The Slumber Party Massacre is a 1982 slasher film produced and directed by Amy Holden Jones and written by feminist Rita Mae Brown as a parody (her original titles were Don’t Open the Door and Sleepless Nights). It stars Michele Michaels, Robin Stille, Michael Villella, Debra Deliso and Andree Honore. Future Scream Queen Brinke Stevens has a minor role. Amy Holden Jones wanted to direct and asked Frances Doel – then head of the script department at New World Pictures – for advice. She gave Jones a number of scripts one of which was Don’t Open the Door. She saw the first eight pages had a dialogue scene, a suspense scene and a violent action scene, and decided to film them. Her cinematographer husband Michael Chapman got some short ends of film for her and they borrowed some equipment, hired some actors and shot the scenes at their house over a weekend for $1,000. She showed the result to Corman who agreed to finance the film.

There have been three sequels to the movie: Slumber Party Massacre II, Slumber Party Massacre III and Cheerleader Massacre. The film is included on The Massacre Collection DVD, which also includes Sorority House Massacre, Sorority House Massacre II and Hard to Die. Jason Paul Collum directed the documentary Sleepless Nights: Revisiting the Slumber Party Massacres (2010).

Trish Devereaux (Michelle Michaels), an 18 year-old senior decides to throw a slumber party while her parents are away for the weekend and their neighbor Mr. Contant (Rigg Kennedy) is given the job of checking in on the girls during the night. That morning, she gets up, dresses and heads to school. Meanwhile, a mass murderer with a fondness for power drills, Russ Thorn (Michael Villella), has escaped from prison, kills a telephone repair woman (Jean Vargas) with a power drill and steals her van. Trish meets up with her friends Kim (Debra Deliso), Jackie (Andree Honore) and Diane (Gina Hunter) and the girls on her basketball team. The new girl, Valerie Bates (Robin Stille) is invited by Trish, but refuses after hearing Diane talking cruelly about her.

Russ Thorn watches the girls leave school from the van and a girl named Linda (Brinke Stevens) goes back inside the school to retrieve a book for a test but is attacked by Thorn and murdered with a power drill. That evening, the party and the bloody decimation begins of the girls, as they smoke pot and talk about boys. Valerie lives next door conveniently and is babysitting her younger sister Courtney (Jennifer Meyers). Diane’s boyfriend John (Jim Boyce) and two other guys from school Jeff (David Millbern) and Neil (Joe Johnson) arrive who spy on the girls undressing. Thorn kills Mr. Contant, drilling through his neck, and meanwhile, Courtney is begging Valerie to go crash the party, but Valerie protests. Diane begins making out with John in the car and after she gets out to ask Trish permission to go off with John, she comes back to find him decapitated. Diane tries to flee, but is murdered with the drill…

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“With a cast of ‘teens’ who all look to be in their twenties (but weren’t they all in the 80s?), the film features the standard tropes and cliches of the genre – scantily clad girls, no way to contact the authorities for help, a killer who has an almost supernatural ability to move about the environment and an almost super-human strength – but remember that Slumber Party Massacre was made in 1982 and at the time it was actually a pioneer of the genre, paving the way for the tens of thousands of slasher movies that followed!” Phil Wheat, Nerdly

“Slumber Party Massacre would have been a somewhat better movie had it either been allowed to remain the parody it was meant to be, or received a more thorough rebuild when the satirical intentions were abandoned. Nevertheless, I’m really kind of glad we wound up with this misbegotten half-measure instead. Slasher flicks are as abundant as sparrows, and slasher spoofs are only slightly less common, but I know of nothing else quite like this movie. Try to imagine the results of removing the humor from something without removing the gags. Russ Thorn’s signature weapon, for example, is an electric drill with a helical bit easily a foot and a half long. Russ waving that thing around is actually an effectively dreadful image, but it’s also one that invites the crudest possible Freudian interpretation. And Amy Holden Jones likes to frame her shots of Thorn sticking his tool into women so that the drill is juxtaposed with the killer’s crotch.” 1000 Misspent Hours and Counting

“As with most slasher films, the body count is overwhelmingly female: seven girls snuff it, compared to five men. There are long, lingering shots of women soaping themselves in showers; and for teenage girls, the female characters seem to be inordinately fond of lacy, grown-up negligees. But the film’s gender commentary becomes more obvious with the portrayal of Russ Thorn (Michael Villella), the killer driller of the film. He’s no Leatherface; in fact, he resembles a mouth-breathing Spanish teacher in 80s double denim, with a weirdly feminine voice to boot.” Zing Tsjeng,  Dazed Digital

Wikipedia | IMDb

Witchboard is a 1986 American horror film written and directed by Kevin S. Tenney (Night of the Demons, Brain Dead). It stars Tawny Kitaen, Stephen Nichols, Todd Allen and Kathleen Wilhoite. The film focuses on a female college student who is harassed and later possessed by an evil spirit after communicating with it through a friend’s Ouija board. The film has spawned two sequels, Witchboard 2: The Devil’s Doorway (1993) and Witchboard III: The Possession (1995).

Brandon Sinclair brings out his ouija board at a party and attempts to contact David, the spirit of a ten-year-old boy with whom he has communicated numerous times. The spirit responds, but Jim, formerly Brandon’s best friend and now nemesis, insults David, making David angry and provoking David to slash the tires of Brandon’s car.

The next day, Linda, Jim’s live-in girlfriend, sees Brandon’s ouija board (which Brandon left behind from the previous night) and tries to contact David. The spirit that appears is actually an evil being (Malfeitor) acting under the guise of David. This malicious spirit starts being nice and helpful, informing Linda where her lost diamond engagement ring is. Meanwhile, at the construction site where Jim is working, Jim’s friend Lloyd is killed by the murderous spirit. Linda again contacts Malfeitor—whom she still believes to be David—and he lies, responding that he did not cause the accident. Linda begins to fall under “progressive entrapment”, in which the spirit changes and starts to terrorize the user, making the person weak and easy to possess…

“It’s a fine example of a horror movie from the 1980′s. It’s packed with fake-out scares, including the impressive fake-out-scare-holy-shit-real-scare-afterall scare, cheesy special effects, and some genuinely cool horror scenes. There’s a moment when you see the world from the spirit’s point of view, we ride along as the camera seems to float down hallways, above beds, etc, and it is fairly freaky.” Fister Roboto, Left Hand Horror

“Witchboard is a winner in a BIG way.  From sets that look like they were constructed in someone’s garage to a plot that literally revolves around a piece of cardboard, this movie should be required viewing for any film student itching to make a scary movie. With almost nothing to work with, director Kevin Tenney somehow gets everything right, and turns out a horror movie that is not only hysterical to watch, but actually manages some brilliant jump-scares in the process.” Tower Farm Reviews

“This is a brilliant, world class example of how truly excellent a terrible ’80s flick can be: big hair, tight jeans, ruthlessly annoying characters, and straight-up bad acting. Yet somehow all of these awful things add up to make something entirely enjoyable.” Erin Page, Twins of Evil

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New Audio Commentary With Writer/Director Kevin S. Tenney and Actors Stephen Nichols, Kathleen Wilhoite And James Quinn |  Audio Commentary With Writer/Director Kevin S. Tenney, Executive Producer Walter Josten And Producer Jeff Geoffray | New Interviews With Kevin Tenney, Tawny Kitaen, J.P. Luebsen, James Quinn, Walter Josten, Todd Allen And More | Theatrical Trailer | TV Spots | Still Gallery

Wikipedia | IMDb

Sleepaway Camp (also marketed on VHS as Nightmare Vacation) is a 1983 slasher horror film written and directed by Robert Hiltzik who also served as executive producer. The film came at a time when slasher films were in their heyday, and is largely known for its twist ending which is considered by some to be one of the most shocking endings among horror films. The film was released theatrically on a limited basis by United Film Distribution Company on November 18, 1983. On its opening weekend it had grossed a total of $430,000 in the US. When it opened, it was the top grossing film in New York, beating out its horror competition by taking in almost double the gross of Amityville 3-D. With a budget of $350,00, it went on to take $11 million at the US box office. 

In the late 1980s, Michael A. Simpson directed two sequels, Sleepaway Camp II: Unhappy Campers (1988) and Sleepaway Camp III: Teenage Wasteland (1989). The killer gleefully tortures and kills anyone who misbehaves or is deemed to be annoying. However, these films had more of a comic tone than the original. Another rogue sequel, Sleepaway Camp IV: The Survivor, directed by Jim Markovic, was partially filmed but never completed. In 2002 the unfinished footage was released and made available as an exclusive fourth disc in Anchor Bay/Starz Entertainment’s Sleepaway Camp DVD boxed set. In 2012 the film was completed and released.

