‘ …when Halloween night stopped being fun!’

Trick or Treats is a 1982 American horror feature film with a satirical tone written, photographed and directed by Gary Graver (Roots of Evil; Evil Spirits; Moon in Scorpio; and a cinematographer on many productions). The movie stars Jackelyn Giroux, Peter Jason, Chris Graver, David Carradine, Carrie Snodgress and Steve Railsback.

A babysitter is stuck watching over a young brat on Halloween night who keeps playing vicious pranks on her. To add to her trouble the boy’s deranged father Malcolm has escaped from the Western State Hospital asylum and is planning on making a visit…

Reviews:

” …slasher fans who have to see it all – as well as fans of Graver’s output as cinematographer and director – will find this to be a compelling train wreck of a film. As obnoxious as little Christopher is, it’s hard to sympathize with Linda since she continually falls for the kid’s pranks which do not exactly escalate and are not that impressive even at their most elaborate…” Eric Cotenas, DVD Drive-In

” …the “action” concerns Linda and the spoiled brat she has to babysit. For about an hour, we watch as Linda gives trick or treaters candy. Then Christopher plays a dumb practical joke on her. She acts huffy. Rinse, repeat. The movie’s almost over before anything even remotely resembling a slasher movie starts.” Hysteria Lives

” …comparing it to its nearest likeness Halloween, nearly 70 minutes of the running time here is taken up by Jackelyn Giroux settling into the babysitting job and dealing with Chris Graver’s pranks…” Richard Scheib, Moria

” …it captures the spirit of Halloween, however vaguely. It’s rough but obviously affectionate towards exploitation filmmaking, as evidenced by a weird sense of showmanship reflected in both Christopher’s pranks and the bits of the gore film we see unfold on the Moviola.” Brett Gallman, Oh, the Horror!

“Everything about this picture is not only slightly dull, but fairly tame and so much so that it could have been a television movie of the week. The only interesting part of it all was the fact that David Carradine appeared and more than likely only for a paycheck…” The Telltale Mind

” …nothing remotely resembling a threat of violence happens for well over an hour into the 92 minute film. Until then, it’s a never ending cycle of the bratty kid playing a prank on Linda, that she always falls for, and some trick or treaters coming to the door. Again. And again. And again. Until death. Your death. From boredom.” Vegan Voorhees

“The whole thing could’ve played out as a short film and it would’ve worked much better.  Even though Trick or Treats is heavily padded, there are one or two funny asides (like the scene where two women edit a cheesy horror movie and the part when a live newscast is taken over by mental patients) that keep it from completely running out of gas.” Mitch Lovell, The Video Vacuum

Cast and characters:

• Jacqueline Giroux … Linda
• Peter Jason … Malcolm O’Keefe
• Chris Graver … Christopher O’Keefe
• David Carradine … Richard Adams
• Carrie Snodgress … Joan O’Keefe Adams
• Steve Railsback …Brett
• Jillian Kesner … Andrea
• Dan Pastorini … 1st Attendant
• Tim Rossovich … 2nd Attendant
• Paul Bartel … Bum
• Catherine E. Coulson … Nurse Reeves
• John Blyth Barrymore … Mad Doctor

Release:

Trick or Treats was released in the USA on October 29, 1982 on VHS by Vestron Video.

On 11/09/2013, the film was officially released on DVD by Code Red DVD. It is currently available on Amazon Prime

Trivia:

The movie cost approximately $55,000 and was mainly filmed in Carrie Snodgrass’ house.

Orson Welles is credited as magical consultant.

William Shakespeare’s plays Hamlet and Julius Caesar are mentioned.

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After Death – original title: Oltre la morte – is a 1988 Italian horror feature film directed by Claudio Fragasso [as Clyde Anderson] (Troll 2; Monster Dog) from a screenplay by Rossella Drudi. The Flora Film production stars Jeff Stryker [as Chuck Peyton], Candice Daly and Massimo Vanni [as Alex McBride].

Now best known as Zombie 4 (it was re-titled to make it appear to be the second sequel to Zombi 2 aka Zombie Flesh Eaters), the film has also been issued as Zombie Flesh Eaters 3.

Plot:

Researchers at a remote jungle island outpost discover the natives are practicing voodoo and black magic. After killing the local priest (James Sampson), a voodoo curse begins to raise the dead to feed on the living in retribution. The researchers on the island are killed by the newly risen zombies, except for Jenny (Candice Daly), the daughter of a scientist couple. She escapes, protected by an enchanted necklace charm given to her by her mother shortly before her death.

She returns years later as an adult with a group of mercenaries (Tommy, Dan, Rod and Rod’s girlfriend Louise) to try to uncover what happened to her parents. Shortly after arriving at the island their boat’s engine dies, stranding them. Meanwhile, elsewhere on the island a trio of hikers – Chuck, David, and Maddis ‘Mad’ – discover a cave, the same cave leading to the underground temple where the original curse was created. After accidentally reviving the curse, the dead once again return to kill any who trespass on their island…

Review:

Zombie 4 – originally released as After Death before it was co-opted into the series – saw Claudio Fragasso take the director’s reigns, while his wife Rossella Drudi provides the screenplay, proving herself every bit as incompetent as her other half when it came to writing efficient horror movies.

The plot is an incoherent mess and so full of holes that you’ll spend much of the film scratching your head in bewilderment, but it basically revolves around two groups of people who end up on an Island that is infested with zombies. One chap from a bunch of researchers reads from an Evil Dead-style ancient volume and resurrects the living dead – although they already seem quite spritely, attacking someone in the other group of bimbos and mercenaries. Inconsistencies like this crop up throughout the film, with Drudi and Fragasso presumably hoping that the frenetic action would stop the viewer from noticing.

Unfortunately, there is very little in the way of frenetic action. The zombies are, for the most part, so static that you could probably avoid them simply by walking at normal speed; the living characters, of course, all determinedly stay in one location rather than trying to get away from what looks like half a dozen walking dead.

There are a few novel twists – talking zombies, for one, and gay movie icon Jeff Stryker in a leading role for another. The film shows the influence of Lamberto Bava’s Demons in the early scenes – apparently tacked on to make the film longer. Fragasso and Drudi express their dislike of these scenes in the extras, but frankly, they are the best bit, ensuring it starts with a bang (it feels like a huge amount of plot exposition has been dumped before the film opens), and the first fifteen minutes or so are pretty fast- paced and outrageous. After that, unfortunately, things grind to a snail’s pace.

However, at least the zombies look like zombies, and now and again, the film briefly captures the atmosphere of Lucio Fulci’s Zombie Flesh Eaters. Al Festa – later to become a director himself, helming the stunningly terrible Fatal Frames – provides a decent Goblin-a-like score, and there are enough splattery moments to keep gorehounds more than satisfied.

It’s sad to think that the once-vibrant Italian exploitation industry fizzled out with tat like this – but for viewers who are not especially fussy and enjoy trashy, gory movies, Zombie 4 is not entirely without worth.

David Flint, HORRORPEDIA

Special features:

• First 3000 with First Ever Official Release Soundtrack CD of Music by Al Festa
• New 2K Scan of Original Film materials
• Run Zombie Run! – Interview with Director Claudio Fragasso and Screenwriter Rossella Drudi
• Jeff Stryker in Manila – Interview with Actor Chuck Peyton
• Blonde vs Zombies – Interview with Actress Candice Daly
• Behind-The-Scenes Footage
• Trailer

Cast and characters:

• Jeff Stryker [as Chuck Peyton] … Chuck
• Candice Daly as Jenny
• Massimo Vanni [as Alex McBride] as David
• Jim Gaines as Dan
• Don Wilson as Tommy
• Adrianne Josephs as Louise
• Jim Moss as Mad
• Nick Nicholson as Rod
• James Sampson as The Voodoo Priest [uncredited]
• Fausto Lombardi as Head Scientist [uncredited]
• Alberto Dell’Acqua as Scientist who shoots The Voodoo Priest (uncredited]
• Ottaviano Dell’Acqua as 3rd Scientist (uncredited]
• Claudio Fragasso as The Narrator (voice) (uncredited]
• Romano Puppo as Zombie Leader
• Luciano Pigozzi [ Alan Collins] as Doctor
• Maurizio Cerantola as The Balladeer (voice) [uncredited]

Buy 88 Films Blu-ray: Amazon.co.uk

• Limited Edition Gloss O-Card slipcase
• Limited Edition Booklet Notes by Calum Waddell
• New 2K Scan of Original Film materials
• High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation
• Uncompressed Original English Audio
• Optional English SDH Subtitles
• Run Zombie Run – Interview with Director Claudio Fragasso and Screenwriter Rosella Drudi
• Flesh Eaters, Driller Killers and all-round Video Nasties – An interview with Allan Bryce
• Trailer
• Reversible Sleeve with Alternative Poster Design

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‘Spend the night with a madman.’

I, Madman – aka Hardcover – is a 1989 American horror feature film directed by Hungarian-born Tibor Takács (Spiders 3D; Ice Spiders; Mosquito Man; The Gate and The Gate II: Trespassers) from a screenplay by David Chaskin (The Curse; A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge). The movie stars Jenny Wright, Clayton Rohner and Randall William Cook.

Review:

Jenny Wright stars as Virginia, an aspiring actress who makes ends meet by working in a used bookstore. (I’m not sure how much money the typical used bookstore employee makes but I have to say that Virginia’s apartment is absolutely to die for.)

Virginia is also dating a police detective named Richard (Clayton Rohner), who is handsome and sweet and looks good in a suit. In fact, the only problem with Richard is that he thinks that Virginia spends too much time reading trashy horror novels. According to him, they give her nightmares and they cause her imagination to run wild!

