Martyrs is a 2015 American horror film directed by The Goetz Brothers (Scenic Route) from a screenplay by Mark L. Smith (Séance; Vacancy and its sequel; The Revenant) for The Safran Company.

The film is a remake of the 2008 French film of the same name directed by Pascal Laugier (0ne of our recommended must-see horror movies).

Main cast:

Bailey Noble, Troian Bellisario, Kate Burton, Blake Robbins and Caitlin Carmichael.

Plot:

Ten year-old Lucie flees from the isolated warehouse where she has been held prisoner. Deeply traumatized, she is plagued by awful night terrors at the orphanage that takes her in. Her only comfort comes from Anna, a girl her own age.

Nearly a decade later and still haunted by demons, Lucie finally tracks down the family that tortured her. As she and Anna move closer to the agonizing truth, they find themselves trapped in a nightmare – if they cannot escape, a martyr’s fate awaits them…

Buy: Amazon.co.uk

Reviews:

“Mostly though, aside from creating a much tamer version, the 2015 Martyrs headed by the Goetz brothers feels too similar to the first film, bordering on a shot-for-shot remake that doesn’t really bring anything new or worthwhile to the table in order to justify its existence. Overall, this is a decent film, but it’s not much more than that.” Kalyn Corrigan, Bloody Disgusting

“Yes, hardcore fans of the original will find this to be watered down – given the demands of an American R-rating, it couldn’t not be. But taken as its own thing, it’s effective, tautly directed heroine-in-peril horror.” Luke Y. Thompson, The Robot’s Voice

“Casual horror fans whose tastes cannot stomach the first film’s extremeness may find this version easier to digest given its lessened emphasis on torture and increased mainstream marketability. Even hardcore devotees of Laugier’s film will find the Goetz Brothers’ intent laudable, and their changes at least warrant curiosity.” Culture Crypt

” … if you think the earlier film was meretricious, pretentious torture porn then you’re not going to like this any better. In effect, the audience most likely to be receptive to this Martyrs is people who’ve not seen the original … who will at least get the bare bones of Laugier’s inventive story and some effective shocks.” The Kim Newman Website

Buy on Blu-ray or VOD: Amazon.com

Trailer:

Clip:

Wikipedia | IMDb

The Arrival is a 1996 science fiction film written and directed by David Twohy (Pitch Black; Below; The Chronicles of Riddick; Riddick).

Despite praise from critics and audiences alike, the film only grossed $14 million in the domestic market against a budget of an estimated $25 million. However, the film had a reasonably successful run overseas. A sequel, Arrival II: The Second Arrival was released on November 6, 1998.

Main cast:

Charlie Sheen (The Wraith; Grizzly II: The Predator; Scary Movie sequels), Lindsay Crouse, Ron Silver (Silent Rage; The Entity; Shadow Zone: The Undead Express), Teri Polo (The Phantom of the Opera; House of Frankenstein; Van Helsing Chronicles) and Richard Schiff (Tales from the Crypt TV series; Se7en; The Lost World: Jurassic Park).

Plot:

Climatologist Ilana Green (Lindsay Crouse) examining a poppy field and remarking that it “shouldn’t be here”. We then see that the poppy field is in the middle of the Arctic.

Zane Zaminsky (Charlie Sheen), a radio astronomer working for SETI, discovers an extraterrestrial radio signal from Wolf 336, a star 14 light years from Earth. Zane reports this to his supervisor, Phil Gordian (Ron Silver) at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, but Phil dismisses the claims.

Zane soon finds that he has been fired because of supposed budget cuts, and blacklisted, preventing him from working at other telescopes…

Reviews:

“It’s a strong, lean piece of writ ing that moves quickly. Nothing is wasted, and nothing happens the way you’d expect. Twohy is able to make the sight of water dripping down a wall seem ominous, and he’s completely in control of scenes like the one in which a woman prepares for bed not knowing that scorpions are creeping under the sheets.” Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Gate

” … like so many science-fiction films, begins as a promisingly eerie mixture of pseudo-scientific exposition and chilly paranoia. But once its plot has been bared, it turns into a muddled chase movie filled with glaring inconsistencies.” Stephen Holden, The New York Times

“Let’s also say that Sheen’s acting, which can range from effective, controlled intensity (Platoon, Wall Street) to idiotic, uncontrolled venting (Terminal Velocity), is in pop-eyed mode here, and he spends most of the movie in a kind of sweaty apoplexy that makes one worry for his health.” Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly

Buy: Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com

“The well-chosen effects combine models, computer-generated creatures, some neat transformations, and a deeply frightening scene involving scorpions. It’s one of the most uncomfortable moments in modern horror.” Mike Mayo, The Horror Show Guide

Buy: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk

Cast and characters:

• Charlie Sheen as Zane Zaminsky
• Ron Silver as Phil Gordian / Mexican Guard
• Lindsay Crouse as Ilana Green
• Teri Polo as Char
• Richard Schiff as Calvin
• Tony T. Johnson as Kiki
• Leon Rippy as one of Phil’s agents
• David Villalpando as a Cabbie
• Buddy Joe Hooker as another of Phil’s agents

Trailer:

Wikipedia | IMDb

‘No matter which road you choose, it’s all going South’

Southbound is a 2015 American horror anthology film featuring five interconnected tales: ‘The Way Out’, ‘Siren’, ‘The Accident’, ‘Jailbreak’ and ‘The Way In’ from directors Radio Silence (V/H/S), David Bruckner (V/H/S; The Signal), Patrick Horvath (The Pact II) and Roxanne Benjamin.