A new film, Return to Sleepaway Camp, was completed in 2003. It was directed by Robert Hiltzik, the director of the original 1983 film. He decided that this chapter will ignore the story lines of the previous sequels, stating that he wanted to pick up from where the original film ended. According to Fangoria.com the digital effects were redone from 2006 to 2008. The film finally found distribution, and was released November 4, 2008, by Magnolia/Magnet Pictures. The purportedly final film in Hiltzik’s Sleepaway Camp trilogy, titled Sleepaway Camp Reunion, was also announced to be in the making but didn’t materialise. Hiltzik now owns the rights to the Sleepaway Camp franchise, which, in 2013, it was announced will receive a reboot.

Plot:

Summer: John Baker and his two children, Angela and Peter, out on a lake. After their boat flips, John and the children head ashore, where John’s lover, Lenny, is calling. As the family swims, a motorboat accidentally runs them over, killing John and Peter.

Eight years later, Angela is now living with her eccentric aunt Dr. Martha Thomas and cousin Ricky Thomas. Angela and Ricky are sent to Camp Arawak. Due to her introverted nature, Angela is bullied, her main tormentors being fellow camper Judy and camp counselor Meg. The head cook, Artie attempts to molest Angela until Ricky interrupts, and the two children flee. While Artie is boiling water for corn, an unseen figure knocks him off the chair, scalding him with the water. Ben eventually storms in, to the sound of Artie’s cries of pain. He is shocked by the chaos casted. Artie’s incident is deemed accidental by camp owner Mel Costic.

Campers Kenny and Mike begin to mock Angela, prompting Ricky and his friend Paul to get into a fight with them. After the brawl is broken up by Gene, Ricky and the rest of the boys involved in the fight leave, while Paul stays behind and befriends Angela. Later, Kenny is drowned by an unseen figure, his body found the next day and his death also ruled accidental by Mel. Campers Billy and Jimmy also pick on Angela, pelting her with water balloons. Billy is killed as well by a mysterious assailant who locks him in a bathroom stall and drops a beehive inside it, leaving him to be stung to death.

The relationship between Angela and Paul grows strained when Paul kisses her twice as a goodnight kiss, causing Angela to have a flashback to her youth when she and her brother witnessed their father in bed with Lenny. Paul is then seduced by Judy, who lures him into the woods and the two are found kissing by Angela and Ricky. Guilty, Paul attempts to explain himself to Angela while on the beach. As Paul talks to Angela, he is shooed away by Judy and Meg, who throw Angela into the water. After being taken out of the lake by lifeguard Hal and having sand flung at her by several small children, a clearly disturbed Angela is comforted by Ricky, who swears revenge on her aggressors. After the affair at the beach, Meg prepares for a date with Mel. During her shower, she is killed by the unseen killer, who slices down her back through the shower stall with a hunting knife.

Meg’s disappearance goes largely unnoticed and a social is held. Angela is approached by Paul, whom she tells to meet her at the waterfront afterwards. The six children who threw sand at Angela are taken out to go camping with counselor Eddie. When two of them ask to go back, Eddie takes them back to his car and drives back to the camp. The other four children are hacked to bits with Eddie’s axe when he returns. Soon after, Judy is killed with a lit straightening iron. The camp is thrown into a panic when Eddie announces the deaths of the four children…

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Reviews:

“Sleepaway Camp takes the summer-camp-murderer formula that the Friday the 13th films created and perfects it with more intense POV sequences and more imaginative deaths. Plus, most of the murders take place just off-screen, or are only seen as shadows on a wall. However, many of the plot twists are completely insane, and most of the characters aren’t developed past first names. But the atmosphere, coupled with some unique themes, manages to make the film worth much more than many of its contemporaries. The twist ending is one of the most shocking in the history of any genre, and it makes up for most of the movie’s shortcomings. But it’s no matter. After the film is over, the killer is revealed, and the bodies are collected, all that remains are fleeting images of men in transparent shirts and girls in ill-fitting swimsuits. Because sex is everything. Don’t believe me? Just ask Sleepaway Camp.” William Tuttle, The Video Basement

“Small amount of blood, zero gore, zero nudity, buckets of laughs, the largest cooking pot I’ve ever seen in my life, water balloon fight on a roof, a Blue Oyster Cult t-shirt, heart-pounding softball action, the world’s fakest looking mustache and the immortal exchange “Eat shit and die, Ricky!” “Eat shit and live, Bill.” Check it out! If you don’t like it, then you’re probably taking life too seriously.” Happyotter

” … there is very little about Sleepaway Camp which is normal. Hiltzik had fashioned a disturbing tale, full of every type of cretin imaginable, and whilst the film often fails to convince, the sheer surrealism of the script and Rose’s convincing performance help cover up its shortcomings. An acquired taste for sure, but those interested in a slasher that’s a little different may take great pleasure in this.” Retro Slashers

“Did ALL males in the early 80s wear the shortest shorts available? The only people in the movie wearing pants are female (or Angela). One guy even has a short shirt. And the main, overly sympathetic counselor guy, wears a shirt that’s so tight it makes him appear to have the largest breasts in the film. In short, I felt really dirty watching this movie.” Horror Movie a Day

“Every minute spent at Camp Arawak provides more delight than the last, leading up to that glorious final scene which is by far one of the most memorable of any 80’s flick I’ve ever seen. If you love slashers, in particular cheesy, 80’s camp-fests then you’re in for the biggest treat. Granted if you’re looking for a serious genre flick, you will hate this. It hasn’t got a serious bone in its body, but if you want to have a bucket load of fun then you really cannot go wrong.” Horror Queen

Wikipedia | IMDb | Official Sleepaway Camp Website | Official Sleepaway Camp Sequels Website | Thanks to Happyotter for some images above

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Evil Dead Trap, known in Japan as Shiryō no wana (死霊の罠), is a 1988 Japanese horror film directed by Toshiharu Ikeda and produced by Japan Home Video.

Plot:

TV show host Nami asks her viewers to send in home movies; she receives a snuff film apparently shot at a nearby factory. Taking a camera crew out to investigate, Nami finds the factory deserted. As Nami and her crew begin to scour the factory, they are murdered one-by-one in grisly fashion until only Nami remains. She ultimately discovers that the killer is Hideki, a small, fetus-like man conjoined to his fully grown, naive twin-brother, who seems unaware of the killings…

Special effects were by Shinichi Wakasa who would go on to a career as a monster-suit maker for several Godzilla movies. Hitomi Kobayashi who plays the supporting role of Rei Sugiura was a top star for Japan Home Video (JHV) under their adult video (AV) label Alice Japan. JHV financed the film as a vehicle for Kobayashi but director Toshiharu Ikeda, unsure of Kobayashi’s acting ability, instead put Miyuki Ono in the starring role.

Sequels followed in 1992 and 1993. Avoid the UK DVD which has footage substituted, containing a milder version.

Buy Evil Dead Trap uncut on Synpase Films DVD from Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com

Reviews:

“Overall, Evil Dead Trap is worth watching for fans of Eastern cinema, or for horror fans in general. Though not particularly different from its American or European counterparts and not quite as good as others have claimed, the film at least serves up an atmospheric, if somewhat slow, package of slice and dice. Viewers should be warned, however, that although for most of its running time the film lurches around quite happily in its own semi-coherent universe, the final act will either astound the audience with its sheer weirdness, or have them throwing empty bottles at the screen.” BeyondHollywood.com

“It’s tense, it’s genuinely horrific, it’s beautifully directed by Ikeda with a real eye for colour and marvellous use of the geometry offered by the perspectives of corridors. Really absolutely one of the best horror films (Japanese or otherwise) I’ve ever seen.” MJ Simpson

“Evil Dead Trap starts out with a fresh concept and some clever suprises, but quickly deteriorates into a splatter-by-numbers flick that we’ve been seeing for thirty years now. The final arc of the story is a different tale altogether, but comes as too little too late to redeem the pedestrian middle act. And, as I mentioned, it’s pretty goddamn silly. The movie is aided by a soundtrack whose minimalist aspects could well be ripped from one of its Italian counterparts but still has a distinctively Japanese feel to it. Oh, and if you’re looking for the loudest, most obnoxious foley work you’ve ever heard, you’ve found your movie. I know what they were trying to accomplish by drawing out the senses, but it really just plays out as being more annoying than frightening.” For the Retarded

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IMDb | Wikipedia

WH

Sphere horror paperbacks were published in the UK during the 1970s and 1980s. They were hugely popular and many – such as Lust for a Vampire, Blind Terror, The Ghoul, Squirm and Dawn of the Dead – were movie tie-ins and novelisations. The initial novels chosen for publication focused on the occult. Sphere published pulp fiction novels by famous authors, such as Richard Matheson, Ray Russell, Colin Wilson, Graham Masterson, Clive Barker and Robert Bloch whilst also providing a vehicle for British career writers such as Guy N. Smith and Peter Tremayne, plus many lesser known writers whose work received a boost by being part of the Sphere publishing machine. Occasionally, they also published compilations of short stories and “non-fiction” titles such as What Witches Do. In the early years, like many other opportunistic publishers, they reprinted the vintage work of writers – such as Sheridan Le Fanu – with lurid cover art.

