‘A secret cult of lust-crazed witches torturing their victims with fire and desire!’

Daughters of Satan is a 1972 American horror film directed by Hollingsworth Morse (The Ghost & Mrs. Muir; Pufnstuf) from a screenplay by John C. Higgins (The Black Sleep). The movie stars Tom Selleck, Barra Grant, Tani Guthrie, Paraluman, Vic Silayan and Vic Díaz.

James Robertson (Tom Selleck) buys a painting depicting witches being burned at the stake, one of whom bears an uncanny resemblance to his wife, Chris.

Unfortunately, Chris is gradually taken over by the personality of the witch in the painting that she resembles, allies herself with two other reincarnated witches to plan James’ death, as he proves to be a descendant of the man responsible for the witches’ fate…

Daughters of Satan will be released on Blu-ray by Scream Factory on April 24, 2018.

Buy Blu-ray: Amazon.com

Reviews:

“ …Daughters of Satan sports a slow first act, but it completely changes tones after about half an hour. The idea of evil witches emerging from a centuries old painting is cool enough to keep the eyes on the screen, and Tom Selleck really reminds the audience that in his prime, he was one bad ass dude.” Matt Molgaard, Horrorfreak News

“The soundtrack is sure to appeal to those into oddball horror themes, as it’s filled with all sorts of those wacky ‘ooooeeeeeooooo’ sounds that are used all too infrequently these days. There are also a couple of nude flagellation scenes involving the lovely Ms. Grant that, while appealing from an exploitation standpoint, feel pretty out of place in what would otherwise be a strictly PG rated outing.” Ian Jane, Rock! Shock! Pop!

“The whole thing plays like an extremely lame episode of The Twilight Zone, and Selleck doesn’t play at all.” TV Guide

“It’s kind of silly satanic fun, and is so poorly made and acted that it’s all rather amusing. And there’s enough spookiness and people dying every few minutes to keep you interested. This is for lovers of bad movies only, as there really is nothing at all good about it, and the only amusement it can offer is in how very cheesy it is.” CdMScott, Cinema de Merde

” …an early 1970s R-rated drive-in horror affair (with an abundance of bare breasts throughout). The film starts off promising with a light S&M sequence where a secret coven of witches whip a tied-up, nude Filipino woman over a bed of spikes. What follows is a mildly entertaining B flick, with more than a usual amount of confusion setting in.” George R. Reis, DVD Drive-In

“The predictability of the plot and lifelessness of the direction render Daughters of Satan tame and, at 90 minutes overlong and rather dull. In minor ways it anticipates The Omen: aloof, menacing housekeeper turns up out of nowhere, hires herself to protect her satanic interests, keeps a big Rottweiler, a “familiar,” around the house and it growls menacingly at the protagonist, etc., etc.” Stuart Galbraith IV, DVD Talk

” …some metaphysical mumbo jumbo, a few, obligatory seminude scenes and explicitly sexy talk. Miss Grant and Miss Guthrie are photogenic, if little else, and Mr. Selleck, a handsome, virile, mustachioed type, is natural in his confusion about the bewitchery.” A.H. Weiler, The New York Times

Choice dialogue:

Kitty Duarte: “We were married for eleven years and he never once touched my breasts!”

Kitty Duarte: “Prove that you recommitted to Our Lord Satan. Deny Christ! Spit on him!”

Cast and characters:

• Tom Selleck as James Robertson – Coma; The Wide World of Mystery
• Barra Grant as Chris Robertson
• Tani Phelps Guthrie as Kitty Duarte – The Thirsty Dead
• Paraluman as Juana Rios
• Vic Silayan as Dr. Dangal – Night of the Cobra Woman
• Vic Díaz as Carlos Ching – Vampire Hookers; The Thirsty Dead; The Blood Drinkers; Blood Thirst
• Gina Laforteza as Andrea
• Ben Rubio as Tommy Tantulco
• Paquito Salcedo as Mortician
• Chito Reyes as Guerilla
• Bobby Greenwood as Mrs. Postlewaite

Censorship:

In the UK, Daughters of Satan was passed by the BBFC in 1972 with inevitable cuts (details unavailable).

Release:

Daughters of Satan was released in the USA on November 1, 1972, by United Artist on a double-bill with Superbeast, also produced by Aubrey Schenck.

Wikipedia | IMDb

Image credits: The Telltale Mind

‘A perfect 666’

Satan’ School for Girls is a 1973 American supernatural horror film made-for-TV. It was directed by David Lowell Rich (The Horror at 37,000 Feet; Eye of the Cat) from a screenplay by Arthur A. Ross (Creature from the Black Lagoon; The Creature Walks Among Us). The Spelling-Goldberg production stars Pamela Franklin, Kate Jackson and Lloyd Bochner.

A mysterious person seems to be chasing student Martha Sayers (Terry Lumley), who drives to her sister’s lakeside house in Los Angeles. The same day, the police and Martha’s sister Elizabeth (Pamela Franklin) find her hanged in the living room. The police rule her death as an unmotivated suicide, but Elizabeth refuses to believe this and investigates further.

She decides to visit the exclusive academy that Martha attended, The Salem Academy for Women, despite warnings from Martha’s roommate, Lucy Dembrow (Gwynne Gilford). Under the assumed name of Elizabeth Morgan, she enrolls at the college, where she is welcomed by her classmates Roberta Lockhart (Kate Jackson), Debbie Jones (Jamie Smith Jackson) and Jody Keller (Cheryl Ladd)…

Reviews:

“The finale is actually fairly atmospheric and while the movie has ‘fad cash in’ written all over it, at least it does what it does well. A classic? No, not a classic, but if you like supernatural seventies horror and don’t necessarily need the more explicit content that this film’s R-rated theatrical counterparts bring to the screen, you can certainly have a good time at the movies with this one.” Ian Jane, Rock! Shock! Pop!

” …since the title gives it away, about the only mystery left is “Who is Satan?”, and practically every review I’ve read gives that away. It has a couple of good moments, in particular a scene in which a bevy of women with long poles prevent a professor from escaping from a pond and causing his death.” Dave Sindelar, Fantastic Movie Musings and Ramblings

“Given the film’s title, the big reveal at the climax doesn’t come as much of a surprise. The seventy-odd minutes preceding it, however, are a cavalcade of seventies centre-partings, moody lighting, mildly terrifying suspense, two-thirds of Charlie’s Angels and Luciferian evil.” Rich Flannagan, Are You in the House Alone? 

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

“If one were to seek it out, Satan’s School for Girls would provide some decent entertainment but it is not really one of those must-see films that would even warrant having been looked for. It is good yes, but worth only to catch if it were playing on T.V. or if one was a major fan of the actresses within.” The Telltale Mind

” …even with the lowly production values and implicit television censorship, it isn’t a bad little flick.  The story is predictable, but not boring.  There’s one satisfying murder (beware sorority sisters bearing poles, that’s all I’ll say), and either Roberta is given some reasonable dialog or Kate Jackson has talent (and I’m putting my money on the second).” The Film Atheist

“It’s alternately creepy and cheesy, and occasionally both at the same time, but the acting is generally fine. Jackson is perfectly eerie, and Ladd is game, but her part is very small.” Michael Karol, The ABC Movie of the Week Companion

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

Cast and characters:

• Pamela Franklin as Elizabeth Sayers – The Food of the Gods; Thriller TV series; The Legend of Hell House; Night Gallery; Necromancy; And Soon the Darkness; Our Mother’s House; The Nanny; The Innocents
• Kate Jackson as Roberta Lockhart – Sabrina, the Teenage Witch; Satan’s School for Girls (2000); Death at Love House; Killer Bees; Night of Dark Shadows; Dark Shadows TV series
• Lloyd Bochner as Professor Delacroix – Legend of the Mummy; The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries: ‘The House on Possessed Hill’; Crowhaven Farm; The Dunwich Horror; The Night Walker
• Jamie Smith Jackson as Debbie Jones – Night Cries; Bug; House of Evil
• Roy Thinnes as Dr. Joseph Clampett – Dark Shadows TV series; Rush Week; The Norliss Tapes; The Horror at 37,000 Feet; The Invaders TV series
• Jo Van Fleet as Mrs. Jessica Williams
• Cheryl Stoppelmoor [Ladd] as Jody Keller
• Frank Marth as Detective – Kolchak: The Night Stalker
• Terry Lumley as Martha Sayers –
• Gwynne Gilford as Lucy Dembrow – Fade to Black; Beware! The Blob
• Bill Quinn as Gardener – Lucky Stiff; Dead & Buried; Psychic Killer; Night Gallery
• Ann Noland as Kris
• Bing Russell as Sheriff – A Taste of Evil; Billy the Kid vs. Dracula; The Munsters

Trivia:

In 2000, Satan’s School for Girls was remade with Shannon Doherty in the lead role. Kate Jackson returned but this time as the college dean.

Wikipedia | IMDb

The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane is a 1976 Canadian/French psychological thriller film directed by Nicolas Gessner (Someone Behind the Door) from a screenplay by Laird Koenig, based on his 1974 novel of the same title. It stars Jodie Foster, Martin Sheen, Alexis Smith, Mort Shuman, and Scott Jacoby.

The plot tells the story of Ryann Jacobs (played by Jodie Foster, who was thirteen years-old at the time).

Rynn lives in a small New England town, in a house that her father has leased for three years. It’s been a while since anyone has seen Rynn’s father. Rynn always tells everyone that he’s either out of town or that he’s busy in his study and can’t be disturbed. When the friendly local policeman (Mort Shuman) expresses some doubt about Rynn’s claim that her father is working, Rynn says that her father is a drug addict, like all of the great poets.

Rynn’s main problem is with the Halletts. Cora Hallett (Alexis Smith) owns the house in which Rynn is living.  Cora drops by regularly, haughtily demanding to see Rynn’s father. Her creepy son, Frank (Martin Sheen), also makes a habit of visiting. He’s not interested in Cora’s father.  Instead, he’s interested in Cora. Everyone in the town knows that Frank is a perv but no one is willing to do anything about it. He’s protected by his mother’s money.

One day, when Cora drops by, she insists on going into the basement. She says she has something down there that she needs to retrieve. Rynn tells her not to go down there but Cora refuses to listen, which turns out to be a huge mistake. Cora screams at what she sees down there and then falls to her death. With the help of her only friend, Mario (Scott Jacoby) an aspiring magician who walks with a limp, Rynn covers up the murder.

Mario turns out to be a very good friend, indeed.  Not only does he tell people that he’s seen Rynn’s father but he even stands up to Frank when he shows up at the house, searching for his mother.  However, as it soon becomes clear, Frank isn’t one to give up so easily….

The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane is an interesting hybrid of a film. It definitely does have elements of horror. The running theme throughout the film is that Rynn might kill people but it’s all the adults in her life who are truly monstrous.  Frank is truly a monster and Martin Sheen gives a remarkably intense and creepy performance in the role.  Frank is the type who will say that worst things imaginable and then smirk afterward, confident that he’ll never have to face any sort of justice for his crimes.

