‘Where they love New York to death.’

Necropolis – aka Necropolis: City of the Dead – is a 1986 supernatural American horror film written and directed by Bruce Hickey. It stars LeeAnne Baker (Breeders; Mutant Hunt; Psychos in Love), Michael Conte, Jacquie Fitz, George Anthony-Rayza, Andrew Bausili, Vicki Bell, Norris Culf, Anthony Giola, Nadine Hartstein, Jett Julian, Adriane Lee, Gy Milano, Jacqueline Pearson, William K. Reed, Paul Ruben. Special effects were provided by Ed French.

Plot teaser:

Eva, a “Satanic Witch” from New Amsterdam in 1686, comes to modern New York City to revive her cult members by sucking the life force from her victims. She has three sets of breasts that ooze ectoplasm, a substance her zombie followers to suckle on.

Reviews:

“The director, Bruce Hickey, filmed this while taking a break from directing gay porn (probably why this movie is so awesome). This is for lovers of punk, sleaze, kitsch, cheese, cults, all the good stuff. The dialogue is hilarious, especially that of the sassy gay coroner who said “honey” at the end of every sentence….or the hookers battling with our punkette villain.” Creep Cinema

” … capturing the nervous energy of New York City after dark, Necropolis is what cinema should be: A steaming wad of diaphanous nectar dripping from the nipples of a soul-sucking witch from the Lower East Side.” House of Self Indulgence 

Buy: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk

“Sleazy, kinky R-rated supernatural flick, so nihilistic there’s nary an entertaining moment in its 77 minutes.” John Stanley, Creature Features

” … no matter how awful the dialogue, direction, acting and production values … I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the screen for fear of missing some big-haired diabolical hoofin’. But it was not to be, and so Necropolis soon proves to be not quite as much fun as you’d hoped it to be…” Empire of the ‘B’s

Buy Empire of the ‘B’s from Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com

Choice dialogue:

Eva: ‘This cunt doesn’t turn you on, every time you see another girl you wanna fuck her.”

Billy William: “Ok, so say I buy this theory, where is all this ectostuff goin’?”

Filming locations:

Jersey City, New Jersey, USA

New York City, New York, USA

IMDb

‘Hot blooded couples fall prey to a cold blooded maniac’

Iced is a 1988 American slasher horror film directed by Jeff Kwitney (Beyond the Door III aka Amok Train) from a screenplay by Joseph Alan Johnson (The Slumber Party Massacre; Berserker; The Ghosts of Sodom).

Cast:

Debra De Liso, Doug Stevenson, Ron Kologie, Elizabeth Gorcey, John C. Cooke, Joseph Alan Johnson, Dan Smith, Michael Picardi, Lisa Loring, Sharon Bingham.

Plot teaser:

Years ago, their close friend was killed when he fell from a cliff while skiing in a drunken rage over  a woman. Now, years later, they have all been invited to Snow Peak, a remote ski resort, by a real estate advert. As they arrive, they begin to suspect something is not right… but by the time they realise, its far too late! Someone is stalking them, seeking revenge for a loss none of them understand…

Review:

“Iced is probably worse than the modernised snowboard film, in nearly every way. You think that the final twenty five minutes will redeem the crap before. No, it doesn’t, because more quick cuts and cheesy dramatics fill the feature even further. This is just a slasher movie that secretly wants to be a Soap Opera, and has an ending that clears nothing up. While I sort of enjoyed it, a recommendation would just be cruel.” Josh G., Oh, the Horror!

“Iced is not a very good movie. Technically, it’s a bit of a mess with horrible editing, slow pacing and overtly misguided dialog (with only marginal acting at times), but if you’re a USA Up All Night kind of person (and who isn’t?), then this movie is a must. Plus, there’s plenty of boobs (courtesy of Lisa Loring who played Wednesday in the original Addams Family) and some decent blood to keep the proceedings going. There’s also a surprising amount of male nudity.” Amanda by Night, Retro Slashers

“Iced is a 1988 horror movie about skiing. You’ll see a lot of it. It’s also a movie about ass. You’ll see a lot of that, too. It’s a strange dichotomy that, I think you’ll agree, doesn’t work at all for a horror movie.

Hell, the title doesn’t even work. “Iced” is more of a title for a movie about ice skating, or ice hockey, or de-icing planes, but not skiing. It doesn’t make any sense. Not making any sense, by the way, is the third of the film’s major themes.” Dr. Boogie, I-mockery.com

Choice dialogue:

Alex: “Pardon me for saying this but you all look prepared for a funeral… or worse!”

IMDb

Blood Tide is a 1981 British-Greek film directed by Richard Jefferies (Cold Creek Manor; Living Hell aka Organizm) from a screenplay co-written with Nico Mastrorakis (Island of Death; Blind Date; Grandmother’s House). The film is also known as Bloodtide (in the USA) and Demon Island (American TV title) and is in the public domain. Original pre-release titles were The Red Tide and Red Tide.

Plot teaser:

A couple of newlyweds go to Greek Islands to look for a lost sister. They find her on an island where a monster kills people unless it is given a virgin woman for a sacrifice…

Reviews:

Although lacking in production values, Blood Tide cannot be faulted for its actors, all of whom do their best with the material they are presented. As noted previously, the concepts sketched throughout the film are fascinating and stimulating to the imagination. Sadly, the execution of the film results in a talky, bland, and tensionless movie, one that few will be able to sit through to the lackluster conclusion.” Octavio Ramos, Albuquerque Examiner

Lydia Cornell, Lila Kedrova, Martin Kove, Jose Ferrer

“The main focus of a sea monster movie should be the damn sea monster not a shirtless James Earl Jones. Therefore, the sea monster needs to look fucking amazing. Instead, the team behind this one offered up James Earl Jones, shiny bod and all, instead of giving us a great looking sea monster. The monster is the worst looking creature in cinema history and makes the killer elves in Elves look like a fucking masterpiece.” Horror Society

“A pretty bad, but rather fun, old-fashioned monster movie. The monster itself might be The Return of the Giant Claw, and is, wisely, never seen very clearly (Clearly enough, however, once for camp purposes).” Donald C. Willis, Horror and Science Fiction Films III

“Sundry killings ensue, but little tension or atmosphere is generated. Jones overplays alarmingly, while Ferrer and Kedrova have little to do as furrowed-browed locals, the latter a nun. The monster itself appears only briefly, which is perhaps just as well since it is all too obviously a rubber dummy.” Phil Hardy (editor), The Aurum Film Encyclopedia: Horror

Cast:

• James Earl Jones as Frye
• José Ferrer as Nereus
• Lila Kedrova as Sister Anna
• Mary Louise Weller as Sherry Grice
• Martin Kove as Neil Grice
• Lydia Cornell as Barbara
• Deborah Shelton as Madeline Grice
• Sofia Seirli as Sister Elena
• Despina Tomazani as Lethe’s Mother
• Rania Photiou as Lethe
• Spyros Papafrantzis as Dionysis
• Irini Tripkou as Virgin
• Annabel Schofield as Vikki

Wikipedia | IMDb

‘Hell has frozen over!!’