The listing below provides a celebration of the photography and artwork used to sell horror books by one particular British publishing company. For more information about each book visit the excellent Sordid Spheres web blog.

1970

John Blackburn – Bury Him Darkly

Robert Bloch and Ray Bradbury – Fever Dream

Robert Bloch – The Living Demons

Robert Bloch – Tales in a Jugular Vein

Angus Hall – Madhouse

Sheridan Le Fanu – The Best Horror Stories

Michel Parry - Countess Dracula
Sarban – The Sound of his Horn

Ray Russell – The Case Against Satan
William Seabrook – Witchcraft (non-fiction)
Kurt Singer (ed.) – The Oblong Box

Kurt Singer (ed.) – Plague of the Living Dead

Kurt Singer – (ed.) The House in the Valley
Robert Somerlott – The Inquisitor’s House

1971

Richard Davis (ed.) – The Year’s Best Horror Stories 1
Peter Haining (ed.) – The Wild Night Company
Angus Hall – The Scars of Dracula

Angus Hall – To Play the Devil – Buy on Amazon.co.uk
William Hughes – Blind Terror (Blind Terror film on Horrorpedia)

William Hughes – Lust for a Vampire (Lust for a Vampire film on Horrorpedia)
Ray Russell – Unholy Trinity
E. Spencer Shew – Hands Of The Ripper

Kurt Singer (ed) – The Day of the Dragon

David Sutton (ed.) – New Writings in the Horror and Supernatural 1

Alan Scott – Project Dracula

1972

Richard Davis (ed.) – The Year’s Best Horror Stories 2

Peter Haining (ed.) – The Clans of Darkness

Laurence Moody – What Became Of Jack And Jill?
Ronald Pearsall – The Exorcism

David Sutton (ed.) – New Writings in the Horror and Supernatural 2
Richard Tate – The Dead Travel Fast

Sam Moskowitz (ed.) – A Man Called Poe

1973

Richard Davis (ed.) – The Year’s Best Horror Stories 3
Stewart Farrar – What Witches Do: The Modern Coven Revealed (Non-Fiction)

Brian J. Frost (ed.) – Book of the Werewolf

Melissa Napier – The Haunted Woman
Daniel Farson – Jack The Ripper [non-fiction]
Raymond Rurdoff – The Dracula Archives

1974

Theodore Sturgeon – Caviar

1976

C L Moore – Shambleau
Guy N. Smith – The Ghoul

Robert Black – Legend of the Werewolf

Richard Curtis – Squirm

Ron Goulart – Vampirella 1:Bloodstalk

1977

August Derleth (ed.) – When Evil Wakes
Ron Goulart – Vampirella 2: On Alien Wings

Ron Goulart – Vampirella 3: Deadwalk

Vampirella on Horrorpedia

Ken Johnson – Blue Sunshine

Fritz Leiber - Night’s Black Agents
Robert J Myers – The Slave of Frankenstein

Robert J Myers – The Cross of Frankenstein
Jack Ramsey – The Rage

Ray Russell – Incubus
Andrew Sinclair – Cat

Colin Wilson – Black Room

1978

Ethel Blackledge – The Fire
John Christopher – The Possessors
John Christopher – The Little People
Basil Copper – Here Be Daemons

Basil Copper – The Great White Space
Giles Gordon (ed.) – A Book of Contemporary Nightmares

Peter Haining – Terror! A History Of Horror Illustrations From The Pulp Magazines

Peter Haining (ed) – Weird Tales

Peter Haining (ed) – More Weird Tales
Peter Haining (ed) – Ancient Mysteries Reader 1
Peter Haining (ed) – Ancient Mysteries Reader 2
Richard Matheson – Shock!

Richard Matheson – Shock 2

Richard Matheson – Shock 3

Stephen Marlowe – Translation
Michael Robson – Holocaust 2000
Peter Tremayne – The Ants

Peter Tremayne – The Vengeance Of She

1979

John Clark and Robin Evans – The Experiment
William Hope Hodgson – The Night Land
Robert R. McCammon – Baal

Kirby McCauley – Frights

Kirby McCauley – Frights 2
Jack Finney – Invasion Of The Body Snatchers
Graham Masterton – Charnel House

Graham Masterton – Devils of D-Day
Susan Sparrow – Dawn of the Dead

Gerald Suster – The Devil’s Maze
Peter Tremayne – The Curse of Loch Ness

1980

Les Daniels – The Black Castle
Gerald Suster – The Elect
Jere Cunningham – The Legacy
William Hope Hodgson – The House On The Borderland
Robin Squire – A Portrait Of Barbara

John Cameron – The Astrologer
Robert McCammon – Bethany’s Sin
William H. Hallahan – Keeper Of The Children

Ray Russell – The Devil’s Mirror

Roy Russell – Prince Of Darkness

1981

Basil Copper – Necropolis

M. Jay Livingstone – The Prodigy
Andrew Coburn – The Babysitter
Peter Tremayne – Zombie!

Graham Masterton – The Heirloom
Owen West [Dean R. Koontz] – The Funhouse
William Hope Hodgson – The Ghost Pirates

Graham Masterton - The Wells Of Hell
Graham Masterton – Famine
Marc Alexander – The Devil Hunter [non-fiction]
Guy Lyon Playfair – This House Is Haunted [non-fiction]
Robert R. McCammon – They Thirst

1982

Ronald Patrick – Beyond The Threshold

Peter Tremayne – The Morgow Rises

William Hope Hodgson – The Boats Of The Glen Carrig

Stephen Gallagher – Chimera
Marc Alexander – Haunted Houses You May Visit [non-fiction]
Michelle Smith & Lawrence Pazder – Michelle Remembers [non-fiction]
Dillibe Onyearma – Night Demon
Robert R. McCammon – The Night Boat

Ray Russell – Incubus

1983

James Darke – The Witches 1. The Prisoner

James Darke – The Witches 2. The Trial
James Darke – The Witches 3. The Torture

Basil Copper – Into The Silence
Les Daniels – The Silver Skull

1984

Peter Tremayne – Kiss Of The Cobra

Clive Barker – Books Of Blood 1
Clive Barker - Books Of Blood 2

Clive Barker – Books Of Blood 3
Graham Masterton – Tengu

George R. R. Martin – Fevre Dream
James Darke – Witches 4. The Escape

1985

Peter Tremayne – Swamp!

Peter Tremayne – Angelus!
Stephen Laws – The Ghost Train

Clive Barker – Books Of Blood 4
Clive Barker – Books Of Blood 5
Clive Barker – Books Of Blood 6
Rosalind Ashe – Dark Runner
James Darke – Witches 5. The Meeting
James Darke – Witches 6. The Killing

1986

Christopher Fowler - City Jitters

James Darke – Witches 7. The Feud
James Darke – Witches 8. The Plague

Clive Barker – The Damnation Game
Graham Masterton – Night Warriors
Lisa Tuttle – A Nest Of Nightmares

1987

Peter Tremayne – Nicor!
Peter Tremayne – Trollnight

Lisa Tuttle – Gabriel

1988

Alan Ryan (ed.) – Halloween Horrors

Guy N. Smith – Fiend

Stephen Laws – Spectre
Graham Masterton – Mirror
Eric Sauter – Predators
Robert McCammon – Swan Song

1989

Stephen Laws – Wyrm
Guy N. Smith – The Camp
Guy N. Smith – Mania

Graham Masterton – The Walkers
Graham Masterton – Ritual
Bernard King – Witch Beast

The listing above and many of the cover images are reproduced from the Sordid Spheres web blog. Bar the odd addition and amendment, the list first appeared in Paperback Fanatic 3 (August 2007). For more information about each title, its author and links to reviews, visit Sordid Spheres

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Emanuele Taglietti (born in Ferrara, January 6, 1943) is an Italian designer, illustrator and painter.