At the same time, the film is also a coming-of-age-story and a teen romance. Rynn and Mario are two outsiders who find each other. You like both of them and you want things to work out for them, even though you spend almost the entire film worried that Rynn might end up poisoning Mario. Foster and Jacoby share some genuinely sweet scenes. Things would be just fine, the film seems to be saying, if all of these stupid adults would just mind their own business.

The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane is an effectively creepy and sometimes even sweet little film about a girl who occasionally has to kill people. Keep an eye out for it!

Lisa Marie Bowman, HORRORPEDIA

[NB. This review first appeared on HorrorCritic.com and is reposted with Lisa’s full permission]

Other reviews:

“The autumnal palette is captured vividly and the cinematography is outstanding. The house, the beach and the forlorn woods seen so often in the movie are captivating. Gessner’s film is a great isolated country house mood piece and despite the occasionally stodgy stage play aesthetic it works perfectly as a sinister drama. The perfect film for a late wintry evening.” Horace Cordier, Rock! Shock! Pop!

“Hitchcock would probably have brought out more of the bubbling sense of black humour, like the scene where Jodie Foster casually describes how she disposed of her mother and learned about preserving bodies at the local library. As a director, Gessner seems merely a passive observer and always lets the script carry the film…” Richard Scheib, Moria

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

” …a very minimalist story with a limited number of characters, but does its job very effectively and was one of the very first indications that Jodie Foster had the acting chops to successfully continue her career for as long as she wanted to. The film’s deliberate pace and low-key approach may not appeal to all viewers, but this remains a very potent and underrated thriller.” Robin’s Underrated Gems

“This film, about a homicidal orphan girl, is farfetched nonsense with precious little to appease shriek freaks. Laird Koenig’s screenplay from his novel is riddled with unsuspended disbelief – coincidences, gimmicks.” Variety, December 31 , 1976

Cast and characters:

• Jodie Foster as Rynn Jacobs
• Martin Sheen as Frank Hallet
• Alexis Smith as Mrs. Hallet
• Mort Shuman as Officer Miglioriti
• Scott Jacoby as Mario

Filming locations:

Quebec, Canada

Release:

Issued on Blu-ray on May 10th, 2016 by Kino Lorber/Scorpion Releasing.

Trivia:

A producer’s desire for “sex and violence” led to a nude scene depicting Rynn being added to the film. Foster strongly objected, saying “I walked off the set”. As a result, her older sister Connie acted as the nude double. Her mother had suggested Connie, who was 21 at the time. A VHS release of the film removed the nudity, but it was re-added to the DVD.

Wikipedia | IMDb

‘Eventually we must all pass through the…’

Alien Zone is a 1978 American horror and suspense anthology film directed by Sharron Miller from a screenplay by David O’Malley (Dark Honeymoon; Fatal Instinct; The Boogens). It stars John Ericson, Ivor Francis, Judith Novgrod.

It was reissued in 1980 as House of the Dead and also released on VHS as Zone of the Dead and Last Stop on 13th St.

Mr. Talmudge (John Ericson) is an adulterer who after sleeping with his mistress takes a taxi. He is dropped off on the wrong street when going back to his hotel. He takes refuge out of the rain when an old man invites him in. The latter turns out to be a mortician, who tells him the stories of the people who have wound up in his establishment over the course of four stories…

Reviews:

” …it’s a low-budget regional stab at an Amicus-style horror anthology. Unfortunately, it pales badly next to its model; it’s chock full of bad acting, poor writing, and misconceived stories […] The best performance comes from the man playing the mortician in the linking segments, and even he is saddled with a tiresome speech in which he explains how every character in each of the stories he’s told…” Dave Sindelar, Fantastic Movie Musings and Ramblings

“None of these segments are extraordinary, but watching all of them in succession accompanied by a wraparound story makes it feel like an event. It doesn’t have the intense weirdness factor of something like Night Train to Terror or the genuine horror chops of Creepshow or Tales from the Crypt, but it’s still a lot of fun.” William Tuttle, The Video Basement

“The segments are all fairly mediocre (and a bit boring) with a couple more memorable than the others, the masked children will haunt my dreams and the segment with the rival criminologists from each side of the pond was entertaining (if predictable) enough.” Hollie Horror, Letterboxd

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

” …a diverting novelty.” John Stanley, Creature Features

Main cast:

• John Ericson … Talmudge
• Ivor Francis … The Mortician
• Judith Novgrod … Miss Sibiler
• Burr DeBenning … Growski
• Charles Aidman … Detective Malcolm Toliver
• Bernard Fox … Inspector Wendell McDowall
• Richard Gates … Cantwell
• Elizabeth MacRae … Mrs. Lumquist
• Kathie Gibboney … Julie
• Leslie Paxton … Marie
• John King III … Marie’s Husband

Filming locations:

Ponca City, Stillwater and Yale, Oklahoma, USA

Trivia:

The shooting title was Five Faces of Terror

IMDb

‘This was the night of the CRAWLING TERROR!’

Squirm is a 1976 American “nature-strikes-back” horror film starring Don Scardino (He Knows You’re Alone), Patricia Pearcy, R.A. Dow and Jean Sullivan. It was the debut of cult writer and director Jeff Lieberman (Blue Sunshine, Just Before Dawn) and remains his most popular film.

When a powerful storm knocks Fly Creek, Georgia’s power lines down onto wet soil, the resulting surge of electricity drives large, bloodthirsty worms to the surface-and then out of their soil-tilling minds.

Soon, the townspeople discover that their sleepy fishing village is overrun with worms that burrow right into their skin. Inundated by hundreds of thousands of carnivorous creatures, the terrorized locals race to find the cause of the rampage-before becoming tilled under themselves…

Buy Blu-ray + DVD Amazon.co.uk

• High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) and Standard Definition DVD uncut presentation, available in the UK for the first time!
• Original Uncompressed Mono Audio
• Optional English SDH subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• Audio commentary with director Jeff Lieberman
• Filmed Live Q&A session with Lieberman and star Don Scardino from New York s Anthology Film Archives (2011)
• Interview with Kim Newman
• Original Trailer
• Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Gary Pullin
  Collector s booklet featuring new writing on the film by Lee Gambin, author of Massacred by Mother Nature
  Interview with Jeff Lieberman by Calum Waddell, illustrated with original archive stills and posters

Reviews:

“Poor ending aside, Squirm is an effective film for most of its running time; well executed, well paced, and truly entertaining. It’s definitely worth a watch, and even if Squirm won’t keep you up at night looking for worms underneath your bed, it will, at the very least, put you off your spaghetti dinner.” Row Three

“The problem comes in unifying the gleefully wrought death and disaster with the light-hearted “coming of age” tale. Lots of people die in this movie, including Geri’s mother, and the tone vacillates between syrupy teen romance and straight-out horror. Worse, the film indulges in really funny, but dark, humor to fill the gap.” John Kenneth Muir, Horror Films of the 1970s

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

“The silly worm premise might be a bit too much for some to get past. The close up shots of worm screeches can stir up quite a laugh. The characters aren’t really fleshed out. Most are just there to be worm food later. Yet I find there is more than enough to adore in this slimy creature feature. Check it out, and while you’re at it, give director Jeff Lieberman’s Just Before Dawn a shot if you haven’t already.” Wag the Movie

“But the best thing about Squirm — other than the fact that it’s about A FREAKIN’ OCEAN OF MAN-EATING WORMS — is how ultra 70s it is. Not only are there wacky bell-bottoms galore, but there’s a doomy love ballad in the film, a strange custom that I can’t relate to but I love just the same.” Groovy Doom

“This low-budget shocker adheres to a familiar plot pattern; nevertheless Jeff Liebermann’s restrained use of the worms, his flourishes of black humour and, above all, his determination to trim the narrative and not to strive for overblown or fantastic effects combine to make Squirm a commendable and at times genuinely startling addition to a recently thriving genre.” John Pym, British Film’s Institute Monthly Film Bulletin, September 1976

Buy: Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com

• Audio Commentary By Writer/Director Jeff Lieberman
• New interviews with Jeff Lieberman, Actor Don Scardino and Special Effects Artist Bill Milling
• A tour of the locations with Jeff Lieberman
• Theatrical Trailer
• TV Spot
• Still gallery

“A zestful return to the conventions of fifties ‘B’ movies, given added impact by an unknown cast, good use of locations and some truly horrifying make-up.” Alan Frank, The Horror Film Handbook

“This movie is a lot more fun than most ecological disaster films because it is so well made and because the effects are gruesomely convincing. The close-up shots of the worms are particularly eerie. Lieberman is a very good director – he also made the classic Blue Sunshine – and his skill shows here in the convincing performances and the excellent pacing.” Welch Everman, Cult Horror Films

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Release:

Squirm was released theatrically in the US by American International Pictures (AIP).

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‘Lust, betrayal and dismemberment…’

A Night to Dismember is a 1983 American horror film directed by Doris Wishman from a screenplay by Judith J. Kushner, her niece. It stars Samantha Fox, Diane Cummins and Saul Meth.

The film tells the story of one gory day in 1986 in the small town of Woodmire Lake. In the course of this day, all but one member of the Kent and the Todd families are brutally killed and dismembered. The gruesome events are recounted in voice-over by a police detective…

Review:

An auteur in the truest sense of the word (even if we’re talking trash auteur), Doris Wishman was one of the pioneers of the nudie cutie genre. She was responsible for such early sixties pics as Behind the Nudist Curtain, Gentlemen Prefer Nudist Girls and the almost surreal Nude on the Moon (yep, nudists on the moon), before exploring the gritty underbelly of so-called ‘roughies’ (sleazy adult dramas with elements of both sleaze and violence) via Bad Girls Go to Hell, My Brother’s Wife and Another Day, Another Man.

The latter lowbrow black and white sexploiters provided Wishman with the perfect opportunity to show off her penchant for bizarre camera angles, huge close-ups and on-the-hoof location filmmaking. Naked or semi-naked ladies (cue lotsa retro panties, bras and stockings) are used and abused by lustful, greedy men. Combined with a docu-drama approach, disjointed narrative, voice-overs aplenty to make up for actors shot with no sound (to save on the budget), the seedy results are heady stuff!

Wishman really hit the sexploitation heights in the sleazy seventies with legendary spy spoofs Deadly Weapons and Double Agent ’73, both featuring the awesome Chesty Morgan, a permanent feature in schoolyard lore at the time and possessor of unfeasibly enormous mammary glands. The real clincher was that Chesty used her massive boobs to smother to death her enemies!

Already a certain je ne sais quoi laced her work, with the aforementioned non-synchronised sound, editing by chainsaw and foot fetishism amongst other endearing traits adding to a general sense of “what the hell?!”

And as for her 1976 sex-change “documentary” Let Me Die A Woman, once seen, never forgotten… She was even forced to churn out an anonymous porno production, but even that contained other-worldy elements. Shot as Come with Me, My Love, distributors soon changed the title to something more likely to appeal to the raincoat crowd, The Haunted Pussy. Needless to say, Wishman is perhaps the epitome of the long lost era of the grindhouse and New York’s 42nd Street.

Even by her own high standards, A Night to Dismember is a veritable jaw-dropper. Lensed mainly in 1979 yet unreleased ’till 1983, the mind-boggling truth behind the genesis of this gem becomes evident on listening to the highly amusing commentary track provided by Wishman and her director of photography, C. Davis Smith.