Wendigo is a 1988 American comedy horror film written and directed by Tom Chaney (cinematographer on Mosquito and Legion of the Night). It stars Ron Asheton (guitarist with The Stooges, also in The Carrier; Hellmaster and Mosquito), Lori Baker, Devlin Burton, John Bussard, Patrick Butler and Alan Madlane.

Ron Asheton is scared

The film was released on VHS by Troma Entertainment in 1996 with a cover retitle of Frostbiter: Wrath of the Wendigo. Owing a large debt to Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead films with its mix of horror and comedy, the film features a torn Evil Dead II poster in much the same way The Evil Dead features a torn The Hills Have Eyes poster. It features stop-motion effects.

Plot teaser:

Two friends go hunting on Manitou Island in Northern Michigan. While wandering the woods, they accidentally break a sacred circle, releasing a terrible monster: the Wendigo. The Wendigo goes on a terrible killing spree, leaving a gun-toting hero and his female love-interest to destroy the monster…

Reviews:

“This movie is insane, and nothing I type here will do that insanity justice. Let’s start with the old man character, who is actually just some guy in an old man mask for no other reason than I guess there were no seniors willing to work in this mess? There’s killer monster puppets birthed from chili who attack while a theme song about chili plays on the soundtrack. A crazy dragon-bat that eats a pilot’s head through a plane window in mid-flight. A topless succubus woman ripped from the pages of a porno magazine who turns into a classic Raimi-style horror hag.” Digital Confederacy

” … it hardly even shows any technical finesse let alone creative promise. But as said before, such a lack of anything resembling filmic capabilities can result in an entertaining film, something that Frostbiter sometimes even approaches being – had it only not pumped up the fucking volume of its soundtrack. It seriously ruins what might have been a good – or at least decently passable – bad-film experience.” A Wasted LIfe

Wikipedia | IMDb

Fiendish Feet was a British brand of low fat dairy yogurts aimed at children, produced by St. Ivel from November 1989 until the early 1990s. The yogurt pots had printed faces on the front and were moulded with feet on the bottom.

The initial line of yogurts were sold in multipacks of four flavours: Spooky Wooky (banana flavour), Fangs a Lot (strawberry flavour), Frank ‘n’ Stein (raspberry flavour), and Rattle ‘n’ Roll (chocolate flavour).

More diary dessert varieties were then introduced: Pharoah Nuff (their spelling error – chocolate, and later replaced by Slurpy Bertie), Dooya Finkisaurus (toffee apple), Howling Wilf (banana), Horrible Herman (strawberry).

Monster Mousse followed in July 1990: Tongue Twister (strawberry), Pharoah Nuff (again – toffee), Snortilla the Grunt (blackcurrant), Melting Melvin (orange), with Tremblers (yogurt jelly with sauce) coming just under a year later: Trembling Trev (strawberry), Flossie Flame (banana and toffee), Moaning Mummy (orange) and Mesma Eyes (redcurrant and raspberry).

Fiendish Feet Fromage Frais arrived in September 1991: Tiddly Wink (raspberry), Masked Menace (apricot) and Sneaky Beaky (strawberry). Freezable strawberry mousses named Snow Joke, Freddy Frostbite, Dip Dastardly and Eski Moan came to haunt British consumers in April 1992.

In a move away from Feet and in a move to healthier dessert options, real fruit yogurts named Fiendish Faces arrived in August 1992. These used the names of the original low fat yogurts.

A couple of limited edition pots were produced with typically cringe-worthy names: Ivor Cold Toe and Hot Cross Bunny. Worse still, a cheese spread named Cheesey Wheesey was also marketed.

Collectible Fiendish spin-off items included mugs, fridge magnets, badges, a bum bag, bicycle wheel clips, stickers, and even a mini computer game!

1989 advert:

Many thanks to the Fiendish Feet tribute page for some info and images

‘Shopping will never be the same again’

Phantom of the Mall: Eric’s Revenge is a 1989 horror film directed by Richard Friedman (Scared Stiff; Doom Asylum; Dark Wolf) from a screenplay by Scott J. Schneid, Tony Michelman and Robert King.

Cast:

Derek Rydall (Night Visitor; Popcorn), Jonathan Goldsmith (Helter Skelter; Blood Voyage), Rob Estes (6 passi nel giallo), Pauly Shore, Kari Whitman, Gregory Scott Cummins (Halloween Night; Watchers III), Tom Fridley (Jason Lives: Friday the 13th: Part VI) Ken Foree (Dawn of the Dead; The Devil’s Rejects; The Lords of Salem) and Morgan Fairchild (The Initiation of Sarah; The Seduction; The New Addams Family).

Plot teaser:

A young man apparently dies in a suspicious house fire after saving his girlfriend, Melody. A year later, at the new Midwood mall built over the site of the burned-out house, thefts and murders begin to occur as a mysterious figure secretly prowls around the shopping center and takes a keen interest in watching over and protecting Melody…

Reviews:

“Makers of bad movies should hold their breath in awe after watching this one. Scarcely a scene isn’t gross or ridiculous, scarcely a performance isn’t forced or shallow, scarcely a line of dialogue isn’t a burbling, awkward cliche. There’s a perfection of awfulness here that almost commands respect; it can’t have been easy to keep going on this picture after a look or two at the rushes.” Michael Wilmington, Los Angeles Times

“For a cheap direct-to-video slasher, Eric’s Revenge is audacious as hell and riotously entertaining as a result—with so much lunacy swirling about, it’s damn near impossible for dull moments to occur, especially since this overt stuff is merely accentuating the typical slasher silliness.” Brett Gallman, Oh, the Horror!