Richard’s not going to be happy to discover that Virginia has a new favourite author. His name is Malcolm Brand and, despite the fact that Virginia says that he’s better than Stephen King, he’s a mysteriously obscure author. In fact, no one but Virginia seems to have ever heard of him. Virginia has just finished reading Brand’s first book, Much of Madness, More of Sin. Now, she simply has to find his second book, which was called I, Madman. (Now, Much of Madness, More of Sin is a brilliant title. I, Madman on the other hand is a little bland, as far as titles go.)

When Virginia finally tracks down a copy of the book, she discovers that it is all about this mad scientist who falls in love with an actress. Because the scientist is horribly disfigured, the actress rejects him. So, the scientist starts killing people and stealing pieces of their faces, all so he can patch together a new face for himself.

It’s while she’s reading the book the strange things start to happen in Virginia’s life. For instance, the people around her start dying. When she witnesses one of her neighbours being murdered, she swears that the murder was committed by a man who had no nose… just like in the book! Richard thinks that she’s letting her imagination run wild but Virginia soon comes to wonder if maybe she’s being stalked by the real Malcolm Brand…

I, Madman is an entertaining little horror film, one that sometimes comes across as being an extended episode of something such as Tales from the Crypt. From the minute the movie started with Virginia curled up on her couch in her underwear, reading a trashy novel with her oversized reading glasses on and a storm raging outside, it felt as if they had made a movie out of my life! And really, this is one of the reasons why I, Madman makes such a good impression.

As played by Jenny Wright, Virginia serves as a stand-in for every horror fan who has ever read a scary novel and immediately imagined themselves as either the protagonist or the victim. Both Jenny Wright and Clayton Rohner give likable and quirky performances in the lead role and they’re surrounded by capable of character actors.

The movie itself is a bit of an homage to the suspense classics of the past. It’s easy to compare Malcolm Brand’s novel to The Phantom of the Opera while a scene in which Virginia watches her neighbour play piano brings to mind Hitchcock’s Rear Window.

When Virginia imagines herself as a character in one of Brand’s stories, the film even manages to work in some stop-motion animation.

Lisa Marie Bowman, HORRORPEDIA – guest reviewer via Through the Shattered Lens

Buy Blu-ray: Amazon.com

Other reviews:

“It’s clear that the director had a clear idea of what exactly it was that he wanted, and he certainly achieves some visual greatness as it’s a very well-shot movie, but it’s just not a perfect formula. The make-up effects and the sped up dolly shot in the hallway revealing Cook’s character with a large syringe are still effective to this day, so it’s a low budget movie with some problems but with some very memorable aspects.” The Digital Bits

“The movie may have an underwritten first third, a lot of unanswered questions and some ridiculous/unbelievable moments, but my interest never at any point started to wane (though there were some close calls.) I guess I’m giving the movie a recommendation, though a mild one.” Keith Baily, The Unknown Movies

Cast and characters:

• Jenny Wright … Virginia – The Lawnmower Man; Near Dark
• Clayton Rohner … Richard – Human Centipede III
• Randall William Cook … Dr. Alan Kessler / Malcolm Brand
• Stephanie Hodge … Mona
• Michelle Jordan … Colette
• Vance Valencia … Sgt. Navarro
• Mary Baldwin … Librarian
• Raf Nazario [as Rafael Nazario]… Lyle, Hotel Clerk
• Bob Frank … Hotel Manager
• Bruce Wagner … Pianist
• Kevin Best … Black Actor
• Steven Memel … Lenny
• Vincent Lucchesi … Lt. Garber
• Murray Rubin … Sidney Zeit
• Tom Badal … Composite Artist

Filming locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Image credits: Wrong Side of the Art!

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‘The first movie made for the home video market… Might just scare you to death!’

Blood Cult is a 1985 American slasher horror feature film directed by Christopher Lewis from a screenplay by Stuart Rosenthal, with additional dialogue by James Vance.

The movie stars Juli Andelman (The Silent Scream), Charles Ellis, James Vance, Bennie Lee McGowan, Peter Hart, David Stice, Fred Graves and Bob Duffield.

Director Christopher Lewis followed this shot-on-video production with The Ripper (starring Tom Savini) the same year, and then a sequel, the imaginatively-titled Revenge, in 1986.

Plot:

A secret society gather to worship the god “Canis” and offer the occasional human sacrifice, but they are eventually challenged by a bookish heroine…

Reviews:

“Utilizing a nine day shooting schedule, director Christopher Lewis tells a by-the-number stalk and slash tale with requisite nods to Halloween and Psycho, but with some gore thrown in for good measure … he’s a bland if capable director who gets some reasonable mileage out of his slasher scenes, but pads out his running time interminably with scenes of characters sitting around and talking.” Doug Tilley, Daily Grindhouse

“To the film’s credit, there are a few atmospheric scenes, largely because Oklahoma is a naturally atmospheric state. But, for the most part, Blood Cult has a “Grandpa Picked Up a Video Camera And Made A Horror Film” look and feel to it.” Lisa Marie Bowman, HorrorCritic.com

“The opening house sets were great – all lit up perfectly to give off a suburban horror mood … Cheap, but fun. From here onward the acting just takes a dive, and makes room for some of the ugliest people I have ever seen in a horror film. You can only scream so long before we start to realize that your ‘acting’ career starts and ends with Blood Cult.” Josh G, Oh, the Horror!

“Blood Cult never really manages to find its groove, frankly because it doesn’t even seem to be trying to. It’s almost as if Lewis and company were more concerned with just getting the damn thing made and out there than actually producing something remotely worth watching.” Trash Film Guru

“For the bad sound, sucky plotline, crappy acting and misogyny, there’s some cheesy recompense: the killer uses the decapitated head of one victim to beat her roommate with; severed fingers are found in a salad, and they had the audacity to call the sorority house where the first murder occurs Chi Omega!” Vegan Voorhees

Filming locations:

Tahlequah and Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA

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13th Floor Vendetta is a song by British punk/goth/psychedelic band The Damned that originally appeared on their ‘The Black Album’ (1980).

The track highlighted Dave Vanian’s growing song-writing talent – although all of the band are credited – and their willingness to experiment with disorientating fade in/fade outs, echoey sounds and deliriously off-kilter keyboard notes, all backed by a growling bass-line provided by Paul Gray.

With reference to “the organ plays ’till midnight on Maldine Square tonight”, the lyrics are influenced by the film The Abominable Dr. Phibes but are clearly about a master/slave relationship.

‘The Black Album’ was recorded at Rockfield Studios in Monmouth, Wales, and was produced by The Damned themselves (as The Kings of Reverb).

Lyrics:

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

Related:

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

‘Nasty’ – episode of The Young Ones

Phantasmagoria

Rabid (Over You)

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‘Is he Man, Beast or both? Kane is the soldier of Satan’

The Eye of Satan is a 1988 British supernatural crime-horror feature film directed by David Kent-Watson (Into the Darkness; G.B.H.) from a screenplay by Cliff Twemlow [as Mike Sullivan] (Moonstalker – aka Predator: The Quietus; The Pike project) who also stars. The movie also features Ginette Gray, Max Beesley Snr and Brett Sinclair.

Plot:

In Manchester, Northern England, a hit-man is assigned to protect the daughter of a local gangster after her life is threatened by a rival organisation. When the hit-man is double-crossed by his employers he wreaks a violent supernatural revenge…

Reviews:

“Keeping things moving was director David Kent-Watson, a Twemlow regular who had already directed GBH and Target: Eve Island for the Mancunian.  His direction brings an air professionalism to the film, conjuring up a tense atmosphere which permeates the movie with with a plapable sense of unease and menace. Bearing in mind the miniscule budget he was working with, Kent-Watson also achieves some memorable and highly effective sequences.” Sleaze Diary

Cast and characters:

• Cliff Twemlow … Kane [as Mike Sullivan]
• Ginette Gray … Christine Stringer
• Max Beesley Snr. … Chief Inspector Pete Chase [as Maxton G. Beesley]
• Brett Sinclair … Sgt. Peters [as Brett Paul]
• Paul Flanagan … Bronstein [as Paul Hamilton]
• John Saint Ryan … Camille Muhamed
• David Roth … Father Galan [as David Rankin]
• Heather Alexander … Mary Chase
• Steve Powell … Daniel Hunter
• Liam Leslie … Steve Stringer
• Leo Atkin … Ed Stringer
• Terry Cundall … Mr. Big
• Stan Finni … The Demonologist
• Jeremy Philips … Pathologist

Censorship:

The Eye of Satan was passed by British censors the BBFC, on 21st February 1992, at 76m 59s with one second cut for distribution by H.E. Video.

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Ad Nauseam: Newsprint Nightmares from the 1980s is a book by Michael Gingold, published on 9 October 2018 by 1984 Publishing.

“Growing up in the 1980s, Michael Gingold became obsessed with horror movies, and his love of the genre led him to become a Fangoria writer and editor for nearly thirty years, as well as a Rue Morgue contributor. But before all that, he took his scissors to local newspapers, collecting countless ads for horror movies, big and small.

Ad Nauseam: Newsprint Nightmares from the 1980s is a year-by-year deep dive into the Gingold archive, with more than 450 ads! Within these pages you’ll see rare alternate art for Gremlins, Child’s Play, The Blob remake, and the Friday the 13th and A Nightmare on Elm Street franchises. You’ll also revel in oddities including Psycho from Texas, Dracula Blows His Cool, Blood Hook, Zombie Island Massacre, and many more.