Born to an artistic father, Emanuele Taglietti graduated from his local art institute, then moved to Rome where he studied set design at the Experimental Center of Cinematography. He worked on the art direction and set decoration for various films, including Federico Fellini’s Juliet of the Spirits. 

In 1973, he returned to live in his home town and came into contact with Renzo Barbieri of Edifumetto, for whom he worked as a cover artist of erotic, crime, fantasy and horror-themed fumetti (Italian comic books). Having been inspired by artists such as Frank Frazetta and Averardo Ciriello, he created artwork for fumetti such as Zora the vampire, Belzeba, Cimiteria, Sukia, Stregoneria (“Witchcraft”), Gli Spettri (“The Spectres”), Il Sanguinari (“The Blood”), Lo Schelectro (“The Skeleton”), Ulula (“Howls”), Vampirissimo and Wallestein.

Occasionally, Taglietti reworked images and artwork from horror films such as Creature from the Black Lagoon, Night of the Demon (1957) and The Plague of the Zombies, and seems to have had a fixation on actress Ornella Muti (whom he based the image of Sukia on). Featuring the signature nudity of fumetti, his work was sometimes censored when the comic books were publish in other countries, like Spain.

During this busy period, which continued until 1988, Taglietti also restored old paintings and occasionally collaborated as an illustrator for magazine publishers such as Mondadori and Rizzoli. He retired in 2000, broadened the scope of his artistic interests, devoting himself to mural decoration and furniture.

We are very grateful to the Emanuele Taglietti Fan Club blog for the images above.Visit their blog to see lots more of Taglietti’s artwork…

El Retorno del Hombre Lobo (Return of the Wolfman) is a 1981 Spanish horror film that is the ninth in a long series about the werewolf Count Waldemar Daninsky, played by Paul Naschy. It was briefly released theatrically in the US in 1985 by The Film Concept Group as The Craving, and more recently on DVD and Blu-ray as Night of the Werewolf.

In an outdoor trial in the 16th Century, Elizabeth Bathory and a number of witches are being sentenced – Bathory to spend her remaining days entombed, most of her followers beheaded or hanged. The brawn of her operation, Waldemar Daninsky, the celebrated nobleman-lycanthrope, is sentenced to be left in a state of living death, with a silver dagger through his heart and an iron mask (the mask of shame, no less) to keep him from biting. Centuries later, the dagger is removed by grave-robbers and Daninsky returns to activity, fighting against a revived Elizabeth Bathory and her demonic manservant, courtesy of some attractive modern-day witchery.

Outside of Italian gialli, there is little more confusing a purchase than a Naschy film – it is an essential rite of passage as a serious fan of horror films that at some point you may mistakenly end up with two copies of this under differing titles in error. Fortunately, it’s a cracker, not only the crystalisation of everything Naschy had attempted up to this point but also one of the peaks of Spanish horror. Paul Naschy had been successful enough by this stage that he was afforded a budget that matched his ambition – wobbly sets were replaced by actual castle ruins and sumptuous gothic decoration, the scope of the film covering vampires, werewolves and that old Spanish stand-by, the skeletal Knights Templar.

The cast sees Naschy regular Julia Saly (Panic Beats, Night of the Seagulls) as Bathory, pale-faced and clearly relishing the role, without ever attempting to overshadow Naschy. Naschy seems positively weepy, surrounded as he is in fog, thrilling coloured lighting and decked out in ancient finery. The other three main female characters, played by Pilar Alcón, Silvia Aguilar and Azucena Hernández had varied careers in Spanish genre cinema, all of them supplementing their incomes with ‘daring’ magazine photo-shoots – although nudity is scarce in the film, the three of them continually seem on the cusp of disrobing.

The pace is particularly brisk for a Naschy film, perhaps aided by him taking the director’s chair himself, instead of his usual muse, León Klimovsky. That said, the film makes little sense in the chronology of Daninsky werewolf films (this being the ninth of twelve), neither does the lenient sentence given to Bathory at the beginning of the film, nor her loyal servant suddenly being Hell-bent on revenge. No matter, the characters are interesting and straight-faced enough to carry what is lower rank Hammer fodder in theory.

Alas, 1981 was not the right time to suddenly nail your Gothic fetishes – horror cinema had long abandoned candle-lit castles and fangy nymphs and the box office was most unforgiving, leaving Naschy to film several films in Japan to try to rebuild not only his reputation but his finances. Time still doesn’t really seem to have caught up with Naschy, his films still polarising opinion amongst genre fans and almost completely ignored by the mainstream both in terms of interest and influence.

The soundtrack, though perfectly suited, is an outrageous plagiarism of both Ennio Morricone (the wailing harmonica of Once Upon a Time in the West) and Stelvio Cipriani (What Have They Done to Your Daughters? – in fairness, regularly reused by himself on the likes of Tentacles). The stunning cinematography is courtesy of Alejandro Ulloa, who also shot the likes of Horror Express, Forbidden Photos of a Lady Above Suspicion and The House by the Edge of the Lake. The special effects largely stay away from the time-lapse transformation from human to beast and the film doesn’t suffer in the slightest – Naschy’s writhing at the sight of the moon being entertaining enough. Naschy remained proud of the film up to his death in 2009 and rightly so.

Daz Lawrence

Parasite is a 1982 science fiction horror film produced and directed by Charles Band and starring Demi Moore in her first major film role. Irwin Yablans (Halloween) was the executive producer.

In the near future, an atomic disaster has reduced the world to poverty. Instead of a government, America is run by an organization called the Merchants, who exploit the degenerate remains of society. In order to keep control of the populace, the Merchants force Dr. Paul Dean (Robert Glaudini) to create a new life form, a parasite that feeds on its host. Realizing the deadly potential of such a being, Dean escapes the Merchants with the parasite, infecting himself in the process. Now on the run, he travels from town to town, studying the parasite so that he can find a way to destroy it, all the while keeping one step ahead of a Merchant named Wolf (James Davidson) who is hunting for him. While resting in a desert town, he is attacked by a gang of hooligans (Cherie Currie, Freddy Moore, Natalie May, Joanelle Romero, Tom Villard) led by Ricus (Luca Bercovici), a former slave of the Merchants. The gang steals silver canister containing the parasite, not realizing what it is, and it escapes and infects one of the members….

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

“This will surely have appeal for those who have fond memories of parasites jumping out at you from the silver screen, but thirty years on and on the TV, it doesn’t translate quite so well. In fact, it translates terribly. This is a charmless rip-off, almost totally devoid of merit. Explore the many better examples of the sub-genre out there.” Digital Retribution

“The absolute stand out feature of Parasite is the FX.  Stan Winston did all the work, which will definitely bring a smile to a genre fan’s face.  The parasite itself resembles “the deadly spawn” which is definitely not a bad thing, and looks freaking awesome.  The gore, while not plentiful, is enough to keep gore-hounds content, and comes often enough.  It’s really crazy to see what they were able to do with the practical FX in 1982 and on a fairly low budget.” Cinema Slasher

“Look, I really like cheeseball horror movies. But the golden rule of “dummy movies” is quite simply this: Don’t bore me! (Actually, that’s the ONLY rule!) If you added up all the potentially entertaining ‘horror bits’ from the first 73 minutes of this movie, you’d have the cinematic equivalent of a postage stamp. (The three-cent kind.) I’ll never knock a movie for being stupid or derivative or unoriginal as long as it’s simply fun to sit through. Nothing in Parasite even comes close. The brief gore splatters occur way too late in the game for anyone to care, and the creature (early work by FX genius Stan Winston nonetheless) is about as horrifying as Miss Piggy covered in barbecue sauce.” eFilmCritc

Wikipedia | IMDb

WH

Blood Rage (aka Nightmare at Shadow Woods) is a 1983 slasher film written by Bruce Rubin and directed by John Grissmer (Scalpel/False Face, 1976). It stars Louise Lasser (Frankenhooker), Mark Soper (Graveyard Shift II), Marianne Kanter (who also produced this and Dark August  in 1976), Julie Gordon and sfx makeup artist Ed French (Amityville II: The Possession, Sleepaway Camp, The Stuff). It is not to be confused with the 1979 film Bloodrage (aka Never Pick Up a Stranger).

Although the film was shot in 1983, it was given only a limited release theatrically in the United States by the Film Concept Group under the title Nightmare at Shadow Woods in 1987. It was released on VHS by Prism Entertainment the same year under the title Blood Rage and this is the title it is now best known by. The Nightmare at Shadow Woods version is missing an early scene where Maddy visits Todd at the mental hospital, but includes a swimming pool scene not found in the Blood Rage version. The Nightmare at Shadow Woods version had a budget US DVD release in 2004 by Legacy Entertainment, but as of September 2011 is out of print.