Buy: Amazon.com

“A pretty silly idea executed with only mediocre results, this movie still manages to maintain an enjoyable vibe thanks to the fine cast, many of whom went on to work in far more fabulous projects.” Amanda By Night, Retro Slashers

” … the entire story is in the title. Someone named Eric is taking revenge against people as a phantom of a mall. This also means there is no suspense. We know Eric is behind this, but we still have to see Estes and Cute Girl go through the motions of a silly investigation.” Charles Tatum, eFilmCritic.com

“You should know the 80s slasher drill by now. No scares, suspense, story, acting or characters – just novelty death scenes and a psychotic villain. When a film fails to deliver on the latter two AND the rest, then it’s really bottom of the barrel stuff.” Andrew Smith, Popcorn Pictures

“There’s also the ridiculous ending, with bombs blowing up and bad drama and Ken Foree not getting the screen time that he deserves (he’s relegated to inept security guard status, watching cameras of the women’s dressing room and only getting a minor role at the end of the film – a bad use of a horror icon). It’s kind of a fun mess to watch, but it’s like walking into a store where all of the clothes are tossed around haphazardly – there are things you might like, but it’s too much of a bother to pick through the litter.” Ryne Barber, HorrorNews.net

Buy: Amazon.co.uk

Cast:

Derek Rydall as Eric Matthews, The Phantom of the Mall
Jonathan Goldsmith as Harv Posner, Mall Owner
Rob Estes as Peter Baldwin, Reporter
Pauly Shore as Buzz, Yogurt Clerk
Kimber Sissons as Susie, Fashion Clerk
Gregory Scott Cummins as Christopher Volker, Security Guard
Tom Fridley as Justin, Posner’s Son
Kari Whitman as Melody Austin
Ken Foree as Acardi
Morgan Fairchild as Mayor Karen Wilton
Terrence Evans as Security Guard
Dante D’Andre as Piano man

Choice dialogue:

Melody: “It’s almost like a bad dream, you know.”

Filming locations:

The film was shot in southern California at Sherman Oaks Galleria, Promenade Mall (now Westfield Promenade) and Valencia Studios. Alhambra, California was also a location shoot.

Wikipedia | IMDb | Mall horror: Chopping Mall | Dawn of the Dead

‘Meet a killer of a different sort…’

MurderLust – aka Mass Murder – is a 1985 American horror thriller directed by Donald Jones (Project Nightmare; Housewife from Hell) from a screenplay by producer and soundtrack composer James Lane [possibly a pseudonym for Jones?].

The 1987 British VHS release was cut by a painfully censorial 2m 33s.

Cast:

Eli Rich (Dangerous Love; The Jigsaw Murders), Rochelle Taylor, Dennis Gannon, Bonnie Sikowitz, Lisa Nichols, M. Burton Leary, Bill Walsh, George Engelson, Dayna Quinn, Martha Lane, Ashley St. Jon [aka Lisa Lake], Linda Tucker-Smith

Plot teaser:

Steve is an arrogant misogynist serial killer with erectile dysfunction, who is also a seemingly respectable Christian Sunday school teacher. However, when not in Church preaching the Bible to teenagers, he abducts or cons young women, kills them, and disposes of their bodies in the Mojave Desert…

Reviews:

This is no Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer but it has certainly been overlooked and deserves to be seen in the context of there having been some truly awful mid-1980s that have received considerably more attention than they warrant. Despite being cheap, Donald Jones’ MurderLust can at least afford aerial shots of the Mojave desert, reasonable acting and an agreeably engaging synth score. Psycho character Steve’s confident attempts to ingratiate himself with both men and women, despite his inadequacies, are sickly pre-Stepfather-like (the sub-theme regarding his lack of a real career and financial proclivities are part of the overall character breakdown) and all the more effective for it. The film also pokes fun at religious hypocrites, a welcome reoccurring theme in the horror genre.

Adrian J Smith

“MurderLust is fascinating as a study of a woman-hating serial killer. It’s unpleasant without being graphic – just about all of the murders occur offscreen – and the bad synthesizer score gives it a creepy vibe.” Ryan Clark, Thrill Me!

“In theory, the “outwardly respectable bible thumper by day/ depraved prostitute killer by night” premise sounds like it might be offensive enough to entertain, but actually sitting through this bland, very slow moving and aimless movie is a whole other story. The acting and dialogue are bad throughout, but neither is bad enough to elicit any laughs.” The Bloody Pit of Horror

Choice dialogue:

Debbie: “It’s just a picture of a big prick, like you.”

Steve: “Leave it to a woman to fuck things up!”

Trailer:

Whole film online:

IMDb

Angst (English: Fear) aka Schizophrenia is a 1983 Austrian horror film written and directed by Gerald Kargl with cinematography by Academy Award winner Zbigniew Rybczyński. It stars Erwin Leder. The film is is loosely based on the case of the mass murderer Werner Kniesek.

Plot teaser:

A man is released from prison after serving ten years for murdering an elderly woman. He quickly begins to feel the compulsion to kill again. After failing to murder a cab driver, he flees and discovers a secluded rural home, where a young woman lives with her sick mother and disabled brother. He then begins to take out his sadistic pleasures on them, attempting to hold them hostage, while thinking of his troubled childhood with his abusive mother and grandmother…

Klaus Schulze’s soundtrack is perhaps better known than the film itself. It contains percussive and synth-based music, similar in style to the work of Tangerine Dream, a group of which Schulze was once a member.

Buy: Amazon.com

Reviews:

“This is an important film, not only for its esteemed place in the slasher lineage, but as a document of pure, unadulterated evil. Angst is a testament to the visceral power of cinema, with all the danger and beauty that entails.” Sound on Sight

“The realism combined with some interesting camera work, perfect casting, and a great dreamy synth soundtrack made this one of the best movie viewing experiences I’ve had in quite some time. This movie was years ahead of its time.” Brain Enema Cinema

“Angst is no mere feel-bad wallow in the darkness, either. It’s not an easy watch, and it goes without saying those who think movies should always be “fun” need not apply, but there’s real filmmaking skill at work here.” The Cleveland Movie Blog

Wikipedia | IMDb | Related: The Synth of Fear: Horror Films with Synthesizer Scores – article by Stephen Thrower

WH

Beaks: The Movie – Spanish: El ataque de los pájaros – is a 1987 Mexican-Spanish horror movie written, produced and directed by René Cardona Jr. (Night of a 1000 Cats; Tintorera; Guyana: Crime of the Century). It is also known as Beaks: The Birds 2; Birds of Prey and Evil Birds. The synthesizer score is by Stelvio Cipriani.

Cast:

Michelle Johnson (Werewolf  TV series; Waxwork; Dr. Giggles), Christopher Atkins (Mortuary Academy; Dracula Rising; Stageghost), Sonia Infante (Doctor of Doom; Museum of Horror), Salvador Pineda, Gabriele Tinti (Lisa and the Devil; Emanuelle and the Last Cannibals; Creepers), Aldo Sambrell (Monstroid; Killer Barbys vs. Dracula; Flesh for the Beast), Nené Morales, Manuel Pereyro, Cintia Lodetti, Carole James, May Heatherly.

Plot teaser:

Vanessa, a television reporter covering a story about a farmer attacked by his chickens, discovers that this is not an isolated incident. Travelling to Spain with her henchman, (also cameraman and boyfriend) Peter, the two discover the survivors of a town wiped out by the birds thirty years ago.