Gingold provides personal recollections and commentary, and unearths vintage reviews to reveal what critics of the time were saying about these films. He also interviews the men behind legendary exploitation distributor Aquarius Releasing to learn how they built buzz for shockers like Make Them Die Slowly and Doctor Butcher M.D.”

Reviews:

“Ad Nauseam recreates the vanished world of the grindhouses and the drive ins by emphasizing the foreplay of the experience. We were virgins, and this is how we were seduced!” –Joe Bob Briggs

“Horror fans who enjoyed Paperbacks from Hell by Grady Hendrix might thrill to Michael Gingold’s Ad Nauseam.” — Library Journal

“A must for fans of the [horror] genre!” — MovieWeb

“Gloriously lowbrow…a fascinating look into the genre’s past.” – Birth.Movies.Death

“It’s more than a mere coffee table book filled with retro horror movie ads from the go-go 80s. It also features prominent reviews from the time (many of which were ridiculously off-track) as well as Gingold’s personal remembrances of seeing these films in the grindhouse palaces of The Big Apple.” — ComingSoon.net

“A love letter to the heyday of ’80s horror. If you have fond memories of sifting through newspapers in the ’80s to look at artwork for new movies, we highly recommend this read…it preserves a cherished era of the horror genre.” – Daily Dead

“An amazing collection of classic horror trash film ads.” – Dangerous Minds

“Ad Nauseam bombards us with nostalgia, and each of the 248 pages is a delight. 9.7/10!” – Horreur Québec

“The Holy Grail of ’80s horror newsprints. A must-have centerpiece for your coffee table.” – Nightmare Nostalgia

“It’s easy to fall in love with Ad Nauseam’s historical window through the weird, outlandish takes on promoting horror movies at the peak of their popularity….a delightful treat!” – MovieMaker Magazine

“One of my favorite books in recent memory, Ad Nauseam brings back my adolescence in full force collecting off-forgotten newspaper ads that I used to pore over.” – Forces of Geek

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Night Force is an American comic book series featuring Baron Winters and the Night Force published by DC Comics.

In 1982, when DC’s Night Force first appeared, it was innovative in two ways: first, it was an anthology series with recurring characters; before this, horror comics were usually either anthologies like EC’s Tales from the Crypt (1950-1955), with a horror host being the only recurring character, or they were monster-driven, ongoing story-lines like Marvel’s Tomb of Dracula (1972-1979).

Second, if major characters in any ongoing story-line comic died, that condition was certain to be reversed in a future issue. Plus, those characters were most definitely never injured in any permanent way. With Night Force, the horror anthology story-line comic with truly mortal and battle-scarred characters was born.

Modern (for the early 1980s) settings and plots, dubious characters, and subversive outcomes accentuated the comic and took it out of the traditional shudders-and-creeps realm of previous comics and placed it into the more disorderly world of Cold War occultism, factious character motivations, and sinister éminence grise machinations.

Marv Wolfman and Gene Colan, the writer and artist respectively of Night Force, gave this horror comic its debut as a brief back-up piece in issue #21 of DC’s The New Teen Titans (1980-1984), producing something truly unique by creating a macabre Mission Impossible concept that wasn’t afraid to maim or kill off its agents.

As an example, one of the main characters actually loses an arm and a leg during the first seven-issue story-line. They weren’t afraid to create characters with extremely ugly and realistic psychologies and still make them protagonists; the cynical and self-serving Jack Gold is an illustration, with his constant suspicions, shortsightedness, and deceptive handling of Vanessa Van Helsing in the first story, conduct which may haunt Gold for the rest of his life, placing him in an existential prison of his own making and damaging Vanessa beyond all repair.

Wolfman and Colon were also not afraid to drop all of the main characters, except Winters and Merlin (Winters’ leopard familiar) for the second, three-issue story-line, and bring in fresh faces – some of whom die. They weren’t afraid to bring back a few of the characters from the first story, scarred as they were, to close out the final story, dropping even more hints while still leaving things deliciously opaque.

Winters, himself, is an enigmatic figure, with many things being revealed about him throughout the short series, but little clarity being provided concerning who or what he actually is. It’s known he once worked in a carnival; Dr. Rabin, of the Potomac Psychiatric Hospital, mentions this a few times, always in reference to her belief that Winters is an occult charlatan; Merlin, being a leopard, never speaks, yet Winters converses with him, and is frequently chided by him; it’s revealed in issue #14 (the final issue) that Merlin was given to Winters by an African sorceress, possibly from some other, much older, time period; it’s hinted that Winters is incalculably old without precisely defining his age; for the time being, he’s forbidden from leaving his mansion, Wintersgate, during the current time period and in this dimension, and it’s suggested that it has something to do with the African sorceress.

Furthermore, readers discovered that the structure of the house itself subtly warps in conjunction with Winters’ mood, and that certain doors in Wintersgate lead to other time periods through which he can exit. It was also revealed that Winters is incapable of seeing the future, but is quite capable of being a puppet master, manoeuvring people into frequently deadly situations in order to get what he wants, and that what he wants may appear at close focus to be brutally selfish, but at long-range may actually be the pursuit of a greater good. Maybe.

The occult aspects of this excellent comic are far-ranging and ubiquitous, with Soviet experiments into the arcane taking up the first story, the early stirrings of a possible Lovecraftian trespass constituting the short second story, and African auguries and bewitchments fleshing out the third and final story. These are only the main plot points, though; there are many other morsels to fill these ruptures in space and time, things to unsettle the complacent, and further reveals of Winters’ callousness and rather delicate personality.

Cruel and unsympathetic he may be at times, but it’s also revealed at one point he’s a devotee of chocolate egg creams. And anyone who likes chocolate egg creams can’t be all bad. Or can they? Do yourself a favour; read the comic and decide for yourself. And have a devilishly good egg cream while you’re at it.

Ben Spurling, HORRORPEDIA

Image credits: Comic Vine

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‘He is looking for Linda… and that could be anybody!’

Spine is a 1986 American shot-on-video slasher horror feature film written and directed by John Howard (The Serpent Warriors) and Justin Simmonds. The movie stars R. Eric Huxley, Janus Blythe and Lise Romanoff.

Plot:

A madman stalks nurses, brutally stabbing them to death. In his fevered mind, he believes his victims to be a woman from his past named Linda. Police struggle to apprehend him before he can murder and mutilate again…

Reviews:

“Add on the amateur camerawork (shaky, out of focus, hand-held stuff) and Spine delivers in ways not possibly imagined. We never get anything as gory as the box promises but we do get a lot of heart and an ending that really goes for the gusto.” Richard Mogg, Analog Nightmares

“The police and their detective work aren’t exactly fascinating, since it largely consists of sitting around, talking, and typing search terms into a bare, green-text-on-black-screen computer display […] There’s something compelling about the unsteady, voyeuristic camera work, the grimy synthesized score, and the whole dangerously sick and seedy sensibility of Spine, however, that artistically lifts it somewhat above the snuff sludge aesthetic from which it springs.” Apolitical Home Viewing

“ …Spine seems to transcend general shoddiness and creates its own level of putridity. There is rampant overacting; one scene early on wherein a cop searches an apartment complex sees him doing the cliche “swing your gun around the corner before double-checking” bit, but in a hilariously over-exaggerated manner.” Camera Viscera

“Spine isn’t inept, but it doesn’t live up to its potential in being anything more than a fairly amateurish poke at the slasher genre with a cast of unknowns or associates from the directors’ “tie-up” films, although the casting of horror actress Blyth (The Hills Have Eyes Part II) was a genuine coup, giving the little film some marquee value.” KQEK.com

“When the killer does strike on screen, the carnage is non graphic and again, no real “as it happens” gore is on showcase. If only this movie about a guy tearing out spines would have shown…never mind. Where Spine compensates is with a truck load of horrible dialogue with some real gems in there. The killer is a source of numerous memorable lines, all delivered in lifeless, dead pan fashion. Coochie coo, right?” Marc Fusion

Cast and characters:

• R. Eric Huxley … Lawrence Ashton
• Janus Blythe … Carrie Lonegan – Spine; The Hills Have Eyes Part II; The Hills Have Eyes; Eaten Alive; Drive In Massacre; Phantom of the Paradise; The Centerfold Girls
• Lise Romanoff … Leah Petralla
• John Howard … Leo Meadows (as Antoine Herzog)
• Abby Sved … Louise Morton
• Marie Dowling … Lori Anderson
• James Simonds … Police Captain
• Bill Eberwein … Chuck Roast
• Carl Elliot … Sam Joffrey
• Larry Nielson … Charlie Saunders
• Brenda Brandon … Computer Technician
• Donna Sayles … Bobbie Jones
• Kathy Rose … First Victim
• Dan Watson … Man in Office
• Terry Simonds … At Police Headquarters

Filming locations:

Calabasas, Encino and Los Angeles, California, USA

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Nicolas Roeg (15 August 1928 – 23 November 2018) was an English filmmaker, best known for directing Performance (1968, released 1970), Walkabout (1971), Don’t Look Now (1973), The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976), Bad Timing (1980), and The Witches (1989). For the purposes of this overview, the focus is naturally on Roeg’s contributions to the horror and science fiction genres.

Having made his directorial debut twenty-three years after his initial entry into the film business, Roeg soon became known for an idiosyncratic visual and narrative style, characterised by the use of disjointed and disorientating editing. For this reason, he was considered a highly influential filmmaker, with such directors as Steven Soderbergh, Christopher Nolan, and Danny Boyle citing him as such.

In 1947, Roeg entered the film business as a tea boy moving up to clapper-loader at Marylebone Studios in London. For a time, he worked as a camera operator on a number of film productions, such as Tarzan’s Greatest Adventure. Roeg later claimed he had only entered the film industry because the studio was across the road from his home. He became a cinematographer and amongst many movies, worked on Roger Corman’s resplendent The Masque of the Red Death (1964) and François Truffaut’s Fahrenheit 451 (1966).