Essentially, the film lab lost a large proportion of the negative and the weary director was forced to assemble a new plot around the odds and sods that remained, relying on overblown narration to fill in the huge gaps in the story. She failed, dismally.

What remains is an incomprehensible, choppy, half-film about the nutty Kent family and their bid to send loopy Mary (adult movie actress Samantha Fox in a non-speaking role) over the top. Sounds simple? Not when the voice-over rarely matches the on-screen “action” and any notions of narrative filmmaking are conspicuously absent!

Shoddy attempts to emulate the gloopy gore seen in the likes of Herschell G. Lewis’ movies only adds to the appeal. And who’d have thought that back in 2001 Elite Entertainment would ever have released this supposedly ‘lost’ atrocity on a widescreen anamorphic DVD, with extras!

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

Yet, here lies the whole charm of the piece. If you’re suitably inebriated and in need of a quick celluloid fix, A Night to Dismember certainly hits the spot. Indeed, it’s so short (69 minutes) and enjoyable that you might just be tempted to put yourself through the whole thing again to listen to Wishman (confused yet stoutly confident) and Smith (snide asides a go-go) sling it out on the commentary track. Then again, life is short…

Will Holland, HORRORPEDIA

NB. Wishman’s problems with A Night to Dismember caused her unofficial retirement from the movie industry until fan encouragement brought her back behind cameras for 2001’s Satan Was a Lady. The delightfully titled Dildo Heaven swiftly followed and she was shooting a sexy thriller, Each Time I Kill, when she unfortunately died in Autumn 2002.

Other reviews:

“Those who love the idiosyncratic touches of Wishman will find her fetishes pushed into overdrive here. Furniture, feet, and badly lit close ups often pop into view, while the use of senseless narration to comment on every single banal action produces levels of hilarity that can only be achieved by accident.” Nathaniel Thompson, Mondo Digital

“Fans of strange and desperate filmmaking are likely going to get something enjoyable out of this train wreck. Some may even go so far as to spin it to be some surreal, accidental accomplishment. Others beware. There are frequent jumps in the picture and on the soundtrack. The generic, light stock music is incidentally inserted in regardless of the tone of the scene.” Justin McKinney, The Bloody Pit of Horror

” …if you’re really hunting for bad, bad movies then drop anchor here, it’s truly unbelievable. Everything seems to have gone wrong: the music changes completely in a snap from sort of jazzy gameshow theme to tuneless stringy shrieks but almost never attuned to what’s supposed to be happening on screen; the effects work is horrible and the camera work all over the place.” Hudson Lee, Vegan Voorhees

Buy: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk

Cast and characters:

• Samantha Fox … Vicki Kent – Blue Voodoo; The Devil in Miss Jones Part II; Dracula Exotica
• Diane Cummins … Mary Kent
• Saul Meth … Adam Kent
• Miriam Meth … Blanche Kent
• William Szarka … Billy Kent [billed as Bill Szarka]
• Chris Smith … Sam Kent
• Dee Cummins … Vicki Todd
• Larry Hunter … Larry Todd [billed as Norman Main]
• Mary Lomay … Ann Todd
• Rita Rogers … Aunt Bea Todd
• Nina Stengel … Nina
• Frankie Sabat … Frankie
• Alexandria Cass … Nancy
• William Longo, Jr. … Timmy
• Robert DeRosa … Marty
• Heather Sabat … Sandy
• John Szarka … John

Wikipedia | IMDb | Image credits: The Bloody Pit of Horror

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‘Bit by bit… by bit he carved a nightmare!’

The Toolbox Murders is a 1978 American slasher horror film directed by Dennis Donnelly from a screenplay by Robert Easter and Ann N. Kindberg.

The film stars Cameron Mitchell (The Demon; Nightmare in Wax; Blood and Black Lace) Tim Donnelly, Pamelyn Ferdin and Wesley Eure.

It is notorious for its violent murder scenes in the film’s first act, one of which features adult movie star Kelly Nichols. The film was marketed as being based on a true story, though it has no connection to any real-life murders.

It was loosely remade by Tobe Hooper as Toolbox Murders in 2004, which was ironic because producer Tony Didio had been inspired to make the 1978 film by a financially successful re-release of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre in 1977.

In a small apartment complex, somebody in a ski mask is murdering women with tools, such as a nail gun, a screwdriver and a drill. Meanwhile, a tenant’s daughter, 15-year-old Laurie Ballard, is kidnapped. Detective Jamison, investigates the murders, and stumbles onto a connection between them and the kidnapping…

Review:

How times change. When The Toolbox Murders first appeared back in 1978, it was generally considered to be a numbingly bad experience, particularly by British fans who invariably had to sit through a heavily censored print whilst waiting for top-of-the-bill Zombie Flesh Eaters to unspool at their local fleapit.

Even the uncut bootleg which floated around during the heyday of horror tape-trading seemed more of an obligation than a pleasure – something to own but never actually watch. Now, a new generation of gore-pups hail this film as a sleaze classic, and it’s available as a luxurious special edition Blu-ray. Bizarre.

Granted, for the first twenty minutes or so of the movie, this is a gloriously offensive slasher movie of the type which we’ll never see again. Pretty much devoid of any story of characterisation, the film simply parades several sadistic (i.e. slow and painful) murders, never stinting on blood or gratuitous nudity.

Even the film’s biggest detractors remember the appearance from neophyte adult movie starlet Kelly Nichols, who plays with herself in the bath before being terrorised by the ski-masked murderer and shot with a nail gun. Such blatantly eroticised sexual violence is probably more shocking today than it was back then!

However, shortly after this, it all goes downhill rapidly, as a story is introduced and bad acting replaces bad taste. Little else happens in the film, other than drooling killer Cameron Mitchell kidnapping a wholesome young girl (Pamelyn Ferdin) and generally whining like a dingo for what feels like days. This is dull, dull stuff.

That said, the Blue Underground Blu-ray is impressive enough to make it a worthy purchase just for those opening moments of mayhem and the supplementary features. An informative commentary track will make the tedious bulk of The Toolbox Murders pass by painlessly, and a short interview with Kelly Nichols (still looking great!) is fun too. With an extensive stills and art gallery and a spankingly nice print that shows the gore in detail, even the more discerning splatter fan might find this package hard to resist.

David Flint, HORRORPEDIA

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

Other reviews:

“The Toolbox Murders is a clumsily directed sleaze gem (the only feature of Donnelly who otherwise worked in television) that is totally misogynistic and unrelentless but is much aided by Mitchell’s hammy performance, as well Ferdin’s believable and sympathetic one. The casting of former child actors — that many of us grew up watching on Saturday morning TV– is so unusual, that it’s almost taboo to see them appear in something like this!”George R Reis, DVD Drive-In

“Not a great film by any means, but the entertainment value of Mitchell’s mad performing and the brutal murders early on in the film more than make up for any shortcomings it might have. I was thoroughly entertained from start to finish – which makes it a worthwhile purchase in my opinion.” CJ, Digital Retribution

Buy The Toolbox Murders poster (image at top) from Amazon.com

Cast and characters:

• Cameron Mitchell as Vance Kingsley
• Pamelyn Ferdin as Laurie Ballard
• Wesley Eure as Kent Kingsley
• Nicholas Beauvy as Joey Ballard
• Tim Donnelly as Detective Lieutenant Mark Jamison
• Aneta Corsaut as Joanne Ballard
• Faith McSwain as Mrs. Andrews
• Marciee Drake as Deborah
• Evelyn Guerrero as Maria
• Victoria Perry as Woman in Apartment
• Robert Bartlett as Man in Apartment
• Betty Cole as John’s Wife
• John Hawker as John
• Don Diamond as Sergeant Cameron
• Alisa Powell as Girlfriend
• Kelly Nichols as Dee Ann DeVore
• Robert Forward as Screamer Man
• Kathleen O’Malley as Screamer Woman
• Gil Galvano as Man
• James Nolan as Al
• George Deaton as Preacher

Release:

The Toolbox Murders was released theatrically in the United States by Cal-Am Artists in March 1978.

The film was released on VHS by VCI Entertainment and, later, Video Treasures in the 1980s.

The film was one of the video nasty of the 1980s and was banned in the UK from 1982 to 2000 by the BBFC. It was released later in 2000 with 1 minute 46 seconds of cuts on DVD by VIPCO in the UK. To date, there is no current uncut UK release but it can be purchased on import Blu-ray or DVD

In the US, the film was released as a Special Edition DVD by Blue Underground in 2003, and on Blu-ray in 2010.

Wikipedia | IMDb | Image thanks: Beware the Horror

‘A mind so evil it could lock its terrible secret inside a beautiful body’

Crucible of Terror is a 1971 British horror film directed by Ted Hooker from a screenplay co-written with producer Tom Parkinson. Peter Newbrook (director of The Asphyx) was executive producer and cinematographer. It stars Mike Raven, Mary Maude, James Bolam and Ronald Lacey.

Jack Davies (Bolam), an art dealer from London, does a deal with a friend of his Michael Clare, the son of a gifted artist Victor Clare (Raven). Michael smuggles out some of his father’s works and Davies sells them for a large sum at his gallery, splitting the profit between them. Davies and Michael Clare are both in need of more money and realising that Victor Clare’s works are worth a fortune they decide to acquire some more.

Unfortunately, Victor Clare is a recluse, who lives in isolation above an abandoned tin mine in Cornwall. As it would be impossible to smuggle out any more of the paintings without being noticed, Davies decides to offer the artist a deal for hard cash.

Unfortunately, Victor Clare is a recluse, who lives in isolation above an abandoned tin mine in Cornwall. As it would be impossible to smuggle out any more of the paintings without being noticed, Davies decides to offer the artist a deal for hard cash.