Meanwhile, attacks continue as a child’s birthday party ends in tragedy and doves devour a poultry farmer and his wife. Vanessa soon comes to the conclusion that the birds are organizing themselves against the ecological ravages of man but time is running out as thousands of birds of all types launch attack for revenge against a train Vanessa is travelling on…

Reviews:

“Making its contemporary in revenge of nature misfires Slugs seem sensible in comparison, you get lines like Atkins’ exclamation “These birds really know what they’re doing!”, constant distractions from the two leads to concentrate on Neilson’s granddaughter’s birthday party and a bickering family at the beach, and all the fake blood and slow motion you could want from an impoverished production punching considerably above its weight. So yes, it was garbage, but at least you could get a few cheap laughs from its ineptitude.” Graeme Clark, The Spinning Image

“Birds of Prey is a z-grade rip-off where pigeons rip people’s eyes out and doves menacingly organise themselves to destroy man. Clearly the blame lies squarely at the feet of the director: Hitchcock turned birds into a terrifying force of destruction that we’d never really considered a threat before. Here, Cardona Jr (who also brought us the equally-as-dire Jaws rip-off Tintorera) just makes them look dim-witted and laughable.” Popcorn Pictures

Some of the attack sequences are well done but writer-director-producer Rene Cardona Jr. lines his cage at every opportunity, relying on clichés.” John Stanley, Creature Features

Wikipedia | IMDb

‘Run from this man!’

Maniac is a 1980 American slasher horror film co-produced and directed by William Lustig (Maniac Cop and sequels; Uncle Sam) from a screenplay by actor Joe Spinell (who also stars as the titular character), and C. A. Rosenberg.

The gory special effects were the work of Tom Savini (Dawn of the Dead; Day of the Dead; From Dusk Till Dawn), who also has a cameo role in which he gets his head blown off with a shotgun. Composer Jay Chattaway (Silver Bullet; The Ambulance) provided the brooding synthesizer score.

Principal photography began on October 21, 1979 and wrapped on January 18, 1980. With a minuscule $350,000 budget, many scenes in the 16mm film were shot guerrilla style. Originally considered purely an exploitation film, Maniac has since attained cult status and was remade in 2012 with Elijah Wood in the lead role.

Latest release:

On 26 October 2010, Blue Underground issued Maniac as a 30th Anniversary Blu-ray disc.

Disc 1 Extras:

• Audio Commentary #1 with Co-Producer/Director William Lustig and Co-Producer Andrew W. Garroni
• Audio Commentary #2 with Co-Producer/Director William Lustig, Special Make-Up Effects Artist Tom Savini, Editor Lorenzo Marinelli, and Joe Spinell’s Assistant Luke Walter
• Anna and the Killer – Interview with Star Caroline Munro
• The Death Dealer – Interview with Special Make-Up Effects Artist Tom Savini
• Dark Notes – Interview with Composer Jay Chattaway
• Maniac Men – Interview with Songwriters Michael Sembello and Dennis Matkosky
• Theatrical Trailers
• TV Spots
• Radio Spots
• Mr. Robbie: Maniac 2 Promo Reel

Disc 2 Extras:

• The Joe Spinell Story
• Maniac Publicity
• Maniac Controversy

Buy: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk

Plot teaser:

New York: A young couple are lying on a beach, unaware that they are being watched by an unseen person. Within minutes, both lovers have been slain by an assailant.

Frank Zito (Joe Spinell) then sits up in his bed in sweat, screaming after having a nightmare. He lives in a small apartment that is full of bizarre paintings, artwork and a framed picture of a woman decorated with candles and trinkets. Zito also owns a collection mannequins, one of which is wearing the beach girl’s clothes and bloody scalp. He puts on a heavy winter coat and gloves and leaves the apartment…

Reviews:

” … the movie has more in common with the grungy Times Square aesthetic of Abel Ferrara (who made his own splatterfest a year earlier, The Driller Killer) than with the multitudes of slasher flicks that followed it. The pacing might be deadly at times — it feels a lot longer than its 88 minutes — but the filmmaking has a rough kind of integrity.” Rob Gonsalves, e-FilmCritic.com

“Despite some good direction and a sincere, even daring performance by character actor Joe Spinell (Rocky) … Maniac (1980) is alternately repellent and boring…” Stuart Galbraith IV, DVD Talk

” … a movie that shows how an aging, pot-bellied maniac slices up young women of no great intelligence. The setting is New York City, the time is frequently night, and the narrative shape seems to have been borrowed from an early pornographic film.” Vincent Canby, The New York Times, 31 January 1981

“A couple of hallucination scenes are quite imaginatively filmed, but Spinell’s performance is unsubtle and the movie as a whole a fairly dubious undertaking.” Phil Hardy (editor), The Aurum Film Encyclopedia: Horror

“It’s not immoral but quite the opposite to create a film in which violence has consequences. In which a killer is depicted as a sad, frightening human being rather than a faceless automaton in a mask. In which one is encouraged to shudder, not laugh at the plight of a victim … After watching Maniac, you’ll want to take a deep breath, maybe even a shower, but you won’t have wasted ninety minutes on something that has no meaning, no pulse, no heart.” John Kenneth Muir, Horror Films of the 1980s, McFarland

Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk

Cast:

• Joe Spinell as Frank Zito
• Caroline Munro as Anna D’Antoni
• Abigail Clayton as Rita (credited as Gail Lawrence)
• Kelly Piper as Nurse
• Rita Montone as Hooker
• Tom Savini as Disco boy
• Hyla Marrow as Disco girl
• James Brewster as Beach boy
• Linda Lee Walter as Beach girl
• Tracie Evans as Street hooker
• Sharon Mitchell as Nurse #2
• Carol Henry as Deadbeat
• Nelia Bacmeister as Carmen Zito
• Louis Jawitz as Art director
• Denise Spagnuolo as Denise
• Billy Spagnuolo as Billy
• Frank Pesce as TV reporter
• William Lustig as Hotel manager

Wikipedia | IMDb

‘The party begins when the lights go out!’

Slumber Party Massacre II is a 1987 American rock n’ roll slasher horror film. It was co-produced, written and directed by Deborah Brock (her only horror movie). It is a loose sequel to The Slumber Party Massacre and was succeeded by Slumber Party Massacre III. Roger Corman executive produced.

Plot teaser:

Courtney, the younger sister of the “new girl across the street” in the first film is all grown up now. But suffers from nightmares from the events from the first film. She and the other members of her female rock group go to a condo for the weekend to play music and have fun with their boyfriends.

