, tarantulas are usually shy around people, so fans and air tubes often had to be used to get the spiders to move toward their “victims”. Indeed, in a number of the scenes where the tarantulas are “attacking” people, it is obvious to the viewer that the spiders are merely moving around, usually away from their intended victims.

Contrary to popular belief, the venom of most tarantulas is not dangerous to humans, causing no more harm than a bee sting (unless the person is allergic to the venom). The worst injury most of the actors suffered was troublesome itching caused by the spiders shedding their bristles.

Due to the film’s low budget, most of the music used in the film (particularly the “startle cues”) was taken from the logs of stock music used on suspense TV series. For example, most of the music used in the film during the scenes with the spiders can also be heard in notable episodes of The Twilight Zone, including ‘To Serve Man’ and ‘The Invaders’.

The country music songs heard on the radio in the movie, as well as over the opening and closing credits, were performed by country singer Dorsey Burnette.

Wikipedia | IMDb | ABC cinema pic courtesy of Gav Crimson Blogspot

‘Go ahead and scream Amanda it can’t help you now!’

Die Sister, Die!  – aka Die Sister Die – is a 1972 American horror film produced and directed by Randall Hood (writer of Alfred Hitchcock Presents episode ‘Final Escape’) from a screenplay by Tony Sawyer. It stars Jack Ging, Edith Atwater, Antoinette Bower and Kent Smith.

A loose remake was made in 2013.

Edward is tired of the “allowance” granted him by his sister, Amanda and becomes impatient for her death, and his inheritance. To hasten her demise, or at least stop her suicides from being thwarted, Edward hires a discredited ex-nurse, Esther to watch over her.

Esther is less than enthusiastic about killing the old woman, though, and is curious about the secrets held in the house, including a mysterious third sister, Nell…

Reviews:

“This one isn’t a masterpiece either, but it is drenched in a strange atmosphere aided by some Corman-style nightmare sequences (lots of wacky lenses, severed limbs, and a runaway pet bird) and some fun Italian-style colourful lighting during moments of high tension … rumour has it this was originally supposed to be a made-for-TV project (which seems believable given the limited track record of director Randall Hood), but apparently the (still mild) violent content pushed it over to the big screen instead.” Mondo Digital

” …viewers might slot this one in with other (admittedly more interesting) seventies “California Gothic” flicks like House of Terror, Blood Mania, and Picture Mommy Dead in its combination of gothic trappings of old dark houses and familial madness with a murder plot. Lead Ging and Atwater try their best with the material […] but Bower is the dull side of the triangle when the direction of the drama should really hinge on her shifting loyalties…” Eric Cotenas, DVD Drive-In

“The superb acting, excellent locations, perfect build and classic twist ending makes Die Sister, Die! a must-see for horror fans young and old. It may not have the MTV-style crazy editing, or topless models getting slashed like most of us are used to, but it does contain several scenes guaranteed to chill you to the bone. It’s the kind of movie you want to watch late at night with a bowl of popcorn and all the lights off.” Retro Slashers

Buy on DVD with Lurkers (1988): Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com

“The fewer amount of faces on screen, the better. With a light cast, somewhat memorable and performance worthy, you never scram around the monitor marking off names as the dialogue passes from one to another. It’s simple, it’s kind of predictable, but it works! […] The freaky dreams were a major plus, and the visuals, short and sweet, worked wonders.” Oh, The Horror!

“Atwater does particularly well: it’s a role into which you can easily see Katherine Hepburn or Joan Crawford really sinking their teeth. Director Hood has an awful fondness for badly-shot flashbacks, however, which don’t just start and end with wavy lines, but utilise the effect for their entire duration. Keep the sea-sickness pills handy.” Trash City

“The level of professionalism here makes up for the lack of “action”present within Die Sister Die, yet the atmosphere and vibe surrounding the film is palpable throughout, keeping the viewer interested and invested in both the characters and story.” George Pacheco, 10K Bullets

“It’s slow paced, lacks thrills or scares, and is mostly devoid of drama.” Jeremy Biltz, DVD Talk

Main cast and characters:

• Jack Ging as Edward Price (High Plains Drifter; Play Misty for Me; Ghost of Dragstrip Hollow)
• Edith Atwater as Amanda Price (Strait-Jacket; Mr. Sardonicus; The Body Snatcher)
• Antoinette Bower as Esther Harper (Time Walker; Blood Song; Prom Night; Superbeast; The Mephisto Waltz; Star Trek; The Invaders; Thriller; The Telltale Heart)
• Kent Smith as Dr. Thorne (The Cat Creature; Night Gallery; The Night Stalker; How Awful About Allan; The Invaders; Games; Lights Out; Cat People)
• Robert Emhardt as James Lendon Price (The Wide World of Mystery: ‘Demon, Demon’; It’s Alive [1974]; One Step Beyond; Alfred Hitchcock Presents)
• Burt Santos
• Jack Lester
• Roger Hampton
• Peg Shirley
• Lidia Kristen

Wikipedia | IMDb

WH

‘Molly really knows how to cut men down to size!!’

The Witch Who Came from the Sea is a 1976 American horror film directed by Matt Cimber from a screenplay by Robert Thom. It was shot by cinematographer Dean Cundey (The Thing; Halloween). It stars Millie Perkins, Lonny Chapman and Vanessa Brown.

Molly (Millie Perkins) is a dysfunctional and disturbed woman who, after suffering repeated abuse at the hands of her alcoholic father, embarks on a spree of gruesome sexual encounters with men who she meets during her job as a waitress in a seaside bar…

Buy: Amazon.co.uk

On December 4th (UK) and 5th (USA), 2017, the film is released by Arrow Video on Blu-ray and DVD with the following special features:

• 2K restoration from original vault materials
• High Definition Blu-ray presentation
• Original Mono Audio
• English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• Introduction to the film by Nightmare USA author Stephen Thrower
• Audio commentary with producer-director Matt Cimber, actress Millie Perkins and director of photography Dean Cundey
• ‘Tides and Nightmares’: brand new making-of documentary featuring interviews with Cimber, Perkins, Cundey and actor John Goff
• ‘A Maiden’s Voyage’: archive featurette comprising interviews with Cimber, Perkins and Cundey
• ‘Lost at Sea’: director Cimber reflects on his notorious cult classic
• Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly-commissioned artwork by The Twins of Evil

Reviews:

“While its low budget and extreme subject matter … certainly seem to fall well within the realms of exploitation cinema’s favorite tropes, Witch is ultimately more of a character study about one woman’s descent into madness – not unlike Polanski’s Repulsion – than an out-and-out sleaze flick.” Mike Bracken, IGN

“The Witch Who Came from the Sea is a very dark and disturbing film. They are some scenes that are absolutely chilling. Nothing is overly graphic, but the subject matter is difficult to deal with and you see enough that it hits you. What makes this film truly special and work is the performance from Perkins. She’s stunning in a role that is not easy to pull off.” Chris Coffel, Bloody Disgusting

“Cimber pulls out all the stops to create a dreamy, yet subdued portrait of a woman’s psyche imploding, complete with solarized flashbacks, a minefield of distorted audio effects, extended slow-mo staging of certain key sequences, and, of course, flash cuts of a thoroughly creeped-out angry clown. The film doesn’t always hit on all cylinders – but the indisputable high point is the bravura cough-syrup-paced seven-minute sequence towards the beginning of the film…” Hadrian Belove, Birth. Movies. Death.

“Director Matt Cimber’s vision is like that of an artist painting a mural. We are immediately treated to the beautiful scenery of the Pacific ocean as the film begins and then are taken to the slow mutilation of the two football players. Not with graphic violence, instead it is our own mind that provides us the visuals. This is not a gore film, all of the horror is subtle and the inference of what is happening is just as powerful as if we had witnessed it.” Steve Pattee, Horror Talk

“The low-stakes affair is often a total chore to sit through since there’s rarely a lot happening onscreen, and the characters aren’t exactly compelling. By the end, it feels like a lame Psycho ripoff, but without any of the things that made Psycho great, or even entertaining. It’s a complete mess.” Blair Hoyle, Cinema Slasher

“Thanks to a poetic touch, striking Malibu-shot visuals (courtesy of expert scope cinematographer Dean Cundey in his first major job), and a fine central performance from Perkins, the film avoids sliding into either grindhouse sleaziness or unbearable pretension; its methodical pacing and extreme visuals all feel well-integrated and nicely judged (apart from a few fleeting missteps like the tacky psychedelic effects used for the more intense hallucination passages).” Nathaniel Thompson, Mondo Digital

“Those expecting a blood-and-guts horror shocker with liberal doses of nudity and sex will be sorely disappointed with Witch. It is a psychological drama first and a horror film second. But the horror scenes are really over-the-top and gut-wrenching when they do show up!” Casey Scott, DVD Drive-In

“The Witch Who Came from the Sea feels hewn from late night conversations, private reminiscences; it drifts and sways like seaweed, like thoughts in a cannabis fugue. The structural timer of the horror genre is cast adrift. Horror, overt horror at least, is concentrated in the early part of the film, and what follows is a sad, sleepy tidal shift into psychological portraiture. Imagery and allusion are uppermost in the latter half…” Stephen Thrower, Nightmare USA

Buy: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.ca

“Unpleasant, yet it has an intelligence behind it that is compelling.” John Stanley, Creature Features

Cast and characters:

• Millie Perkins as Molly – The Haunting Passion
• Lonny Chapman as Long John – Phantoms; Nightwatch; The Screaming Woman; Night Gallery; The Birds
• Vanessa Brown as Cathy
• Peggy Feury as Doris
• Jean Pierre Camps as Tadd
• Mark Livingston as Tripoli
• Rick Jason as Billy Batt
• Stafford Morgan as McPeak – The Forest; The Capture of Bigfoot; The Alpha Incident
• Richard Kennedy as Detective Beardsley
• George ‘Buck’ Flower as Detective Stone – The Curse of the Komodo; Body Bags; Puppet Master II; The Fog; Drive-In Massacre; Criminally Insane; Suckula; et al
• Roberta Collins as Clarissa – School Spirit; Saturday the 14th; Eaten Alive; Death Race 2000; Kolchak: The Night Stalker; Sweet Kill
• Stan Ross as Jack Dracula
• John F. Goff as Molly’s Father – The Screaming; Ripper Man; Grotesque; Maniac Cop; Berserker; The Fog; Alligator; The Capture of Bigfoot; Nurse Sherri, Drive-In Massacre; Ilsa: She Wolf of the SS

Previous releases:

The film was briefly banned in Britain during the early days of the ‘video nasty‘ scare. In 1983, the United Kingdom’s Department of Public Prosecutions (DPP) compiled a list of 72 video releases that were not brought before the BBFC for certification and declared them prosecutable. This list of “video nasties” included The Witch Who Came From the Sea, but it was in the sub-group of 33 titles that were unsuccessfully prosecuted and subsequently dropped from the DPP’s infamous list.