The film premiered at the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival. It received a limited US theatrical release on February 5, 2016, followed by a VOD release on February 9 via The Orchard.

Main cast:

Kate Beahan (The Wicker Man [2006]), Chad Villella (V/H/S; Devil’s Due), Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Fabianne Therese, Nathalie Love, Kristina Pesic, Hannah Marks, Dana Gould, Mather Zickel, David Yow, Matt Peters, Maria Olsen,Davey Johnson and Larry Fessenden (We Are Still Here; Pod; Body).

Plot:

On a desolate stretch of desert highway, weary travellers – two men on the run from their past, a band on their way to the next gig, a man struggling to get home, a brother in search of his long-lost sister and a family on vacation – are forced to confront their worst fears and darkest secrets…

Buy: Amazon.co.uk

Reviews:

“Though laced with moments of shocking – and well executed – violence Southbound exists less within the strictures of contemporary horror than it does within the worlds of EC Comics and The Twilight Zone, with the stories emphasizing strong characters and big ideas more than mere splatter…” Todd Brown, Twitch

” … a very conventional anthology work, in that much of it is inconsequential although even at it’s worst it moves along at a decent enough pace (and with enough style) that it’s always worth sitting through to get to the good bits.” Chris Bumbray, Arrow in the Head

” … an uncommonly cohesive and intelligent example of the form. Featuring five spooky tales taking place on and around a dusty highway going nowhere, the film avoids the cheap shocks and campy humor seen all too often in such efforts. Although the majority of the entries don’t quite live up to their ambitions, one at least is a gem worthy of The Twilight Zone.” Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter

“reminded me of Creepshow in its twisted sense of humor and unpredictability. That’s a major compliment.” Brian Tallerico, RogerEbert.com

” … this anthology of five horror tales is the rare group effort without a dud, as it cruises through variations on the genre with style and confidence.” Nicolas Rapold, Film Comment

Buy: Amazon.com

” … man is it frustrating when you’re left to piece so many different storylines together—it really flatlined a lot of what was so brilliantly built up. Other than that, though, Southbound is the real deal, a wicked take on anthologies that will (hopefully) change the landscape for the format that continues to tell short-form horror in exciting new ways.” Ryan C, The Missing Reel

Wikipedia | IMDb

Coming Soon: new and future releases

Psycho IV: The Beginning is a 1990 American made-for-television psychological horror film directed by Mick Garris (Sleepwalkers; The Stand; Bag of Bones)  from a screenplay by Joseph Stefano, who also wrote the screenplay of the original Psycho (1960). The musical score was composed by Graeme Revell and the title theme music by Bernard Herrmann from the original film was used.

The film serves as both the third sequel and a prequel to Alfred Hitchcock’s groundbreaking movie as it includes both events after Psycho III while focusing on flashbacks of events that took place prior to the original film.

Anthony Perkins wanted Noel Black, who directed him in Pretty Poison, to direct the film, and he even came up with a pitch for the film along with Psycho III’s screenwriter, Charles Edward Pogue (The Hound of the Baskervilles; The Fly). Unfortunately, Psycho III was a critical and financial disappointment, so Universal rejected this idea and Mick Garris was brought in.

Meanwhile, Joseph Stefano, the screenwriter of the original film, was commissioned to write the fourth film. He had disliked the two films between I and IV, feeling that they were too commercial and catered to the conventions of slasher movies. In an interview, Stefano stated, “Gearing up for Psycho IV, I decided to ignore the two sequels – like the business in II about Norman’s mother.” The events of the earlier and little-seen 1987 TV pilot Bates Motel – in which Norman dies – are also ignored in Psycho IV.

Shout! Factory, under their Scream Factory logo, will release Psycho IV: The Beginning on Blu-ray on August 23, 2016.

Buy: Amazon.com

Main cast:

Anthony Perkins (How Awful About Allan) reprised the role of Norman Bates alongside co-stars Henry Thomas (Dead Birds; Don’t Look Up; Ouija 2), Olivia Hussey (Black Christmas; It; Ice Cream Man), CCH Pounder (End of Days) and Warren Frost.

Plot:

Norman Bates is released from the mental hospital, after having been re-incarcerated at the end of Psycho III; after spending several years there, he is judged rehabilitated again. Norman is now married to a young psychiatrist named Connie and is expecting a child. Norman secretly fears that the child will inherit his mental illness, so he must seek closure once and for all.

Radio talk show host Fran Ambrose is discussing the topic of matricide with her guest Dr. Richmond, Norman’s former psychologist. Norman calls the show, using the alias “Ed”, to tell his story.