They travel to Cornwall with their wives, and they find it an odd and disconcerting experience. Victor Clare’s wife has regressed into a second childhood, while he spends his time having affairs with his models. The only sense of normality is apparently provided by Bill, Victor’s only friend, who cooks dinner for them…

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Reviews:

“Though it starts out with a sleazy bang, with Raven’s crazed artist plastering and smelting a naked Lai, Crucible of Terror is low on action and violence even in its uncut form. There are a few murders here and there, including a head crushed by a rock and a woman burned with acid, but nothing terribly graphic. In 1971 it was still enough to earn the film an X certification, and television prints with considerable cuts would eventually make their way to the United States.” Wtf-Films

” …has some well-used location footage of Cornwall and a couple of good scenes to make up for the trite script, obviously low budget and total miscasting of Mike Raven as the psychotic sculptor.” David Pirie, Time Out Film Guide

“Once again (as with so many of these films) whether you enjoy Crucible of Terror depends on your state of mind whilst watching it. Entertaining rubbish might be the best way of describing it. And you have to give full marks to Raven, really. He’s too sweet to be a baddie, but he kept on trying…” British Horror Films

“A number of the film’s character’s get knocked off in various bloody ways, and the payoff is a particularly macabre twist ending. Despite the comparisons often made to House of Wax, I still think this can easily be looked upon as a giallo by way of the United Kingdom if there is such a thing. Crucible of Terror may be crude on the outset, but for those who think British horror is merely the common Hammer monsters and Amicus omnibuses, think outside the box and give this a look.” George R. Reis, DVD Drive-In

“Director Ted Hooker fills his picture with striking visuals and compelling characters, pacing the thing so well that even when the logic breaks down a bit it remains a resoundingly entertaining film. And a key to that is Raven himself, the man delivering a performance that remains just on the good side of camp as he spends the body of the film stalking and leering at the young women while mistreating his wife horribly.” Todd Brown, Screen Anarchy

“The Cornish locations are easy on the eye and some of the supporting actors are very good value, notably James Bolam, and 14 years after her excellent performance in Dracula, Melissa Stribling.  But the film is poorly paced, visibly under-budgeted at £100,000 and, worse still, its insane protagonist is played by the uniquely wooden Mike Raven.” Jonathan Rigby, English Gothic

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

“Raven will never give Vincent Price a run for his money in the horror ham sweepstakes, but he gives it his all in a film that loads on plenty of oddball twists and bizarre red herrings along with enough mayhem to make this a respectable entry in the early ’70s British horror canon.” Nathaniel Thompson, Mondo Digital

“Considering this is Ted Hooker’s one and only film, it’s impressive how competent the production is. The locations are stunning and illustrate the isolation of the area, projecting a genuine feeling of unease; it certainly doesn’t hurt that the idea of “going to the beach” in England equates to stumbling around on some perilously sharp rocks at the bottom of a cliff while the ocean threatens to sweep you away to a watery grave at any given moment.” The Church of Splatter-Day Saints

“The horror is treated as something that happens between the melodramatics of the Clare family squabbles and where there is a killing, it is over in seconds, with violence and gore kept to a minimum. Parkinson was a self-confessed admirer of the Val Lewton school of fantasy and perhaps the film should be commended for trying to do something more than ‘stalk and slash’ […] The filmmakers adopt the same approach to the script’s undercurrent of warped sexuality, displaying a restraint bordering on the priggish.” John Hamilton, X-Cert 2

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

Buy DVD: Amazon.co.uk

Cast and characters:

• Mike Raven … Victor Clare – I, Monster, Lust for a Vampire, Disciple of Death
• Mary Maude … Millie – Terror; The House That Screamed
• James Bolam … John ‘Jack’ Davies – Straight On Till Morning
• Ronald Lacey … Michael Clare – Disciple of Death
• Betty Alberge … Dorothy Clare – Disciple of Death
• John Arnatt … Bill
• Beth Morris … Jane Clare
• Judy Matheson … Marcia – Twins of Evil; Lust for a Vampire
• Melissa Stribling … Joanna Brent – Dracula (1958)
• Kenneth Keeling … George Brent
• Me Me Lai … Chi-San – The Man from Deep River, Last Cannibal World, Eaten Alive!

Filming locations:

Shepperton Studios
Perranporth, Cornwall

Wikipedia | IMDb

We are grateful to The Sins of Cinema, The Church of Splatter-Day Saints and Mondo Digital for some of the images above.

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‘Prime candidates for murder!’

Three on a Meathook – aka 3 on a Meathook – is a 1972 [released 1973] American horror film written and directed by William Girdler (Abby, Day of the Animals, The Manitou). The scenario was loosely based on the real-life story of serial killer Ed Gein. It stars Charles Kissinger, James Pickett, and Sherry Steiner

Pat Patterson (director of The Body Shop aka Doctor Gore, in 1973) supplied the gory makeup effects.

Review:

A very 1970s exploitation movie obviously patterned after Psycho to the extent of lifting structural tricks (a long prologue introducing not one but four women who get killed off in one bloody night to make way for different central characters, a lengthy post-climax psychiatric explanation and a cut to the killer catatonic in a strait-jacket with a voice-over), and other gambits (a post-murder “God, what have I done?” bit from outside the house, a twist in the ending involving a mother who is here a reverse Mrs Bates: supposedly dead and buried but actually alive and eating people!) from the Hitchcock film.

Written, directed and with music by William Girdler, it is also one of those thrown-together off-Hollywood efforts that scatters its gore effects – all very H.G. Lewis (Blood Feast; The Gore Gore Girls), though there’s a neat decapitation stunt with the actress’s head pinned to a wall as the body falls away – sparingly into a film that otherwise dawdles in its hippie-inflected, counterculture way (note the secondary character’s soliloquy about a young husband’s Vietnam draft notice ‘they sent him an invitation to die in one of their wars and a month later they sent me a telegram saying he had done so’) in vaguely tedious fashion.

After the chicks, notable for their bikini pale patches in nude scenes, on a rural break stay the night at a farmhouse and get massacred, we follow sensitive hulk Billy (Charles Kissinger), who is told by his farmer Dad (James Pickett) that he’s the killer but never remembers his crimes, as he goes to the big city to forget – taking in a rerun of The Graduate – and getting blind drunk in a bar where the band American Xpress are playing. He hooks up with free ‘n’ easy bartender Sherry Steiner and they have an idyllic day of wandering together, that leads to an invitation for Sherry and her widowed friend to go to the farm.

Incredibly, Billy works out that he’s not the killer, but never seems worried about who is and whether the guests will be in danger (Dad takes a pickaxe to the blonde). After a bit of wandering around the farm, Sherry finds three new nude girls hung on meathooks in the veal pens and Dad hacking away at a leg in the kitchen, whereupon mad Mom shows up and gets the accidental chop. Then Billy gets into a suit to hear the shrink explain everything he’s been too dim to puzzle out.

Overall, Three on a Meathook is notable for its lack of urgency, with very few sudden spurts of over-in-a-flash action and horror between fuzzy aimlessness.

Kim Newman, guest reviewer [official website]

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Other reviews:

“Three on a Meathook banks on a seething climax, lots of tan-line nudity, and a swell twist ending. It almost works. Although the film wallows in a cold, distant regionality that cushions the dated shortcomings (merciless wah-wah pedal wanks, montage padding), it’s still restricted by technical poops.” Bleeding Skull

“It shamelessly throws up a mixture of gratuitous nudity, nasty murders and even finds time for some groovy music. The film revels in its hick psycho-boy meets hippie bar-chick romantic sub-plot before climaxing with a gore soaked twist ending.” Hysteria Lives

“Director William Girdler does a fine job with all the gory exploitation goodies. He delivers on the blood and dismemberment and shows more than a fair share of female flesh. While the film tends to drag during Billy’s courtship of the waitress, there’s enough of the red stuff to go around to make up for it.” Mitch Lovell, The Video Vacuum

Buy on DVD with Flesh Feast: Amazon.com

“It’s a film with two great bookends and nearly nothing in between, filled with more padding than a shoe store and more bad music than a Waffle House jukebox. This is a case where the prototype is much less satisfying than its more accomplished contemporaries like Deranged and The Texas Chain Saw Massacre.” Brett Gallman, Oh-the-Horror

“With really fake-looking gore effects and mostly bad acting (there are even a few instances where the screen just goes blank for no reason), Three on a Meathook has one of those great grindhouse titles that is better than the actual movie.” Cinema Knife Fight

” …displays a few redeeming qualities which would have been nice had Girdler hung onto later in the game. Such as a primitive enthusiasm … Some of the camera angles, while not “arty” in the pretentious and rather abrasive sense, show a good college try at making the most of an economically bankrupt situation, and a well-chosen cast demonstrates more talent than is generally associated with such a miniscule budget.” Dave Szurek, Temple of Schlock

“Includes the usual Girdler trademarks: splashy gore (courtesy of Pat Patterson), endless padding, and mind-numbingly bad rock music.” Brian Albright, Regional Horror Films, 1958-1990: A State-by-State Guide with Interviews (McFarland, 2012)

Buy: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk

“Outside the decapitation gag and a nicely-shot “discovery” moment of revelation with three corpses on the aforementioned meat-hooks, however, the film feels flat and remote, as if we’re watching the whole thing from a distance. This approach actually diminishes the sense of horror, rather than augmenting it. John Kenneth Muir, Reflections on Cult Movies and Classic TV

“This is an odd character study-cum-slasher mix, with perhaps slightly too much of the former. Still, the abrupt killings are efficiently done (a fun beheading, a nice quick jab stick in the bathtub) and Girdler’s low budget definitely contributes to the grisly mood.” The Terror Trap

Release:

The film was distributed theatrically in the United States in 1973 by Studio 1 Productions. It was released on VHS by Regal Video, Inc. and then via Video Treasures.

Wikipedia | IMDb

‘Would you sacrifice your wife… your children for immortality?’

The Asphyx is a 1972 British science fiction horror film directed by Peter Newbrook (producer of Corruption; cinematographer of Crucible of Terror; The Black Torment) from a screenplay by Brian Comport (The Fiend; Mumsy, Nanny, Sonny & Girly), based on a story by Christina Beers and Laurence Beers. The Glendale production stars Robert Stephens, Robert Powell and Jane Lapotaire.

Utilizing an experimental photographic device, a scientist (Robert Stephens) captures what appears to be the image of the Asphyx: the ancient Greek spirit of the dead.

With the help of his adopted son (Robert Powell), he conducts further experiments and conceives of a way to harness the Asphyx and thereby gain immortality. But, as every visionary scientist should know, defying the laws of the natural and spiritual world unleashes dreadful consequences…

In the UK, The Asphyx is released on Blu-ray on 11 June 2018 by Screenbound Pictures.

Buy Blu-ray: Amazon.co.uk

Reviews:

“A real curio, the film boasts first-rate performances from all involved and is truly amazing to look at, with some gorgeously ornate set design and silky photography, which admirably captures the misty feeling of an era gone by. The reason for the film’s lack of recognition probably lies in the fact that it can’t really be classified.” Nathaniel Thompson, Mondo Digital

“If you can get by the occasional silliness, The Asphyx is one of the more ambitious British horror films of its time, marred mainly by an intrusively inappropriate score by Bill McGuffie that seems like it belongs in a lush romantic drama.” Mark Tinta, Good Efficient Butchery

“The actual horrors are a bit more understated, save for the unholy cries of the Asphyx and their intended victims as each cling to life in the moment of death […] The Asphyx is a gothic throwback that’s rich in drama, shocks, and an elaborate mounting that gives an improbable dime store story an unexpected heft.” Brett Gallman, Oh, the Horror!