Roeg’s Don’t Look Now (1973) is based on Daphne du Maurier’s short story of the same name and features Julie Christie and Donald Sutherland as a married couple in Venice mourning the death of their daughter who had drowned. It attracted scrutiny early on due to a sex scene between Sutherland and Christie, which was unusually explicit for the time. The puzzle-like film was widely praised by critics and is now considered one of the most important and influential horror films ever made.

The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976) starred David Bowie as a humanoid alien who comes to Earth to collect water for his planet, which is suffering from a drought. The film’s non-linear narrative divided critics and its length – 138 minutes – caused it to be truncated for its U.S. release. Perhaps the most memorable scene is when David Bowie’s character Newton reveals his alien form to Mary-Lou (Candy Clark); her reaction is one of pure shock and horror.

In an Empire  Blu-ray review, Kim Newman observed that the film is: “At once consistently disorientating and beguilingly beautiful […] Bowie’s cat-eyed alien is startling enough to make Clark wet herself, but his human disguise — two-tone red hair and film-noir fedora — is alien enough without the make-up.”  Over the years, The Man Who Fell to Earth developed a growing following amongst fans of more eclectic cinema and it received a BFI 4K makeover in 2016. Curiously, in 1987, it was also remade as a more conventional science fiction TV movie.

Bad Timing is a 1980 psychological thriller starring Art Garfunkel, Theresa Russell, Harvey Keitel and Denholm Elliott. An American woman and a psychology professor are living in Vienna, and, largely told via flashbacks, the plot relates their turbulent relationship as uncovered by a detective investigating her apparent suicide attempt. Bad Timing was controversial upon its release, being branded “a sick film made by sick people for sick people” by its British distributor, the Rank Organisation.

The Witches (1989, released 1990) was Roeg’s  unique adaptation of Roald Dahl’s children’s story.  The Witches is about a young boy named Luke (Jasen Fisher) whose parents have died in a tragic accident, and whose grandmother (Mai Zetterling) takes him to a posh hotel in England, where a secret coven of witches is holding its annual convention. The Grand High Witch (Anjelica Huston, in a scene-stealing performance) has decreed that all children in England be turned into mice, and Luke and his pal Bruno (Charles Potter) are the first victims on the list… The resulting movie highlights Jim Henson’s  makeup effects work and revels in the dark humour of the situation. It has been rightly acknowledged as one of the scariest of kids’ films.

Filmmakers have been paying tribute to the late director. On Twitter, Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead) said: “Farewell to the extraordinary cinematic talent, director Nicolas Roeg. His films hypnotized me for years and still continue to intrigue. Along with classics like Performance & Walkabout, I could watch Don’t Look Now on a loop & never tire of its intricacies. A master of the art.”

Joe Dante (Gremlins) said: “I followed his career first for his photographic style, later for his fascinating choice of subject matter. Walkabout is a near perfect tone poem, the restored The Man Who Fell to Earth is one of the greatest sci-fi movies ever.”

Guillermo del Terror commented: “Of his infinite talent and multiple achievements, if I was forced to choose one Roeg film (it would be hard) I would choose “Don’t Look Now” as it stands full of secrets and sadness and terror and beauty above all. A moebius strip of life and death, love and destruction.”

Wikipedia

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‘When your past becomes a present… terror will reign.’

Terrorgram is a 1988 [released 1990] American horror anthology feature film produced and directed by Stephen M. Kienzle from a screenplay co-written with Donna M. Matson and Thomas Wells. The movie stars James Earl Jones (voice only), Steven Field, J.T. Wallace, Jerry Anderson and Linda Carol Toner.

Plot:

Three horror stories are linked by a sinister delivery man (Steven Field): “Heroine Overdose”, “Pandora” and “Veteran’s Day”.

Reviews:

“Horror trilogy about revenge, with tales ranging from the absurd to the serious, and getting better each time […] The best of the tales is ‘Veteran’s Day’…” John Stanley, Creature Features

“Good gore effects and an intense J.T. Wallace in the lead role are real pluses. The debuting Stephen M. Kienzle, who co-wrote, produced and directed, has obvious affinity for horror, but attempt isn’t the same as achievement, with Terrorgram more an array of missed chalk marks than something organically sound.” Jack Sommersby, eFilmCritic

“Terrorgram is not only a fun movie, but the entries are intelligent, original and memorable…” Melissa Antoinette Garza, Scared Stiff Reviews

” …three unimpressive fright featurettes. The first tale, the cleverly titled “Heroine Overdose,” is the most worthwhile, stuffed full of inside jokes on grade-Z movies […] The remaining two stories are heavy-handed and repetitious. Filmmaker Stephen Kienzle’s debt to the Nightmare on Elm Street series is obvious.” TV Guide

“Best seg: a sleazy filmmaker gets trapped in the world of his own exploitation scripts. The other two are bloody but negligible revenge-from-the-grave yarns. All start off with the receipt of a sinister package, hence a postal motif.” VideoHound’s Golden Movie Retriever 

Cast and characters:

• James Earl Jones … Retribution (voice only) – Scary Movie 4; The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror; Blood Tide; Exorcist II: The Heretic
• Steven Field … The Delivery Man
• J.T. Wallace … Eric Keller
• Jerry Anderson … Alan Smythee
• Linda Carol Toner … Angela Pandorus
• Chris Alan … Keller’s Friend
• Michael Andrews … Escaping Prisoner of War
• Michael Anson … American Patrol
• Hediye Avci … Novotny’s Sister
• Jerry Baxter … Prisoner of War
• Gretchen Becker … Mornel – The X-Files; Ed Wood; Maniac Cop 3: Badge of Silence
• Lance Benjamin … 1st Executive
• Bill Brinsfield … Novotny’s Father
• Robert Campbell … American Patrol
• Thomas B. Capp … Greg the Cameraman

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‘In this house… if you’ve seen one ghost… you haven’t seen them all.’

Beetlejuice is a 1988 American comedy horror feature film directed by Tim Burton (Frankenweenie; Dark Shadows; Sweeney Todd; Sleepy Hollow; Mars Attacks!) from a screenplay by Michael McDowell (Cold Moon; Thinner; Tales from the Darkside) and Warren Skaaren. The Geffen Film Company production stars Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis, Catherine O’Hara, Winona Ryder and Michael Keaton. It was distributed by Warner Bros.

The film’s soundtrack score was composed by Danny Elfman (Goosebumps; Dark Shadows; The Wolfman; Nightbreed; et al).

Plot:

After Barbara (Geena Davis) and Adam Maitland (Alec Baldwin) die in a car accident, they find themselves stuck haunting their country residence, unable to leave the house.

When the unbearable Deetzes (Catherine O’Hara, Jeffrey Jones) and teen daughter Lydia (Winona Ryder) buy the home, the Maitlands attempt to scare them away without success. Their efforts attract Beetlejuice (Michael Keaton), a rambunctious spirit whose “help” quickly becomes dangerous…

Reviews:

“While the character is pretty iconic, his hazy characterization leaves us confused as to where Burton wants to take this movie. It’s also a shame that the most developed character here is the title character whose own back story begs for more emphasis over the stale heroes played by Alec Baldwin and Gena Davis. Some scenes and gags make absolutely no sense..” Felix Vasquez, Cinema Crazed

“The uniformly great cast is by turns mournful and affecting, callous and obnoxious, and in the case of Michael Keaton, unforgettably and wonderfully repulsive. In his portrayal of Beetlejuice, Keaton created a screen icon for freaks and weirdos.” The Daily Grindhouse

“Beetlejuice is one of the most original characters of the last 25 years, and one has to wonder why a sequel (which could have explored his past) was never made […] Beetlejuice is in a league of its own. Few films combine ghosts, shrimp-monsters, and conga dancing in the way that this one does, and that’s why it remains a classic it this day.” Mike Long, DVD Sleuth

” …Beetlejuice combines gleefully gory special effects with high camp, sharp wit and irreverent humour. There’s gentle comedy structured around the Maitlands’ social awkwardness in the afterlife, turning into something much darker as they realise what they have unleashed. Yet what stands out most about this film is its sense of fun…” Jennie Kermode, Eye for Film

“The story almost comes off the rails, but Beetlejuice’s charm lies more in the execution. The movie is crammed with visual invention and snappy comedy. The afterlife is richly imagined as a macabre bureaucracy. The living world is no less outlandish, especially with those eye-popping interiors and costumes.” Steve Rose, The Guardian

” …a delight; it’s an experience, rather than another helping of the same old thing. There isn’t much to it, storywise (Michael McDowell and Larry Wilson conceived the idea), but it brilliantly creates a sense of wonder missing from so many current Hollywood films […] colorful, delightfully deranged and endlessly inventive — a grand-scale funhouse that can be enjoyed by children of all ages.” The Hollywood Reporter

” …tries anything and everything for effect, and only occasionally manages something marginally funny” Janet Maslin, The New York Times

“Off-the-wall humour and some sensational sight gags make the movie, maddenly disjointed though it sometimes is, a truly astonishing piece of work.” Steve Grant, Time Out (London)

“There’s a whole lot of creativity on display here, especially during scenes in the afterlife and all it’s various victims, and the predominantly stop motion effects still look good to this day. The production design is also great balancing Leave It to Beaver with dank underworlds and they’ve thrown in a lot of little touches (like when they’re sucked into the model the grass is turf-like in appearance), which pleased me to no end.” The Video Graveyard

“Beetlejuice is a blast the whole way through.  The entire cast is flawless […] The plot gets increasingly sloppy as the film goes on but Burton cranks up the energy so much that you don’t notice it too much.” Mitch Lovell, The Video Vacuum

Choice dialogue:

Beetlejuice: “I’ll eat anything you want me to eat. I’ll swallow anything you want me to swallow. But, come on down and I’ll… chew on a dog! Arroooo!”