Plot:

Todd and Terry are twins. They are blonde, cute, bright and identical in every respect, with one exception. One of them is a murderer. This starts one night at a drive-in theater when a teenager was slaughtered in the back seat of his car while his girlfriend watched. Todd is found guilty for the heinous crime and is locked away in an asylum.

Years passed and Terry lives happily with his mother (Louise Lasser), who smothers him with enough love for two sons. All is fine until one Thanksgiving when they receive news that Todd escaped. Terry goes on a killing spree to ensure that Todd goes back to the asylum. His first kill is his mother’s fiancée, when he chops off his arm with a machete, before stabbing him to death. Meanwhile, Dr. Berman and her assistant, Jackie, go out in search for Todd. Jackie meets a sticky end, when he is stabbed by Terry. Dr. Berman also suffers the same fate. Whilst in the woods looking for Todd, she comes across Terry, who cuts her in half with the machete, leaving her to die…

Reviews:

“This fantastic slasher film impresses with some very ballsy gore; everything from bloody severed heads and split open brains to women chopped in half and guys stabbed in the neck with barbecue prongs. While the film doesn’t offer much but killing and running, and I really would have liked some more meat with my potatoes, it still manages to be enthralling and an honest to God stand up and cheer blood bath. This is really all you need in a good slasher movie.” Jose Prendes, Strictly Splatter

“It’s all rather amusing yet somehow cruel at the same time, and it’s this element of mean-spiritedness that runs consistently throughout the film and hurts it to a degree … never quite knowing how to react in certain scenes had me a little alienated and made some of the funny stuff seem almost tacky or inappropriate. And the last scene, while ultimately fitting and not entirely downbeat, still resonates an eerie and disturbing message about parents who show favoritism toward their children, and will leave you with a bad taste in your mouth.” Hysteria Lives!

“While the body count isn’t jaw-dropping, there are still nine impressive kills by Terry that are, shall I say, “gore-ifying.” The acting was all quite good, and they only terrible acting I can really pinpoint is by Marianne Kanter as Dr. Berman, Todd’s doctor. Just look at her acting in her death scene to see what I mean. The rest are all quite good, even if the “mom” character was pretty over the top.” HorrorBid.com

Wikipedia | IMDb

Thanks to Critical Condition for some images above.

This is a historical listing of all films that were deemed to be ‘video nasties’ in the UK. Read the story of the ‘video nasties’ here.

When horror films began to be seized by police under the 1959 Obscene Publications Act, it was something new – previously, only sexual material was thought to be ‘obscene’ (“taken as a whole, the work has a tendency to ‘deprave and corrupt’ ‘ – that is, make morally bad – a significant proportion of those likely to see it.”). In order to ‘help’ the video trade – which of course had no idea which horror films would suddenly be considered ‘obscene’ – the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) drew up lists of titles that had either been successfully prosecuted or had prosecutions pending, starting on June 30th 1983 and ending o December 1st 1985. This list would change according to convictions or acquittals, and peaked at 62 titles. The final list that existed by the time the Video Recordings Act 1984 came into force featured 39 films, and this final list is the one used by most cult movie collectors as ‘definitive’.

Naturally, most shops began clearing their shelves of the films on the list – even those that were never successfully prosecuted – and so all these movies are amongst the most collectable VHS releases.

The final 39 official ‘video nasties’:

Absurd (uncut)

Buy as Horrible on DVD from Amazon.com

Anthropophagous The Beast

Buy Anthropophagous the Beast on DVD from Amazon.com

Axe (aka California Axe Massacre)

Buy Axe on DVD from Amazon.com

The Beast in Heat (SS Hell Camp)

Buy SS Hell Camp on DVD from Amazon.com

Blood Bath (1971)

Blood Feast

Buy on Blu-ray from Amazon.com

Blood Rites (aka The Ghastly Ones)

Buy on DVD from Amazon.com

Bloody Moon

Buy on DVD from Amazon.com

The Burning (uncut)

Buy on Blu-ray + DVD combo from Amazon.com

Cannibal Apocalypse 

Buy on DVD from Amazon.com

Cannibal Ferox (uncut)

Buy on DVD from Amazon.com

Cannibal Holocaust

Buy on DVD from Amazon.com

Buy Cannibal Holocaust and the Savage Cinema of Ruggero Deodato book from Amazon.co.uk

Cannibal Man

Buy on DVD from Amazon.com

Devil Hunter

Buy on DVD from Amazon.com

Don’t Go in the Woods

Buy on DVD from Amazon.com

Driller Killer

Buy The Driller Killer on DVD from Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com

Evilspeak (uncut)

Buy on Blu-ray from Amazon.com

Exposé (House on Straw Hill)

Buy uncut Blu-ray + DVD combo from Amazon.com

Faces of Death

Buy 30th Anniversary Edition on DVD from Amazon.com

Fight for Your Life

Buy on DVD from Amazon.com

Forest of Fear (aka Bloodeaters)

Buy on DVD from Amazon.com

Flesh for Frankenstein

Buy on DVD from Amazon.com

The Gestapo’s Last Orgy

Buy SS triple-bill on DVD from Amazon.com

The House by the Cemetery

Buy on Blu-ray from Amazon.com

House on the Edge of the Park

Buy on Instant Video from Amazon.com

I Spit on Your Grave

Buy I Spit on Your Grave uncut with commentary by Meir Zarchi on DVD from Amazon.com

Island of Death

The Last House on the Left

Buy on DVD from Amazon.com

Love Camp 7

Buy on DVD from Amazon.com

Madhouse

Buy on DVD from Amazon.com

Mardi Gras Massacre

Nightmares in a Damaged Brain

Night of the Bloody Apes

Night of the Demon

Snuff

SS Experiment Camp

Buy SS Experiment Camp + SS Girls + SS Hell Camp triple-bill DVD from Amazon.com

Tenebrae

The Werewolf and the Yeti

Zombie Flesh Eaters

Buy Video Nasties: The Definitive Guide on Nucleus DVD from Amazon.co.uk

The remaining films that were removed from the ‘nasties’ list over the 18 month period were (dates removed from the list included where known):

The Beyond (removed April 1985)

The Bogey Man

Cannibal Terror (removed September 1985)

Contamination

Dead and Buried (removed June 1985)

Death Trap (removed December 1985)

Deep River Savages (removed September 1985)

Delirium (removed May 1985)

Don’t Go Near the Park

Don’t Look in the Basement (removed December 1985)

The Evil Dead (removed September 1985)

Buy uncut The Evil Dead trilogy on Blu-ray from Amazon.co.uk

Frozen Scream (removed October 1984)

Funhouse

I Miss You Hugs and Kisses (removed October 1984)

Inferno (removed September 1985)

Killer Nun

The Living Dead (aka The Living Dead at Manchester Morgue – removed April 1985)

Nightmare Maker (removed December 1985)

Possession (removed October 1984)

Pranks (removed September 1985)

Prisoner of the Cannibal God (removed May 1985)

Revenge of the Bogey Man

The Slayer (removed April 1985)

Terror Eyes (removed June 1985)

Toolbox Murders (removed May 1985)

Unhinged (removed December 1985)

Visiting Hours (removed November 1984)

The Witch Who Came from the Sea (removed June 1985)

Women Behind Bars (removed October 1984)

Zombie Creeping Flesh

It’s impossible to list all the films seized by individual police forces, of course – Manchester, under the grip of fanatical Christian police chief James Anderton (later immortalised in music as “God’s Cop” by the Happy Mondays), operated a list in excess of the DPPs (including a blanket ban on the softcore Electric Blue series, Werewolf Woman, Dawn of the Mummy, Massacre Mansion, Night of the Seagulls, Mother’s Day, Rosemary’s Killer and Superstition), while other films confiscated by police forces included Maniac, The Hills Have Eyes, Xtro, The Thing, Friday the 13th, Madman, Basket Case, Emmanuelle 2, Children of the Corn (which had been further cut by distributors EMI after gaining BBFC certification), Suffer Little Children (seized by police before it was even released and while negotiations over cuts were taking place with the BBFC) as well as numerous softcore and hardcore adult movies.

Buy The Art of the Nasty book from Amazon.co.uk

Most notoriously – and evidence of the incredible ignorance of the police carrying out these pointless raids – were the seizures of Francis Ford Coppola’s Apocalypse Now (allegedly mistaken for Cannibal Apocalypse!), Lee Marvin war film The Big Red One, Burt Reynolds comedy The Last Little Whorehouse in Texas, Disney movie The Devil and Max Devlin (after a mischief-making complaint from anti-censorship journalist Liam T. Sanford) and An Unmarried Woman!