“Not quite a genre classic, The Asphyx is a mostly intriguing mash-up of Victorian ghost story and steampunk revisionism that occasionally threatens to degenerate into inanity with its strident morality-play storyline and escalating improbability factor.” Budd Wilkins, Slant magazine

“Although John Stoll’s art direction, the acting and Young’s camerawork in Todd-AO are excellent, the static nature of the script fails to generate any of the cerebral excitement the theme demands, and leaves various contradictions and loopholes which hamper credibility.” Phil Hardy, The Aurum Film Encyclopedia: Horror

“While it’s never boring, the film mainly keeps your attention through its mixture of the morbid and the ridiculous […] It’s not a bad set-up, and the Victorian paraphernalia is nicely realised, but this is a silly film all over.” Graeme Clarke, The Spinning Image

” …Newbrook was an excellent cinematographer, but his handling of the action shows a lack of imagination and energy. The actors seem determined to compensate – particularly Robert Stephens, who shows no restraint in his efforts to inject intensity into scenes where there is clearly none on the page.” John Hamilton, X-Cert 2

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

” …intriguing glimpses into Victorian psychical research and a strong cast, get the film off to a good start. Sadly, it soon degenerates into formula and farce, with Stephens’ theatrical delivery adding the mortal blow.” David Pirie, Time Out Film Guide 

“To compound all these absurdities the film has stiff actors in even stiffer costumes and a characteristically appalling Bill McGuffie score. Despite some distinguished credentials […] The Asphyx makes a dreadful hash of an arresting premise.” Jonathan Rigby, English Gothic: A Century of Gothic Cinema

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

“If you’re in the mood for serious, contemplative, gloomy Gothic-tinged British horror, then you can’t do much better than The Asphyx […] it’s easy to suspend disbelief thanks to some intense and dedicated performances…” David Elroy Goldweber, Claws & Saucers

“A highly original premise makes this worth watching. Acting and technical work are of a high calibre, although the direction is a bit pedestrian at times.” Gary A. Smith, Uneasy Dreams: The Golden Age of British of Horror Films, 1956 – 1976

Buy: Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com

“The Asphyx is ultimately frustrating as a result of the distracting lapses of logic, talkiness, dull direction, and missed opportunities. It’s more of an exercise in the intellectual than the visceral, and if thought about too intently the movie begins to unravel. The film is beautifully photographed in widescreen by Freddie Young…” James J. Mulay (editor), The Horror Film, Cinebooks, 1989

Main cast and characters:

• Robert Stephens … Sir Hugo Cunningham – The Shout
• Robert Powell … Giles Cunningham – Frankenstein (1984); The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1982); The Survivor; Harlequin; Asylum; Doomwatch TV series
• Jane Lapotaire … Christina Cunningham – Crescendo
• Alex Scott … Sir Edward Barrett
• Ralph Arliss … Clive Cunningham
• Fiona Walker … Anna Wheatley
• Terry Scully … Pauper
• John Lawrence … Mason
• David Grey … Vicar
• Tony Caunter … Warden
• Paul Bacon … 1st Member

Filming locations:

Shepperton Studios, Shepperton, Surrey, England, UK

Release:

The film is also known as Spirit of the Dead and The Horror of Death.

Wikipedia | IMDb

‘A beast more frightening than your most terrifying nightmare!’

The Crater Lake Monster is a 1977 monster horror film directed by William R. Stromberg for Crown International Pictures, and starring Richard Cardella. The screenplay was also written by Stromberg and Cardella.

The storyline revolves around a giant plesiosaur, akin to the Loch Ness Monster, which appears in Crater Lake, next to a small Oregon town. As people are attacked by the monster, the Sheriff (Cardella) investigates along with a group of scientists in order to stop the creature…

Buy Blu-ray: Amazon.com

The film suffered from financing and publication problems with Crown International; as Cardella recounts: “Crown International was part of the financing and they just screwed up everything. They pulled their support for some key scenes (that would have explained a lot and plugged some of the obvious holes), added a canned score that really sucked, and turned it over to some hack to edit. The asshole didn’t even use a fade or dissolve in the whole freakin’ picture”.

Reviews:

“It’s actually stop motion animation by the late, great Dave Allen, and it looks pretty good, but close-ups of a puppet monster head gnawing on helpless victims are less convincing. Add a soundtrack of library banjo music, some insipid dashes of blood, and lethargic-paced direction by one-timer William R. Stromberg, and you have one of the worst giant monster flicks of all time!” DVD Drive-In

“For a schlocky 70’s B-movie the setting is great, making full use of the wooded area and scenic lake beauty, mist rolling off the water, scenic vistas, captivating stuff. Arnie (Glen Robert) and Mitch (Mark Siegel) the comic relief of the film steal the show, providing slapstick laughs and even a bit of emotional gravitas. A forgotten drive-in classic…” Ken Kastenhuber, McBastard’s Mausoleum

“Lots of meaningless dialog, hillbilly comedy, and an intrusive sub-plot involving the sheriff chasing a crazy man (he kills for his booze but pays for his meals!) around the lake defy the viewer to keep watching. Hindered by a handful of behind the scenes mishaps, this nearly worthless monster movie is redeemed by the stop-motion animated Crater Lake critter.” Brian Bankston, Cool Ass Cinema

“Chock full of bad acting, bad directing, bad editing and bad storytelling, The Crater Lake Monster is actually pretty watchable if you’re in the right frame of mind. If you don’t take it too seriously it’s a fun (albeit very poorly made) monster movie…” Ian Jane, Rock! Shock! Pop!

“The effects are cheesy and would make Harryhausen spin in his grave. The sheriff defeats the beats with a mini-bulldozer, half-decapitating it with the earthmoving blade (which moves about as fast as I do before my morning coffee). People talk about the beauty of the night sky while staring into the sun, for crying out loud! What more warning do you need?” NeedCoffee.com

“The lowbrow script is laughable. The acting is horrendous. The canned music is stupid. The quick pacing  makes the story seem to take place over a few days rather than the intended six months. The “touching” conclusion feels like self-parody […] But – and this is a big but – the stop-motion animation and superimposition shots are excellent.” David Elroy Goldweber, Claws & Saucers

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

“The weak effects didn’t concern me much. The biggest issue for me is that the film is dreary. It is monotonously directed, edited and colour processed. The cast all feel like they are drinking buddies that the director recruited from the local waterhole. Far too much time is spent on comic-relief scenes…” Richard Scheib, Moria

Cast and characters:

• Sheriff Steve Hanson … Richard Cardella
• Arnie Chabot … Glenn Roberts
• Mitch Kowalski … Mark Siegel
• Richard Calkins … Bob Hyman
• Dan Turner … Richard Garrison
• Susan Patterson … Kacey Cobb
• Ross Conway … Michael Hoover
• Paula Conway … Suzanne Lewis
• Senator Jack Fuller … Marv Eliot
• Blackmailer … Garry Johnston
• Waitress … Susy Claycomb
• Villager … Jim Goeppinger

Release:

Despite being a critical and commercial flop, the camp appeal of the film led to a VHS release on United Home Video, and DVD release on Rhino Home Video in February 2002. Mill Creek Entertainment released The Crater Lake Monster on Blu-ray disc as part of a double feature disc in March 2011, pairing it with Galaxina.

Wikipedia | IMDb

Related: The Loch Ness Horror | Planet of Dinosaurs

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House – original title: ハウス Hausu – is a 1977 Japanese horror film directed and produced by Nobuhiko Obayashi. The film stars mostly amateur actors with only Kimiko Ikegami and Yōko Minamida having any notable previous acting experience.

A schoolgirl traveling with her six classmates to her ailing aunt’s country home comes face to face with supernatural events as the girls are, one by one, devoured by the home…

Review:

Nobuhiko Obayashi’s 1977 film House may well be the most bizarre Japanese horror film that you’ll ever see – something that is no mean feat. A cartoonish reinvention of the old ‘haunted house’ genre, the film is awash with invention and absurdity– most of which it pulls off surprisingly well. Even the (deliberately) dated special effects add to the surrealist charm of the movie when watched now.

The plot, on paper, is pretty straight-forward. After an argument with her father about his new girlfriend, spoiled teenager Angel (Kimiko Ikegami) invites her school friends – whose plans for a summer break vacation have been thwarted – to join her for a visit to her aunt’s house in the country. Angel hasn’t seen her aunt (Yoko Minamida) in ten years, but the woman seems oddly agreeable to having seven giggly teenagers descend on her, which might be a clue that all is not right.

So, sure enough, the white-haired woman has a strangely sinister air about her, seemingly growing less feeble as one by one, the girls start to disappear. Only the hyper-imaginative Fantasy (Kumiko Oba) sees what is happening, starting when she pulls one girl’s severed – but still very much alive – head from a well. But the others won’t believe her until it is too late, and it becomes clear that the house itself is literally consuming them.

While the film might not sound, in a synopsis, that much different than many a Japanese ghost story, it’s in the execution that House really stands out. Taking a lightweight, comedic approach to the story, Obayashi is less concerned with scares than with fun, and so the film is full of absurdities and slapstick (the comedy is, as with many Japanese films, rather broad and physical), while the characters are all charming – there’s no mean-spiritedness going on here, and no bitchy rivalry between the girls as you would invariably find in a British film.

With each character named after her personality (or, if you are determined to find something offensive here, their stereotypes) – there’s Sweetie, Kung Fu, Mac (or ‘Stomach’) the greedy girl, the intellectual Prof and so on – the film also manages to give each one her own individuality, not always an easy task in a film like this. Interestingly, this is a very female-dominated film – the men are largely absent and when they do appear, they are useless – Angel’s father messes up introducing her to his new fiancée, and the school teacher than one of the girls has a crush on and who is supposedly joining them for their holiday (an idea bound to raise suspicious eyebrows these days) spends the whole film in transit. The girls are left to try to escape the possessed house, the sinister aunt and the creepy cat by themselves.

Obayashi throws in every visual trick in the book during the film – there are video effects that, while crude, is impressively handled and must have looked extremely startling in 1977. And given that the effects were intentionally designed to look unrealistic, they have dated less badly that they otherwise might have – nothing of the time really looked like this either, and so watching it now, House still feels like a startling visual experience.

Much of the film is green (or, technically at the time, blue) screened so that painting sets and weird visuals can dominate, and the ‘horror’ scenes (rarely designed to be scary) feature increasingly bizarre imagery – a flying severed head, fingers chopped off and so on. Don’t imagine that this is a gorefest – the dismemberment and decapitation is largely bloodless and more bizarre than brutal, emphasising the cartoonish elements of the film. Yet there are moments of genuine atmosphere and an almost poetic beauty thrown in too, with an oddly unexpected sprinkling of erotica and creepiness that catch you off guard. And the reason behind the horror – wartime loss, loneliness and bitterness – are presented with a real sense of tragedy and a darkness that should clash with everything else, but somehow doesn’t.

Interestingly – and I imagine coincidentally, given how unlikely it would be that Western filmmakers were seeing House at the time – there are moments here that anticipate The Evil Dead, with both the trippy surreal moments and the increasingly frenetic madness that the film builds up to. Don’t get me wrong – they are very different movies, but both share a sense of the absurd and the demented that is recognisable immediately.

House isn’t perfect – sometimes, the humour and the tweeness is a little much, and the musical numbers by Godiego (who later did fine work on the TV series Monkey) is gratingly bland. The film perhaps takes a little longer than it needs to in building up the story and the characters, and I can imagine that the whole cartoonish nature of the story might be a bit much for some people.

Certainly, some of the praise heaped on the film is excessive, and while a very entertaining experience, I think it’s a bit of a stretch to say that the film is a horror classic. But if you are in the mood for a weird, wondrous and oddly charming horror movie that is unlike anything that you’ve ever seen before, then this is well worth your time. I can’t think of many horror films that are as unashamedly fun as this.

Buy Blu-ray: Amazon.co.uk

The British Eureka! ‘The Masters of Cinema’ Blu-ray edition comes complete with 90 minutes of cast and crew (mostly Obayashi) interviews, that are definitely worth a look, and a 44-page booklet giving more details of Obayashi’s career.