Norman’s narrative is seen as a series of flashbacks set in the 1940s and 1950s, some slightly out of order. When Norman is six years old, his father dies, leaving him in the care of his mother, Norma. Over the years, Norma (who is implied to suffer from schizophrenia and borderline personality disorder) dominates her son, teaching him that sex is sinful and dressing him in girl’s clothes as punishment for getting an erection in her presence…

Reviews:

Forget Vince Vaughn’s embarrassing performance in the remake, Henry Thomas is the only other who played Norman who actually nailed it perfectly. From the body movements, voice and eyes. This is a great performance, and he’s matched an equally good Olivia Hussey … This is a good TV-movie, way better than it’s reputation, and continues the tradition of great acting in the series.” Ninja Dixon

“This prequel adopts a slick 90s aesthetic, like Forrest Gump via Stephen King—fitting as Mick Garris, King’s principal adaptor, holds the reins. With larger-than-life symbols, he fuses Gothically Oedipal melodrama with the Joan Crawford mythos; oh, and there’s an occasional slasher sequence, too. Garris evinces high-grade professionalism, but his comic-book approximations of real emotions—like desire, madness and murderlust—feel empty.” Henry Stewart, The L Magazine

” … a bit of a mixed bag. Some moments are authentically involving and well-vetted, and others feel like filler.  In the final analysis, the TV-movie ends the saga respectably (until the 1998 reboot, anyway…), provides a last hurrah for Anthony Perkins, and is quite affecting in its charting of the heretofore unseen Norma/Norman relationship.” John Kenneth Muir, Reflections on Films and Television

Cast and characters:

• Anthony Perkins as Norman Bates
• Henry Thomas as Young Norman Bates
• Olivia Hussey as Norma Bates
• CCH Pounder as Fran Ambrose
• Warren Frost as Dr. Leo Richmond
• Donna Mitchell as Connie Bates
• Thomas Schuster as Chet Rudolph
• Sharen Camille as Holly
• Bobbi Evors as Gloria
• Doreen Chalmers as Mrs. Lane
• John Landis as Mike Calvecchio
• Kurt Paul as Raymond Linette

Filming locations:

Psycho IV: The Beginning was filmed at Universal Studios Florida in Orlando, Florida from June 4 to July 1, 1990. The facade of the Bates Motel and the Bates mansion were re-created at the theme park.

Wikipedia | IMDb

Sorceress – aka Temptress – is a 1994 American erotic fantasy horror film directed by Jim Wynorski from a screenplay by Mark Thomas McGee (Equinox; Sorority House Massacre II; Witch Academy). It was produced by Fred Olen Ray and photographed by veteran Gary Graver.

It should not be confused with Sorceress (1982) which Wynorski came up with for Roger Corman’s New World company or Temptress (1995) directed by Lawrence Lanoff.

In the US, Synapse Films are releasing the film on Blu-ray and DVD, featuring an 2K transfer of the uncut version, with erotic footage deleted from the original release. The 1.78:1 transfer is accompanied by two audio commentaries: One by Jim Wynorski alone and one in which he is joined by special guest Tom Savini.

Buy: Amazon.com

Main cast:

Larry Poindexter, Rochelle Swanson, Linda Blair (The Exorcist; Hell Night; Repossessed), Julie Strain, Edward Albert (Galaxy of Terror; Mimic 2; Sea of Fear), Michael Parks (The Evictors; Planet Terror; Tusk) and William Marshall (Blacula; Scream Blacula Scream).

Plot:

Larry Barnes (Poindexter) is on the fast track to a partnership in a prestigious law firm, and his sexy witch wife Erica (Strain) will do anything to keep her husband happy. But Erica makes a fatal mistake when she tries to kill Larry’s main competition for the partnership, Howard Reynolds (Albert).

With Howard now crippled for life from Erica’s dark magic, his wife Amelia [Blair] plots her revenge. Using witchcraft and a mystical medallion, Amelia tries to destroy everyone and everything in Larry’s life…

Buy: Amazon.co.uk

Reviews:

” … senseless erotic horror movie … Swanson is the real star and main attraction in several hot sex scenes. This is typically filled with flashbacks, nightmares, dreams inside of dreams, and an impressive shower scene.” Michael J. Weldon, The Psychotronic Video Guide

“Like the Witchcraft series, this was aimed firmly at the couples market and consists of mainly softcore shenanigans, with just the occasional sorcery thrown-in. Production values are slightly better than is the norm for such 90s direct-to-video naughtiness, with at least the bonus of some seasoned exploitation movie actors (Blair, Parks, Marshall) in supporting roles.

Meanwhile, Mark Thomas McGee’s entwined plot machinations (it’s like a perverse mini soap at some points) raise an occasional smirk. Unfortunately, any trace of genuine lasciviousness is ruined by the fake boobs on show.” Adrian J Smith, Horrorpedia.com

Cast and characters:

• Larry Poindexter as Larry Barnes
• Julie Strain as Erica Barnes
• Linda Blair as Amelia Reynolds
• Edward Albert as Howard Reynolds
• Michael Parks as Stan Latarga
• Lenny Juliano as Don
• Rochelle Swanson as Carol
• Toni Naples as Maria
• William Marshall as John Geiger
• Antonia Dorian as Trisha
• Kristi Ducati as Kathy
• Melissa Brasselle as Mrs. Annie Latarga
• Fred Olen Ray as Bill Carson

Filming Locations:

Annapolis, Maryland, USA

Wikipedia | IMDb

‘It’s hard to keep a secret if you live forever’

The Moth Diaries is a 2011 Irish-Canadian horror film written and directed by Mary Harron (American Psycho) and based on a 2002 novel of the same name by Rachel Klein. It stars Sarah Bolger (Emilie), Lily Cole, Sarah Gadon and Scott Speedman.