In 2004, Subversive Cinema released the film on DVD in a 16:9 transfer that was overseen and approved by Dean Cundey.

The film was eventually released completely uncut in Britain in 2006 with a complete running time of 87m 43 secs.

Buy American Horror Project Blu-ray set: Amazon.com

In March 2016, The Witch… was released in the US on Blu-ray by Arrow Video as part of the American Horror Project box set.

Filming locations:

Malibu, Santa Monica and Venice Beach, Los Angeles, California, USA

Trivia:

Screenwriter Richard Thom was married to lead actress Perkins.

Wikipedia | IMDb

‘Ash vs. Evil Dead’ Season 3 is confirmed for February 2018

Perhaps later than we’d hoped but it has been confirmed that Season 3 of Starz series Ash vs. Evil Dead will premiere on February 25, 2018.

“The third season finds Ash’s status in Elk Grove, Michigan has changed from murderous urban legend to humanity-saving hometown hero. When Kelly witnesses a televised massacre with Ruby’s fingerprints all over it, she returns with a new friend to warn Ash and Pablo that evil isn’t done with them yet. Blood is thicker than water in the battle of good vs Evil Dead!”

New TV series ‘Dark’ debuts soon

“Dark, a family saga with a supernatural twist, is set in a German town in present day where the disappearance of two young children exposes the double lives and fractured relationships among four families. In ten, hour-long episodes, the story takes on a supernatural twist that ties back to the same town in 1986.”

New German supernatural series Dark  premieres on December 1st on Netflix.

IFC Midnight snaps up North American rights to ‘Ghost Stories’

Variety reports that IFC Midnight has signed up the North American rights to Ghost Stories, the British supernatural thriller based on the stage production of the same name. It stars Martin Freeman (Cargo; The World’s End; Shaun of the Dead).

Ghost Stories will have its world premiere on Thursday at the BFI London Film Festival. The film was co-written and directed by Jeremy Dyson (“The League of Gentleman”) and Andy Nyman. Lionsgate own the UK rights.

In the film, Nyman plays Professor Goodman, a psychologist and skeptic, who has his rationality tested when he stumbles across a long-lost file containing details of three terrifying hauntings. He then embarks on a mission to find rational explanations for the ghostly happenings… [read more]

Nightmares Film Festival line-up

The Nightmares Film Festival 2017 in Ohio aims to present “a world-class assembly of the scariest, tensest, and most bizarre films from across the globe.” The festival, which runs from October 19th to 22nd, will showcase such features as:

• Victor Crowley w/Adam Green
• Leatherface
• Capture, Kill, Release
• Bong of the Living Dead
• 3 Dead Trick or Treaters
• Ruin Me
• Unnuyayuk
• Found Footage 3D
• 2 Pigeons
• Midnighters
• She Was So Pretty 2: Be Good for Goodness Sake
• Scars of Xavier
• Rock, Paper, Dead
• Hostile
• Romeo’s Distress
• I’m Dreaming of a White Doomsday
• Flesh of the Void
• Torment
• Le Accelerator
• Samurai Rauni

Plus masses of shorts over the four day festival. The full schedule is on their website

“Dream girls can be a nightmare” in ‘The Babysitter’

Young Cole is madly in love with his babysitter Bee. She’s seemingly cool and awesome in all the ways Cole thinks he isn’t. One evening while Bee is babysitting, Cole witnesses the unthinkable. Now he must survive a night full of first kisses, first broken hearts, and first encounters with homicidal maniacs…

McG (Terminator: Salvation) directed The Babysitter from a script by Brian Duffield (Insurgent). Samara Weaving, Judah Lewis, Hana Mae Lee, Robbie Amell, and Bella Thorne star.

The Babysitter comes to Netflix on October, Friday the 13th

The Food of the Gods is a 1976 American science fiction horror film written, produced, and directed by Bert I. Gordon. It is loosely based on a portion of the H. G. Wells novel The Food of the Gods and How It Came to Earth. It stars Marjoe Gortner, Pamela Franklin and Ralph Meeker.

A belated sequel was made in Canada in 1989, Food of the Gods II.

Morgan and his friends are on a hunting trip on a remote Canadian island when they are attacked by a swarm of giant wasps. Looking for help, Morgan stumbles across a barn inhabited by an enormous killer chicken!

After doing some exploring, they discover the entire island is crawling with animals that have somehow grown to giant size. The most dangerous of all of these, however, are the rats, who are mobilising to do battle with the human intruders…

Buy with Frogs on Blu-ray: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk

Reviews:

“No suspense is ever generated, and most of the dialogue is the characters bickering with each other. It seems like having characters bickering with each other became a standard in horror scripts after Night of the Living Dead (1968), but that movie was about the breakdown of society. Most of these characters, especially the married couple, argue endlessly before faced with any giant animals.” Stomp Tokyo

” …if Food of the Gods were released today, its final moments would serve as a GMO parable. As it stands, the film is still a glimpse into a paranoiac 70s mindset: somehow, even this era’s silliest monster movies are often grim affairs. Even as its crude effects compel you to laugh, you can’t help but notice how foreboding and unpleasant The Food of the Gods is at times.” Brett Gallman, Oh, the Horror!

“The attack by the giant chicken (the sound of that is funny in itself, but Mysterious Island from 1961 pulled it off nicely) is one for the books and Ida Lupino’s arm being gnawed by enormous worms is rather grim. The numerous rat attacks are violent pushing the PG rating about as far as it will go. Also, the shots of the rats being blasted by rifle fire are a bit disturbing. The creatures are obviously being hit with something…” Cool Ass Cinema

“The effects won’t win any Oscars, but they’re still pretty good – the forced perspective and composite shots work quite well, for the most part. The models – not so much; there’s a kill at a little red car, the first one we see via rat, and it’s just laughably bad when they cut from the guy in the car being attacked by a giant rat head, to a little Matchbox (one that’s not even the same shade of red) with a few rats sniffing around it. But the gore delivers…” Brian W. Collins, Horror Movie a Day

Buy: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.ca

“This PG-rated late night favorite delivers more laughs than chills, so call some friends and watch this baby with plenty of beer.” Kindertrauma

“When the movie poster depicts a giant rat grabbing at a woman’s naked breasts, you expect a level of quality. Food of the Gods did not deliver. This is a routine creature feature with shoddy effects that never quite takes the subject matter far enough. There are some shots of rats (mice?) getting shot that might give you a jolt, but that will be to call animal rights rather than turn up the volume.” Rhett Miller, Horror Digital

Buy DVD: Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com

“The Food of the Gods is bad, but it goes beyond bad to camp. I am a sucker for ’70s environmental horror movies and The Food of the Gods is one of the better “bad” ones.  It isn’t good, I can recognize that, but it doesn’t mean it isn’t fun.” JP Roscoe, Basement Rejects

“The location shooting is good and the film does manage some atmosphere. It’s also quite a bit more cartoonish in the violence department than you might expect. The rats take the worst licking but the wasp sequence and the maggots that mess with Lupino’s arm are pretty nasty! It is fun watching the cast get whittled down…” Horace Cordier, Rock! Shock! Pop!

“The thing isn’t boring for an instant. It’s filled with action. It manages to establish the half-dozen characters without wasting any time. Most characters are two-dimensional, many events go unexplained, but for a low-mentality B-movie from the 70s it is great.” David Elroy Goldweber, Claws & Saucers

Buy: Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com | Amazon.ca

“These poor creatures are subjected to what look like red paintballs (for when they’re supposed to be shot), electrocution, improvised dynamite and attempted drowning, all in the name of show business. Never mind the indignity the cast have to got through by acting through this risible plod, the rats really suffer for their art.” Graeme Clark, The Spinning Image

“The film is generally entertaining and the rat-attack scenes in the cabin genuinely harrowing. There are even a couple of decidedly scary scenes, such as when the huge rats approach in the distance as Meeker and Gortner have an argument outside the cabin. But the production is still rather cheesy in a strictly negative sense…” William Schoell, Creature Features: Nature Turned Nasty in the Movies

Buy: Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com

“Despite its obvious drive-in trappings, The Food of the Gods is not much fun. It’s too ugly and cruel to be really funny, and too technically inept to be particularly frightening. Perhaps the best that can be said for it is that it is slightly better than Gordon’s next Wells-inspired outing, a clunky, in-name-only adaptation of Empire of the Ants...” John Floyd, Celluloid Nightmares

Cast and characters:

• Marjoe Gortner as Morgan – Starcrash
• Pamela Franklin as Lorna
• Ralph Meeker as Jack Bensington
• Jon Cypher as Brian
• Ida Lupino as Mrs. Skinner
• John McLiam as Mr. Skinner
• Belinda Balaski as Rita – The Howling
• Tom Stovall as Thomas
• Chuck Courtney as Davis
• Reg Tunnicliffe as ferry attendant

Wikipedia | IMDb | Related: Empire of the Ants

Buy The Food of the Gods novel: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk

WH

‘The deranged descent of a woman unchained’

A Woman’s Torment is a 1977 American adult horror film written, produced and directed by Roberta Findlay [as Robert W. Norman] (Prime Evil; Lurkers; Blood Sisters; Snuff). It stars Tara Chung, Marlene Willoughby, Jennifer Jordan and Michael Gaunt.

Don and his wife Frances have been struggling in their marriage. Frances’s mentally ill sister, Karen, who lives with them, is taking a toll on their romance and as such, the Comptons have been considering having her committed to an asylum.

Upon overhearing their plans, Karen runs away, taking refuge in an empty house on a remote beach. But slowly her grip on reality diminishes, giving way to increasingly violent delusions and an ever-growing bloodlust…

On October 24, 2017, A Woman’s Torment is released on Blu-ray + DVD by Vinegar Syndrome, newly restored in 2K from the 35mm negative, along with its never before seen extended R rated version.