Courtney’s dreams are of her sister, who is in a mental institution, warning her about the killer, and the dreams begin to spill into real life, threatening Courtney and her friends…

Reviews:

” … one that takes forever to start killing people. The movie is only 75 minutes long but it’s not until around the 50 minute mark or so that we have our first real kill. Until then, all (brief) action comes courtesy of our heroine Courtney (the young sister from the first film, albeit played by a different actress here) “seeing things”, which I guess are premonitions of what is eventually to come.” Horror Movie a Day

“The absurdity of the film’s premise is to be applauded, with its mixture of a typical sorority slasher with a pinch of A Nightmare on Elm Street, however this doesn’t disguise the films flaws. As with a lot of horror comedies, it is neither particularly scary nor particularly funny although I do admit to giggling a bit at the frozen chicken attack.” Erik Threlfall, Hysteria Lives

Buy: Amazon.com

“Slumber Party Massacre 2 is no doubt an odd and brainless movie but still a pretty funny and entertaining popcorn flick and I enjoyed it in all it’s cheesy glory. So if you like your slashers with a bit of cheese and some Rock ‘N’ Roll to boot, then this is for you as long as you’re willing to shut off your brain for an hour and a half of fun. But beware, it’s definitely not for everyone.” Michael Sarago, Retro Slashers

“The driller killer’s attempts at Kruegeresque one-liners fall pretty flat, although the cast are fairly funny as they around desperately trying to look scared. It’s not enough to make the film worth it, however. Avoid this at all costs. It’s not even ‘so-bad-it’s-good’ bad. It’s just really, really bad.” Jim Harper, Legacy of Blood

“It also may not be immediately obvious that I love this goofy ass film. And the lion’s share of that love rests at the feet of Atanas Ilitch, who is having such a blast as the greaser version of The Driller Killer that it might be illegal. He chews the scenery and cuts a rug, usually in the same shot. He’s never honestly menacing, but he’s so damn much fun you don’t care.” The Terrible Claw

“I’m not so sure that all of this really works, much of the humor is lame and the whole thing is pretty frustrating to sit through, but it’s still more interesting to watch than most other slasher flicks. Interestingly, this is by far the goriest film in this series, but it also has the least amount of nudity (which is relegated to just one scene).” Bloody Pit of Horror

Cast:

Crystal Bernard as Courtney Bates
Kimberly McArthur as Amy
Juliette Cummins as Sheila Barrington
Patrick Lowe as Matt Arbicost
Heidi Kozak as Sally Burns
Joel Hoffman as T.J.
Scott Westmoreland as Jeff
Jennifer Rhodes as Mrs. Bates
Cindy Eilbacher as Valerie Bates
Michael Delano as Officer Krueger
Hamilton Mitchell as Officer Voorhees
Atanas Ilitch as The Driller Killer

Wikipedia | IMDb

Revenge of the Living Dead Girls aka The Living Dead is a 1986 French supernatural horror film directed by Pierre B. Reinhard from a screenplay by producer Jean-Claude Roy. Originally titled La revanche des mortes vivantes it was released in France on 16 September 1987.

Cast:

Véronique Catanzaro, Kathryn Charly, Sylvie Novak, Anthea Wyler, Laurence Mercier, Patrick Guillemin, Gabor Rassov, Christina Schmidt and Cornélia Wilms.

Plot teaser:

In France, the CEO of a chemical company looks to cheaply dispose of their plant’s chemical waste. He and his secretary come up with the idea to dump it illegally. When the secretary contaminates a milk tanker, it causes several deaths in the town.

The toxic waste, dumped in a nearby graveyard, then causes the recently dead townspeople to rise as ravenous zombies, who seek revenge on the unscrupulous company and its employees…

Reviews:

“In the end, the utter nonsense of the whole affair undermines Reinhard’s “Give a hoot, don’t pollute” message and the general sleaziness undermines the female empowerment angle of lady zombies (and Bridget) beating up the boys. What you have is some nakedness, some blood and some terrible dubbing.” Dave Bow, Portland Mercury

“What follows is a impossible-to-follow-even-if-we-cared plot involving chemical dumping, corporate blackmail, and enough fornication to make a soap opera roll its eyes; everyone seems to be involved with everyone else’s partners. As toxic chemicals seep into the graves of the dead girls, they rise and exact their revenge on those who are responsible – just as the title advertises! See zombie girls rise from the grave looking like cheap knockoffs from Thriller. Kill girls kill! Mix in some unsexy nudity. Rinse. Kill again.” Peter Schorn, IGN

” … for fans of bad trash cinema, this one is worth a look. Despite some slow spots it offers enough ineptitude, gore and completely unnecessary nudity to satisfy the wants of most exploitation fans and the unintentional hilarity scattered throughout give it a fair amount of entertainment value if you have a tolerance for bad movies.” Ian Jane, DVD Talk

“The best bit is probably when the three women zombies lamely sexual assault and play grab ass with a female victim, who sort of starts masturbating with a severed hand. She loses interest in the sex about the time a zombie chick sticks a sword into her vagina. No, I’m not kidding. Yes, on paper it sounds like it would be an awesome, brutal, gross scene. In execution, its kind of like bad softcore porn, but it is a scene worth watching, horror fans.” Robert Fure, Film School Rejects

” … numerous dull boardroom scenes and typically gratuitous nude scenes featuring the majority of the female cast. Almost everything about this production is inept, thanks to director Pierre B. Reinhard (who, unsurprisingly, also has several soft-core porno titles to his credit). Gives milk a bad name.” Glenn Kay, Zombie Movies: The Ultimate Guide

Trailer 1:

Trailer 2:

Wikipedia | IMDb

It Came from Hollywood is a 1982 comedy film compiling clips from a plethora of B movies. Written by Dana Olsen (Wacko; The ‘Burbs); Tales from the Cryptkeeper: ‘Hide and Go Shriek’) and directed by Malcolm Leo and Andrew Solt, the film features wraparound segments and narration by several popular American comedians, including Dan Aykroyd, John Candy, Gilda Radner, and Cheech and Chong.

Despite being just a compilation of old movie clips, with comedy linking sequences of dubious merit, the film took a surprising $2,573,342 at the US box office.

Frankenstein Meets the Space Monster (1965)

Sections of It Came from Hollywood focus on themes such as gorilla pictures, anti-marijuana films, brain movies and the works of Ed Wood. Michael and Harry Medved are listed as consultants and this compilation seems to have been inspired by their sneering at B movies humour – featured in books such as The Golden Turkey Awards – and later co-opted by The Mystery Science Theatre 3000 team.

Buy The Best of the Worst 12 Horror on DVD from Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com

Reviews:

“The hosts are all right in their introductory segments; Radner has a great moment barricading her door against gorillas, and Aykroyd turns up in Glen (or Glenda’s) white angora sweater. But the movie makes the annoying decision to let the hosts speak during the scenes from the bad movies, one-upping the original footage with wiseguy comments that should be left for the paying audience to make.” RogerEbert.com

“Sure, there’s kind of a sneering hipness to the comedy, a smug, let’s-laff-at-the-squares mindset that you’ll find in any revival-house screening of Reefer Madness. But ICFH manages to overcome its superiority complex, chiefly through a long Ed Wood career retrospective that proves you can admire the troubled filmmaker’s moxie while simultaneously laughing at the finished product. Also, Dan Aykroyd proves he can walk the walk in an angora sweater and Maidenform bra.” Dave Merrill, Compone Flicks

“Anyway, it’s a clip show, pretty well edited and possibly the slickest of the 80s bunch of them! (Only Terror in the Aisles gives it a run there!) The inclusion of good movies is off-putting whatever the motive, and whatever the psycho-emotional dangers of not doing so! And, the natural charms of their enactors notwithstanding, those sketches are a heavy debit!” Ha Ha, It’s Burl!