David Flint, HORRORPEDIA

Other reviews:

“One minute it is bouncy and perky and full of massive gonzo airbrushed backdrops, and the next a naked Japanese girl is drowning in a river of blood while a man turns into a pile of bananas. You can’t take your eyes off the screen or you’ll miss something truly nuts and awe-inspiring.” Brent McKnight, Beyond Hollywood

“Out of place happy 70’s music, painted backgrounds, strange amateurish f/x that even more strangely all seem to work in the setting of this bizarre world that seems equal parts kiddie t.v. show, part outlandish comic book and part off-the-wall disturbing ghost story. Highlights include a guy getting turned into a pile of bananas, a decapitated head that bites asses, and a girl eaten by a piano.” Stevie B., Video Dead

“This isn’t so much a review as a statement of confusion. How am I supposed to review a movie where a girl is literally eaten by a piano? Or a film that features a cat that meows to the music? Or a dancing skeleton? Hausu just has to be seen. There is no way to describe or critique it. If you ever get the chance to see Hausu, do it! You won’t regret it.” B-Movie Beckie, Horror Effect

“Most of it is obviously filmed on a set, but the backgrounds are beautiful, luminous, painted sky- and cityscapes that really give you something to look at between grossed-out guffaws. And the effects used are really interesting film effects done with a gusto that melts away most of the cheesiness.” Danny Isn’t Here, Mrs Torrance

Wikipedia | IMDb

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La Maldición de la Bestia – translation: “The Curse of the Beast” is a 1975 Spanish supernatural horror film directed by Miguel Iglesias as M.I. Bonns from a screenplay by Jacinto Molina aka Paul Naschy who also stars. It is the eighth in a long series about the werewolf Count Waldemar Daninsky.

The film is also known as The Werewolf and the Yeti, Hall of the Mountain King, Horror of the Werewolf and Night of the Howling Beast.

In the early 1980s, the film became one of the infamous British video nasties when it was caught up in the moral furore over freely available violent videos.

Waldemar Daninsky goes on an expedition from London (cue shot of Big Ben) to Tibet to find proof that the yeti really exists.

Unfortunately, he encounters vicious bandits and becomes captured by two feral, cannibalistic women who turn him into a werewolf. Waldemar’s friends are then kidnapped by a sorceress, and later, he briefly fights a yeti…

Reviews:

“The flaying scene where Melody has the skin stripped from her back is actually pretty graphic, especially when one considers when the film was made. The sex scene in the cave is perhaps another reason why the film found its way onto the video nasty list.” Behind the Couch

” …Euro-exploitation of a particularly unhinged variety, and the film does not disappoint […] with a few moments of genuine atmosphere smuggled in – as when Daninsky seeks refuge in a cave system bathed in an amber glow with lavender highlights.” Jonathan Rigby, Euro Gothic, Signum Books, 2016

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

“This is a crazy watch, it has werewolves, a yeti, blood rituals, skin-peeling, warlords, and cannibalism – there’s a little bit of everything here for everyone, all mixed up in a goody stew of action and horror that never gets boring.” McBastard’s Mausoleum

“We get a decent amount of werewolf carnage here and the action scenes are both plentiful and well-choreographed […] the sets and locations employed work nicely and the camerawork is more than competent, occasionally even flashy. Not the best of Naschy’s Daninsky pictures but definitely an entertaining monster mash well worth seeking out.” Ian Jane, Rock! Shock! Pop!

Buy Blu-ray with Hunchback of the Morgue (1973), Devil’s Possessed (1974), Exorcism (1974), and A Dragonfly for Each Corpse (1975) from Amazon.com

“Too bad we have to wait until the last eight minutes before Naschy’s snarling lycanthrope battles some shambling, anonymous dude in a yeti suit. Nevertheless, The Werewolf and the Yeti a.k.a. Night of the Howling Beast ranks as one of the Spanish horror star’s most enjoyable outings.” Andrew Pragasm, The Spinning Image

Cast and characters:

• • Paul Naschy … Waldemar Daninsky
  • Mercedes Molina … Sylvia Lacombe [as Grace Mills]
  • Silvia Solar … Wandesa
  • Gil Vidal … Larry Talbot
  • Luis Induni … Sekkar Khan
  • Castillo Escalona … Professor Lacombe
  • Ventura Oller … Ralph
  • Verónica Miriel … Melody
  • Juan Velilla … Norman
  • Carmen Cervera
  • Pepa Ferrer
  • José Luis Chinchilla … Temugin
  • Fernando Ulloa … Lama
  • Juan Ollé
  • Ana María Mauri … Princesa Ulka

Buy Memoirs of a Wolfman: Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com

Wikipedia | IMDb

Image credits: Cinema Arcana | McBastard’s Mausoleum | Poster Perversion

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‘Makes it perfectly clear’

The Werewolf of Washington is a 1973 horror comedy film written, edited and directed by Milton Moses Ginsberg, produced by Nina Schulman and starring Dean Stockwell, Biff McGuire, Clifton James, and Michael Dunn.

The movie satirises several individuals in the Richard Nixon Presidency.

Jack Whittier (Dean Stockwell) is the press secretary for the White House and for the President of the United States, while on assignment in Hungary, he is bitten by a wolf who actually turns out to be a man; when Jack tries to report it, he believes it is the work of Communists.

When he returns to Washington D.C., he is assigned to the President (Biff McGuire); he is also been having an affair with the President’s daughter Marion (Jane House). Jack suddenly starts to feel different changes about him whenever the moon is full…

Reviews:

“One of those faults is the werewolf getup. Maybe they didn’t have enough money to tear the suit, or maybe it’s supposed to be a sight gag, but Stockwell simply looks like a guy wearing a werewolf mask. His nice suit never gets torn or even disheveled, making it hard to swallow. I don’t need a full blown transformation, but at least glue some hair on his chest and rip the shirt a little.” Horror Movie a Day

” …it’s the only film in history in which the word Pentagram is repeatedly mistaken for Pentagon, though the confusion over shape and function is understandable. There are lots of other laughs to be had, some of them might even be intentional, but it’s difficult to tell. It’s a rather cheap and poorly-produced piece of work, but amazingly the acting is half-decent in parts.” Nigel Honeybone, HorrorNews.net

“Dean Stockwell is quite good as a man torn between his two lives and puts plenty of energy into his performance with the make-up on. He leaps and bounces all over the place as the werewolf and has the mannerisms down to a tee. But this is where the problems lie. Once the werewolf scenes are over, the political satire is terrible.” Andrew Smith, Popcorn Pictures

“Dean Stockwell gives a good performance and there’s a funny scene where he starts to turn into a werewolf while bowling with the President […] And then there’s a scene where the werewolf attacks a woman in a phone booth and it’s actually rather suspenseful and almost scary. Plus, Biff McGuire is great and all too plausible as the vapid President.” Lisa Marie Bowman, Through the Shattered Lens

“A hit-or-miss comedy which blends political satire and lycanthropic laughs […] A poorly integrated subplot involving a mad dwarf scientist (Dunn) is good for a few laughs but like the half-hearted pastiche of Universal’s The Wolf Man it goes nowhere.” Nigel Floyd, Time Out Film Guide

“The laughs are few and far between in this political horror spoof […] It’s such a bizarre idea that one really wants it to be funny, but the promise is never fulfilled, and the picture ultimately disappoints.” TV Guide

Cast and characters:

• Dean Stockwell … Jack Whittier
• Katalin Kallay … Giselle
• Henry Ferrentino … Beal
• Despo Diamantidou … Gypsy Woman
• Thayer David … Inspector
• Nancy Andrews … Mrs Margie Captree
• Clifton James … Attorney General
• Biff McGuire … President
• Jack Waltzer … Appointments Secretary
• Ben Yaffee … Mr Captree
• Jane House … Marion
• Beeson Carroll … Commander Salmon
• Michael Dunn … Doctor Kiss

Wikipedia | IMDb

‘Terror waits for you in every room in’

The House That Dripped Blood is a 1970 British horror anthology film directed by Peter Duffell and produced by Amicus Productions. It stars Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, Nyree Dawn Porter, Denholm Elliott, and Jon Pertwee.

The film is a collection of four short stories, all originally written and subsequently scripted by Robert Bloch, linked by the protagonist of each story’s association with the eponymous building.

Scream Factory is releasing The House That Dripped Blood on Blu-ray on May 8, 2018. The special features are:

• New audio commentary by film historian/author Troy Howarth
• New interview with second assistant director Mike Higgins
• Audio commentary with director Peter Duffell and author Jonathan Rigby
• A-Rated Horror Film – Vintage featurette with director Peter Duffell and actors Geoffrey Bayldon, Ingrid Pitt, and Chloe Franks
• Theatrical trailers: English and Spanish
• Radio spots
• Amicus radio spots collection
• Still gallery

Buy Blu-ray: Amazon.com

Shortly after renting an old country house, film star Paul Henderson mysteriously disappears and Inspector Holloway (John Bennett) from Scotland Yard is called to investigate.

Inquiring at the local police station, Holloway is told some of the house’s history. He then contacts the estate agent (John Bryans) renting the house, who elaborates further by telling Holloway about its previous tenants…

‘Method for Murder’ (originally published in Fury #7, July 1962)

A hack writer of horror stories (Denholm Elliott) moves into the house with his wife (Joanna Dunham) and is haunted by visions of Dominic (Tom Adams), the murderous, psychopathic central character of his latest novel.

‘Waxworks’ (originally published in Weird Tales Vol. 33 #1, January 1939)

A retired stockbroker (Peter Cushing) and his friend (Joss Ackland) become fixated with a macabre waxwork museumthat appears to contain a model of a lady they both knew.

‘Sweets to the Sweet’ (originally published in Weird Tales Vol. 39 #10, March 1947)

A private teacher (Nyree Dawn Porter) is perturbed by the cold and severe way a widower (Christopher Lee) treats his young daughter (Chloe Franks), even forbidding her to have a doll. The teacher feels like a helpless bystander, but his daughter is not everything that she seems.