David Flint, Horrorpedia

Read the story of the ‘video nasties’ here | ‘Nasty’ episode of The Young Ones BBC comedy series

Splatterhouse (スプラッターハウス Supurattāhausu) is a 1988 arcade game developed and published by Namco. It is also the title of the entire series of subsequent games released in home console and personal computer formats.

Due to its violent nature as well as some questionable enemies, the TurboGrafx-16 port of Splatterhouse had a parental advisory warning of sorts printed on the front of the box that read “The horrifying theme of this game may be inappropriate for young children… and cowards.”

Splatterhouse is a sidescrolling beat ‘em up video game in which the player controls Rick, a parapsychology student who is trapped inside West Mansion. After his resurrection by the Terror Mask, Rick makes his way through the mansion, fighting off hordes of creatures in a vain attempt to save his girlfriend Jennifer from a grisly fate. Players of the game will also recognize a number of western horror film influences, such as Friday the 13th and Evil Dead 2.

Similar to many sidescrolling beat ‘em up games, Rick can only move in a two-dimensional environment. The playing field does not feature a three-dimensional area, a feature that was added later in the series with Splatterhouse 3. He has the ability to jump and can punch and kick. Rick also has a Special Attack, where he will perform a drop kick that sends him skidding along the ground, damaging any enemies he hits. Rick can also perform a low kick, low punch, and jumping attacks, as well as pick up and use various weapons placed in the levels.

Two college students, Rick Taylor and Jennifer Willis, take refuge from a storm in West Mansion, a local landmark known as “Splatterhouse” for the rumors of hideous experiments purportedly conducted there by Dr. West, a renowned and missing parapsychologist. Rick awakens in the dungeon of the mansion to discover that he is still alive thanks to the influence of the “Terror Mask”, or in some versions, the “Hell Mask”, a Mayan sacrificial artifact from West’s house which is capable of sentient thought. The mask attaches itself to Rick, fusing with his body and transforming him into a monster with superhuman strength. With the mask’s encouragement, Rick goes on a rampage through the dungeon and the mansion grounds, killing hordes of monsters…

Wikipedia

Video Nasty is a six part British comic book series, which began publication in March 2014.

The story takes place in 1983, and is a mix of police mystery and horror, set against the back drop of the Video Nasty hysteria that was sweeping the UK at the time. When a man is murdered with a Nazi dagger, the press, politicians and police Chief Constable are keen to place the blame for the killing on fans of ‘video nasties’. However, the man in charge of the investigation is not so sure…

The story weaves fact and fiction together, with characters based on real life people (including infamous Manchester Chief Constable James Anderton) and events, and presents the often hysterical claims made about violent video while upholding them to ridicule.

The book is written by Mario Covone and illustrated by Vasilis Logios. Each issue has cover art by Graham Humphreys, the artist responsible for the original Palace Video artwork for The Evil Dead.

The six editions are available individually or as a complete set, both in print and as e-books. There is also a hardback version, and special edition available in VHS-style clamshell box.

“This is good stuff so far – I ploughed through both issues quickly and was left wanting more, which is always a good sign” David Flint, Strange Things Are Happening

www.mariocovone.com

DF

Prom Night is a 1980 American/Canadian slasher film directed by Paul Lynch and starring Leslie Nielsen and Jamie Lee Curtis. The original music score was composed by Paul Zaza and Carl Zittrer. The film was given a limited release in the United States on July 18, 1980 (eventually going wide on August 15), and was considerably popular, especially within the drive-in theater circuit. It was released in Canada in September that year, and went on to become the country’s highest-grossing horror film of 1980.

During the video rental boom years, it spawned three unconnected-except-by-title sequels: Prom Night II: Hello Mary Lou (1987), Prom Night III: The Last Kiss (1990) and Prom Night IV: Deliver Us From Evil (1992). A remake, Prom Night, was released in 2008.

For six long years, Hamilton High School seniors Kelly, Jude, Wendy, and Nick have been hiding the truth of what happened to ten-year-old Robin Hammond the day her broken body was discovered near an old abandoned convent. The foursome kept secret how they taunted Robin – backed her into a corner until, frightened, she stood on a window ledge… and fell to her death. Though an accident, the then-twelve-year-olds feared they’d be held responsible and vowed never to tell. But someone else was there that day… watching. And now, that someone is ready to exact murderous revenge-on prom night…

According to director Paul Lynch in the documentary Going to Pieces: The Rise and Fall of the Slasher Film (2006), he was having difficulty securing financing until Jamie Lee Curtis signed on. Once the film was shot, Paramount expressed interest in distributing the movie. However, they only wanted to open it in 300 theaters whereas Avco Embassy Pictures offered to release it in 1200 theaters. As a result Avco released Prom Night. and Paramount released another independent slasher film… Friday the 13th.

Buy Prom Night on DVD from Amazon.com 

“A lot of people don’t like Prom Night because it’s slow and not very wet with grue, and I’d like to say they’re WRONG! But my inner-Buddha democratic self will not allow it. For Vegan Voorhees, it doesn’t get better than disco NRG, an axe-wielding killer and Jamie Lee fucking Curtis – what more could there be!?” Vegan Voorhees

“Prom Night may be cheesy and it may seem terribly dated today, but it is the crowning example of the slasher film in its classical stage. Before disco cynicism or post-modern reflexivity, Prom Night is a simple and entertaining piece of 1980 nostalgia. Black Christmas may be more artistic, My Bloody Valentine more frightening and Happy Birthday to Me more surprising, but when it comes to Canadian slashers, no film is more fun Prom Night, because as even the theme song knows, ” At the prom night? everything is alright!”" Canuxploitation

“The most terrifying thing about Prom Night is the ruthless children at the beginning yelling KILL! KILL! KILL!. Little bastards. Other than that, it’s not scary and is ultimately pretty forgettable. Maybe that’s why I’ve seen it so many times. I’ll probably watch it again in a few months, then ask myself why I keep watching it. Well, there’s always Jamie Lee on the light-up dance floor.” Final Girl

Buy the Prom Night Collection Box Set from Amazon.co.uk

Wikipedia | IMDb

WH

Final Exam is a 1981 American slasher horror film. Director and screenwriter Jimmy Huston apparently wanted to go against the norm and decided to feature little on-screen graphic violence. Still, like most slasher films of the 1980s, it was battered by critics and received only a brief theatrical run. Following VHS releases, it was finally released on DVD in 2008 and is available on Blu-ray in May 2014 via Shout! Factory.

Final Exam is referenced in Scream 2 along with other college themed slasher films such as: The House on Sorority Row, Graduation Day, The Dorm That Dripped Blood and Splatter University.

Plot:

Late at night, two college students (Carol Capka and Shannon Norfleet) are busy making out in a parked convertible. Ignoring the girl’s frequent objections, her boyfriend pushes on. Outside, a shadowy man jumps on top of the car, slicing his way through the fabric roof. Reaching inside, the lunatic grabs the young man and pulls him up and out onto the car’s hood. Brandishing a blade, the killer stabs the young man to death.

Sleepy Lanier College is nearing the end of Final Exam week: a frenzied semester cap time of grades, goodbyes, and pranks. As the students prepare for their tests as well as the coming vacation break, little do they suspect a murderer is stalking them one by one. Plain but amiable Courtney (Cecile Bagdadi) is completing her exams and studying hard. Averse to hitting the books, her roommate Lisa (DeAnna Robbins) is busy packing and getting back to the city.

Meanwhile, Gamma Delta fraternity pledge Gary (Terry W. Farren) has pinned his girlfriend Janet (Sherry Willis-Burch)… and paid for it by being treed by his brothers, stripped to his briefs, awash in shaving cream and ice cubes shoved down his underwear. As night falls on Lanier, a freezing Gary hopes his beloved Janet will free him from his humiliation. Untied from the tree by an unknown figure, Gary is relieved, but is stabbed to death by the man that killed the couple in the convertible…

Buy Final Exam on Blu-ray | DVD from Amazon.com

Reviews:

“Whereas so many slashers spend a great deal of time setting up an elaborate and sometimes ridiculous backstory for the killer, Final Exam seems uninterested in the killer as a living human being and instead uses him as a tragic, mysterious force that moves into the lives of those at Lanier College and changes them forever. He’s a perfect storm whose only motivation is carnage and the kind of random maniac that is all too prevalent in real life. The killer actually manages to generate a few decent scares, thanks in part to Huston’s clever direction and Raynor’s minimalistic, yet menacing performance. ” Oh, the Horror!