Cast and characters:

• Michael Keaton … Betelgeuse (pronounced “Beetlejuice”)
• Alec Baldwin … Adam Maitland
• Geena Davis … Barbara Maitland
• Winona Ryder … Lydia Deetz
• Catherine O’Hara … Delia Deetz
• Jeffrey Jones … Charles Deetz
• Annie McEnroe … Jane Butterfield
• Glenn Shadix … Otho
• Sylvia Sidney … Juno
• Robert Goulet … Maxie Dean
• Maree Cheatham … Sarah Dean
• Dick Cavett … Bernard
• Susan Kellermann … Grace
• Adelle Lutz … Beryl
• Simmy Bow … Janitor
• Carmen Filpi … Messenger
• Patrice Martinez … Receptionist
• Tony Cox … Preacher
• Jack Angel … the voice of the Preacher
• Cindy Daly … the Three-Fingered Typist
• Rachel Mittelman … Little Jane
• Douglas Turner … Char Man

Filming locations:

East Corinth, Vermont (General Store and Masonic Hall)
Culver Studios, Culver City, California

Technical credits:

92 minutes | Technicolor | 1.85: 1

Release:

March 30, 1988

Box office:

Beetlejuice took $73,707,461 domestically, against a reported budget of $15 million. Worldwide takings are unavailable.

Other media:

Due to the film’s financial success, ABC created a Beetlejuice animated television series which show ran for four seasons lasting from September 9, 1989 to December 6, 1991. Three tie-in video games were also produced.

Trivia:

Warner Bros. disliked the title Beetlejuice and wanted to call the film House Ghosts. As a joke, Burton allegedly suggested the name Scared Sheetless and was horrified when the studio actually considered using it.

Juliette Lewis auditioned for the role of Lydia. Lori Loughlin, Diane Lane, Sarah Jessica Parker, Brooke Shields, Justine Bateman, Molly Ringwald, and Jennifer Connelly all turned down the same role.

More comedy horror

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‘Turn up the volume, turn down the lights, but don’t watch it alone!’

Black Roses is a 1988 Canadian-American supernatural horror feature film co-produced and directed by John Fasano (The Jitters; Rock ‘n’ Roll Nightmare) from a screenplay by Cindy Cirile [as Cindy Sorrell]. The Shapiro Glickenhaus Entertainment production stars John Martin, Ken Swofford, Julie Adams, Carla Ferrigno, Sal Viviano and Carmine Appice.

Plot:

The sleepy little town of Mill Basin is about to get more than it bargained for. The satanic heavy metal rock band Black Roses is coming through to raise hell… literally! After making a deal with the Devil himself, the band’s music demonically possesses the kids in the audience, turning them into bloodthirsty demons. The blood flows as they start killing their parents and causing chaos at their local high school…

Reviews:

“It suffers further from some of the most thoroughly incompetent camera-work I’ve ever seen, offering not a single shot that is pleasing to the eye, and many that are affronts to both narrative sense and aesthetic sensibility. The dialogue is witless from beginning to end, especially when writer Cindy Cirile is trying to make Damian sound threatening…” 1000 Misspent Hours and Counting

” …goofy 1980’s atmosphere with dozens of weird puppets, bizarre dialogue and hair metal soundtrack cuts. Don’t miss the screen debut of The Soprano‘s Vincent Pastore, who is sucked into a stereo speaker. Silly but undeniably fun to watch…” Canuxsploitation!

“It was really fun, cheesy and clever throughout, and even though it’s obviously super low-budget and and not all that well made, it’s very genial, funny and energetic. Everything about this movie is hilarious and yet awesome at the same time. It was obviously made with a lot of love both for horror films and metal music…” Cinema de Merde

“It is kind of hilarious to see the actors going for it, trying to believe they are fighting a real thing and not some lousy, low budget hand puppet. And speaking of the actors, some of the them look like they are reading their lines from a card board! To top things off, the teenagers are played by actors who are obviously not teenagers!” The Film Connoisseur

“Straightforward story, pearl necklaces, glowing demon hand, quick pace, goofy songs, four topless scenes, demon getting kicked in the demon nuts, Julie Adams, a Dawn of the Dead poster, a Slumber Party Massacre poster, demon choking on a tennis ball, two Lamborghini’s, fog machine, a Cro-Mags shirt…” Happyotter

“Black Roses is cheap and silly in the best possible ways, but also remarkably professional and continually engaging […] Though the film shows very little respect for metal fans, it’s fun to see the worst nightmares come true instead of patiently explaining the virtues of heavy metal yet again!” Mike McPadden, Heavy Metal Movies

Buy: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk

” …some of the practical effects used in Black Roses are really fun to see and that adds a lot to the experience. The story remains fairly grounded outside of the whole demonic metal band angle, so there’s not a lot of wild dialogue. There are some gems to discover, but not as many wacky lines as you might think.”  Marc Fusion

“With the goofy acting, schlocky narrative, and somewhat repetitive nature of the story up until the halfway mark, this isn’t exactly quality film [….] The ear-worm soundtrack and insanely entertaining monster sequences overshadows the film’s flaws, however.” Megan Navarro, Rare Horror

” …entertainingly dopey with lots of chintzy effects, decent enough acting (John Martin is good as the teacher hero), a sort of brutal “ashtray” moment, a surprisingly literate script at times and lots of satirical jabs at the PMRC (Tipper Gore’s music censorship group).” The Video Graveyard

Cast and characters:

• John Martin … Matthew Moorhouse
• Ken Swofford … Mayor Farnsworth
• Sal Viviano … Damian
• Julie Adams … Mrs. Miller
• Frank Dietz … Johnny Pratt / Demon Guitarist
• Carla Ferrigno … Priscilla Farnsworth
• Carmine Appice … Vinny Apache
• Tony Bua … Tony Ames (as Anthony C. Bua)
• Karen Planden … Julie Windham
• David Crichton … Mr. Miller (as Dave Crichton)
• Jesse D’Angelo … Jason Miller
• Keith Miller … Dr. Marshall (as Kieth Miller)
• Paul Kelman … Julie’s Stepdad
• Robin Stewart … Tina
• Patricia Strelioff … Janey Miller

Release:

Black Roses was given a limited release theatrically in the United States  on November 1, 1988. It was subsequently released on VHS by Imperial Entertainment Corp.

Released on DVD in the United States by Synapse Films in 2007. Special features include:

• Audio Commentary With Director John Fasano, Writer Cindy Sorrell, Star Carla Ferrigno and Others
• Rare Original Cannes Film Festival Promo
• Audition Videotape Excerpts
• Original Theatrical Promotion Trailer

The soundtrack was released on CD by Metal Blade Records.

• Bang Tango – “I’m A Stranger”
• Black Roses – “Dance on Fire”
• Black Roses – “Soldiers of the Night”
• Black Roses – “Rock Invasion”
• Black Roses – “Paradise (We’re on Our Way)”
• David Michael-Phillips – “King of Kool”
• Hallow’s Eve – “D.I.E.”
• King Kobra – “Take It Off”
• Lizzy Borden – “Me Against the World”
• Tempest – “Streetlife Warrior”

Censorship:

In the UK, the BBFC censored the VHS release by 31 seconds.

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Graveyard Groove: The Haunted History of Monster Music from “Monster Mash” to Horror Punk is a self-published book by David Acord (Success Secrets of Sherlock Holmes; When Mars Attacked: Orson Welles and the Radio Broadcast That Changed America Forever), released on August 26, 2018.

“In the mid-1950s, a new genre of novelty music emerged that mixed humour and horror. The result: Monster Music! Suddenly, jukeboxes were filled with songs about Frankenstein, Dracula, the Wolf Man, creatures from outer space and a multitude of supernatural terrors.

The genre reached its peak in 1962 with Bobby “Boris” Pickett’s smash “Monster Mash,” but there are many more songs worthy of rediscovery — and Monster Music still lives on today, thanks to the influence of punk pioneers like The Cramps and the Misfits. Here is the complete, untold story of Monster Music — the genre that refused to die!”

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‘Jamie wouldn’t kill anyone… unless Teddy told him to!’

The Pit aka Teddy is a 1980 Canadian horror feature film directed by Lew Lehman from a screenplay by Ian A. Stuart. The movie stars Sammy Snyders, Jeannie Elias, Sonja Smits  and Laura Hollingsworth.

A novelisation by John Gault was published by Bantam Books in 1980. The movie was belatedly released on 23 October 1981.

Buy novel: Amazon.com

Ian A. Stuart’s original screenplay was considerably different from the final film. In his screenplay, protagonist Jamie was younger, and the Tra-la-logs creatures were figments of his imagination. When Lew Lehman signed on to direct, he made Jamie older, the monsters real, and added more humour to the original script. Stuart has expressed dissatisfaction with the final result [read Cinemachine interview].

On October 18, 2016, The Pit was released on Blu-ray by Kino Lorber with the following special features:

• Brand New 2K Restoration
• Interview with Star Sammy Snyders
• Interview with Star Jeannie Elias
• Interview with Screenwriter Ian A. Stuart
• Audio Commentary by Film Historian Jason Pichonsky
• Trailer

Buy Blu-ray: Amazon.com

Plot:

Jamie Benjamin (Sammy Snyders) is a misfit twelve year-old boy, hated by both his classmates and the adults who live in his small town. When he encounters other people, they tease and ridicule him. His only friend is a stuffed bear named Teddy, with whom he regularly holds conversations.