• Region free widescreen 1.85:1 Blu-ray + DVD combo pack
• Commentary track with Roberta Findlay
• Video interview with Michael Gaunt (actor)
• Includes both the X and R rated edits
• Quad Cinema screening Q&A with Roberta Findlay
• Reversible cover artwork
• English SDH subtitles

Reviews:

Known mainly for its excessively gory violence, A Woman’s Torment is one of the more interesting titles to come out of the late 70s NYC scene. Roberta Findlay is adept at creating good suspense throughout the film and she skilfully combines noirish antics with despotic nihilism.” Adult DVD Talk

” …A Woman’s Torment is probably one of the best erotic horror films ever made. And while I love Marlene Willoughby and Crystal Sync, who are not only two of the most attractive actresses working the f*ck film circuit, their acting is top notch, I have to say, I was deeply impressed by the performance given by newcomer Tara Chung.” House of Self Indulgence

” …the scenes involving the woman’s slow breakdown were shot extremely well […] The sound effects were actually good, the editing from reality to the hallucination was very good and overall I thought the film had a pretty good atmosphere. The best thing about the movie was Chung who was at least believable in the role…” Michael Elliott

IMDb

The Iron Rose – original title: La Rose de Fer – is a 1973 French horror drama film directed by Jean Rollin (Shiver of the Vampires; Fascination; The Grapes of Death; et al) from a screenplay co-written with Maurice Lemaître, based on a 19th century poem by Tristan Corbière.

The film stars Françoise Pascal (Burke & Hare; Incense for the Damned), Hugues Quester, Nathalie Perrey, Mireille Dargent and Michel Dalessalle.

A young woman and man encounter each other at a wedding reception and arrange a date. They meet at a railway station and go for a picnic and bike ride. They arrive at the entrance of a lonely cemetery and go inside…

Buy Blu-ray or DVD: Amazon.co.uk

Review:

After several sexy, surreal vampire films, this was a more personal movie for Jean Rollin – a bizarre, essentially plotless study of madness and the love of death that oozes with atmosphere and striking visuals.

The film follows two thinly drawn characters – a young woman (Françoise Pascal) and a young man (Hugues Quester) as they meet at a wedding and set up a date the next day.

This eventually takes them to a huge, ancient cemetery, where he convinces her to make out in a tomb. But when they emerge, it’s night time, and they cannot find their way out. As they wander around looking for the exit, the girl becomes more and more fixated – possibly possessed – by the spirits of the dead, and the boy becomes increasingly aggressive and desperate.

While Rollin drops hints of sinister things to come early on – the cemetery seems to have a resident vampire, who we see briefly, and its fair share of sinister looking visitors, including the director himself – the film quickly evolves from being another entry in his erotic vampire series into something very unique – closer to the works of Alain Resnais or Luis Buñuel (after all, his The Exterminating Angel also features people inexplicably trapped in a location).

The cemetery, in daytime a run down, atmospheric pace of the dead, at night becomes a maze and possibly an alternative universe – and it is the atmosphere more than any supernatural aspect that I suspect possesses the girl. Apart from a quick fantasy trip to Rollin’s favourite beach location (a chance to have Pascal frolic naked in a film otherwise devoid of blatant nudity and eroticism), the film never leaves this increasingly claustrophobic location, and neither do its two leads.

Pascal – almost painfully sexy – gives a remarkable performance. Rollin’s films are not generally known for their acting, but he undoubtedly had the ability to draw a melancholic sense of necromanticism from his better actresses (he would do a similar thing, albeit less effectively, in The Living Dead Girl years later). Pascal seems possessed by her character – her transition from terror to acceptance to a strange joy being remarkable, as she moves from peril to pleasure in a way that is intense and unnerving. Her smile at the film’s finale is chilling.

If you need to convince people that Rollin deserves to be seen in the same light as other European arthouse filmmakers of the Sixties and Seventies, then this is probably the film to begin with. As a horror film, it’s really a non-starter, but as a work of art, it’s amongst the best you’ll see.

Visually stunning, atmospheric and unforgettable, this is a highlight of Rollin’s filmography and of French cinema in general. Even if his vampire films don’t appeal, I suggest you give this a try – you won’t regret it.

David Flint, Horrorpedia

Other reviews:

“The Iron Rose keeps the horror just out of viewers peripheral and lets the actors convey through their actions, words and facial expressions their terror. One of the film strong assets is Françoise Pascal who beauty and nativity pull us in for this dark sinister journey in which two people let their fears separate them from the one common goal they once shared.” Michael Den Boer, 10K Bullets

” …The Iron Rose isn’t particularly violent, and aside from a dream sequence set on a beach, doesn’t feature nudity or sex. And yet, despite all this, I found the movie absolutely spellbinding. At night, the Amiens cemetery (which is huge) takes on an almost otherworldly quality, and with gothic headstones stretching as far as the eye can see, it’s a damn creepy place.” Dave Becker, 2,500 Movies Challenge

“It’s not a very long movie, but it starts to drag a bit here, as the suspense regarding their “escape” from the cemetery is completely deflated, with The Boy not even in the picture at this point and her just having a grand old time. So like a few of his others, going in expecting a horror movie is a bit of a disservice; it’s closer to a tragic romance than horror, really.” Brian W. Collins, Horror Movie a Day

“Jean Rollin makes do with only two characters, yet they go through so much in its brief eighty minute run time, that the film never feels anything less than compelling. The claustrophobia of the cemetery is a beautiful device to explore the natures of these two characters, and The Iron Rose is an excellent example of what can be done with very little in the way of resources. Highly recommended.” Charlie Hobbs, Screen Anarchy

Buy Blu-ray: Amazon.com

Filming locations:

Amiens, Somme, France

Wikipedia | IMDb

‘A pretty co-ed’s part-time job leads to a bizarre payoff!’

Scream Pretty Peggy – aka Scream, Pretty Peggy – is a 1973 American made-for-television horror film directed by Gordon Hessler (Scream and Scream Again; Cry of the Banshee; The Oblong Box; et al) from a screenplay by Jimmy Sangster (Fear in the Night; Dracula; The Curse of Frankenstein; et al) and Arthur Hoffe. It stars Bette Davis, Ted Bessell and Sian Barbara Allen.

The film was broadcast as the ABC Movie of the Week on November 24, 1973.

Peggy is a college student and aspiring artist who works as a housekeeper in the mansion of mysterious recluse Mrs. Elliott and her oddball sculptor son Jeffrey.

Peggy becomes suspicious when George Thornton comes to the house looking for his missing daughter, who once worked in the position she now holds, and even more so when she learns Jeffrey’s sister, whom she was led to believe was on an extended European vacation, is “hopelessly insane’ and living in the apartment above the garage.

Undaunted by warnings from her employer, Peggy is determined to befriend Jennifer, a decision that leads to terrifying events…

Reviews:

“If you wanna see an original and fresh TV-movie that delivers something you never seen before, this is not the movie for you – but it’s still highly competent, intelligently written and with a couple of very creepy scenes and an OK twist at the end.” Fred Anderson, Schmollywood Babylon

” …cobbled together from various other stories (most notably Psycho), there are a few sharp flashes thrown into the mix. Those wonderfully chilling moments are a testament to Hessler’s adept direction, and Bob Prince’s unnerving score. Despite the story’s limitations they create a tension that lies thick on the contemporary gothic telethriller.”Amanda Reyes, Are You in the House Alone? A TV Movie Compendium 1964 – 1999 

Buy: Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com | Amazon.ca

“Although more cliché ridden than a thousand hipsters, there are several elements to this 1973 made-for-television movie that raise its ass above the chaff; the killer in a long flowing nightie with disheveled hair is tops for one. The image is not used enough but it’s grand and slasher worthy.” Lance Vaughan, Kindertrauma

“Scream Pretty Peggy is a simplistic, enjoyable telehorror with coy slasher overtones. Both Allen and Bessell (from TV’s That Girl) deliver solid performances while screen legend Davis is in fine form as the boozy Mrs. Elliott. With a memorable shock ending, this rare effort is worth seeking out.” The Terror Trap

“Other than the lazy plot twist, and some nitpicky elements here and there, it was a decent film. I was entertained and had fun watching it.” Slack Jaw Punks

“There was no originality in this film, save for Davis showing how she can even brighten the line readings of crappy dialogue. The recipe for this film is like one of Kathy Mitchell’s Dump Cakes. Take — 3/4 cup Psycho 1/4 cup Die! Die! My Darling! 1/4 cup “House of Wax. Bake, edit, and the results are “Scream Pretty Peggy!” The Raving Queen

“Blatantly plagiaristic TV-movie rip-off of Robert Bloch’s Psycho utilizing predictable plot devices.” John Stanley, Creature Features

Just missing the “classic suspense/horror movie” category, this film ends up a camp classic, not quite awful, not great, but worth watching due to the stars.” Michael Karol, The ABC Movie of the Week

Buy: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.ca

Choice dialogue:

Jeffrey Elliott: “I was trying to portray the ultimate in evil. I don’t think I have succeeded.”

Jeffrey Elliott: “Art’s only obligation is to touch people’s emotions. Whatever emotions.”

Main cast and characters:

• Bette Davis as Mrs. Elliott – Wicked Stepmother; The Watcher in the Woods; The Dark Secret of Harvest Home; Burnt Offerings; The Nanny; Hush…Hush, Sweet Charlotte; What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? 
• Ted Bessell as Jeffrey Elliott – The Alfred Hitchcock Hour (TV series, ‘Thou Still Unravished Bride’)
• Sian Barbara Allen as Peggy Johns – You’ll Like My Mother
• Christiane Schmidtmer as Jennifer Elliott
• Charles Drake as George Thornton – The Screaming Woman; It Came from Outer Space; The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939)
• Allan Arbus as Doctor Eugene Saks – Damien: Omen II
• Jessica Rains as Girl in Office
• Christiane Schmidtmer as Jennifer Elliot
• Tovah Feldshuh as Agnes Thornton – Angelica; The Walking Dead; Silver Bullet; Terror Out of the Sky; The World of Darkness;

Filming locations:

The Noah Dietrich estate above the Sunset Strip in Hollywood, California, USA
Universal Studios – Universal City, California, USA

Trivia:

The horrific sculptures were the work of Don Chandler who went on to sculpt Bruce the shark for Jaws (1975).

Production designer Joe Alves went on to direct Jaws 3-D in 1983.

Offline reading:

Do You Want It Good or Tuesday? From Hammer Films to Hollywood! A Life in the Movies by Jimmy Sangster, Midnight Marquee Press

Wikipedia | IMDb | Image credits: Slack Jaw Punks

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‘Up from the depths of Hell comes the ultimate horror!’

Demonoid – aka Macabra – is a 1980 [released 1981] Mexican supernatural horror film produced and directed by Alfredo Zacarías (The Bees; Capulina contra las momias) from a screenplay co-written with David Lee Fein (Cheerleader Camp) and F. Amos Powell (Keep My Grave Open; Curse of the Stone Hand; Tower of London). Samantha Eggar and Stuart Whitman star.