Films featured:

Sunny Side Up (1929)
Maniac aka Sex Maniac (1934)
Wonder Bar (1934)
The Lost City (1935)
Reefer Madness (1936)
Marihuana (1936)
Perils of Nyoka (1942)
Isle of Forgotten Sins (1943)
Musical Movieland (1944)
The Monster and the Ape (1945)
The White Gorilla (1945)
Blonde Savage (1947)
Street Corner (1948)
Daughter of the Jungle (1949)
The Flying Saucer (1950)
The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)
Zombies of the Stratosphere (1952)
Glen or Glenda (1953)

Robot Monster (1953)

The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms

The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (1953)
The War of the Worlds (1953)

Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954)

Bride of the Monster (1955)
The Violent Years (1956)
Earth vs. the Flying Saucers (1956)

Fire Maidens from Outer Space (1956)
Runaway Daughters (1956)
Shake, Rattle & Rock! (1956)
Don’t Knock the Rock (1956)
Rock Baby: Rock It (1957)

The Brain from Planet Arous (1957)

The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957)
Dragstrip Girl (1957)

The Deadly Mantis (1957)

The Giant Claw (1957)

Beginning of the End (1957)

The Cyclops (1957)

From Hell It Came (1957)
The Amazing Colossal Man (1957)

I Was a Teenage Frankenstein (1957)
Teenage Monster (1958)
The Bride and the Beast (1958)
The Cool and the Crazy (1958)
Attack of the Puppet People (1958)
Attack of the 50 Foot Woman (1958)
High School Confidential! (1958)
High School Hellcats (1958)
The Space Children (1958)

Fiend Without a Face (1958)

The Fly (1958)

Curse of the Faceless Man (1958)
The Party Crashers (1958)
The Blob (1958)

I Married a Monster from Outer Space (1958)

Frankenstein’s Daughter (1958)
Monster from Green Hell (1958)
The Trollenberg Terror (1958)

Missile to the Moon (1958)
The Hideous Sun Demon (1959)
Battle in Outer Space (1959)
House on Haunted Hill (1959)
Prince of Space (1959)

Teenagers from Outer Space (1959)
The Killer Shrews (1959)
Plan 9 from Outer Space (1959)
The Tingler (1959)
First Man Into Space (1959)
The Loves of Hercules (1960)

The Hypnotic Eye (1960)
Invasion of the Neptune Men (1961)

Reptilicus (1961)
Rocket Attack, U.S.A. (1961)
Married Too Young (1962)

The Brain That Wouldn’t Die (1962)
Matango (1963)

The Slime People (1963)
Evil Brain from Outer Space (1964)
The Creeping Terror (1964)
Atomic Rulers (1964)

The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed-Up Zombies (1964)

The Horror of Party Beach (1964)

Frankenstein Meets the Spacemonster (1965)
Bat Men of Africa (1966)
Mars Needs Women (1967)
The Weird World of LSD (1967)
The X from Outer Space (1967)

Yongary, Monster from the Deep (1967)
Son of Godzilla (1967)

Octaman (1971)
The Thing with Two Heads (1972)
Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell (1973)
Black Belt Jones (1974)

A*P*E (1976)

The Incredible Melting Man (1977)
Attack of the Killer Tomatoes! (1978)

Wikipedia | IMDb

Fright Night Part 2 is a 1988 American horror comedy film directed by Tommy Lee Wallace (Halloween III: Season of the Witch; It; Vampires: Los Muertos ) from a screenplay co-written with Tim Metcalfe and Miguel Tejada-Flores. Composer Brad Fiedel also returned with another synthesizer score.

Cast:

William Ragsdale, Roddy McDowall, Traci Lind and Julie Carmen.

Plot:

Three years after the events of Fright Night, as a result of psychiatric therapy, Charley Brewster now believes that Jerry Dandrige was nothing but a serial killer posing as a vampire. As a result, he comes to believe that vampires never existed.

College student Charley, along with his new girlfriend, Alex Young, go to visit Peter Vincent, who is again a burnt-out vampire killer on Fright Night, much to the chagrin of Charley. While visiting Peter’s apartment Charley sees four coffins being taken into a car. On the way out from Peter’s apartment, Charley sees four strange people walk past him, into an elevator. Charley instantly becomes drawn to one of the four, the alluring Regine…

Reviews:

“Fright Night 2 isn’t close to being a terrible, unworthy follow-up to a cult classic; however, it’s really no closer to being an underrated gem, either. If anything, he [Wallace] gets the effects stuff right — there’s a lot more showcases this time around, as each vampire is dispatched in gruesome and unique fashion (another element borrowed from The Lost Boys?)” Oh, the Horror!

“With Carmen’s fatal allure substituted for Sarandon’s sexually ambiguous charm, the intriguing homoerotic overtones of the original give way to a more blatant equation of hunger and desire. What few innovations there are – notably Carmen’s spectacular usurpation of McDowall’s show – go for nothing. Wallace’s direction lackes the flair and intelligence that Tom Holland brought to Fright Night.” Nigel Floyd, Time Out

” … this gory, uninspired sequel to Fright Night offers neither the fascinating plot twists nor the startlingly horrific gimmicks employed so well by director Tom Holland in the original.” TV Guide

Cast and Characters:

• William Ragsdale as Charley Brewster
• Roddy McDowall as Peter Vincent
• Traci Lin as Alex Young
• Julie Carmen as Regine Dandrige
• Jon Gries as Louie
• Russell Clark as Belle
• Brian Thompson as Bozworth
• Merritt Butrick as Richie Green
• Ernie Sabella as Dr. Harrison
• Josh Richman as Fritzy
• Blair Tefkin as Bernice

Choice dialogue:

Peter Vincent (Roddy McDowall): “Such a thing simply couldn’t happen twice, Charley.”

Trailer:

Wikipedia | IMDb

Gods & Monsters

Lurid Trumps are a card game based on the fondly remembered Top Trumps of the 1970’s and 1980’s, themselves based on an even older game called Quartets. The third in a series of four covering the so-called Video Nasties films banned in Britain during the 1980’s, the final two sets will cover the Section 3 films – those which were not banned outright but which could still be seized by local authorities and the owners/sellers tried at magistrates courts.