The audience hears Teddy’s voice as he talks to Jamie. On the cusp of puberty, Jamie develops an unhealthy obsession with girls. Thus, when his parents go away on a business trip and leave the attractive psychology student Sandy O’Reilly to babysit him, he falls completely in love/lust with her.

During one of his conversations with Sandy, Jamie asks her if she can keep a secret. Jamie reveals that in the forest, he has found a pit full of mysterious creatures, which he calls “Tra-la-logs”. Although he decides to take care of them by feeding them raw meat.  Teddy suggests feeding the people who tormented him to the Tra-la-logs, and Jamie takes his advice…

Reviews:

“The Pit isn’t scary, but it requires a post-screening shower to fully shed its grand emphasis on uncomfortable topics, doing a fine job prying into an adolescent mind on the verge of complete psychosis. The traditional warning to impart would be to not watch the film alone. The more honest advice would be to not watch it with people who might judge you.” Brian Orndorf, Blu-ray.com

“Though it would have been an even more entertaining experience had the tra-la-logs escaped their pit a half-hour earlier in the picture, digging through these layers of peculiarity is ultimately a rewarding and entertaining experience, and a good example of the sort of movie people mean when they say, “they sure don’t make ’em like that any more! ” Canuxsploitation

“There’s some aspect of the movie that don’t make a lot of sense (why don’t the police get involved after he essentially sexually abuses a woman?), while there’s a few shifts in tone between comical and creepy that don’t sit right. However, the film does pick up a little towards the last half hour, when a major character is offed and the creatures get out of the pit. The effects are passable but rather cheesy and there’s not a lot of gore.” 80s Fear

Buy on DVD with Hellgate: Amazon.com

“Jamie’s pervy, mean-spirited ways are exactly the reason that this movie stands out. He’s one of the weirdest ‘killer kids’ in the pantheon of killer kid movies and the fact that he communicates to a weird talking teddy bear (whose head spins around, no less!) just sort of adds yet another layer of ‘wtf’ to his character.” Rock! Shock! Pop!

“The main flaw is having both the teddy bear and the trogs in the same movie – what does one have to do with the other? The actual trogs look good, like dwarfish apes with orange eyes. It’s also got some nudity and a ridiculous but fitting coda. Willard is a prototype.” David Elroy Goldweber, Claws & Saucers

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

“Maybe it’s the pleasure of reveling in a film so representative of the endearing innocence of early ’80s horror, or perhaps it’s the singular performance by Sammy Snyders as Jamie, pulling off scene after believable scene with nothing but a teddy bear to work with. Whatever it is, The Pit stands out as a truly original film, and one not easily forgotten.” Not Coming to a Theater Near You

” …cheesy and amateurish at times, as though it’s been written for the generation that preceded the target audience of the film. It almost makes The Pit feel like some G-rated family movie that’s hit the crack pipe. Trog-vision occurs when we see events through the eyes of the trogs as the screen is tinted orange and is distorted and generally the scenes are backwoods slasher influenced in terms of killer POV shots. ” Oh, the Horror!

“In many ways this movie feels quite dated, but that doesn’t matter when the end result is so strange and strangely special (I enjoyed the movie but I know of a few folk who love it). I’d even have to say that the movie seems to revel in willingly defying/breaking conventions, something else which adds to its appeal.” For It Is Man’s Number

“The Pit still works best as a metaphor for both coming-of-age/puberty and maybe also child-abuse. If you look hard enough, you might see Jamie’s possessed teddy bear as representative of the damaged child in him and the monsters in the pit as his own demons just waiting to be unleashed. The very last scene seems to fit this view (kid with personal demons gets comeuppance from another kid with her own personal demons).” Horror Fan Zine

The Pit is far and away one of the most baffling and intriguing titles from the exploitation independent era; an adolescent revenge fantasy (not uncommon to the genre) by way of fantastical fairy tale (there are monsters and a living doll) filtered through the uncomfortably sleazy eye of a hacky director whose primary concern seemed to be including as much gratuitous nudity as possible, or at least show his actresses doing aerobics or jogging.” Matthew H, Cinemachine

“A perverted look at a perverted kid … The perversity never really gels, with Sammy’s abnormal sexuality shallowly explored. The story picks up steam once the beasties escape the pit and reign munching terror on delicious humans.” John Stanley, Creature Features

Buy VHS: Amazon.com

“Ultimately, The Pit suffers for its bipolar focus; executed more seriously (and given pacing), the murder sequences could have mustered some tension but fall flat as they are. Still, Snyders and Elias deliver decent enough performances considering the material, and the turnabout ending is a nice capper.” The Terror Trap

“The Pit suffers from a disjointed plot and an inconsistent tone (it veers from humor to horror with mixed results) but it’s loaded with enough random weirdness to qualify it as a minor classic.  I’ve never seen a movie before or since that combines killer kids, talking teddy bears, and carnivorous cavemen so effectively.” The Video Vacuum

Cast and characters:

• Sammy Snyders … Jamie Benjamin
• Jeannie Elias … Sandy O’Reilly – Deadline; Nomads; Tutenstein
• Sonja Smits … Mrs. Lynde – Videodrome; Deadly Nightmares TV series
• Laura Hollingsworth … Marg Livingstone
• John Auten … Library Janitor
• Laura Press … Mrs. Benjamin – Goosebumps TV series
• Paul Grisham … Freddy
• Wendy Schmidt … Christina

Filming locations:

Although it is a Canadian production, it was actually filmed in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin.

Thanks:  Cinema du Meep | Cinemachine

Related:

Goodbye Gemini

Trog

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‘Elvira makes her big scream debut in her hot new comedy’

Elvira: Mistress of the Dark is a 1988 American comedy horror feature film directed by James Signorelli from a screenplay co-written by Sam Egan, John Paragon and Cassandra Peterson. The latter stars as Elvira alongside W. Morgan Shepard, Daniel Greene, Jeff Conaway, Susan Kellerman and Edie McClurg.

Plot:

Having just quit her job as a Los Angeles TV horror hostess, Elvira receives the unexpected news that she s set to inherit part of her great-aunt Morgana s estate. Arriving in the small town of Fallwell, Massachusetts, to claim her inheritance, Elvira receives a less than enthusiastic reception from the conservative locals – amongst them, her sinister uncle Vinny, who unbeknownst to Elvira, is an evil warlock who secretly schemes to lay his hands on the old family spell book for his own nefarious ends…

Buy Blu-ray: Amazon.co.uk

• Brand new restoration from a 4K scan of the original interpositive
• High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation
• Original Uncompressed Stereo 2.0 audio
• Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• Introduction to the film by director James Signorelli
• 2017 audio commentary with director James Signorelli, hosted by Fangoria Editor Emeritus Tony Timpone
• 2017 audio commentary with Elvira Webmaster and judge of US TV show The Search for the Next Elvira Patterson Lundquist
• Archival audio commentary with actors Cassandra Peterson, Edie McClurg and writer John Paragon
• Too Macabre – The Making of Elvira: Mistress of the Dark – newly-revised 2018 version of this feature-length documentary on the making of the film including interviews with various cast and crew and rare never-before-seen archival material
• Recipe for Terror: The Creation of the Pot Monster – newly-revised 2018 version of this featurette on the concept and design of the pot monster, as well as the other SFX of the movie
• Original Storyboards
• Original US Theatrical and Teaser Trailers
• Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Sara Deck
• Collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film by Patterson Lundquist and a short note on the 2012 audio commentary by Sam Irvin

Reviews:

“Mistress of the Dark is by no means a masterpiece, but compared to the likes of similar fare like Repossessed, it’s just infinitely more watchable and entertaining. Elvira sticks closely to the horror genre, providing a fish out of water comedy that was quite popular in films like Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure and the eventual Addams Family big screen debut.” Cinema Crazed

” …shouldn’t be viewed as a horror movie. Sure, it has supernatural themes, slime covered beasties, heavy gothic overtones, and a token fog enshrouded graveyard or two, but the comedy is what makes this one so entertaining. Well, that and Elvira’s cleavage of course.” Digital Retribution

“Some of it misses, a lot of it sticks but all throughout Cassandra Peterson has her character nailed, hitting the big screen fully formed and armed with an arsenal of quips and put-downs that she delivers with all the relish of somebody who probably isn’t quite sure if they will get this opportunity again so is making the most of it.” FrightFest

“Elvira, Mistress of the Dark is no shining example of cutting-edge writing or overly competent filmmaking but it’s quite funny and self-aware.  Co-written by Peterson, the movie is tailor-made to fit into the Elvira brand and while not a critical or box office hit, it gained enough notoriety through video rentals to keep Elvira alive and kickin’.” The MN Movie Man

“The film has no real pretence to be anything other than a series of obvious bad jokes, innuendoes and sight gags, something at which it at least proves entertaining. It makes a light-hearted dig at fundamentalism – the town for example is called Fallwell, Massachusetts – although it never takes its own standpoint very seriously…” Moria

” …makes for goofy amusement with a finale that trots out a bunch of horror elements (a live severed hand, demons and all sorts of mischife), a main character who’s likeable and Edie McClurg amusing as the towns “goodie goodie”. Co-writer/star Cassandra Peterson does more than we’d of expected with the character and this is a fun timewaster for sure.” The Video Graveyard

” …just as Pee-wee Herman’s films are vehicles for his shtick, Elvira is mostly Elvira wisecracking and busting out of her dress. She’s fun, a Transylvania Valley Girl grown up into the Queen of the Bs, but after 96 minutes you may start thinking more fondly about those ’50s and ’60s camp classics she’s usually interspersed with.” Richard Harrington, The Washington Post

Main cast and characters:

• Phil Rubenstein … Director
• Larry Flash Jenkins … Technical Director
• Cassandra Peterson … Elvira
• Damita Jo Freeman … Associate Producer
• Tress MacNeille … Anchorwoman
• Edwina Moore … Hairdresser
• Mario Celario … Rudy
• Lee McLaughlin … Earl Hooter
• Bill Swearingen … Cameraman
• Charles Woolf … Manny
• Bill Dance … Messenger (as William Dance)
• William Cort … Lawyer / Game Show Host
• Sharon Hays … Game Show Girl
• Bill Cable … Cop
• John Paragon … Gas Station Attendant
• Joseph Arias … Hitchhiker
• Edie McClurg … Chastity Pariah
• Kris Kamm … Randy
• Scott Morris … Sean
• Ira Heiden … Bo
• Bill Morey … Mr. Rivers
• Pat Crawford Brown … Mrs. Meeker
• William Duell … Lesley Meeker
• Ellen Dunning … Robin Meeker
• Jeff Conaway … Travis
• Frank Collison … Billy
• Dick Miller [uncredited in footage from It Conquered the World]

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‘When you raise Hell… the Devil must be paid – in full!’