‘The Cloak’ (Unknown, May 1939)

Temperamental horror film actor Paul Henderson (Jon Pertwee) moves into the house while starring in a vampire film being shot nearby. He buys a black cloak from a peculiar shopkeeper (Geoffrey Bayldon) to use as his film character’s costume. The cloak seems to instil in its wearer strange powers, something Paul’s co-star (Ingrid Pitt) quickly discovers…

Reviews:

“The end result may leave those weaned on rough-and-tumble horror fare nonplussed but fans of old-fashioned spookiness will find The House That Dripped Blood an enjoyable exercise in old-school horror storytelling.” Donald Guarisco, AllMovie

“This Amicus production is one the very best, thanks to a talented all-star cast, astute direction from first timer Peter Duffell and a very knowing and clever screenplay by Robert Bloch (Psycho) that takes familiar horror conventions and gives them creative new spins.” Justin McKinney], The Bloody Pit of Horror

” …in-jokes and references to the genre are abound, and the film is constructed with colorful flair, as well as atmospheric scares and style rather than gory shock effects, and the music by Michael Dress is hauntingly unique. The cast of mostly British TV veterans, is superb, handling the fun material so well…” George R. Reis, DVD Drive-In

” …it’s campy at times, creepy at times, and rocks a decidedly EC Comics vibe with all of its twist endings and mad people. More than anything, though, it’s a real celebration of “horror.” Characters are tied to the genre in various ways, and there are shout outs to Poe, Hoffman, Universal monsters…” Stacie Ponder, Final Girl

“Perhaps as a debuting director, Duffell lacks the polish that Freddie Francis, the most prolific director of Amicus’s anthologies, brought. The stories are, as always, variable. The wraparound premise is much weaker than is usually the case with Amicus’s anthologies, while even the title seems more lurid than usual.” Richard Scheib, Moria

“It’s got a great cast as always and there’s something for every horror fan with different sub-genres being tackled. Unfortunately it just lacks the extra scare factor to take it as far as it needed to go. It’s chilling as opposed to thrilling and there’s a real lack of true scares with black humour the order of the day.” Andrew Smith, Popcorn Pictures

” …too flimsy in structure to truly compel and unnerve, and Amicus’ slapdash production doesn’t help much. Duffell’s direction is mostly tamed and hemmed in by the low budget and barely contiguous narrative, sporting only occasional flurries of strong imagery.” Roderick Heath, This Island Rod

“Three of the episodes are rough-and-ready but vigorous Grand Guignol fun […]  The fourth is something else again, a marvellous mood piece of chilling intensity about a lonely, angelic child (the remarkable Chloë Franks) who compensates rather nastily…” Time Out Film Guide

” …while it isn’t quite as good as Asylum it proves that Bloch’s work makes for a decent batch of stories (save the last one), gives us two horror icons in small roles and plays better than a good share of the anthology flicks of the time (such as Tales That Witness Madness).” The Video Graveyard

“The House That Dripped Blood is one of Amicus’ classier anthologies, strongly acted and imaginatively staged by Peter Duffell [who] gives the proceedings a discreetly self-reflective tone from the outset. Trawling the interior of the fateful house, the camera comes to rest on a skull perched astride a copy of Lotte Eisner’s book The Haunted Screen at the very moment that Duffell’s director credit pops up.” Jonathan Rigby, English Gothic, 2004 (third edition)

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

“By far and away the best of Amicus’s compendium horror films, directed with flair by Peter Duffell and working both as straightforward horror film and, in The Cloak, as a witty and effective send-up of the genre.” Alan Frank, The Horror Film Handbook, 1982

” …neatly made and generally pleasing despite a low level of originality in the writing.” Leslie Halliwell, Halliwell’s Film Guide, 1981

” …tried to create interest in itself through the ironist’s device of self-deprecation, flavoured in turn by the rather specialized aura of camp. But because it does not completely relinquish its commitment to horror, its self-mockery is only partially sustained, and the film ends up with an unsure tone and a shaky sense of audience.” Wall Street Journal

Cast and characters:

‘Framework’

• John Bennett as Detective Inspector Holloway
• John Bryans as A.J. Stoker
• John Malcolm as Sergeant Martin

‘Method For Murder’

• Denholm Elliott as Charles Hillyer
• Joanna Dunham as Alice Hillyer
• Tom Adams as Richard/Dominic
• Robert Lang as Dr. Andrews

‘Waxworks’

• Peter Cushing as Philip Grayson
• Joss Ackland as Neville Rogers
• Wolfe Morris as Waxworks Proprietor

‘Sweets to the Sweet’

• Christopher Lee as John Reid
• Nyree Dawn Porter as Ann Norton
• Chloe Franks as Jane Reid
• Hugh Manning as Mark
• Carleton Hobbs as Dr. Bailey

‘The Cloak’

• Jon Pertwee as Paul Henderson
• Ingrid Pitt as Carla Lynde
• Geoffrey Bayldon as Theo von Hartmann
• Jonathan Lynn as Mr. Petrich

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

Filming locations:

• Community Hall, Weybridge, Surrey, England, UK (waxworks/antiques shop)
• Filmed from 29 June 1970 at Shepperton Studios, Shepperton, Surrey, England, UK (the titular house was Yew Tree House, a lodge on the back-lot that was subsequently demolished in the early 1970s)

Trivia:

The BBFC apparently initially awarded the film with an ‘A’ certificate until Amicus were asked by distributors to request an ‘X’ instead, fearing that its intended audience would be put off by such a youth-friendly rating.

Wikipedia | IMDb

Image credits: This Island Rod | The Video Graveyard | Wrong Side of the Art!

‘No girl can ever feel safe…’

Red Rings of Fear – original title: Enigma rosso aka Rings of Fear and Trauma – is a 1978 Italian/German/Spanish giallo thriller directed by Alberto Negrin from a screenplay co-written with Marcello Coscia, Massimo Dallamano, Franco Ferrini, Stefano Ubezio and Peter Berling. The movie stars Fabio Testi, Christine Kaufmann, Ivan Desny and Jack Taylor.

This was the third entry in a triptych of schoolgirl-themed giallo/krimi murder thrillers initiated by director Massimo Dallamano‘s What Have You Done to Solange? and What Have They Done to Your Daughters?

When the brutally violated body of a teenage girl is found wrapped in plastic, Inspector Gianni Di Salvo (Fabio Testi) is drawn to dark deeds at an exclusive girls’ school where the attractive members of a group called the Inseparables are being targeted with sinister letters and murder attempts by a killer using the name ‘Nemesis’.

Following up a clue found in the dead girl’s diary, Di Salvo discovers that anyone could be harbouring deadly secrets as he untangles a web of sex and homicide…

Red Rings of Fear was released on Blu-ray on April 10, 2018, via Doppelgänger Releasing and Scorpion Releasing. It has been newly remastered in high-definition from the original negatives and is presented in its 2.35:1 aspect ratio. Both the English and Italian (with English subtitles) audio tracks are on the disc, plus audio commentary by film critic and historian Nathaniel Thompson

Buy Blu-ray: Amazon.com

Reviews:

“Enigma rosso features all the staples of the subgenre, from handsome camerawork to creative murders to lurid sleaze to a jazzy score by Riz Ortolani (Cannibal Holocaust, Don’t Torture a Duckling). The killer’s identity is implausible and their motive convoluted, neither of which is uncommon for the genre.” Alex DiVincenzo, Broke Horror Fan

“It’s provocative, with a rough, sleazy quality that is more pronounced than other films of its ilk. It marks it as a film that isn’t the best example of the giallo genre, but certainly one of the more interesting entries…” Jon Patridge, Cinapse

“There may have been six writers contributing to this film, but the end result is lacking in depth or nuance to an alarming degree. Coming across as a hodgepodge of the two previous films in the trilogy, What Have… Solange and Your Daughters, this film combines sex rings and teenage abortions with motorcycling patsies and sprinkles them over the by-now-standard schoolgirl shagging shenanigans.” Giallo Reviews

“As a giallo it is especially successful, the central mystery unravels nicely and, for once, the denouement came as a real shock – and made perfect sense in retrospect. It echoes the classic gialli of the early 70’s – despite the fact that it looks a little old fashioned when compared to what was coming out of America at the time…” Hysteria Lives!

“This is a much underrated film that gets short shrift from many genre fans who describe it as the weakest of the trilogy – not so in my book!! It’s far more of a giallo than Daughters, has a virtually unguessable murderer, doesn’t stint on the sleazy sex and nudity, and has some really good performances from the main cast members…” Horrorview

” …it’s better cast and acted than much of its ilk. Fabio Testi in particular brings considerably more gravitas and charisma than his lead role requires. It also features such novel turns as murder-by-marbles, interrogation-by-roller-coaster and a pretty kicking jazz score, but you’ll mostly remember the sleaze.” Ira Brooker, Letterboxd

“It’s creepy and titillating and, as it never lets on to the double-crossing ways of young girls, manages its fair share of shocks and snares with which to hang its audience by.” Loron Hays, Reel Reviews

“The plot meanders along aimlessly at points, the ending only leaves you with more questions. But still these Italian crime thrillers have a life all their own.” The Terror Trap

“A dire cheapo thriller which relies on confusion for suspense, schoolgirl nymphets for titillation, and Fabio Testi’s five o’clock shadow for a sense of adventure […] The denouement is just about discernible from the surrounding detail – abortions, arson, art forgeries – but hardly worth waiting for.” Time Out (London)

Main cast and characters:

• Fabio Testi … Inspector Di Salvo – What Have You Done to Solange?
• Christine Kaufmann … Christina
• Ivan Desny … Inspector Roccaglio
• Jack Taylor … Parravicino – Wax; Pieces; Female Vampire; et al
• Helga Liné … Miss Russo – The Mummy’s Revenge; The Loreley’s Grasp; Horror Express, Nightmare Castle; Horror aka The Blancheville Monster
• Silvia Aguilar … Virginia Nardini – Night of the Werewolf
• Taida Urruzola … Franca
• Tony Isbert … Max van der Weyden
• Fausta Avelli … Emily Russo
• Albertina
• Fabián Conde … Mr. Mandel
• Brigitte Wagner … Virginia
• Carmen Carro
• Ricardo Merino … Paola’s Father
• José Nodar
• Tony Valento … Mr. Sataro
• Cecilia Roth … Salesgirl

Release:

The 1979 British cinema release by Bordeaux Films International was censored by the BBFC (reduced to 80m, 26s). The movie was mutilated even further when re-issued on VHS in 1987 by Drumfire/In-House Movies as Virgin Terror (cut to 79m, 07s). The original 1983 British VHS releases by Video Shack and VFP (both titled Rings of Fear) were both uncut but in poor quality, pan and scan versions.

In the USA, the film has been released as Trauma on VHS and DVD.

Wikipedia | IMDb | Image credits: Cinapse | Giallo Reviews

Mega Scale Exorcist with Sound Feature is a 2018 collectible toy doll released by Mezco Toyz and is a recreation of demonically possessed young girl Regan (as played by Linda Blair) in the 1973 horror movie The Exorcist.

“Standing at a menacing 15 inches tall, Regan MacNeil from The Exorcist is presented in a real cloth nightgown from the film. The possessed youth says six iconic and hair-raising phrases including “It burns!” and “Keep away! The sow is mine!”. The devil is in the details and each of them have been captured here; from Regan’s untamed real hair to her crazed, piercing eyes and maniacal grin. This Mega Scale Exorcist figure features eleven points of articulation for dynamic nightmarish poses.”

There are a couple more phrases we’d like the Regan doll to say but we’re too polite to mention them here, although probably soon on our new upcoming sister site, HORRORPEDIA Uncut…

The Regan figure can be pre-ordered for $94.00 and will ship in October to December, 2018.

Image credits: Bloody Disgusting

‘Warning! When the Ripper slashes – grab your throats and pray!’

Knife for the Ladies is a 1974 horror western mystery film directed by Larry G. Spangler from a screenplay by George Arthur Bloom and Seton I. Miller.

A mutilating knife wielding killer haunts the small Southwest desert town of Mescal. Though most victims have been prostitutes, the first was Travis Mescal, the only son of the town’s first family.