Plot:

At an exclusive boarding school for girls, Rebecca (Sarah Bolger), a sixteen-year-old teenage girl, records her most intimate thoughts in a diary. Two years earlier, Rebecca’s father, a gloomy poet, took his own life by slitting his wrists. Her mother transferred Rebecca to the school, hoping to help her daughter escape the dark memories of her father’s death. With the help of her best friend and roommate, Lucy (Sarah Gadon), and many other girls, Rebecca soon recovered.

However, a mysterious, dark-haired girl named Ernessa Bloch (Lily Cole), has enrolled into the school. Lucy quickly becomes best friends with Ernessa and becomes distant from Rebecca. Ernessa’s presence makes Rebecca feel uneasy. Eerie things start to happen…

Buy: Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com

Reviews:

“Questions about adolescence, identity, sexuality, passion, and depression are thrown out, but the film doesn’t have any perspective on any of it. Eventually you start to feel like you’re being pestered by the incessant inquiries of a five-year-old. And by the time the end credits roll, you’ll find yourself asking what the point of sitting through any of it was in the first place.” Nathan Adams, Film School Rejects

There’s a tame, very brief lesbian tryst that MAY involve biting, but, you know, some people just do that – we don’t see puncturing, at any rate. People bitch about the Twilights not really being horror; shit, at least we see them transform, and get at least ONE true fight in each film…” Brian W. Collins, Horror Movie a Day

” …it feels more like a TV pilot than a feature film, barely substantial enough to fill up the big screen. Even so, it offers glancing pleasures of the atmospheric kind – the impact is the equivalent of a filmy cobweb brushing against your cheek. It tickles more than it bites.” Stephanie Zacharek, Movieline

“Themes of female bonding, jealousy and smothering possessiveness are dramatized with the same lack of passion that attends the one briefly glimpsed instance of girl-on-girl action. The Moth Diaries has no desire to offend, and to that end, it seems to go out of its way not to raise shivers, even in a blood-soaked hallucination that tackily invokes Brian De Palma’s mean-girls horror classic, Carrie.”

“Between the heavy voiceover narration, the multiple literary lectures (Scott Speedman turns up as the teacher who provides the allusions), and the stilted scenes of Bolger and her friends hanging out, the film plays like TV-movie gothic, plodding along to the expected revelations and bloodlettings.” Scott Tobias, A.V. Club

” …all the cast delivers their dialogue as if their drinks were spiked with roofies, and Harron, clearly off her game, never establishes anything resembling a mood or rhythm here. (Silent-movie flashbacks alone don’t count.) Small moments and Grand Guignol nightmares are both accompanied by bombastic music-cue bursts, while the female-bonding sessions bounce between grrrl-power posturing and generic Gossip Girl cattiness.” David Fear, Time Out New York

Buy DVD: Amazon.co.uk

“The performances of Sarah Bolger and Lily Cole are the linchpins by which this film is made or broken, and both deliver.  Bolger allows us to feel Rebecca’s sadness and confusion, and even though The Moth Diaries is billed as a vampire story, we honestly want Rebecca to reunite with Lucie and have a normal year at school.” Lonely Banshee

Cast and characters:

• Lily Cole as Ernessa Bloch
• Sarah Gadon as Lucy Blake
• Sarah Bolger as Rebecca
• Valerie Tian as Charley
• Melissa Farman as Dora
• Scott Speedman as Mr. Davies

Wikipedia | IMDb

‘Alien vampires in search of teenage blood!’

Evils of the Night is a 1985 American science fiction horror sexploitation film directed by Mardi Rustam from a screenplay co-written with Philip Dennis Connors.

Previously, Rustam had written and produced Psychic Killer (1976) and the Tobe Hooper-directed Eaten Alive (1976). In 1987, he filmed additional scenes for Dr. Shagetz (1973) and released it on VHS as Evil Town.

On August 30, 2016, Vinegar Syndrome are releasing the film as a Blu-ray + DVD combo with the following features:

• Scanned and restored in 2k from 35mm
• Region free Blu-ray and DVD combo pack
• “Alien Blood Transfusion” – video interview with director Mardi Rustam
• Alternate feature length TV edit
• Isolated score by Robert O. Ragland
• Extensive outtakes (25 minutes)
• Work-in-progress theatrical
• TV spot
• Reversible cover artwork

Main cast:

Aldo Ray (Bog; Biohazard; Star Slammer), Neville Brand (Eaten Alive), Tina Louise, John Carradine, Julie Newmar, Karrie Emerson, Bridget Holloman, David Hawk, G.T. Taylor, Keith Fisher, Tony O’Dell and Dawn Wildsmith. Adult film stars Amber Lynn and Jerry Butler have brief cameo roles.