Rock ‘n’ Roll Nightmare – aka The Edge of Hell – is a 1987 Canadian horror feature film directed by John Fasano (Darkness Falls co-writer;The Jitters; Black Roses) from a screenplay by rock musician and producer Jon Mikl Thor. The latter stars alongside Jillian Peri, Frank Dietz, David Lane and Teresa Simpson.

A belated sequel, Intercessor: Another Rock’n’Roll Nightmare, was released in 2005.

Plot:

Recording some new music in an isolated farmhouse, rock band Triton get more than they bargained for when something horrifying stirs in the darkness. Eternal evil haunts this place and the band members start turning into demons from Hell itself!

After a day of making music – and making love – this band is starting to break up… one by one… limb by limb. The band’s lead singer, John (Jon-Mikl Thor) Triton, holds the key to defeating this horror once and for all – a secret that culminates in a battle between good and evil! Triton versus the Devil himself!

Reviews:

“It’s truly terrible in every way but with lots of that bad movie charm fans of this kind of stuff look for. If you want to see something along the same lines that’s similarly cheesy but more competently-made make sure to give Trick or Treat (1986) or Shock ’em Dead (1991) a gander.” The Bloody Pit of Horror

“As a testament to Rock ‘n’ Roll Nightmare‘s popularity with schlock fans, it has appeared on the majority of the American bad movie sites, and the film’s notorious reputation has put it in almost the same league as esteemed bad films like Plan Nine from Outer Space, Robot Monster, and The Corpse Grinders.” Canuxsploitation!

“My big hair, masculine make-up, shiny man-boobs, and skin- tight undies tell me that Rock ‘n’ Roll Nightmare is a campy piece of crap that shines like a diamond in the rough. It’s cheesy. It’s ridiculous. It’s a terrible piece of filmmaking. But it’s B-grade entertainment in its highest form.” Full Moon

“The film has some of the most cheap and unconvincing makeup and puppet work of any film of the 1980s. Towards the end, we get a variety of these absurd creature effects – a plate of leftovers in the fridge moving; a one-eyed puppet creature that you cannot help but think resembles a penis; a lizard-like Devil figure that is incredibly immobile; even a puppet that sits and smokes cigarettes.” Moria

“I’m happy I got to experience it, if only so I can tell people I’ve seen both the worst shower scene ever and the oddest ending ever. But you have to go through so much shite to get the good stuff that you really have to have a high level of B-movie tolerance to get the most out of it.” That Was a Bit Mental

Cast and characters:

• Jon Mikl Thor … John Triton
• Jillian Peri … Lou Anne
• Frank Dietz … Roger Eburt
• David Lane … Max
• Teresa Simpson … Randy
• Adam Fried … Phil, The Tritons’ Manager
• Denise Dicandia … Dee Dee
• Jesse D’Angelo … Little Boy
• Rusty Hamilton … Seductress
• Cindy Cirile … Mother (as Clara Pater)
• Chris Finkel … Father
• Liane Abel Dietz … Mary Eburt (as Liane Abel)
• Jim Cirile … Stig
• Gene Kroth … Karl
• Carrie Schiffler … Cindy Connelly
• Tralle O’Farrell … Groupie
• Lara Daans … Groupie (as Layra Daans)
• Nancy Bush … Groupie

Image credits: GrizzlyBomb.com | That Was a Bit Mental

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‘An adult nightmare.’

Children of the Corn is a 1984 American horror feature film directed by Fritz Kiersch from a screenplay by George Goldsmith (Blue Monkey aka Insect), based on the 1977 short story of the same name by Stephen King. The Gatlin production stars Peter Horton, Linda Hamilton, R.G. Armstrong, John Franklin and Courtney Gains.

Jonathan Elias (Leprechaun 2; Grave Secrets; Parents; Vamp) provided the soundtrack score.

Film rights were originally optioned by Hal Roach Studios, and Stephen King wrote a screenplay based on his own short story. However, Hal Roach executives rejected King’s script and George Goldsmith was hired to rewrite it. Goldsmith has said King’s script started with 35 pages of lead characters Burt and Vicky arguing in their car.

After the release of Children of the Corn II: The Final Sacrifice (1992) and the series’ acquisition by Dimension Films, subsequent sequels were released directly to video, and bore little to no narrative continuity, beginning with Children of the Corn III: Urban Harvest (1995).

In 2009, a television remake of the original film aired on the Syfy network. A sequel to Children of the Corn: Genesis and tenth overall, titled Children of the Corn: Runaway, was released on March 13, 2018.

Plot:

As physician Burt Stanton (Peter Horton) and his girlfriend, Vicky (Linda Hamilton), drive across the Midwest to his new job, their trip comes to a sudden halt when they encounter the body of a murdered boy in the road.

In trying to contact the authorities, Burt and Vicky wander into a small town populated only by children, followers of sinister young preacher Isaac Chroner (John Franklin). Soon the couple is fleeing the youthful fanatics, who want to sacrifice them to their demonic deity….

Reviews [contains spoilers]:

“King was always good at playing on more sensitive notes, and the idea of evil children carries quite a punch. It is a fairly original set-up in a genre dogged by formula, but one that is finally bedevilled by the constraints of budget and a ludicrous monster movie denouement.” Empire

“Incidentally, the inclusion of a battle against a real demonic power is what helped to make Children of the Corn one of the best horror films of all time. Tangible enemies are one thing, but when you’re battling against a force of darkness that lurks among the corn, devours children and adults and has a pretty good sense of direction, you’re really in for something.” Horrorfreak News

“Though definitely an imperfect film thanks to some blatant padding (lots of driving and walking around here), iffy acting at times, and a very underwhelming monster reveal during the climax, Children of the Corn is an oddly haunting and potent film with its ferocious religious angle (delivered by children, of course) giving it quite a bit of punch.” Mondo Digital

“As happens too often in fiction of this sort, the resolution fails to top the buildup. There is one arbitrary resurrection from the dead, and when we finally do see He Who Walks Behind the Rows, it turns out to be He Who Burrows Between the Rows, like a gopher. Gophers, even satanic ones, aren’t terribly intimidating.” Vincent Canby, The New York Times

“At the end, those of us who are left in the theater cling to one faint hope: That our patience will be rewarded by an explanation, no matter how bizarre, of the thing that moves behind the rows. No luck. Instead, the movie generates into a routine action sequence involving lots of flames and screams and hairbreadth escapes.” Roger Ebert

“The story might have been more chilling if there were no supernatural element, but as it is this is a fairly strong entry into the stream of King adaptations, which is mostly down to its trappings rather than its narrative.” The Spinning Image

“A late lurch from Lord of the Flies-ish mass psychosis to silly supernatural SPFX topples the film into total cornetto.” Anne Billson, Time Out Film Guide

“Had the film stayed away from special effects at the end and kept to the idea of a religious cult it would have been a far more satisfying ending. As it is, it gives the impression that the kids actually knew something we didn’t and maybe weren’t so mental after all… a pretty weak end to a fantastic story.” That Was a Bit Mental

” …by the time “He Who Walks Behind The Rows” awakens and the corn comes to life, the whole thing starts to seem too — well, corny to take very seriously. Which would all be fine and good if Kiersch were playing things tongue-in-cheek throughout, but given that he opts for the straight-forward approach, the film’s “climactic” final act just comes off as being uninspired at best, embarrassing at worst.” Trash Film Guru

“Considering that Children of the Corn is a thirty page short by King just goes to show how dedicated Kiersch must have been to stretching it out to a full length feature film. No mean feat, I’m sure you’ll agree. As far as gory moments go, there are some, but […] they’re mainly ‘off screen’ which only adds to the atmosphere.” UK Horror Scene

Cast and characters:

• Peter Horton … Burt
• Linda Hamilton … Vicky
• R.G. Armstrong … Diehl
• John Franklin … Isaac
• Courtney Gains … Malachai
• Robby Kiger … Job
• Anne Marie McEvoy … Sarah (as AnneMarie McEvoy)
• Julie Maddalena … Rachel
• Jonas Marlowe … Joseph
• John Philbin … Amos
• Dan Snook … Boy
• David Cowen … Dad
• Suzy Southam … Mom
• D.G. Johnson … Mr. Hansen
• Patrick Boylan … Hansen’s customer
• Elmer Soderstrom … Hansen’s customer
• Teresa Toigo … Hansen’s customer
• Mitch Carter … Radio preacher (voice)