Robert Burns (The Texas Chain Saw Massacre) is credited with “special effects art direction”.

300 years ago, in a mine located in Guanajuato, Mexico. A satanic cult built a temple where they sacrificed humans to the Devil by cutting off the left hand of their victims.

In the present day, couple Mark (Roy Cameron Jensen) and Jennifer Baines (Eggar) explore the temple where they find a small casket containing a severed hand which they take back to their hotel room.

Later that night, Mark opens the casket and is attacked and possessed by the hand. Fleeing to Las Vegas, he wins a fortune by gambling. Hating being possessed, Mark attempts to sever his left hand but is burned to death by his possessed hand. Mark’s body is shipped to Los Angeles for burial.

Jennifer arrives at Father Cunningham’s church where her husband is to be buried and warns the priest that her husband might still be possessed and requests that an autopsy be performed on the body. As they discuss the matter, Mark’s severely charred corpse reanimates and bursts from his coffin and escapes…

Buy Vinegar Syndrome Blu-ray + DVD: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk

• Blu-ray/DVD Combo | Region Free | 1.85:1 OAR
• Restored in 2k from 35mm camera negative
• All extras on both Blu-ray and DVD
• Alternate International version: Macabra (90 min)
• New video interview with Director Alfredo Zacarias
• Multiple theatrical trailers and TV spot
• Original artwork gallery
• Reversible Macabra artwork
• Optional French soundtrack for Macabra
• English SDH subtitles for both Demonoid and Macabra

Review:

Oft remembered but best quickly forgotten entry to the surprisingly well-populated sub-genre of ‘mad hands’ movies (see also the likes of The Beast With Five Fingers, The Hands of Orlac, The Hand, to name but three).

Sadly, this is probably the runt of the litter with unremarkable acting (though it’s admittedly difficult to deliver the line “Cut off my hand and you die!” with Shakespearean authority), so-so effects and an ending that makes you wonder why you bothered, it is at least a fun reminder of the standard of probably one in three of your video rentals made on the basis of the front cover and ‘inventive’ plot info on the back.

Daz Lawrence, Horrorpedia

Other reviews:

“Outrageous in concept yet stolid in execution, Demonoid tries and fails to translate the unique tone of Mexican horror, with its strangely matter-of-fact approach to surrealistic subject matter, into an American milieu. Zacarias’ static direction scuppers whatever suspense is conjured by the atmospheric production design of Javier Torres Torijia…” Andrew Pragasm, The Spinning Image

” …the movie throws logic and buildup out the window in favor of more and more killer hand attacks. That’s a good thing, and each and every one of these scenes is pretty awesome and they are directed and performed with an impressive amount of energy. Eggar is pretty fun to watch here as the female lead.” Ian Jane, Rock! Shock! Pop!

“A strongly cast and well-mounted production, Demonoid‘s absurd plot […] is kept engaging through its “everything but the kitchen sink” plotting, satisfying gore (courtesy of Hell Night‘s Ken Horn), and some genuine nastiness.” Eric Cotenas, DVD Drive-In

” …a meandering, confusing storyline […] viewers will be struggling just as hard as Whitman to make sense of it all.” John Stanley, Creature Features

“ …Demonoid is the junkier trash cinema option (complete with extra flourishes like negative flash cuts of people’s hands and occasional cutaways to an Exorcist-inspired, sword-wielding demon), while Macabra is a more traditional, coherent supernatural yarn and a more accomplished, atmospheric piece of work.” Nathaniel Thompson, Mondo Digital

“Trust me: Watching a panicked Whitman stumble about the room with a supernatural paw clutching his face is Something to See. (Perhaps those of you with the DTs have seen it before.) The swift, schlock shocker is Eggar’s show and she goes to town with it like an ol’ pro. Never is this more apparent than the real sour apple of a surprise ending.” Rod Lott, Flick Attack

‘The gore and gratuitous nudity in the opening flashback are the highlights of this ugly, sleazy Mexican co-production. It probably would have been even uglier and sleazier if it had had a real budget, but as it is, you need to endure 20 minutes of boredom between each of the few gore scenes.”David Elroy Goldweber, Claws & Saucers

Buy: Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com | Amazon.ca

“And while this is technically an 80s horror, it’s 1981 and foreign, so it retains a lot of that 70s atmosphere. Don’t come in expecting a Hellraiser or Nightmare on Elm St.; but this is a pretty well-crafted, fun horror film that keeps things entertaining, without getting juvenile or cheap.” John W. McKelvey, DVD Exotica

“A really awful “hand” movie […] Whitman outdoes a number of bad performances by demonstrating both his Spanish and Irish accents while playing the same character.” TV Guide

Main cast:

• Samantha Eggar … Jennifer Baines – Curtains; The Brood; A Name for Evil; The Dead Are Alive; Dr. Crippen
• Stuart Whitman … Father Cunningham – Deadly Intruder; Tales from the Darkside; The Monster Club; Guyana: Cult of the Damned; Ruby; Eaten Alive; The Cat Creature; Night Gallery; Tender Flesh; Night of the Lepus
• Roy Cameron Jenson … Mark Baines – Soylent Green
• Narciso Busquets … Dr. Julian Rivkin
• Erika Carlsson … Nurse Morgan – The Devil’s Rain
• Lew Saunders … Sgt. Leo Matson
• José Chávez Trowe … Pepe
• Ted White … Frankie – The Hidden
• Haji [as Hajo Catton] … Angela
• George Soviak … Sgt. Needham
• Whitey Hughes … Gambler
• Al Jones … Patrolman Yates

Alternate titles:

• Demonoid: Messenger of Death
• Macabra
• Macabra: La Mano del Diablo

Filming locations:

Bronson Caves, Bronson Canyon, Griffith Park, Los Angeles, California, USA
Churubusco Studios, Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico
Guanajuato, Mexico
Oxnard, California, USA
Sands Hotel – 3355 Las Vegas Boulevard South, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

‘2nd Big Hit “Demonioid”

Wikipedia | IMDb | Horrorpedia rating *

Buy poster: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk

‘A nice place to visit… but no place to live.’

Welcome to Arrow Beach is a 1973 [released 1974] American horror film directed by and starring actor Lawrence Harvey who died of stomach cancer on 25 November 1973. Stuart Whitman, Joanna Pettet, John Ireland and Meg Foster also star.

The film has also been released as Tender Flesh; And No-One Would Believe Her; Deranged and Cold Storage.

The film opens with the following written statement: ‘There is a witch’s tale that once a man has eaten human flesh, he will do it again. And again. And again.’

A hippie girl wandering on a California beach is taken in by a Korean War veteran who lives in a nearby mansion with his sister. The girl soon begins to suspect that the mansion is home to some very strange goings-on involving murder and cannibalism…

Reviews:

“The film simply doesn’t know what it wants to be. It’s a horror movie that forgets it’s a horror movie. I haven’t seen a picture change its way as much as this without Ray Dennis Steckler’s name on the credits.” Hal Astell, Apocalypse Later

“A good film could be made about a psychopathic recluse who has a chamber of horrors in his house where he cuts up and eats people. And of course it was made. By Tobe Hooper. That same year. On the other hand, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre doesn’t have a theme song sung by Lou Rawls, so maybe it evens out.” Marxo Grouch, Plate O’Shrimp

“Starting with a long shot of a nudist beach sets the pervading theme of voyeurism. This is then added to other interesting themes … sleaze, murder, madness and mayhem! Trust me, this movie is never boring.” Jon Kelly, Slasherama

“An unpleasant but absorbing horror film that has acquired a modicum of cult status.” John Elliot, Elliot’s Guide to Films on Video

“ …inept and distasteful.” Variety, 15 May 1974

Cast and characters:

• Laurence Harvey as Jason Henry – Night Watch
• Joanna Pettet as Grace Henry – The Evil
• Stuart Whitman as Deputy Rakes – Deadly Intruder; Tales from the Darkside; The Monster Club; Guyana: Cult of the Damned; Ruby; Eaten Alive; The Cat Creature; Night Gallery; Tender Flesh; Night of the Lepus
• John Ireland as Sheriff Duke Bingham – The House of Seven Corpses; Satan’s Cheerleaders; Incubus
• Meg Foster as Robbin Stanley – They Live; The Lords of Salem; Haunted: 333
• Gloria LeRoy as Ginger
• David Macklin as Alex Heath
• Dodie Heath as Felice
• Altovise Davis as Deputy Molly
• Elizabeth St. Clair as Head Nurse
• Robert Lussier as Deputy Lippencourt
• Jesse Vint as Hot Rod Driver
• Tony Ballen as Pharmacist
• John Hart as Doctor
• Andy Romano as Bryant
• Florence Lake as Landlady

Filming locations:

5 February to early March 1973 in Santa Barbara, California, USA

Release:

The original UK cinema release featured the full uncut print. Warner Brothers later relinquished the rights and it was then picked up by Brut Pictures who heavily re-edited it by around 15 minutes, removing most of the cannibalism elements. At the time of writing, is yet to achieve a legitimate DVD release.

Buy VHS: Amazon.com

Buy VHS: Amazon.co.uk

IMDb | AFI | Horrorpedia rating **

Image credits: Classic Horror Film Board | Wrong Side of the Art!

‘It’s not nice to fool with Mother Nature…… it can be Horrifying! Even to Them!

The Mutations is a 1974 British science fiction horror film directed by Jack Cardiff from a screenplay by producer Robert D. Weinbach and Edward Mann (Island of Terror; Cauldron of Blood; Seizure). The film was also released under the title The Freakmaker.

Professor Nolter (Donald Pleasence), a deranged genetic scientist, is conducting bizarre experiments, combining the DNA of plants and humans. Unfortunately, his eccentric studies have the side-effect of creating disfigured mutants. He strikes up an odd partnership with Lynch, the disfigured owner of a circus freak show, who begs Nolter to help him look ‘normal’.

Nolter makes a bargain, promising to perform the operation in return for Lynch bringing him young human guinea pigs to experiment on. As more and more people go missing, the deformed collective decide to fight back…

Review:

Though more famous as one of Britain’s greatest ever cinematographers (African Queen and Death on the Nile), Jack Cardiff had several forays into directing, with this being the last.

The film is a rich seventies relaunch of Tod Browning’s Freaks, heavy on style and the exploration of the dark corners of society and not skimping on the unusual-looking sideshow performers, many of whom were played by people with ‘unique qualities’, something which immediately sets the film apart from the cinematic crowd.