Plot:

Vampire aliens Dr. Kozmar (Carradine), Dr. Zarma (Newmar) and Cora (Louise) recruit two dim-witted mechanics (Ray and Brand) to abduct teenagers living in a college town and bring them to a rural hospital. There, the aliens drain them of their blood, which they need to stay young…

Reviews:

“The premise of aliens needing teenagers for experimentation/blood sounds fun enough, but that significant plot development doesn’t happen for a while, as the first fifteen minutes is spent on TONS of “teens” (who look like they’re in their thirties) hooking up nonstop, and when I say hook up, I mean HOOK UP. If edited differently, one could watch the those first fifteen minutes and seriously think they might be watching a porno. It doesn’t feel like typical slasher gratuitous nudity, it’s full on craziness.” Jerry Smith, Icons of Fright

“Sure, some charmingly oddball bits pop up here and there … but it’ll have you reaching for the stop button more often than not. It’s such a dull movie considering the premise, and it’s a shame that there isn’t enough gore to sustain the proceedings at least. Still, the loopy climax is actually worthwhile, as it features a goofy combination of deus ex machina and obvious ADR work that allows the film to limp to the finish line with a little bit of decency intact.” Brett Gallman, Oh, the Horror!

Wikipedia | IMDb

Chosen Survivors is a 1974 American-Mexican science fiction/horror film directed by Sutton Roley (Sweet, Sweet Rachel; Satan’s Triangle; The Curse of Dracula TV series) from a screenplay written by H.B. Cross [Harry Spalding: House of the Damned; Witchcraft; Curse of the Fly] and Joe Reb Moffly, based on Spalding’s storyline. The Bats is an alternate title.

Main cast:

Jackie Cooper, Alex Cord (Point of Terror; The Dead Are Alive; Uninvited), Richard Jaeckel (Grizzly; Day of the Animals; The Dark) Bradford Dillman (The Mephisto Waltz; Bug; Piranha), Diana Muldaur (The Other), Pedro Armendáriz, Jr. (The Vampires; Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark), Lincoln Kilpatrick (The Ωmega Man; Piranha [1995]), Gwenn Mitchell, Barbara Babcock (Salem’s Lot), Cristina Moreno, Nancy Rodman and Kelly Lange.

Plot:

After being selected at random by a computer to seek safety in an underground bomb shelter on the eve of a nuclear attack, a group of refugees makes a horrible realisation: They’re sharing the space with a colony of vampire bats. And since going back above ground isn’t an option, they’re forced to stay and fight for their lives…

Buy: Amazon.com

Reviews:

Intelligent plotting, sexual and psychological drama and an offbeat directorial approach make this quite a unique little movie. Director Sutton Roley was obviously trying to break out of TV with this one, though he was a master of top TV shows for decades. Skewed camera angles are effectively used to show the disorientation of the survivors as they arrive, wide-angle lenses to accent their claustrophobia.” Black Hole Reviews

“The film suffers from cheesy special effects and a dreary droning score, but — being a performance-based melodrama — is most adversely affected by a capable cast uninspired by the script’s clichéd dialogue … Nevertheless, it conjures up some intermittent suspense and unease, thanks to Sutton Roley’s able direction and some exceptional bat wrangling.” Tim Lucas, Video Watchdog

“Even though the characterizations are somewhat trite, and the melodramatic histrionics tend to be excessive, there are still plenty of positives to be found in Chosen Survivors. From an aesthetics standpoint, the cinematography and lighting, along with the framing and blocking of the actors, are executed in most unusual ways. Characters and objects are commonly placed equidistantly from each other within sparse, static settings.” Matt Martell, DVD Drive-In

“The script by Harry Cross plays loose with logic and character, and we’re given little background outside of exposition by the group psychologist (an effective Bradford Dillman). Still, the archetypal personalities make for some interesting debate, which comprise sections of the film between deadly vampire bat attacks.” Technicolor Dreams

” …if you look closely, you’ll see what a prize sirloin this is amongst the other science fiction steaks.” Cinefantastique

“Another misfit group united by disaster; more shocks than suspense, and not much characterisation, but for adventure/horror addicts it will pass the time.” Leslie Halliwell, Halliwell’s Film Guide

“The characters and plot are straight from stock and recall the heyday of the fifties ‘B’ picture. Nonetheless, the film works well within its own undemanding limits.” Alan Frank, The Science Fiction and Fantasy Film Handbook

Cast and characters:

• Jackie Cooper – Raymond Couzins
• Alex Cord – Steven Mayes
• Richard Jaeckel – Major Ellis
• Bradford Dillman – Peter Macomber
• Diana Muldaur – Alana Fitzgerald
• Pedro Armendáriz, Jr. – Luis Cabral
• Lincoln Kilpatrick – Woody Russo
• Gwenn Mitchell – Carrie Draper
• Barbara Babcock – Dr. Lenore Chrisman

Release:

The film was released theatrically in the United States on May 22, 1974 by Columbia Pictures.

The film was released on DVD in a double feature with The Earth Dies Screaming as part of MGM’s Midnite Movies series.

On October 4, 2016, the film is released on Blu-ray by Scream Factory.

Wikipedia | IMDb | AFI | Image thanks: Critical Condition | Technicolour Yawn

‘A soul engulfed by evil!’

Manhattan Baby is a 1982 Italian supernatural horror film directed by Lucio Fulci from a screenplay by Elisa Briganti and Dardano Sacchetti. The film’s original Italian title is L’Occhio del male. It was retitled Possessed in the UK and Eye of the Evil Dead in the USA. The score was by Fulci’s regular composer Fabio Frizzi.