On October 3, 2017, Arrow Video released a Special Edition Blu-ray disc with the following special features:

• Brand new 2K restoration from the original camera negative
• High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation
• Original stereo and 5.1 DTS-HD MA audio options
• Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• Brand new audio commentary with horror journalist Justin Beahm and Children of the Corn historian John Sullivan
• Audio commentary with director Fritz Kiersch, producer Terrence Kirby and actors John Franklin and Courtney Gains
• Harvesting Horror: The Making of Children of the Corn retrospective piece featuring interviews with director Fritz Kiersch and actors John Franklin and Courtney Gains
• …And a Child Shall Lead Them a brand new interview with actors Julie Maddalena and John Philbin
• It Was the Eighties! an interview with actress Linda Hamilton
• Field of Nightmares a brand new interview with writer George Goldsmith
• Return to Gatlin brand new featurette revisiting the film’s original Iowa shooting locations
• Stephen King on a Shoestring an interview with producer Donald Borchers
• Welcome to Gatlin: The Sights and Sounds of Children of the Corn an interview with production designer Craig Stearns and composer Jonathan Elias
• Cut from the Cornfield an interview with actor Rich Kleinberg on the infamous lost Blue Man Scene
• Disciples of the Crow 1983 short film adaptation of Stephen King’s story
• Storyboard gallery
• Original Theatrical Trailer
• Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Gary Pullin
• First pressing only: Fully illustrated collector s booklet featuring new writing on the film by John Sullivan and Lee Gambin

Filming locations:

California, USA
Iowa, USA

Box office:

The movie took $14,568,989 at the US box office against a reported budget of $800,000. Strong video rentals ensured that a franchise was spawned.

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‘Their first mistake was stealing a corpse. Their second was waking him up.’

C.H.U.D. II: Bud the Chud is a 1989 American comedy horror feature film directed by David Irving from a screenplay by Ed Naha [as M. Kane Jeeves] (Omega Doom; Dolls; Troll). The movie stars Brian Robbins, Bill Calvert, Tricia Leigh Fisher, Gerrit Graham, Robert Vaughn and Larry Cedar.

Blu-ray synopsis:

“Kevin, Steve, and Katie are an inseparable trio of friends doing some extracurricular snooping in the school science lab when, among the test tubes and beakers, they discover a corpse! But before they can say “Abra Cadaver,” the body disappears, rolling down Route 51 strapped to a gurney. The kids need a spare stiff, and fast.

What they find is “Bud the Chud,” a half-dead decomposing humanoid, the result of a military experiment gone haywire. When Bud sets out on a killing spree, the kids, the Army, the police, and the FBI are hot on his trail, trying to save the entire town from becoming Chudified.”

Review:

C.H.U.D. – that’s Cannibalistic Humanoid Underground Dweller for those who still may not know – was an unexpectedly fun, no-nonsense variation on the zombie film in 1984; straight-faced, action-packed and pleasingly old-fashioned at a time when horror was rapidly being Tromatised with cynical, deliberately crass, instant cult movie efforts such as The Toxic Avenger.

C.H.U.D. probably didn’t need a sequel. It definitely didn’t need a 1989 sequel that was a dumb-ass comedy with the kind of awful, over-age teenage frat boy characters that every awful film of the 1980s was infected with.

Entirely disregarding the original film, this has two hapless college students – the nerdy guy and his mulleted, ‘cool’ friend – who accidentally revive a C.H.U.D. (which are now zombies, not mutants) – and have assorted, painfully unfunny adventures with him.

Depressingly, there are names in the cast who should have known better. Robert Vaughn looks completely embarrassed during his mercifully brief time on screen. Gerrit Graham must have cursed some ancient God in a past life to have ended up here. I can only hope both were well paid, at least. Everyone else is terrible in the way that late 1980s teen comedy casts can be.

Everything here is unforgivably dismal and horribly dated: the dreadful, overbearing score (complete with a theme song, for crying out loud), horrible, horrible people, bad acting, lousy dialogue and a smug, don’t-give-a-f*ckness to the whole thing. It could hardly be less insulting if  director David Irving and scriptwriter Ed Naha had simply filmed themselves pointing at the camera and laughingly mocking you as a complete loser for ninety minutes.

If you want to watch a film about two losers goofing around with a dead guy, there’s Weekend at Bernies, made the same year. There was no reason for C.H.U.D. II to have been made in the first place. And there’s even less reason to watch it now it’s on Blu-ray.

David Flint, HORRORPEDIA

Buy: Amazon.co.uk

Other reviews:

“All in all this movie is very stupid. Which is why it has gotten such a bad rap over the years. Personally I found it almost charming. It has just the right amount of nonsense to keep you laughing and interested for all 84 minutes. I say give it a go, especially if you like campy zombie movies.” 90 Lost Minutes

“It isn’t particularly fun as a comedy or as a b-movie, and clearly didn’t have a whole lot of care put into it. That said, it is certainly cheesy and hammy, and is probably worth giving a shot for bad movie fans. I just wouldn’t go in with any kind of high expectations, because this isn’t anywhere close to being a good-bad elite flick.” Misan[trope]y

“Its inherent tameness means there’s not even the gore novelty, pushing the balance toward Killer Tomatoes territory, when you’d rather be watching Return of the Living Dead. That said, it’s comfortingly familiar, moronic fun.” Rupert Harvey, Nerdly

“Filled with lame-brained humour and lacking even in cartoony gore this is probably one of the worst sequels on the books (it even joins the much maligned, Troll 2, on the list) with only character actor Gerrit Graham (as “Bud”) worthwhile amidst the mix of slapstick, jokes and various other groanable moments.” The Video Graveyard

“It’s up to you. Do you really want to see a cult classic like CHUD turned into a lame-o zombie comedy aimed at 8 year olds? If so, you may find it amusing. However, if you’re unable to divorce yourself from the memory of the original CHUD, this will be torture. Since I fall into the latter category, I say f*ck this movie.” The Video Vacuum

Choice dialogue:

Robert Vaughn “Cut the crap! Where’s the C.H.U.D.?”

Main cast and characters:

• Brian Robbins … Steve Williams
• Bill Calvert … Kevin
• Tricia Leigh Fisher … Katie Norton
• Gerrit Graham … Bud Oliver / Bud the C.H.U.D.
• Robert Vaughn … Colonel Masters
• Larry Cedar … Graves
• Bianca Jagger … Velma
• Larry Linville … Dr. Jewell
• Judd Omen … Sam
• Jack Riley … Wade Williams
• Sandra Kerns … Melissa Williams
• Norman Fell … Tyler
• June Lockhart … Gracie
• Rich Hall … Stan
• Robert Symonds … Proctor
• Priscilla Pointer … Doctor Berlin
• Jo Ann Dearing … Susan
• Frank Birney … Barber
• Marvin J. McIntyre … Farmer (as Mr. Marvin J. McIntyre)
• Ritch Shydner … Mailman
• Jamie Lynn Grenham … Sally (as Jami Lynn Grenham)
• Clive Revill … Dr. Kellaway
• James F. Dean … Dr. Palmer
• Gregory Phelan … Burger Bobby
• Tony Edwards … Burl
• Zachariah Sage Kerns … Timmy
• Winifred Freedman … Ticket Taker
• Peter Beckman … Cook
• Mark Stuart Lane … Drunk (as Mark S. Lane)

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Dial Code Santa Claus aka Game Over – original title: 36.15 code Père Noël – is a 1989 French action horror feature film directed by René Manzor. The movie stars Brigitte Fossey, Louis Ducreux and Patrick Floersheim.

Plot:

Thomas is a typical 1980s kid: he loves computers, role-playing games, and his dog. While mom is away at the office on Christmas Eve, Thomas and his grandfather are left home alone — perfect timing for a disgruntled, sick, bloodthirsty Santa Claus to raid the home down the chimney. But Hell hath no fury like a ten-year-old with an arsenal of toys…

New release:

The film has been newly restored by AGFA (American Genre Film Archive). Here’s some of their press release:

“It pre-dated Home Alone, annihilating a generation of French kids weaned on action-packed Christmastime gems such as Gremlins and Die Hard. It disturbed critics and the moviegoing public with its uncompromising look beneath the surface of the beloved holiday. From there, the film went on to worldwide distribution… except for America, where it had yet to see an official release until now.

With the slick flair of a vintage MTV video, Dial Code Santa Claus blends holiday cheer with the audacious shock of a home-invasion thriller and 80s action classics like Rambo. Dial Code Santa Claus is a big-time “audience movie”, with dark surprises every few minutes along the way. Its crisp visuals and spooky atmosphere are catnip to horror fans, and its inventive fist-pumping set pieces are brand-new favourites for connoisseurs of cat-and-mouse thrillers.”

Reviews:

“Beautifully shot and crazed enough to keep you on your toes about exactly where the whole thing’s heading […] The presence of the grandfather (who can barely see due to his diabetes) is a smart decision to ups the stakes considerably, keeping this in far more intense territory than your average kids vs. robbers movie.” Mondo Digital

“This is not one of those movies you’re likely to parse as if it were Shakespeare, but it’s remarkably watchable nonetheless. Floersheim is quite special as a psycho who attracts our sympathy almost as much as he inspires our fear. Ducreux is superbly cast as the genial old man. Brigitte Fossey is always good value…” Noirish

“It is astonishing that it hasn’t been remade given how slick and entertaining it is. Then again, it is also a singular, personal experiment – the film fluctuates between goofy humor and grim horror in a manner that still feels dangerous and the overtly silly, kid-friendly first act feels like vicious bait for unsuspecting viewers.” Slash Film

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