Tom Baker is all but unrecognisable, save for a hat and scarf which bear more than a passing resemblance to his outfit from Doctor Who but delivers a fantastically engaging performance as a man at the end of his tether, approaching a complete breakdown, all the more remarkable due to him being buried under many layers of make-up and prosthetics.

Pleasence had perfected the role of crackpot scientist in many roles before, though was actually a replacement for the intended Vincent Price. Others in the cast are also worthy of mention; Norwegian Julie Ege (Voluptua from Up Pompeii, Craze and Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires), Brad Harris (Lady Dracula; usually found somewhere in Europe as Hercules, he also served as one of the film’s producers) all nice to see in what is a resolutely British film.

The cast of unusual looking actors, from the pop-eyed to the dermatologically-challenged, includes the wonderful Michael Dunn, a sufferer of dwarfism, who whilst most famous for TV roles had also appeared in Frankenstein’s Castle of Freaks and Werewolf of Washington the previous year. Sadly, The Mutations was to be his last screen role.

Unashamed to wear its influences on its sleeve (there is a re-enactment of the ‘we accept you’ banquet scene from Freaks), it is worth remembering that Tod Browning’s movie was still banned in Britain and had been for some time, meaning that the film was almost unique for the audience at the time. Critics gave the film a rather unkind reception, accusing it of exploiting the actors for cheap scares.

The score is also an aural feast to the ears: a jazzy, intriguing sonic soup from the renowned British composer, Basil Kirchin. Without the same punchy moral power of Freaks and a slightly undecided plot veering from the mad scientist to the sensitive character development of Lynch too quickly to satisfy the audience’s appreciation of either, The Mutations is still a classic British combination of bizarre visuals and uncompromising ideas.

Daz Lawrence, Horrorpedia

Audio commentary with writer/producer Robert Weinbach and actor/associate producer Brad Harris, moderated by Norman Hill
2nd commentary with director Jack Cardiff and Norman Hill
Featurette: How to Make A Freak: including interviews with Jack Cardiff, Brad Harris, and Robert Weinbach
Still gallery
Talent bios
Trailers
Special packaging includes:
lobby card reproductions
original poster art reproduction
reversal jacket with photo montage on the inside cover

Buy DVD: Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com

Other reviews:

“In Freaks, Browning’s clinical direction impelled his audience to feel simultaneous respect and revulsion for the title characters. By comparison, the total lack of sincerity surrounding The Mutations, and Cardiff’s superficial, rudimentary approach to his material, relegate the film to the level of pure exploitation.” Caolin Pahlow, BFI Monthly Film Bulletin (January, 1975)

“The episodes in the circus, shot in Battersea Park, are made to feel all the more tawdry by the dreary setting, which conveys nothing but the paucity of imagination and budget. This impression is reinforced by the dismal photography of veteran Paul Beeson who, despite using an array of colour filters, fails to inject any life into the scenes. In contrast, the extraordinary time-lapse plant photography of Ken Middleton looks spectacular even when viewed four decades later; it is just a pity that the rest of the film could not rise to his level.” John Hamilton, X-Cert 2: The British Independent Horror Film: 1971 – 1983

Buy: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk

” … it’s got a lot of agreeably nuts moments in it but, especially in the first half, they’re kept apart by a lot of interminable talky scenes. Nolter bangs on about human-plant hybrids, the sideshow freaks grumble about their working conditions and the students babble a load of old nonsense about LSD trips.” Jumble Sale Frenzy!

“I was entertained, excited, and even mildly shocked by this picture. Donald Pleasence, as the cold-hearted professor, gives an understated performance, but the film as a whole does not hold itself back. Tom Baker wears Elephant Man-style makeup for his role as the professor’s assistant and thug, and he is quite frightening.” David Elroy Goldweber, Claws & Saucers

Buy: Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com | Amazon.ca

Filming locations:

Oakley Court, Oakley Green, Windsor, Berkshire, England
Battersea Fun Fair, Battersea Park, Battersea, London, England
Pinewood Studios, Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, England

George ‘Buck’ Flower – October 28, 1937 – June 18, 2004 – was an American actor, writer, producer, assistant director, production manager, and casting director.

Born in the Blue Mountains of Eastern Oregon, Flower enlisted in the army as a teenager and enrolled at Eastern Oregon College following his military service. He then moved to California and attended Pasadena City College, becoming a member of the repertory theatre group. From here, his career took in over a hundred appearances in film, both in front and behind the camera – these included a great number of horror and genre films, in which, most regularly, he appeared as a bum-type character.

Flower was never afraid of using his physical appearance – he was always somewhat overweight and had the facial features which, politely, lent themselves to someone who was happy to play the drunk; tramp; hobo; crazy old guy in the background.

His wide variety of roles in sometimes jarringly different genres, led to him acting under a number of different names: Ernest Wall, Buck Flower, George “Buck” Flower, George Flower, Buck Flowers, Igor, Sherman Backus, Mick Courter, C. D. LaFleur, C.D. LaFleure, C.D. Lafleuer, and C.D. Lafleur!

Flower’s early film career saw him appearing, often un-credited, in adult comedies (often with the emphasis on the sexual rather than the chortlesome). Beginning with 1970’s Country Cuzzins, through gems such as Satan’s Lust (1971), The Sex Prophet (1973, as Igor) and Suckula (1973), he found himself much favoured by notorious producer, Harry H. Novak, the first of many producers and directors who would latch onto the actor and feature him numerous times.

Suckula (1973)

By 1975, Flower was beginning to get “named” roles in films: the likes of Candy Tangerine Man (1975); Criminally Insane (1975) and Johnny Firecloud have seen reissues and minor cult followings in the years since, though it was as Binz in the same year’s Ilsa: She-Wolf of the S.S. that he achieved his first named role in a film that has attained a level of meaningful standing (of sorts).

Flower also appeared in Ilsa, Harem Keeper of the Oil Sheiks in 1976 and a film which achieved a level of infamy which even outranked these, The Witch Who Came in From the Sea, banned by the BBFC in the UK and one of the 72 titles on the infamous ‘video nasties’ list. His daughter, Verkina Flower, also appeared in the film as a youthful flashback of Molly – one of a handful of onscreen and off-screen roles she had in horror and genre films. Buck also acted as casting director on the film.

Flower was seemingly always working – tiny, often uncredited, roles in forgettable fare – Devil’s Ecstasy (1976); Drive In Massacre (1976 – he was a suspect with a machete, but also co-writer of the screenplay); Killer’s Delight (1978) had the actor in blink and you miss it parts, though 1980’s role as a drunk (of course) fisherman in The Fog (1980), saw the first of no fewer than six John Carpenter films appearing on his CV.  His breakout role was typically under-key yet in keeping with his stock trade – that of “bum” in 1985’s Back to the Future (as well as its sequel).

Back to the Future (1985)

Flower fit a huge amount of TV work (the usual opportunities for bit-part actors – The Dukes of Hazzard; NYPD Blue; L.A. Law) around further horror film roles – notably, Maniac Cop (1988); Pumpkinhead (1988); Sorority Babes in the Slimeball Bowl-o-Rama (1988), though even these gave way to sequels which were best left forgotten – 976-EVIL II and Waxwork II: Lost in Time being typical. One of his last horror genre roles was in Wishmaster – inevitably as “homeless man”. Flower died from cancer, aged sixty-six, in 2004.

They Live (1988)

Selected filmography:

Satan’s Lust (1971)

The Daring Dobermans (1973)

The Devil and Leroy Bassett (1973)

Sucklula (1973)

Criminally Insane (1975)

The Candy Tangerine Man (1975)

Johnny Firecloud (1975)

Ilsa: She-Wolf of the S.S. (1975)

Invisible Man (TV series, 1975)

The Witch Who Came in From the Sea (1976)

Ilsa, Harem of the Oil Sheiks (1976)

Deep Jaws (1976)

Devil’s Ecstasy (1976 , voice only)

Drive-In Massacre (1976)

Killer’s Delight (1978)

The Capture of Bigfoot (1979)

The Fog (1980)

Escape from New York (1981)

Starman (1984)

Back to the Future (1985)

The Night Stalker (1986)

Berserker (1987)

Bates Motel (TV movie, 1987)

Sorority Babes in the Slimeball Bowl-o-Rama (1987)

Maniac Cop (1988)

Pumpkinhead (1988)

Cheerleader Camp (1988)

They Live (1988)

The American Scream (1988)

Death Nurse 2 (1988)

Speak of the Devil (1989)

Sundown: The Vampire in Retreat (1989)

Back to the Future Part II (1989)

Relentless (1989)

Spontaneous Combustion (1989)

Dead Men Don’t Die (1990)

Puppet Master II (1990)

Blood Games (1990)

Camp Fear (1991)

976-EVIL II (1991)

Waxwork II: Lost in Time (1992)

Mirror Images (1992)

Munchie (1992)

Warlock: The Armageddon (1993)

Body Bags (The Gas Station segment,1993)

Ripper Man (1995)

Village of the Damned (1995)

Dark Breed (1996)

Bloodsuckers (1997)

Skeletons (TV movie, 1997)

Wishmaster (1997)

The Curse of the Komodo (2004)

They Are Among Us (2004)

‘If this picture doesn’t make your skin crawl… it’s on TOO TIGHT.’

Black Christmas – also released as Silent Night, Evil Night and Stranger in the House – is a 1974 Canadian slasher horror film co-produced and directed by Bob Clark (Deathdream; Murder by Decree) from a screenplay by A. Roy Moore. It stars Olivia Hussey, Keir Dullea, Margot Kidder and John Saxon.

The film follows a group of college students who must face a deranged serial killer lurking in their sorority house. The movie was inspired by an urban legend called “The Babysitter and the Man Upstairs“, but was also largely based on a series of murders that took place in Quebec, Canada around Christmas time. It is generally considered to be one of the first North American slasher films.

A remake of the same name, executive produced by Clark, was released on 25 December 2006.

Buy: Amazon.com

Disc 1:
• NEW2016 2K scan of the negative (1.85:1) – DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, DTS-HD Master Audio Mono
• Audio Commentary with director Bob Clark
• Audio Commentary with actors John Saxon and Keir Dullea
• Audio Commentary with Billy (actor Nick Mancuso)
• Audio interview with director Bob Clark

Disc 2:
• 2006 Critical Mass HD Master (1.78:1) – DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
• Film and Furs – Remembering Black Christmas with Art Hindle
• Victims and Virgins – Remembering Black Christmas with Lynne Griffin
• Black Christmas Legacy
• 40th Anniversary Panel at FanExpo 2014 featuring John Saxon, Art Hindle, Lynne Griffin & Nick Mancuso
• On Screen!: Black Christmas featurette
• 12 Days of Black Christmas featurette
• Black Christmas Revisited featurette
• Archival Interviews with Olivia Hussey, Art Hindle, Margot Kidder, Bob Clark, & John Saxon
• Midnight Screening Q&A with Bob Clark, John Saxon and Carl Zittrer
• Two scenes with a new vocal soundtrack
• Original Theatrical Trailers (English and French)
• Original TV and Radio Spots
• Alternative Title Sequences
• Still Gallery

A sorority house is terrorized by a stranger who makes frightening phone calls and then murders the sorority sisters during Christmas break….