On October 25, 2016 the film is being reissued by Blue Underground on a 2K Blu-ray disc mastered from the original negative, with a DVD version and CD soundtrack. Special features include:

• Fulci & I – Career-spanning interview with composer Fabio Frizzi
• For the Birds – Interview with star Cosimo Cinieri
• 25 Years with Fulci – Interview with make-up effects artist Maurizio Trani
• Beyond the Living Dead – Interview with co-writer Dardano Sacchetti
• Stephen Thrower on Manhattan Baby – Interview with the author of Beyond Terror: The Films of Lucio Fulci
• “Manhattan Baby Suite” – Live studio performance by Fabio Frizzi
• Theatrical trailer
• Poster & still gallery
• Collectable booklet featuring new writing by author Troy Howarth

Plot:

On holiday in Egypt with George and Emily Hacker (Christopher Connelly and Martha Taylor), her archaeologist father and journalist mother, ten-year-old Susie Hacker (Brigitta Boccoli) is approached by a mysterious blind woman who gives her an amulet. Soon after, George is struck blind when he enters a previously unexplored tomb.

Upon their return in New York, George is informed that the loss of his eyesight will only be temporary. Susie begins to act strangely, and her younger brother Tommy (Giovanni Frezza), who stayed behind in New York with the family’s au pair Jamie Lee (Cinzia de Ponti), is also affected by the mysterious amulet. Both Susie and Tommy have gained supernatural access to dimensional doorways…

Reviews:

” … absolves itself from having to make sense: the rough circularity of the story, the insistence on mosaic images rather than smooth plotting, and the impossibility of attributing noble or heroic motives to the character of Marcato, finally serve to remind us that the supernatural is also irrational.” Kim Newman, Monthly Film Bulletin

“Fulci is hampered here with a rotten screenplay which cribs interesting elements from other films but fails to resolve them.” Variety

“There is an exceptional amount of camera shots centered on the eyes; sometimes starting zoomed in on them, sometimes, for dramatic effect, starting backed away and then zoomed in. The latter if these two is always accompanied with the same synthesizer effect. There are some fantastic 80s gore shots that really make the film worth watching, my favorite being the one I mentioned above with the vultures eating Fulci’s face.” Bruce Kooken, HorrorNews.net

“There is only one major gore sequence in Manhattan Baby, and it doesn’t come until the climax. And even that sequence (wherein a main character is attacked by re-animated stuffed birds) pales in comparison to the carnage in the director’s early work. Making matters even worse is the fact that you can see the strings on the birds in many of the shots.” Mike Bracken, IGN

“… Manhattan Baby survives as film that Fulci fans may find themselves revisiting long after their taste for gore has been sated.” Stephen Thrower, Beyond Terror: The Films of Lucio Fulci

Buy Beyond Terror (revised, expanded edition): Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk

Cast and characters:

• Christopher Connelly as Professor George Hacker
• Laura Lenzi as Emily Hacker (credited as Martha Taylor)
• Giovanni Frezza as Tommy Hacker
• Brigitta Boccoli as Susie Hacker
• Cinzia De Ponti as Jamie Lee
• Cosimo Cinieri as Adrian Mercato (credited as Laurence Welles)
• Andrea Bosic as Optician
• Carlo De Mejo as Luke

Wikipedia | IMDb

‘Five idiot kidnappers, one final girl… and one very angry slasher’

Chopping Block is a 2016 American slasher comedy horror film written and directed by Joshua Hull. The film’s working title was Pink Slips.

The film is being distributed by Legless Corpse Films and is released on Blu-ray, DVD and Vimeo On Demand on August 30, 2016.

Main cast:

Michael Malone, Jas Sams, Haley Madison, Melissa Revels, Bob East, Nick Wayne, Bryan Wilson, Raymond Kester, Tia Mapes, Erin Michele Wolf, Dennis Crosswhite, Alex Raaen, Cliff Edens, Tyler Duke.

Plot:

Having been laid off work, Donnie and his fellow former corporate workers decide to kidnap their ex-boss’s daughter for ransom. However, things take a bloody turn, when it transpires that the boss’s daughter just happens to be the only survivor of a masked psychopath. A masked psychopath still out for blood…

Reviews:

“Chopping Block affectionately references films such as Carrie, You’re Next, and Evil Dead 2 through dialogue and situations but doesn’t rely on the post-modern catechism of films like Scream. The humor comes in the form of homoerotic double entendres, dick and butt sex jokes, whore affirmations, and drug induced logic. To reaffirm what Hull said, it is a comedy first and foremost. The horror is peripheral, which makes this low-budget passion project immensely entertaining.” Shaun Huhn, HorrorMovies.ca

“The film starts out with the comedy in the lead with several funny moments and then the film mixes it up at the end and delivers on the horror and bloodshed.  Most films have a hard time combining the two elements but this film just split the two up into halves … The kills are generic horror film kills but the practical effects are great. What makes these kill scenes stand out is the humor added to it along along with the Army of Darkness nod.” Blacktooth, Horror Society

“A truly funny film that expertly toes the line between horror and comedy, “Chopping Block” is a brilliant example of low-budget cinema with a big budget mentality. A bunch of laughs, more than a few groans, a couple of buckets of blood, and some horror nerd in jokes, combine to make Chopping Block one of the most inspired indie films this year.” Scream King Tom, Nerd Remix

IMDb | Official site | Legless Corpse Films | Facebook

‘Warning: to every creature of flesh and blood! Beware the beat of the cloth-wrapped feet!’