Produced by UK-based company, Gods & Monsters, Lurid Trumps are a card game playable by two or more players. Each player is dealt an equal number of cards from a shuffled pack, keeping the face of the card shielded from prying eyes. From the dealer’s left, each player in turn reads a category and score from their top card – the highest value wins, the winner taking all the cards played in that hand and placing them at the bottom of their stack. The ultimate winner is the player left with the most cards.

The first two series of Video Nasties Lurid Trumps covered the 72 films banned outright as a result of the Video Recordings Act 1984, which required all home released videos to be assessed and rated by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC). The 72 films listed by the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) were each given a rating on their respective cards. The categories are:

Gore Score

Gratuitous Sex

Infamy Level

Nasty Rating

Each is given a rating out of 100 – no one card is impossible to beat. With the first two sets having sold out within days (and now commanding absurdly high prices on internet auction sites), Gods & Monsters have now released the penultimate set, covering the murky world of titles classed as “Section 3”. These films were liable to get a conviction under the lesser section three of the Obscene Publication Act:

3. In section 3(5) of the Video Recordings Act 1984 (exempted supplies), for paragraphs (b) and (c) substitute—

“(b)does not, to any significant extent, depict any of the following—

(i)human sexual activity or acts of force or restraint associated with such activity,

(ii)mutilation or torture of, or other acts of gross violence towards, humans or animals, or

(iii)human genital organs or human urinary or excretory functions, and

This would mean the confiscation and destroying of video tapes ordered by a magistrate but were not considered to be capable of getting a conviction at the High Court – though there were examples of guilty pleas at Magistrates Court.

The list of the Section 3 titles is as follows:

Abducted

Aftermath

The Black Room

Blood Lust

Blood Song

The Blue Eyes of the Broken Doll

Brutes and Savages

Cannibal (aka Last Cannibal World)

Cannibals

The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith

The Child

Christmas Evil

Communion

Dawn of the Mummy

Dead Kids

Death Weekend

Deep Red

Demented

The Demons (Jess Franco)

Don’t Answer the Phone!

Enter the Devil

The Erotic Rites of Frankenstein

The Evil

The Executioner

Final Exam

Foxy Brown

Friday the 13th

Friday the 13th Part 2

GBH

Graduation Day

Happy Birthday to Me

Headless Eyes

Hell Prison

The Hills Have Eyes

Home Sweet Home

Inseminoid

Invasion of the Blood Farmers

The Killing Hour

The Last Horror Film

The Last Hunter

The Love Butcher

The Mad Foxes

Mark of the Devil

Martin

Massacre Mansion

Mausoleum

Midnight

Naked Fist

The Nesting

The New Adventures of Snow White

Night Beast

Night of the Living Dead

Nightmare City

Oasis of the Zombies

Parasite

Phantasm

Pigs

Prey

Prom Night

Rabid

Rosemary’s Killer (aka The Prowler)

Savage Terror

Scanners

Scream for Vengeance!

Shogun Assassin

Street Killers

Suicide Cult

Superstition

Suspiria

Terror

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre

The Thing

Tomb of the Living Dead

The Toy Box

Werewolf Woman

Wrong Way

Xtro

Zombie Holocaust

Zombies Lake

Zombies -Dawn Of The Dead

As with the previous sets, the cover card will feature a key figure in the history of the Video Nasties saga: following in the footsteps of Mary Whitehouse (Series 1) and former BBFC zealot James Ferman (Series 2), Series 3 will feature Graham Bright, an MP who was particularly outspoken about films he’s never actually seen, going as far to suggest that some of the films had the power to even corrupt innocent dogs who may be watching! Having been made a Sir (British democracy at its finest?), keen dog-protector Bright is now a highly-paid Cambridgeshire Police and Crime Commissioner, although he finds it difficult to attend meetings that finish “too late in the evening”…

‘The dream you can’t escape alive!’

Nightmare is a 1981 American slasher horror film written and directed by Italian filmmaker Romano Scavolini (Spirits of Death). It has also been released as Nightmare in a Damaged Brain; Nightmares in a Damaged Brain and Blood Splash. 

The film gained instant notoriety among horror fans when it was banned in the UK as a ‘video nasty‘ and its distributor David Hamilton Grant was sentenced to six months in prison for refusing to edit violent footage from his World of Video 2000 VHS release.

Nightmare also garnered controversy for claiming in its press material that Tom Savini (Dawn of the Dead; Friday the 13th; The Prowler) had provided the film’s special effects, which he vehemently denied.

In fact, as the above production  image shows, it seems he supervised the work of Ed French (Necropolis; Breeders; Blood Rage) during the infamous beheading scene.

The production supervisor was Simon Nuchtern, who filmed the fake murder footage at the climax of Snuff and director of Silent Madness (1983).

On 23rd November 2015, 88 Films are releasing the film uncut on Blu-ray with the following confirmed extras:

• Terror in Times Square – A Guide to Nightmare’s Grindhouse Kingdom
• Audio Commentary with The Hysteria Continues
• Audio Commentary by Bill Paul
• Interview with Tom Ward, CEO of 21st Century Films
• Trailer
• TV Spots

Buy: Amazon.co.uk

Cast:

Baird Stafford, Sharon Smith, C.J. Cooke, Mik Cribben (Beware: Children at Play)

Plot:

Having escaped from a mental institution, George Tatum (Baird Stafford) journeys back down to his home in Florida. Along the way, he has recurring nightmares of a violent incident from his childhood, which forces him to kill again. George’s frustration amidst the sleazy streets of New York are also shown to be a cause of his mental state.

George’s ex-wife, Susan Temper (Sharon Smith), young son C.J. (C.J. Cooke), and the family babysitter begin to receive “hang-up” calls, which none of them realize is George making sure his family is home.

The closer George gets to his destination, the more gruesome his murders become and the memories of his first childhood-murder intensify…

Reviews:

“Nightmare is a schizophrenic puzzle of a movie. It’s director, Scavolini, shows he is able to use editing to heighten the sense of tension and horror one minute. The next, it seems he was wearing a blindfold whilst he was snipping away! He also lifts many elements from Halloween … But, like Ulli Lommel’s Bogeyman (1980), Scavolini fashions something different.” Hysteria Lives!

“Instead of emphasizing pretty teenagers and slick production numbers, Scavolini instead emphasized the sordid “reality” of the film’s rather trashy cast of characters.  There’s not a likable character to be found anywhere within this film nor is there a single scene that doesn’t feel as if it’s been drenched in sleaze.  An ominous atmosphere of impending, relentless doom hangs over every second of the film.” Lisa Marie Bowman, HorrorCritic.com

“The movie does require repeated viewings to actually understand what is going on, as it’s a bit incoherent on the screen. However, it is very compelling, with some nudity (including a lady using a sex toy while on the phone), lots of gore (including the infamous beheading) and a twist ending of sorts.” David Steigman, DVD Drive-In

“God, this movie is so, so filthy. The gore scenes are mostly unconvincing and the sex couldn’t be more unsavory (including a pivotal kinky flashback no viewer has ever forgotten), but that hardly matters when the end product still feels so grimy and unhealthy from the opening frames … but at least there’s a hefty vein of unintentional comedy running through it as well thanks to Italian-born director Romano Scavolini’s odd view of American culture.” Nathaniel Thompson, Mondo Digital

Choice dialogue:

“Sorry!? You lose a dangerous psychotic patient from a secret experimental drug programme and all you can say is sorry!?”