Reviews:

“What really makes this film are the scares. The first attack is a great seat-jumper, and from there Clark delivers one powerful jolt after another. The close-ups of the killer’s eyes, reminiscent of The Spiral Staircase, are guaranteed to induce chills, and the wintry Canadian setting spotted with colorful splashes of Christmas lights manage to create a shuddery, chilling effect…” Nathaniel Thompson, Mondo Digital

“A languid middle act flirts with tar-heeled pacing while setting up red herrings via Art Hindle in a fur coat and Keir Dullea sweating at a piano recital.  “Black Christmas” never really goes for a full-on murder mystery despite these setups, though the purposefully unresolved conclusion can leave modern audiences scratching scalps in frustration.” Ian Sedensky, Culture Crypt

Buy: Amazon.com

“Bob Clark, Black Christmas‘ director, not only managed to create one of the few truly frightening films, but also successfully managed to inject it with humour. Mixing horror and humour usually results in a trite mess – the film typically being neither horrifying or funny. However Clark understands the one basic rule of using both in a horror film – the scary parts should never be played for laughs.” Hysteria Lives!

“This is a film more about atmosphere than body counts, and there’s more disturbing content in Billy’s schizophrenic, threatening phone calls than in any of the few scenes of violence. It is this creepiness that makes Black Christmas a widely regarded horror film that should be of interest to all horror fans no matter what nationality.” Canuxploitation

Buy 101 Films Blu-ray + DVD: Amazon.co.uk

” …the atmosphere of the goings-on are dark and serious and we truly know and care about the characters involved. The key to the whole film’s success, however, is “Billy.” The mysterious caller is not only one of the scariest on-screen presences ever committed to film, but also his menacing presence is felt even when he’s off-screen, throughout the entire film.” Wes Ray, DVD Drive-In 

“Black Christmas is a pretty smart film and deserves to have a wider viewing.  It is a little dated stylistically, but it still holds up.  The twist ending isn’t bad, but also has possibly the worst police work in the history of movies.” JP Roscoe, Basement Rejects

” …a browner’s sycophantic effort to sidle up to lower US taste for cheap thrills and fast cash […] anti-female stock horror caper.” Natalie Edwards, Cinema Canada, January 1975

Buy: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.ca

Cast and characters:

• Olivia Hussey as Jess Bradford – It (1990); The Cat and the Canary
• Keir Dullea as Peter Smythe – Full Circle;
• Margot Kidder as Barbara Coard – The Reincarnation of Peter Proud; Sisters
• John Saxon as Lt. Kenneth Fuller – Night Caller from Outer Space, A Nightmare on Elm Street; Cannibal Apocalypse
• Marian Waldman as Mrs. MacHenry – Deranged
• Andrea Martin as Phyllis Carlson – Cannibal Girls
• James Edmond as Mr. Harrison
• Douglas “Doug” McGrath as Sergeant Nash
• Arthur “Art” Hindle as Chris Hayden
• Lynne Griffin as Clare Harrison
• Michael Rapport as Patrick Cornell
• Leslie “Les” Carlson as Bill Graham
• Martha Gibson as Mrs. Quaife
• John Rutter as Laughing Detective
• Dave Clement as Cogan
• Julian Reed as Officer Jennings
• Bob Clark as Billy’s Shadow [uncredited]
• Nick Mancuso as Billy / Phone Voice [uncredited] – Lost Souls; Death Ship; Nightwing

Release:

Black Christmas was officially released on October 11, 1974, in Canada through Ambassador Film Distributors, and in the United States on December 20, 1974, through Warner Bros., where it grossed $4,053,000. It was released in October 1975 in New York City and Chicago, and previously played under the title Silent Night, Evil Night in Virginia in July 1975. It grossed over $4,053,000 internationally, managing to earn more than the film’s budget of $620,000.

When released in the UK, the BBFC removed several sexual references during the first obscene phone call.

Buy DVD: Amazon.co.uk

Trivia:

The film’s original title was Stop Me

Wikipedia | IMDb

WH

Suzanna Leigh (26 July 1945 – 11 December 2017) was a British actress, primarily known for her film and television roles in the 1960s and 1970s.

Born Sandra Eileen Anne Smith on 26 July 1945, Leigh grew up in Berkshire, England. She began working in films while still a child, appearing as an extra. She then changed her name to Suzanna Leigh, whilst under the tutelage of her godmother, Vivien Leigh.

Having appeared in Hollywood movies such as the comedy comedy Boeing Boeing (1965) and Elvis Presley vehicle Paradise, Hawaiian Style (1966), Leigh returned to the UK and starred as heroine Vicki Robbins in the Robert Bloch scripted Amicus production The Deadly Bees (1966).

For Hammer Films, she appeared in Michael Carreras’ idiosyncratic fantasy The Lost Continent (1968) as Unity Webster, one of steamer ship passengers who find themselves marooned in a mist-enshrouded Sargasso Sea surrounded by killer seaweed, murderous crustaceans and previously marooned descendants of Spanish Conquistadores and pirates. For fans of strange cinema, this is a must-see.

Leigh was also in Hammer’s Journey to the Unknown TV series, Lust for a Vampire (1971), as the delightfully-named Janet Playfair.

Other horror-related appearances were in Robert Hartford-Davis’ serial killer thriller The Fiend aka Beware my Brethren (1971), and the Harry Nilsson/Ringo Starr vanity project comedy rock horror musical Son of Dracula (1973).

In 2000, she wrote an autobiography, Paradise, Suzanna Style.

Wikipedia | IMDb | Image credits: Cathode Ray Tube

Oltretomba is an Italian ‘fumetti’ horror comic book series created in 1971 by Stanley Baldock and Dino Leonetti and published by Ediperiodici. It became one of the most famous comic series of its type; in the 1970s the series was also published in France, Spain and Germany.

The comic book was published from June 1971 to September 1986. Three hundred issues and several supplements such as ‘colore’ and ‘gigante’ were also released.

Initially, the erotic component was minor but began to grow until by the late 1980s when Otretomba became almost hardcore in content.

List of issues:

1. I morti viventi (Sergio Rosi)
2. L’orrenda maschera (Studio Rosi)
3. La succhiatrice di sangue (Sergio Rosi)
4. Il necrofilo (G.Montanari)
5. La casa degli scheletri (F.Tacconi)
6. La vendetta dei Druidi (I.Pavone)
7. Cuore di cane (F.Tacconi)
8. Maledetti da Dio (A.Bonato)
9. Il teschio di Rasputin (V.Missaglia)
10. Lo strangolatore di Soho
11. Tragico segreto (S.Fenzo)
12. La bara della bambola (Studio Rosi)
13. la note degli orrori (A.Bonato)
14. Requiescat in pace (S.Micheloni)
15. Le statue morte (Sergio Montipò)
16. Il mulino maledetto (F.Tacconi)
17. La droga dei cadaveri (G.Montanari)
18. è la notte di matilda (Sergio Montipò)
19. La cancrena verde (S.Micheloni)
20. Delitto e castigo (F.Tacconi)
21. La lunga agonia di Patty (U.Sammarini)
22. La vendetta di Alboino (F.Tacconi)
23. La quadriglia infernale (Malvesy)
24. le voci del cimitero di kebek (T.Marchioro)
25. orgia di sangue (C.Zuffi)
26. La figlia dei lupi E.Dell’Acqua)
27. i bianchi seni della maimuna (S.Micheloni)
28. la sultana infernale (F.Tacconi)
29. la fredda carezza (S.Fenzo)
30. roberto il diavolo (Malvesy)
31. loscrigno dei maccabei (Malvesy)
32. la vendetta del maligno (Malvesy)
33. tre zombi per una vergine (Segrelles)
34. Il passo del demonio (T.Marchioro)
35. la vendetta dei globi di fuoco (V. De La Fuente)
36. resurrezione
37. il terribile odore di satana (Pena)
38. l’idrofoba (Azpiri)
39. L’orrendo intestino (S.Micheloni)
40. cadavere chiama cadavere (Pena)
41. il cammino delle streghe (O.Benni)
42. gli alberi sognanti (Pena)
43. L’esercito dei morti (Malvesy)
44. lo spettro di robespierre
45. sotto il segno del vampirus (Azpiri)
46. il ritratto che uccide (Studio Rosi)
47. Il diavolo non paga il sabato (Pena)
48. la chiave maledetta ( R.R.)
49. papé satan aleppe (V. De La Fuente)
50. le rosse pupille di hilde (Bellalta)
51. dal ventre della morte (G.Pinto)
52. il segreto del labirinto (Azpiri)
53. i cavalieri dell’apocalisse (Segrelles)
54. filmato satana
55. in caso di sepoltura
56. lo stupro gemellare (Pena)
57. tam tam per uno schiavista (Segrelles)
58. le tragiche notti della candelora (F.Verola)
59. autoritratto di morte
60. torquemada ’70
61. gli immortali di stonehenge (Pena)
62. i fantasmi assassini
63. polvere sei, zombi diventerai! (Malvesy)
64. nebbia verde (Malvesy)
65. madama ghigliottina (Pena)
66. il prestigiatore
67. la città dei mostri
68. il cimitero degli apaches (F.Verola)
69. la condanna del deserto (Segrelles)
70. l’immondo regno (Pena)
71. il mostro della cava di sale (V. De La Fuente)
72. testa o morte (Segrelles)
73. dio maledi il serpente
74. Metempsicosi
75. i marmi vaganti (Azpiri)
76. catacombe infernali (F.Verola)
77. la maledizione dei rochester
78. Reincarnazione (Segrelles)
79. baby killer
80. morbosamente (Ivo Milazzo)
81. il gatto nero (Azpiri)
82. il serpente a due teste (F.Verola)
83. loha il mostro sacro (F.Verola)
84. addio, figli crudeli! (Nadir Quinto)
85. i sesso invasati
86. Cuore di strega (Nadir Quinto)
87. tre passi nell’aldilà (P.Ongaro)
88. Il vicolo misterioso
89. Hydrophobie (F.Verola)
90. Perversione (P.Ongaro)
91. la vergine della notte (Jesus Duran)
92. la sibilla cumana (Azpiri)
93. chiari segni di lussuria (Segrelles)
94. il pupazzo rojo (Studio Rosi)
95. l’ultima curva
96. Un grido dal mare (Aparici)
97. La mano del fantasma (Jesus Duran)
98. il mostro della lussuria
99. Il venditore di morte (Jesus Duran)
100. la giustizia degli inferi
101. la dama bianca di norimberga
102. il ghigno della svastica
103. omicidio legale (G. De Fiore/Studio Rosi)
104. gli occhi che vedevano la morte
105. la sabbia omicida
106. il vizio e la virtù (Pierluigi Del Mas)
107. il letto della virginità
108. adorabilmente gelida (Azpiri)
109. la medium delle stragi (V.Missaglia)
110. gli amanti cannibali (F.Verola)
111. la signora di panama (Azpiri)
112. Mors tua, vita mea (S.Micheloni)
113. la locanda della morte (S.Micheloni)
114. l’urlo di carol
115. la miniera dei diavoli (V.Missaglia)
116. il fiordo della lussuria (M.Cubbino)
117. unosbocco di sangue?
118. nel segno della lucertola (Sergio Rosi)
119. brividi e orgasmi
120. Amanti diabolici (Romano Mangiarano)
121. transfert (F.Verola)
122. le figli della luna (F.Blanc/Studio Giolitti)
123. La schiava numida
124. Il massacratore solitario (M.Cubbino)
125. gli alunni di satana
126. come nasce una strega
127. l’ectoplasma coniugale (F.Blanc)
128. cassa di prima classe (M.Cubbino)
129. lingua di cane
130. condanna senza fine (F.Blanc/Studio Giolitti)
131. l.s.d. (Aparici)
132. Carne fresca (L. Sorgini)
133. l’incubo (F.Blanc/Studio Giolitti)
134. Mostro nascerai (Azpiri)
135. il sepolto vivo
136. sangue per un crociato (Pierluigi Del Mas)
137. il cadavere assassino (S. Micheloni)
138. il seme del coccodrillo (F.Blanc/Studio Giolitti)
139. delitto d’onore
140. stregoneria (S.Romagnoli/Studio Leonetti)
141. piacere rosso (“E.Puttades”)
142. accelera, fred
143. Sangue giovane (Antonio Borrell)
144. Il cadavere insepolto
145. satana minorenne (F.Blanc)
146. bocca a bocca col cadavere
147. Sangue chiama sangue (Sergio Tuis)
148. il profumo di satan
149. Musica crudele (F.Blanc)
150. il tredicesimo tocco
151. l’impuro
152. oro e follia
153. predestinazione (“E.Puttades”)
154. suggestione (F.Blanc)
155. la belva del gevaudan (“Francesco” alias Xavier Musquera)
156. vizi di famiglia (“Vagi”)
157. plante grasse (L.Sorgini)
158. formula magica
159. donna di picche
160. di nome jack. (Studio Leonetti)
161. il sapore della vendetta (Esteban Polls)
162. salto nelle tenebre (F.Blanc)
163. il legionario
164. funesti presagi (Angelo Todaro)
165. il treno fantasma (Antonio Borrell)
166. la fattucchiera (Xavier Musquera)
167. nel segno di nefertis
168. il cembalo scrivano (Juan Aparici)
169. il grande mago
170. la moglie di tutti (V.Missaglia)
171. spiritismo
172. per l’onore (S.Micheloni)
173. il vento e il morto (G. Dalla Santa)
174. scacco matto (G. Dalla Santa)
175. in regata col diavolo? (Jesus Duran)
176. Il becchino (Xavier Musquera)
177. razza animale (Azpiri)
178. lo stregone abissino (Esteban Polls)
179. manicomio criminale (Antonio Borrell)
180. alter ego
181. limbo (Azpiri)
182. il gobbo (Azpiri)
183. la coyotera (G. Dalla Santa)
184. il gatto a dieci code (J.Aparici)
185. il segreto di luxor
186. barbudos
187. la lamia (Sanchez)
188. immonda creatura (Antonio Borrell)
189. lo jettatore (Antonio Borrell)
190. pornoreporter? (Studio Montanari)
191. sinistri cigolii
192. claustrofobia (V.Missaglia)
193. l’urlo della mandragora (Xavier Musquera)
194. sonnambulismo (Jesus Duran)
195. p*rno shop (Studio Montanari)
196. braccio della morte (Sanchez)
197. concerto maledetto (Xavier Musquera)
198. occhio macabro (Pierluigi Del Mas)
199. l’eterno custode (Sanchez)
200. alice nel paese degli orrori (J.Aparici)
201. il fantasma di hiroshima (V.Missaglia)
202. la figlia del vulcano (Pierluigi Del Mas)
203. andante… solenne… con morte! (Antonio Borrell)
204. Agopuntura (Xavier Musquera)
205. numeri fatali (Azpiri)
206. il mahatma
207. fossili (Azpiri)
208. pelle nera (V.Missaglia)
209. mastini (G. Dalla Santa)
210. l’amica erotica (Azpiri)
211. Il bastardo (G. Dalla Santa)
212. Stillicidio (Sanchez)
213. il teschio che ride (Vladimiro Missaglia
214. rose proibite (Azpiri)
215. ghigliottina (Jesus Duran)
216. il faro maledetto (Xavier Musquera)
217. erede universale (Jesus Duran)
218. Foglie morte (Angelo Todaro)
219. perle nere (Esteban Polls)
220. il servitore della garrota (Jesus Duran)
221. cuore di pietra
222. delirium (Azpiri)
223. accadde a Venezia (Sanchez)
224. tomba prenotata
225. atti impuri (Antonio Borrell)
226. sindrome di donna (J.Aparici)
227. la prostituta delle tombe (Azpiri)
228. né morto né vivo (Xavier Musquera)
229. Pesce d’aprile (J.Aparici)
230. Una mosca nel bulo (Sanchez)
231. rosso sangue
232. Gli occhi di tenebra
233. morte programmata (Azpiri)
234. l’ombra di jack (Xavier Musquera)
235. il piffero parlante (Sanchez)
236. majorettes (Jesus Duran)
237. gatta ci cova (Esteban Polls)
238. tarocchi
239. malaugurio (Azpiri)
240. vento freddo (G. Dalla Santa)
241. preveggenza (J.Aparici)
242. dal sonno alla morte (Jesus Duran)
243. sanguemisto (Esteban Polls)
244. loto d’oro (Jesus Duran)
245. Sati (Esteban Polls)
246. Violenza occulta (Jesus Duran)
247. lupus in fabula (J.Aparici)
248. espazione (Xavier Musquera)
249. tormenti infernali
250. Vizio segreto (Lorenzo Lepori)
251. Bocca muta (Pier Carlo Macchi)
252. Il patto di Janira
253. La quercia dei supplizi (Dino Simeoni)
254. Possessione spettrale (Pier Carlo Macchi)
255. Il cimitero Dei Peccatori
256. La regina delle tenebre (Lorenzo Lepori)
257. nel nome della morte
258. la cripta maledetta (Dino Simeoni)
259. La notte del maleficio (Pier Carlo Macchi)
260. Il sonno dei morti
261. la dannata (S.Micheloni)
262. Fascino sepolcrale (Lorenzo Lepori)
263. la casa nella tempesta (Pier Carlo Macchi)
264. Ragnatele (Jesus Duran)
265. La Dea del Dolore (Pier Carlo Macchi)
266. il collegio delle impiccate (Dino Simeoni)
267. Jolly (Lorenzo Lepori)
268. Satana nero (Pier Carlo Macchi)
269. la morte improvvisa (Lorenzo Lepori)
270. profezia (Lorenzo Lepori)
271. ossessione macabra (Staff di Iff)
272. gli artigli della gelosia (Dino Simeoni)
273. La maledizione sepolta (Pier Carlo Macchi)
274. offerta maligna (Dino Simeoni)
275. stupro satanico. (Dino Simeoni)
276. La fossa degli scheletri (G. Dalla Santa)
277. L’inferno pub attendere (Emilio Cecchetto)
278. Il cacciatore di streghe (Eugenio Forte)
279. L’oscuro sadismo (Emilio Cecchetto)
280. fluido malefico (Eugenio Forte)
281. stato comatoso (Jesus Duran)
282. Jezabel (G. Dalla Santa)
283. L’insana passione (Dino Simeoni)
284. Magua (Xavier Musquera)
285. sogni arabi (Eugenio Forte)
286. guai ai folletti (Emilio Cecchetto)
287. tragica ossessione (Dino Simeoni)
288. La figlia della morte (Pier Carlo Macchi)
289. gelosia mortale (Eugenio Forte)
290. il culto di moloch (Emilio Cecchetto)
291. La stampa erotica (Xavier Musquera)
292. La caserma dei fantasmi (Staff di Iff)
293. la silfide (Eugenio Forte)
294. il diario della morte (Pier Carlo Macchi)
295. tragica notte (Dino Simeoni)
296. cadaveri di cuoio (Jesus Duran)
297. La dottoressa Faust (Emilio Cecchetto)
298. Volpi umane (Vladimiro Missaglia)
299. La macchina anatomica (Aparici)
300. Stirpe di giganti (Lorenzo Lepori)

Wikipedia (Italian) | Image credits: Comic Vine

‘Meet Sugar Hill and her zombie hit men…’

Sugar Hill – aka Voodoo Girl – is a 1974 American zombie film directed by Paul Maslansky from a screenplay by Tim Kelly (Cry of the Banshee). It stars Marki Bey, Robert Quarry and Don Pedro Colley.

The film was produced and released by American International Pictures (AIP), the company that previously combined the horror and blaxploitation genres with Blacula and its sequel, Scream Blacula Scream.

A voodoo queen uses zombies to take revenge on a group of white gangsters for the murder of her partner: helping her out is the voodoo lord of the dead, Baron Samedi.

The zombies in Sugar Hill more closely resemble the creatures of voodoo legend – i.e. the walking dead who do the bidding of a human master – than the flesh-eating living dead ghouls now currently popular. According to the film, the zombies are the preserved bodies of slaves brought to the United States from New Guinea.