“In the annals of early 80s slashers, it’s both one of the worst (worst killer ever, for certain) and one of the best (due to its unparalleled levels of unintentional comedy).” Horror Movie a Day

“A few problems keep Final Exam from being a really good slasher. The first half is more of a college drama. The only soap opera elements missing are a pregnancy scare and an outbreak of venereal disease on campus. Killer (Timothy L. Raynor) has no name, background, or motivation. He’s just a big guy with a knife. This lack of character development really robs the film of suspense and tension. The viewer is waiting for a payoff that never comes. Final Exam may not be the most terrifying campus slasher ever filmed but it still manages to be funny and entertaining. Fans of gallows humor will find plenty to chuckle over.” Retro Slashers

Sheer Filth is a 2014 book, published by FAB Press and edited by David Flint. It is a ‘remixed and remastered’ version of the original Sheer Filth fanzine that was published between 1987 and 1990.

Sheer Filth specialised in coverage of exploitation and cult cinema, vintage erotica, extreme music and pulp fiction. The book edition is a 240 page collection that includes the bulk of the original content, plus several additional pieces by Flint that were either published elsewhere or had never been seen in print before.

The book was made available in three editions: the standard softcover, a 150 limited edition hardcover and an ultra limited Collector’s Edition of just 34, which includes both the hardcover and softcover, together with an original copy of the fanzine, contained within a brown paper bag. This edition sold out within a few hours of going on sale.

The book was published on April 9th 2014.

The contents of the new book are:

 Filthy Thoughts (introduction)

David F. Friedman: Sultan of Sleaze
A King in Babylon: David F. Friedman interviewed
Sad Eyed Lady (cartoon)
Archaos: Circus Extreme
Sex Cinemas in the UK

Corpse Fucking Artist: Jorg Buttgereit interview
Sex is Fun

The Amazing Colossal Films of Samuel Z. Arkoff (interview)
Some Reflections on the Disappearance of the Cum Shot
Death Disco
That’s Carry On
The Adventures of Lucky Herschell (interview)

Are You Ready… for Eddie?
Lower Bodily Functions at the Cornerhouse
Printed Matter (book reviews)
De Sade’s Juliette; or, the Misfortunes of Censorship
Dirge Talk

Yama Wack Dunce Prong (cartoon)
The Green Goddess: Pamela Green interviewed

The Horror of Party Beach
SPK Despair
Psychic TV: The First Transmission
Coil: Followers of Chaos Out of Control
Confessions of a Sex Maniac: Tuppy Owens interviewed
Pleasure pain Series
Cicciolina In Action

Festival Fever
Cartoons
Betty Page Queen of Glamour
The Mighty Klaw!
The Classic Films of Irving Klaw
The Devil in Miss Jones
On the Bongo Beat
100% Heater-O-Sexual Rockin’ Filthy Discs

Assault of the Killer Bimbo
Salon Kitty
Go, Johnny, Go: Johnny Legend Interview
Behind the Green Door
Extremes in Art and Music
La Religieuse
Robert Bresson and the Angels of Sin
I Know You Are But What Am I? Pee Wee Herman
Urotsukidoji
The Selling of Chesty Morgan

Shadows in the City
Bring Back Those Lusty, Busty Babes
Robert Crumb: Sex, Death and Big Thighs in the Comic Strip
The Bride and the Beast
That Divoon Gal Jayne Mansfield
Film Reviews

Satanists, Cannibals, Aliens & Sex: Norman J. Warren Interview
Post Porn Modernist: Annie Sprinkle Interview
Doing Rude Things: David McGillivray Interview
The Filthography

Buy Sheer Filth book from Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk

In Ghana, cinema was always popular and most large towns had splendid large cinemas that were left over from the days of British colonialism. Unfortunately, as spare parts for the cinemas’ 35mm projectors began to become harder to source, the theatres began to close down. By the mid-1980s films on VHS had become the main source of movie entertainment. Small operators took films out to be shown in the villages and small towns, often using gas-powered generators if there was no electricity supply. Local artists were hired to hand paint posters for these mobile video showings, using flour sacks as a cheap and easily obtainable alternative to canvas. The number of mobile video ‘cinemas’ declined in the mid-nineties due to the greater availability of television and video; as a result the painted film posters were substituted for less interesting/artistic posters produced on photocopied paper. The origin of the horror movies below is an international mix but some are from nearby Nigeria and may well be Nigerian artwork rather than Ghanaian.

We are grateful to a vast number of online sources – too many to mention – but Ephemera Assemblyman in particular

Tales of Horror and Tales of Mystery and Horror are audio books released on cassette in the UK. They feature stories by Edgar Allan Poe, read by Christopher lee.

Tales of Horror was first released in 1979 on the Listen for Pleasure label, which specialised in audio books at the time. Supplied on two cassette tapes, the packaging was an oversized, thick card cover with artwork based on The Pit and the Pendulum. The other stories included were The Fall of the House of Usher, The Cask of Amontillado and The Black Cat.

Lee was the perfect choice for these stories, given them both a gravitas and a sense of the dramatic. For many younger British people, these tapes provided their first introduction to Poe’s writing.

This collection was popular enough to ensure a follow-up in 1985 – Tales of Mystery and Horror featured Lee reading Hop Frog, The Raven, Masque of the Red Death, The Tell-Tale Heart and Murders in the Rue Morgue (the latter story split into two parts).

While these and other audio books in the Listen for Pleasure series were hugely popular at the time, they have never been re-released on CD or MP3.

DF

Pinball machines as we now know them first appeared in the early 1930′s and almost immediately were seized upon as opportunities for branding and cash-ins of all shape and form, from sports to popular culture. Cutting through the chaff and whey to the 1970′s, the advent of solid state electronics and digital displays meant that already goggle-eyed youths could be even further entranced by a dazzling array of lights, sound and action. The ability to feature soundbites and effects from films and TV meant that the marriage of the Silver Screen and pinball was ripe for plunder, with horror films being an obvious target, the dark and dingy arcades being perfect to showcase both classic and modern monsters.

Although downloaded pinball games for phones and computers of all sizes have largely impacted the proliferation of these machines in very recent times, pinball machines decorated with classic horror icons continued to be manufactured well into the 2000′s and some of the machines are highly sought after by collectors, the rarest commanding prices of many thousands of pounds.

Daz Lawrence, Horrorpedia

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0VOoaK0msg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDYHzczMYqM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmJ7A8PmXw4

Many thanks to Internet Pinball Database and Lost Entertainment for many of the images above.

Creepshow 2 is a 1987 American live-action/animated Horror comedy anthology film directed by Michael Gornick and the sequel to Creepshow. Gornick was George A. Romero’s cinematographer on the original Creepshow. The screenplay was written by Romero, the director of the original film and it was once again based upon stories by Stephen King, featuring three more “Jolting Tales of Horror”: Old Chief Wooden Head, The Raft, and The Hitchhiker.   In a live-action sequence,  we are introduced to Billy, not to be confused with the first film’s protagonist. He is eagerly awaiting delivery of his favourite horror comic and lo’, the delivery van pulls up, driven by a ghoulish chap (this is our host, The Creep, played by effects warlock Tom Savini though voiced by Joe Silver, star of David Cronenberg’s Shivers and Rabid). The action, in the same manner as 1982′s prequel, briefly changes to animation and shows the latest issue opening up and introducing us the this issue’s treats.

Old Chief Wood’nhead

Written by King specifically for the film, we are introduced to Ray and Martha Spruce (the always superb George Kennedy (Death Ship) and 40′s legend Dorothy Lamour in her final role) who are quietly running a small-town general store in their twilight years, watched over by an old cigar store Indian statue. They are visited by the leader of a local tribe of Indians, Ben Whitemoon,  who offers them tribal jewellery to pay for a debt. Shortly afterwards, the couple are subjected to a brutal robbery by a gang of local hoodlums, lead by Ben’s ne’er do well nephew, Sam (Holt McCallany, Alien 3, Fight Club). After murdering the couple and leaving with the swag, the three (‘Fatstuff’ being played by David Holbrook, son of acting legend Hal, who also starred in the original film) are stalked by the wooden Indian Chief who takes it upon himself to put wrong to right. With the two junior oiks dispensed with, Ol’ Wood’nhead tracks down Sam with predictably gory results.   A brief animated interlude sees Billy at the post office, receiving one of the fondly remembered send-away novelties advertised in comics of a bygone age, in this case a Venus Flytrap bulb. Before we return to Billy, The Creep presents the second story, The Raft.