Buy from Amazon.com

Trailer:

Wikipedia | IMDb

I Ain’t Nuthin’ But a Gorehound is a 1983 song by garage-punk-rockabilly band The Cramps. The song first appeared on the band’s Smell of Female album, recorded live at the Peppermint Lounge, New York.

Lyrics:

Well, I don’t know about art, but I know what I like
I’ll be a-surfin’ in a swamp on a Saturday night
Well, I’ve been to the mountain and it’s just a big hill
I guess I’m nuthin’ but a gorehound, born to thrill
The devil gets dizzy at the stuff I dig
I go crazy, and crazy, ’til I flip my lid

‘Cuz
I ain’t nuthin’ but a gorehound
I ain’t nuthin’ but a gorehound
All I ever do is go around
‘Cuz I ain’t nuthin’ but a gorehound

Well, ain’t it nice to be nice when you can’t be nice?
Oooh, gee, you’re swell as hell, pussycats on ice
Well, the devil with a blue dress, blue dress on
I go crazy and crazy, goin’ goin’ gone
Well, ashes to ashes and dust to dust
Easy come, easy go, ain’t no big fuss

‘Cuz
I ain’t nuthin’ but a gorehound
I ain’t nuthin’ but a gorehound
All I ever do is go around
‘Cuz I ain’t nuthin’ but a gorehound

Oh, no, no…

Well, I don’t know about art, but I know what I like
I’ll be a-surfin’ in yer blood on Saturday night
Yeah, the devil with a blue dress, blue dress on
I go crazy and crazy, goin’ goin’ gone
Yeah, the devil with a blue dress, blue dress on
I go crazy and crazy, goin’ goin’ gone

‘Cuz
I ain’t nuthin’ but a gorehound
I ain’t nuthin’ but a gorehound
All I ever do is go around
‘Cuz I ain’t nuthin’ but a gorehound

I ain’t nuthin’ but a gorehound
I ain’t nuthin’ but a gorehound
I ain’t nuthin’ but a gorehound

‘If you go into the woods today you might not get out alive!’

The Forest aka Terror in the Forest is a 1981 (released 1982) American slasher horror film directed, written, edited and produced by Donald M. Jones [as Don Jones] (Schoolgirls in Chains; The Love Butcher; Molly and the Ghost). Jones has cameo roles as a forest ranger and Officer Ed Geza.

Main cast:

Gary Kent, Tomi Barrett, John Batis, Ann Wilkinson, Jeanette Kelly, Corky Pigeon, Becki Burke, Tony Gee.

Plot:

Two American hikers, Steve (Dean Russell) and Charlie (John Batis), venture into the local forest along with their girlfriends, Sharon (Tomi Barrett) and Teddi (Ann Wilkinson). However, John (Gary Kent), a cannibalistic woodsman, is lurking in the forest…

Reviews:

“The Forest is definitely lower tier trash, even by the often times very low standards of the slasher and it really doesn’t have a whole lot going for it aside from a few moments of unintentional humor.” Ian Jane, DVD Talk

“Jones’ entry is not a good movie by any stretch of the imagination and offers zilch in terms of suspense, scares or tension … Nothing can be taken away from an admittedly very unique story, a soundtrack that is totally loco and a knife clenching cannibal in a baseball cap.” A Slash Above…

“…an incoherent mess of a flick. There is almost no redeeming value to the film, as the acting is terrible, the music is generic, and the direction is mediocre.” Brett Gallman, Oh, the Horror!

Cast and characters:

Dean Russell as Steve
Gary Kent as John
Tomi Barrett as Sharon
John Batis as Charlie
Ann Wilkinson as Teddi
Jeanette Kelly as Mother
Corky Pigeon as John Jr.
Becki Burke as Jennifer
Tony Gee as Plumber
Stafford Morgan as Man
Marilyn Anderson as Woman
Jean Clark as Mechanic
Donald M. Jones as Forest Ranger

Filming locations:

Sequoia National Park, California

Offline reading:

Nightmare USA by Stephen Thrower has a whole chapter ‘Let’s Play Nasty’ dedicated to Don Jones’ filmmaking career.

Buy Nightmare USA from Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk

Trailer:

Prism Home Video trailer:

Wikipedia | IMDb | Image thanks: HorrorNews.net | Rare Cult Cinema

Revenge of the Sun Demon aka What’s Up, Hideous Sun Demon is a 1983 re-dubbed, re-edited comedy version of The Hideous Sun Demon (1959) scripted by Craig Mitchell, Allen Astrik and Mark Estrik. Featuring the voice of Jay Leno, the spoof was authorised by original director Robert Clarke.

Buy: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk

Clip:

IMDb

Evil Cat – original title: 凶貓 aka Xiong mao – is a 1986 Hong Kong supernatural horror film produced and directed by Dennis Yu (The Beasts; The Imp; Sketch of a Psycho) from a screenplay by Wong Jing. It was released on 1st January 1987.

Main cast:

Lau Kar-leung, Tang Lai Ying, Mark Cheng, Ping Ha, Shu-Yuan Hsu, Tom Poon, Ho Ying Sin, Hon Sang So.

Plot:

The Cheung Family has been feuding with the supernatural Evil Cat for eight generations. This time, the Evil Cat reincarnates and possesses a tycoon’s body. Severe fights ensue in order to eliminate the supernatural presence…

Review:

” … there are some nice twists to the plot, a benefit of it being coherent for once, and the “anyone can be possessed” thing allows for a fairly fast pace – whenever someone is “killed”, the spirit just takes another body, limiting the down time. There’s even some surprising gore; at least two people get arms through their chests…” Horror Movie a Day

“Dennis Yu’s inventive angles and energetic editing coupled with Arthur Wong’s skillful lighting tricks lend an ominous atmosphere to an otherwise silly premise. Wong Jing’s script is a familiar hodgepodge of sex, schlock horror clichés, slapstick tomfoolery and themes shamelessly lifted from other better known HK horror films…” Andrew Pragasm, The Spinning Image

“With so much going on, the film is hardly ever dull, but that does not necessarily mean it is good. The violence and gore safely pushes the story into horror film territory, but the whole thing is too silly to take seriously, so no real thrills emerge. The cast of characters is rather generic, and the obligatory twist ending is so perfunctory it barely has any impact at all.” Steve Biodrowski, Cinefantastique

Wikipedia | IMDb | HKMDB