The Mummy’s Shroud is a 1967 British supernatural horror film directed by John Gilling (The Night Caller; The Reptile; The Plague of the Zombies) from a screenplay co-written with Anthony Hinds. It was a Seven Arts -Hammer Film production.

It was the final Hammer production to be made at Bray Studios. It opened as part of a double-bill on the ABC cinema circuit with Terence Fisher’s Frankenstein Created Woman on 18 June 1967

Buy: Amazon.co.uk

Main cast:

André Morell, David Buck, John Phillips, Maggie Kimberly, Elizabeth Sellars and Michael Ripper. Stuntman Eddie Powell (Christopher Lee’s regular stunt double) played the Mummy.

Plot:

Ancient Egypt: Prem (Dickie Owen), a manservant of Kah-To-Bey, spirited away the boy when his father (Bruno Barnabe) was killed in a palace coup and took him into the desert for protection. Unfortunately, the boy dies and is buried…

1920: An expedition led by scientist Sir Basil Walden (Andre Morell) and businessman Stanley Preston (John Phillips) is intent on finding the tomb. They ignore the dire warning issued to them by Hasmid (Roger Delgado), a local Bedouin about the consequences for those that violate the tombs of Ancient Egypt and remove the bodies and the sacred shroud. Sir Basil is bitten by a snake just after finding the tomb. He recovers, but has a relapse after arriving back in Cairo…

Reviews:

Gilling’s style surfaces most effectively in the murder sequences, using unusual angles to denote threat, high contrast between light and dark or a single primary colour, focus and wide angle lenses to skew perception … Unfortunately, there isn’t enough of his visual stamp on the film and a string of very wordy scenes are only intermittently punctuated by these exotic visuals and the pace of the film suffers. However, Gilling’s film is also blessed by some sensational performances.” Frank Collins, Cathode Ray Tube

” … Gilling understands this is basically pulp, and he treats it as such. The mummy attack scenes are a highlight: Gilling uses canted angles, dynamic compositions, and vivid colors to accompany the surprisingly brutal murders, lending the film an E.C. Comics vibe.” Jeff Kuykendall, Midnight Only

“Director John Gilling … brings the delightfully creepy atmosphere from his Cornish films and a competent sense of tension, despite the film’s predictability. Fortunately, The Mummy’s Shroud ends on a very high note, with one of the best conclusions in any of their Mummy films, which sort of makes up for its unnecessary prologue.” Sam Delghan, Diabolique magazine

Cast and characters:

• André Morell as Sir Basil Walden (as Andre Morell)
• John Phillips as Stanley Preston
• David Buck as Paul Preston
• Elizabeth Sellars as Barbara Preston
• Maggie Kimberly as Claire (as Maggie Kimberley)
• Michael Ripper as Longbarrow
• Tim Barrett as Harry
• Richard Warner as Inspector Barrani
• Roger Delgado as Hasmid
• Catherine Lacey as Haiti
• Dickie Owen as Prem
• Bruno Barnabe as Pharaoh
• Toni Gilpin as Pharaoh’s Wife
• Toolsie Persaud as Kah-to-Bey
• Eddie Powell as The Mummy

Comic strip adaptation:

The film was adapted into a 12-page comic strip for the December 1977 issue of the magazine House of Hammer (volume 2, #15, published by Top Sellers Limited). It was drawn by David Jackson from a script by Donne Avenell. The cover of the issue featured a painting by Brian Lewis, depicting a scene from the movie.

Filming locations:

Bray Film Studios
Wapsey’s Wood quarry at Gerrard’s Cross

Wikipedia | IMDb | Related: The Shuffling Saga of the Mummy on Screen – article by Daz Lawrence

Night of the Living Deb is a 2015 American independent romantic, comedy, post-apocalyptic zombie horror film directed by Kyle Rankin (Infestation) from a screenplay by Andy Selsor. It stars Michael Cassidy, Maria Thayer, Ray Wise and Chris Marquette (Freddy vs. Jason; Infestation).

On March 6, 2014 Kyle Rankin and Michael Cassidy revealed via Kickstarter that they were producing a “Zom-Rom-Com”. Aside from a pledge video, they also released the first 16 pages of the script online. Investors were given 30 days to raise $99,000 – but by April 5, 2014 they had raised over $100,000.

Buy: Amazon.co.uk

In the US, the film is released on VOD, Blu-ray and DVD by Dark Sky Films on September 6, 2016.

Plot:

After an awkward one-night stand, Deborah, a camerawomen for the local news, leaves Ryan’s apartment only to head into a zombie apocalypse. With the only safe shelter being Ryan’s apartment, they must stick together in order to survive…

Reviews:

“As far as the “rom-zom-com” goes, Deb, for all its convincingly rendered zombie gore, isn’t much interested in the horror aspects … instead letting the shaggy charm of the cast play off of each other. Apart from the leads, Wise is delicious with twinkly menace as ever, Chris Marquette is funny as Ryan’s cluelessly gung-ho brother, and, in the small role of a snarky soldier, Brian Sacca steals all his scenes.” Dennis Perkins, Maine Today