When the Sheriff proves unable to solve the case, the town leaders invite Investigator Burns to unravel the mystery. Along the way, he confronts tension with the Sheriff, trouble with some citizens, and finally a killer whose motive we’ve heard before in Ripper-lore…

Review:

Nineteen-seventy-four was a pivotal year in the development of the slasher film. But enough about Black Christmas and The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. Also released, to a clamour of indifference, was this torpid murder mystery, also known as Silent Sentence, for no apparent reason, and Jack the Ripper Goes West, which is no less misleading.

So poorly paced that it sags even at 86 minutes (for a later release it was chopped down to under an hour), the plot follows a chain of stabbings in the Old West town of Mescal, where the grouchy sheriff reluctantly aids a hotshot detective to crack the case.

The western setting is elementary – it was shot on the Old Tucson lot, there are actors and extras milling about, flatly intoning clunky dialogue (“This has got to be the work of a madman”), but no sense of time or place. It is difficult to convey a period feel when lead actor Jeff Cooper looks as if he would rather be surfing or singing soft-rock ballads.

The kill scenes are similarly perfunctory, as well as tame, and the central mystery is not exactly taxing, although the revelation of the killer’s identity and motive belatedly injects some manic energy into proceedings. The overall impression is of people going through the motions, from Larry G. Spangler’s sluggish direction, to the indifferent acting – the exceptions being Jack Elam’s typically eccentric turn as the aggrieved sheriff, and Richard Schaal’s mannered portrayal of the town’s mortician, the one red herring of note.

Even the soundtrack suggests a production pieced together without much thought – the film opens with synthesized whines that echo the period’s experimental electronica, and closes with a full-throated psychedelic rock song. In between, the music is recycled from Dominic Frontiere’s bombastic score to the 1968 Clint Eastwood western Hang ’Em High.

For a western with slasher/giallo tropes, a far superior offering is the 1972 Italian film The Price of Death, with Gianni Garko as a Sartana-like sleuth and Klaus Kinski as a scornful murder suspect.

Kevin Grant, HORRORPEDIA – read more horror western movie reviews here

Other reviews [may contain spoilers]:

“With a little more weirdo sleaze, Jack the Ripper Goes West could’ve been a mindless delight. The concept was there. Instead, we get a mundane jog through the utmost minimum in horror and western clichés, but without any trash distinction. If the talk doesn’t kill you, the horn section will.” Joseph A. Ziemba, Bleeding Skull!

“It’s obvious the filmmakers are trying for something different with its multi-genre machinations, but fails at satisfying a single one of them. There’s not enough sleaze for the drive-in lovers nor enough shootouts for western fans; and the dramatic moments that dominate the talky mid-section will serve only the most tolerant fan of drive-in fare.” Brian Bankston, Cool Ass Cinema

” …it’s certainly unpredictable, though it does have the problem that there aren’t many suspects to choose from after a bit because they keep dying off. Besides, there’s something I’ve always found likeable about Jack Elam’s ugly mug wherever it appears, and he adds a good deal of fun to the movie.” Dave Sindelar, Fantastic Movie Musings and Ramblings

” …undecided if it should go whole-hog mystery or horror or whathaveyou. No amount of eye candy from Diana Ewing (Play It as It Lays) or glee gained from the bonkers performance of Ruth Roman (The Baby) can make up for Spangler’s cattle-drive pacing, which is why the funny ending isn’t worth the sit to get there.” Rod Lott, Flick Attack

“The writing here is solid and we don’t have many goofy lines, though Elam and Roman are so colorful a good deal of their dialogue stands out in some way. This is a straight up murder mystery that never veers into crazy parameters, though the finale is likely a shock to most viewers.” Marc Fusion

” …this often talky and very strange film will definitely appeal most to ’70s pop culture junkies. However, if you’re looking for sleaze there’s a bit to be found here thanks to some bloody knifings and a truly unhinged climax that swerves violently into Andy Milligan territory.” Nathaniel Thompson, Mondo Digital

“Generic and unremarkable, but not awful. The look of the production, the dialogue, and the acting all resemble a TV western show; Gene Evans (Devil Times Five) even turns up for a scene. It’s an odd mix of Western and whodunit that doesn’t really jibe…” Watching Horror

Buy Blood Bath 2 DVD: Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com

Cast and characters:

• Jack Elam … Sheriff Jarrod Garret – Creature from Black Lake
• Ruth Roman … Elizabeth – The Baby; The Killing Kind
• Jeff Cooper … Burns
• John Kellogg … Hollyfield
• Gene Evans … Hooker – Devil Times Five; The Giant Behemoth; Donovan’s Brain
• Richard Schaal – Ainslie the mortician
• Diana Ewing … Jenny
• Derek Sanderson … Lute
• Jon Spangler … Seth
• Derek Sanderson … Lute
• Fred Biletnikoff … Horace
• Pater Athas … Travis
• Hank Kendrick … Fairchild
• Pat Herrera … Nina
• Phil Avenetti … Ramon
• Brooke Tucker … Myra
• Bob Lien … J.B. Mullin
• Kit Kendrick … Cora
• Al Hassan … Riley
• Jean Wall … Lettie
• Greg Little … Amos
• Norm Tempas … First Rider
• Dene Pettinger … 2nd Rider
• Bud Stout … Driver

Wikipedia | IMDb

Related: Death Rides a Horse: Horror Westerns – article

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‘The It’s Alive baby is back… Only now there are three of them.’

It Lives Again – aka It’s Alive II – is a 1978 American horror film written, produced and directed by Larry Cohen (The Stuff; Q: The Winged Serpent; God Told Me To). It is the sequel to his 1974 film It’s Alive. The Larco production stars Frederic Forrest, Kathleen Lloyd, John P. Ryan, John Marley, Andrew Duggan and Eddie Constantine.

On May 15, 2018, Scream Factory issued the It’s Alive Trilogy on Blu-ray with the following extras:

Disc One: It’s Alive

• 2K Scan Of The Original Film Elements
• Cohen’s Alive: Looking Back At The It’s Alive Films Featuring Interviews With Writer/Producer/Director Larry Cohen, Actors James Dixon, Michael Moriarty And Laurene Landon, And More…
• It’s Alive At The Nuart: The 40^th Anniversary Screening With Larry Cohen
• Audio Commentary with Writer/Producer/Director Larry Cohen
• Radio Spots
• TV Spots
• Theatrical Trailer
• Still Gallery

Disc Two: It Lives Again

• 2K Scan Of The Original Film Elements
• Audio Commentary With Writer/Producer/Director Larry Cohen
• Theatrical Trailer
• Still Gallery

Disc Three: It’s Alive III: Island of the Alive

• 2K Scan Of The Original Film Elements
• Interview With Special Effects Makeup Designer Steve Neill
• Audio Commentary With Writer/Producer/Director Larry Cohen
• Trailer
• Still Gallery

Buy Blu-ray trilogy: Amazon.com

Frank Davis (John P. Ryan) is still reeling from the death of his child and the part he played in it, seeing his chance to atone by assisting other would-be parents of mutant children.

Davis tries to warn soon-to-be parents Jody (Kathleen Lloyd) and Eugene Scott (Frederic Forrest) of the vast and dangerous conspiracy to murder their baby and the other unborn mutant children who are being born around the country. They are convinced when they are met by Malory (John Marley) and a strong force of police officers at the hospital as Jody is about to go into labour…

Reviews:

“With strange pacing, questionable character actions, and not enough mutant baby appearances, It Lives Again just doesn’t quite reach It’s Alive which was only so-so to begin with…but hey, it does have a killer baby.” JP Roscoe, Basement Rejects

“While there are plenty of fresh situations, the carnage is slow to kick in, with very few glimpses of now three monster babies. The camerawork is often so poor as to be mystifying. The drama is uneven and often implausible…” Mark Hodgson, Black Hole

“Part 2 is a watchable, though pretty mediocre, follow-up. It’s at its best in the beginning dealing with the warring factions of the baby sympathizers vs. the baby destroyers; a sort-of parallel to the opposing Pro Life and Pro Choice movements.” Justin McKinney, The Bloody Pit of Horror

“At times, It Lives Again plays more like a serious drama than a horror film, but then at other junctures, it lunges into cheap thrills, bloody set pieces, and silly special effects. This is a mix that isn’t particularly successful, and one has the feeling that Cohen was trying to serve two masters.” John Kenneth Muir, Horror Films of the 1970s

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

“Essentially a retread of the first film, with another couple drifting through the same story. Though some interesting issues remain, little new light is shed on them here.” Videohound’s Complete Guide to Cult Flicks and Trash Pics

“Although the sequel begins with a paranoid premise of government surveillance of pregnant women, the atmosphere and acting are too laid back to sustain it.” Mike Mayo, The Horror Show Guide

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

“The cast includes venerable Eddie Constantine, the American‐born‐and bred French film star, as a doctor who walks as if he were wearing a cement corset. The other actors have less assurance than p*rn performers attempting to play a scene of straight dramatic exposition.” Vincent Canby, The New York Times, May 10, 1978

Cast and characters:

• Frederic Forrest as Eugene Scott
• Kathleen Lloyd as Jody Scott – Victim of the Haunt; The Craft; The Car
• John P. Ryan as Frank Davis – It’s Alive
• John Marley as Mr. Mallory – The Car; Deathdream; The Dead Are Alive
• Andrew Duggan as Dr. Perry – A Return to Salem’s Lot
• Eddie Constantine as Dr. Forest
• Bobby Ramsen as Dr. Santo De Silva
• Glenda Young as Lydia
• Melissa Inger as Valerie
• Jill Gatsb as Cindy
• Lynn Wood as Jody’s Mother
• Dennis O’Flaherty as Dr. Peters
• James Dixon as Detective Lt. Perkins

Buy DVD: Amazon.co.uk

Release:

It Lives Again was released in the United States by Warner Bros. on May 10, 1978.

Wikipedia | IMDb

Image credits: The Bloody Pit of Horror

Margot Kidder (October 17, 1948 – May 13, 2018), born as Margaret Ruth Kidder, was a Canadian American actress. She is best known as Lois Lane in the Superman film series, playing alongside Christopher Reeve. Kidder began her career in the 1960s appearing in low-budget Canadian films and television series.

Horror fans mainly know Margot Kidder’s work as the twins in Brian De Palma’s Sisters (1973); as sassy Barbara “Barb” Coard in Bob Clark’s seminal slasher film Black Christmas (1974); and as Kathy Lutz in The Amityville Horror (1979).

However, Kidder also appeared in horror-themed productions such as 1973 TV movie The Suicide Club (part of The Wide World of Mystery series), The Reincarnation of Peter Proud, the 1992 Tales from the Crypt episode ‘Curiosity Killed’, The Hunger TV series episode ‘The Sloan Men’ (1997), the 1997 Aaahh!!! Real Monsters kids’ television series (voicing Mistress Helga), slasher movie The Clown at Midnight (1999, with Christopher Plummer), supernatural anthology pic Death 4 Told (2004) and Rob Zombie’s Halloween II (2009).

In 2015, she won an Emmy Award for her performance as Mrs Worthington on the children’s television series R.L. Stine’s The Haunting Hour.

Wikipedia | IMDb