The Raft

Based of the story of the same name from one of King’s best collections of short stories, 1985′s Skeleton Crew, four college students, Deke, Laverne, Randy, and Rachel decide to go drunkenly and occasionally nakedly swimming in a lake, a past-time only partaken during the 1980′s. As their rickety craft reaches the middle of the lake, they become aware that a strange slick in the water is surrounding them. Initial vague concern turns to panic as the gloop envelops and eats Rachel, leaving the remaining three to contemplate how they are going to get back to shore. Slowly their numbers become even fewer with the water-bound blob gnawing at the stranded teens and melting their flesh like acid. A ‘No Swimming’ sign at the shore’s edge gives some kind of indication as to why any of this is happening. Whilst the original story ends with a slightly meditative contemplation of life, death and the metaphysical, the schlock of Creepshow 2 cuts to the chase with crash, bang, wallop subtlety.   On his way home, Billy is ambushed by local bullies, firstly taunting him and then taking away his precious package. The bulb is stamped into the ground whilst Billy sees an opportunity to flee but Rhino and his oafs are in hot pursuit. Whilst we catch our breath, we get to watch the closing tale.

The Hitch-hiker

Another King original, this is one of the most often seen stories in the Golden Age of horror comics, with an innocent hitch-hiker (played by Tom Wright, briefly seen to Exterminator 2) being mowed down by a repugnant member of society; here an adulterous business woman (played by Lois Chiles) eager to get home to her wealthy husband before her sexual dalliances are uncovered. Certain that she can’t be connected to the remote death of the hitch-hiker, imagine her surprise when his mangled remains appear at the roadside, still requesting a lift and giving rise to the most memorable line of the film: “Thanks for the ride, lady!”. Despite her best efforts to speed away, he continues to appear, leading to a final and rather messy confrontation. Back to Billy and his is cornered by his enemies in a leafy grove but fortunately for him, his trusty Venus Flytrap and sprouted to huge dimensions. The tables are quickly turned and the carnivorous plant gobbles up the baddies, leaving The Creep to watch on satisfied nd ready to move on to his next delivery. An end of credits message delivers the following thought:  ”Juvenile delinquency is the product of pent up frustrations, stored-up resentments and bottled-up fears. It is not the product of cartoons and captions. But the comics are a handy, obvious, uncomplicated scapegoat. If the adults who crusade against them would only get as steamed up over such basic causes of delinquency as parental ignorance, indifference, and cruelty, they might discover that comic books are no more a menace than Treasure Island or Jack the Giant Killer”. Colliers magazine 1949. Some might suggest this is the best bit of the film.   Despite the success of the first film, both at the cinema and on home video, it took 5 years for the sequel to Creepshow to arrive, perhaps an early indication that all was not quite right. Directorial duties were handled by Michael Gornick, a long-time associate of George Romero, most especially as director of photography on Martin, Dawn of the Dead and Day of the Dead. Though dabbling as a director on television, this was his only role helming a major motion picture, which also speaks volumes. For a time, actor Bob Balaban was considered to direct the film. Like the 1982 film, Creepshow 2 was intended to consist of 5 stories – omitted for reasons unknown are ”The Cat From Hell”, was later used in the the similar anthology film “Tales From The Darkside: The Movie”, released in 1990, and directed by the original Creepshow’s composer, John Harrison. The other story originally intended to be in Creepshow 2 was the Stephen King short story, “Pinfall”, about ghostly rival bowling teams. The decision to stick with only 3 puts a lot of pressure on the stories to deliver, a step too far, alas. Ol’ Wood’nhead starts promisingly Kennedy and Lamour’s slaying being oddly upsetting. Unfortunately, despite an excellent villain, their is little suspense in being stalked by a lump of wood. On the subject of lumps of wood, the goofy teens of The Raft are utterly undeserving of sympathy though succeeds in delivering some superb special effect – unsurprising perhaps, the effects team featuring, amongst others, Savini, Greg Nicotero and Howard Berger. The final story is either the most successful or the most annoying, depending on your tolerance for someone saying “Thanks for the ride, lady”. The scoring duties are handled by Les Reed, originally a member of the John Barry 7 – sadly, it isn’t a patch on Harrison’s original, fun soundtrack. The score also features cues by Yes keyboardist Rick Wakeman, who horror fans will have fonder memories of him taking musical duties on The Burning. Creepshow 2 was a massive disappointment and continues to be so. Unfortunately, with the title and Romero and King attached, it is only reasonable to compare the two and sadly, no element shows an improvement. The stories lack the fun, fizz and EC credentials of the original film, feeling padded and leaden. George Kennedy lends some credence to proceedings but once he meets his maker, the parade of acting, whilst never awful, is as uninspiring as King’s rather lazy stories, all of them having predictable endings. The wraparound is quite nice, though The Creep is a poor host and the live action sections of Savini gurning through his latex make-up are a distraction rather than an addition. Apologists will hail it as a fun late 80′s cheeseball classic but the fact remains that with the joint talents of Romero, King and Savini, this is self-indulgent, slight and worst of all, boring. Daz Lawrence.                

Cataclysm (aka The Nightmare Never Ends and Satan’s Supper) is a 1980 American-made horror film, starring Cameron Mitchell, Marc Lawrence and Richard Moll. The film was directed by Phillip Marshak (here spelling his Christian name with only one ‘l’), also known for Dracula Sucks. Made on a very low budget, the film has many of the hallmarks seen in low budget American cinema of the period, scant on quality and script but featuring at least one recognisable actor to help sell the film. Such is the fractured nature of Cataclysm that a brutally edited version appeared as just one of the segments of the Night Train to Terror (1985) anthology, also the work of Marshak.

Author James Hanson (an alarmingly coiffured Richard Moll, also in Evilspeak and House) has written a book firmly nailing his personal views – God does not exist: ‘God is Dead’. Less than supportive is his shrewish, Catholic wife, Claire (Faith Clift, ironically from another train-based horror film, Horror Express) who acts atrociously and moans ineffectively throughout the film.

Elsewhere, Lieutenant Stern (the hard-to-avoid Cameron Mitchell, Blood and Black Lace, The Toolbox Murders) reluctantly agrees to help his friend Mr Weiss (Marc Lawrence whose packed career stretches from the early 1930′s via Pigs until From Dusk ‘Til Dawn), an aged Holocaust survivor, now hunting Nazis, who is sure he’s spotted one of his Third Reich persecutors from the Second World War recently, not having changed a bit. Indeed, the chap in question, Olivier (Robert Bristol), has been around for centuries…as he’s the Devil!

Odd then, that much of the action takes place in a disco – a film understanding of what a disco is/was – modest sound levels, people going crazy for clearly rotten songs, everyone getting a good six feet of space to dance in. Anyway, a disco is where Olivier sees fit to run his operation, a surprisingly low-scale affair that sees him sat on a grand chair surrounded by lovelies – not at all threatening. This is at odds with Lt.Stern who along with Weiss actually spend some time acting. Like much of the film, the two worlds don’t marry together at all well but despite the almost universal derision for the film, all the elements are individually quite intriguing, perhaps because for a movie of such small financial backing, the ideas are quite grand, whilst mixing in the very real atrocities of the Nazis.

The killings, which are few, are mostly referred to than seen, the idea of someone having their face ripped off is far more ghoulish than the effects we are left with – admittedly brief flashes and popping eyes and the synthesised throbs which accompanying them are effective enough but, again, more fitting in an entirely different film. Little in the film makes much sense, plot-wise; a stalking monk regularly walks onto set, though serves no meaningful purpose; the coupling of a devout Catholic and an atheist husband may be a good device but adds no credibility; the film’s Devil is one of the most ineffective threats in any film (though clippings of him in a variety of historical massacres is a nice touch which would have worked well if developed further).

The frantic end to the film rather leaves you with a satisfying taste in the mouth that is in truth little deserved. It is fascinating though overall badly acted, shot and most especially edited. This messy film can best be exemplified by the fact that the rotten camera and editorial work is by Bruce Markoe, now one of the post-production editors on the current wave of Marvel superhero movies and the script is by Philip Yordan, famous for the screenplays of films such as El Cid and Battle of the Bulge. There’s probably a decent film in this mess somewhere but the delivery is bafflingly incoherent.

Daz Lawrence, Horrorpedia

Buy The Nightmare Never Ends Collection on Troma DVD from Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com

Buy Night Train to Terror on Blu-ray + DVD combo from Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com

Buy The Night Train to Terror + The Thirsty Dead on Alpha DVD from Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com

IMDb | We are grateful to Critical Condition for some of the images above.