Reviews:

“We do get the expected snakes, Voodoo dolls, and zombies, of course— in fact, we get some of the scariest non-flesh-eating zombies to be seen anywhere— but we also get Baron Samedi, and a portrayal of him that isn’t too far from accurate, at that.” 1000 Misspent Hours and Counting

‘The film’s rated PG, so there’s not much by way of sexuality or violence, but the film doesn’t need it. It’s just a crazy movie all on its own; the zombies are the reanimated corpses of slaves, but besides some dust and ever-present cobwebs
in their afros, they look none the worse for wear.’
Bad Ass Digest

“While the film does exploit the fact that Ms. Bey is clearly an attractive woman, it mostly saves its stereotypes and exploitative nature for the cartoonishly evil whites…” The Lightning Bugs Lair

Buy Blu-ray: Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com

“The plot doesn’t involve much more than following Sugar around on her EC Comics inspired revenge spree but Sugar has got atmosphere and attitude up the wazoo. Foggy, swampy and colorful, it also contributes a refreshingly original take on the living dead.” Kinder Trauma

“There is little genuine tension – the villains are summarily dispatched, and the protagonists are never really in danger – but retro-hounds will have a field day with the ’70s phrases, fashions, and ‘fros. The racist characterization is unimaginatively simplistic, however, leaving the racial moral heavy-handed.” Peter Dendle, The Zombie Movie Encyclopedia

Buy: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.ca

“The pacing never drags, and the subplot about Sugar’s detective ex-boyfriend investigating this rash of ritualistic murders doesn’t get in the way either. The vengeful kills are inspired and varied enough that they don’t come across as just more of the same.” DVD Talk

“Thanks to some well-staged and atmospheric sequences, Robert Quarry’s convincingly ruthless portrayal, and the genuinely frightening zombies, Sugar Hill still remains a fairly entertaining blast-from-the-past curiosity.” Bryan Senn, Drums of Terror: Voodoo in the Cinema

Buy Drums of Terror: Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com

“Some of the scenes look like rehearsal footage. Case in point is the beat down at the beginning. Morgan’s thugs tap at… I mean kick Sugar’s boyfriend, Langston, repeatedly while he’s on the ground. They truly do beat the hell out of him, but the scene is so poorly executed, it becomes laughable.” Cool Ass Cinema

“Despite brilliantly combining the zombie’s Caribbean heritage with the blaxploitation boom, Sugar Hill failed to do anything particularly interesting with its premise.” Jamie Russell, Book of the Dead: The Complete History of Zombie Cinema

Buy: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.ca

” …a nice update of Lewton’s bug-eyed corpses from I Walked with a Zombie, albeit with a bit more ghoulishness. The scene where they’re revived from the ground is purely awesome and atmospheric, as they’re summoned in the middle of an ethereal forest, complete with thunder and lightning.” Oh-the-Horror

” …an ok Blaxploitation horror film, offering nothing terribly spectacular other than the disembodied chicken-foot attack, which is weird if not downright cool.”Mikel J Koven, Blaxploitation Films

Buy Blaxploitation Films: Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com

” …a brisk and efficient ‘blaxploitation’ horror movie with an intriguing historico-political resonance […] carries a real frisson and seems to nod in the direction of the excellent The Plague of the Zombies (1966).” Phil Hardy, The Aurum Film Encyclopedia: Horror

“Simple, focused and fun […] Compared to “real” blaxploitation pictures (including AIP’s Blacula), everything is clean and contrived. But it feels like everyone is in on the joke. Quarry speaks with a Southern accent. Gorgeous Marki Bey (who did little else) is firm and intelligent in her lead role.” David Elroy Goldweber, Claws & Saucers

Choice dialogue: 

Diana ‘Sugar’ Hill: “Hey whitey, you and your punk friends killed my man!”

Diana ‘Sugar’ Hill: “I’m not accusing you, honk. I’m passing sentence. And the sentence is death!”

Buy: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.ca

Cast and characters:

• Marki Bey as Diana ‘Sugar’ Hill
• Robert Quarry as Morgan – Teenage Exorcist; Deathmaster; Madhouse; Dr. Phibes Rises Again; Count Yorga, Vampire
• Don Pedro Colley as Baron Samedi – Dead End; Beneath the Planet of the Apes;  Night Gallery: ‘Dr. Stringfellow’s Rejuvenator’
• Betty Anne Rees as Celeste
• Richard Lawson as Valentine
• Zara Cully as Mama Maitresse
• Charles P. Robinson as Fabulous
• Larry D. Johnson as Langston
• Rick Hagood as Tank Watson
• Ed Geldart as O’Brien
• Albert J. Baker as George
• Raymond E. Simpson, III as King
• Thomas C. Carroll as Baker
• Big Walter Price as Preacher
• Charles Krohn as Captain Merrill
• J. Randall Bell as Parkhurst
• Peter Harrell, III as Police Photographer
• Judy Hanson as Masseuse
• Gary W. Chason as Lab Technician
• Roy L. Downey as Stevedore
• Garrett Scales as Crew Chief
• John E. Scarborough as Uniformed Cop

Filming locations:

Houston, Texas, USA

Trivia:

A version for TV was cut to 83 minutes and retitled The Zombies of Sugar Hill.

Wikipedia | IMDb | AFI

Image credits: Critical Condition

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Plot keywords:

alligators | Baron Samedi | candles | catfight | docks | fashion shoot | gangsters | living dead | massage | murder | nightclub | photographer | pigs | police | priestess | racism | revenge | snakes | strangulation | studio | swamp | undead | vengeance | voodoo | zombie cocktail | zombies

‘ …will make your skin crawl’

Stanley is a 1972 American horror film produced and directed by William Grefé (Impulse; Death Curse of Tartu; Sting of Death) from a screenplay by Gary Crutcher, based on Grefé’s storyline. It stars Chris Robinson, Alex Rocco and Steve Alaimo.

The deadly snake-with-a-name movie was presumably inspired by rats-with-names horror hits Willard (1971) and Ben (1972). In the US, Stanley was distributed by Crown International Pictures.

Buy DVD: Amazon.com

Reviews [may contain spoilers]:

” …it has that oversaturated, grungy look familiar to anyone who’s stumbled into another Grefé special like Mako: Jaws of Death. Really it’s all about the atmosphere and the death scenes, with enough dead air in between to let drive-in patrons run out to get a refill on their soda and popcorn.” Nathaniel Thompson, Mondo Digital

” …manages a few good moments, including the death of an exotic dancer and her manager by Tim’s beloved crawlers. Above all, Robinson (perhaps best known for his long running role on the daytime soap opera General Hospital) gives a solid show as Tim, with a slow mental deterioration that culminates in a fiery, loyalty-free climax.” The Terror Trap

“Stanley is an odd, odd film and there is no fuckin’ way it would get made today with its crazy elements and even crazier characters. The movie’s low budget, but there are some surprisingly good performances, and a few others that are really rough that help remind the viewer Stanley didn’t cost much to make.” Devon B., Digital Retribution

” …it’s the best movie of William Grefe’s I’ve seen; however, that’s not saying much when you consider the other movies I’ve seen of his are Death Curse of Tartu and Sting of Death. It does manage to be actually quite touching when Stanley (the snake) becomes a father; it’s Chris Robinson’s best moment in the movie.” Dave Sindelar, Fantastic Movie Musings and Ramblings

“Though the script doesn’t allow for much more than a typical revenge plot, it’s the quirky characters and various scenarios involving the snakes (which the film even manages to give some empathy to) that make Stanley satisfying drive-in fodder, and director Grefe makes the most of the Floridian landscapes with some truly scenic cinematography.” George Reis, DVD Drive-In

” …though this movie is certifiable crap, you want to see it. Because you’ve read this far, and you’re willing to forgive director William Grefé for decades old animal slaughter (which you’ll see plenty of in this uncut 107-minute version). Funny, confusing, shocking and disturbing, Stanley should be on your sleazy list, weirdo.” Kurt Dahlke, DVD Talk

Buy: Amazon.com

“Stanley is bad, but so bad it is good. The movie goes from real to surreal by having scenes like Tim eating dinner with the snakes and making little graves. It then takes a real turn in the final act with Tim just going completely insane and out of character…” JP Roscoe, Basement Rejects

IMDb | AFI | Image credits: Basement Rejects

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‘She’ll suck more than your blood!’

Sexcula is a 1974 Canadian adult science fiction horror film that was previously considered to be ‘lost’. Shot in Vancouver, British Columbia, by Bob Hollowich it was screened once before disappearing and has been sought after by cult sinema aficionados for decades. It stars Debbie Collins, Jamie Orlando and John Alexander.

A young woman inherits a mansion and discovers an old diary that details the exploits of Dr. Fellatingstein (Jamie Orlando), who has created a man named Frank (John Alexander) to satisfy her insatiable desires Unfortunately, Frank doesn’t seem up to the task. Frustrated, she summons a relative, Countess Sexula (Debbie Collins), to assist her in arousing Frank to perform. A gorilla and a female pleasure-robot are also involved…

Following a print being discovered in the Canadian Film Archives, Impulse Pictures, an imprint of Synapse Films, released this hardly seen movie on DVD on April 9 2013.

Buy: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk

Reviews:

“… fairly horrible but no less enjoyable and everyone in front of the camera seems to be in on the joke. Even if the performances are goofy and wooden, the cinematography fairly primitive and the whole thing completely ludicrous, this makes for a fun watch.” Ian Jane, Rock! Shock! Pop!

“On most levels, Sexcula is poorly made. The director and cinematographer have little clue about staging scenes in any interesting way. The film is indifferent to the period setting – with telephones and modern lights turning up in the supposed 1869 era. This does lead to the occasional breaking of the fourth wall…” Richard Scheib, Moria

” …it’s a brew so completely out of its mind you won’t believe it exists even after watching it. A mad female scientist, a lady robot, a lust-crazed bisexual ape, random inserts, nonsensical plotting, and terrible, terrible acting. In short, it’s pretty glorious.” Nathaniel Thompson, Mondo Digital

Buy: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.ca

“The film’s visuals are actually very good, especially the more sexually charged moments. Pacing is never an issue as things move along nicely from one sexual rendezvous to the next. And even the in between moments that give the viewer more character backstory are all very entertaining and at times extremely amusing.” Chris Wood, 10k Bullets

“With its gorilla suits, crackling electronic equipment and references to classic Universal monsters, Sexcula manages to be almost as out-of-time as the Countess’ bedside telephone—a genre-mixing curiosity piece that is still fun but, like other Canadian films of its ilk, a little sexually self-conscious in the way it keeps insisting on its own artifice.” Canuxploitation!

Main cast:

• Debbie Collins in dual roles as Countess Sexcula and an aroused bride
• Jamie Orlando as Fellatingstein
• John Alexander
• Tim Lowery
• Bud Coal
• Marie McLeod
• David F. Hurry
• Julia Simons
• Franklin Parker
• Clarence Frog

IMDb

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