“The script, written by Andy Selsor, is spot on and is filled we great jokes and some really smart observations. Director Kyle Rankin also keeps things moving at a great pace, only slowing things down to expertly set the stage for the next joke. While the acting is excellent, these two helped the actors with direction and dialogue that was very well thought out and executed.” Jeff Fountain, Geek Chic Elite

“If the performances are on point, so is the script. Penned by first-time screenwriter Andy Selsor, Night of the Living Deb‘s script is peppered with some incredibly witty observations, a rather subversive undertone and (near the knuckle) jokes which poke self-referential fun at the film, its characters and the very genre in which this inhabits.” Phil Wheat, Nerdly

Cast and characters:

• Michael Cassidy as Ryan Waverly
• Maria Thayer as Deborah Clarington
• Ray Wise as Frank Waverly
• Chris Marquette as Chaz Waverly
• Syd Wilder as Stacy
• Brian Sacca as Colonel Newton

Filming locations:

Portland, Maine

Wikipedia | IMDb | Twitter | Facebook | Official Site

The Return of Dracula is a 1958 American supernatural horror film directed by Westerns specialist Paul Landres (The Flame Barrier) from a screenplay by Pat Fielder (The Vampire; The Monster That Challenged the World). It stars Francis Lederer as Dracula. The female lead, Rachel, was played by Norma Eberhardt.

When shown on television, it was titled The Curse of Dracula. For British release it was re-titled The Fantastic Disappearing Man.

Although filmed in black and white, the film includes a brief colour shot of blood during the staking climax. The same year, British Hammer film Dracula was released in glorious Eastmancolor, and any interest the public might have had in Francis Lederer’s vampiric role in The Return of Dracula was usurped by Christopher Lee’s new stardom as the Count.

In October 1971, Francis Lederer reprised his role of Count Dracula on an episode of Night Gallery titled “The Devil Is Not Mocked”. In this story, Dracula tells his grandson how he fought Nazis during World War II.

Buy: Amazon.com

Plot:

In the 1950s, Dracula (Lederer) travels from Transylvania to a small town in California. He poses as an artist named Belak Gordal who has ostensibly travelled from Europe to visit his cousin, Cora Mayberry (played by Greta Granstedt).

Once in the family home, he becomes infatuated with Cora’s daughter, Rachel (Eberhardt). Meanwhile, the US immigration authorities are hot on the Count’s trail…

Reviews:

“The Return of Dracula was also among the first to have its vampires turning into wolves (well, it’s supposed to be a wolf, anyway)… That sort of thing combines with the unusual setting, the unexpected characterization of Dracula himself, and an atmospheric sensibility…” Scott Ashlin, 1000 Misspent Hours and Counting

“Lederer is very impressive as the seemingly affable cousin who in reality is an evil and manipulative monster. With curly hair, piercing eyes, and a large black overcoat draped over his shoulders to cleverly suggest a cape, his calculated vampire stalks the night with evil authority. Director Landres lifts the humble black and white B production up several notches with his misty atmosphere and trick photography shots…” Joe Karlosi, DVD Drive-In

“Francis Lederer was a delight as Dracula/Bellac, playing him as kind of a slimy, antisocial jerk. No romance whatsoever to this version; even when he’s going after the female lead you get the feeling that he’s just going through the motions and would rather go back to his room and drink or something. Even his hair is kind of messy.” Brian W. Collins, Horror Movie a Day

“It’s an intelligent conception for a B movie… ” The Aurum Film Encyclopedia: Horror

“Low budget movie that veers uneasily between the horror element and a stereotyped picture of life in small-town America.” Alan Frank, The Horror Film Handbook

Cast and characters:

• Francis Lederer as Bellac Gordal / Count Dracula
• Norma Eberhardt as Rachel Mayberry
• Ray Stricklyn as Tim Hansen
• John Wengraf as John Merriman
• Virginia Vincent as Jennie Blake
• Gage Clarke as Reverend Doctor Whitfield
• Jimmy Baird as Mickey Mayberry
• Greta Granstedt as Cora Mayberry
• Enid Yousen as Frieda

Filming locations:

Bronson Caves, Griffith Park, Los Angeles, California, USA
Palms Depot, Heritage Square Museum – 3800 Homer Street, Highland Park, Los Angeles, California, USA

Wikipedia | IMDb | Image credits: Wrong Side of the Art! | Zombo’s Closet

‘Infinite evil’

Lurking Fear – aka H.P. Lovecraft’s Lurking Fear – is a 1994 American supernatural horror film, loosely based on the H. P. Lovecraft short story “The Lurking Fear”. It was produced by Charles Band’s Full Moon Entertainment and written and directed by C. Courtney Joyner (Puppet Master vs Demonic Toys; Prison); From a Whisper to a Scream).

Main cast:

Blake Bailey (The Killer Eye), Ashley Laurence (Hellraiser and sequels), Jon Finch (Frenzy; The Vampire Lovers), Jeffrey Combs (Would You Rather; Re-Animator), Allison Mackie, Paul Mantee (The Manitou; Day of the Animals), Vincent Schiavelli (Bone Chillers; Comedy of Horrors), Joseph Leavengood (Basket Case 2), Cristina Stoica, Luana Stoica, Adrian Pintea, Ilinca Goia, Michael Todd.

Latest release:

On 24 October 2016, the film is issued on Blu-ray by 88 Films in the UK.

Buy: Amazon.co.uk

Plot:

Ex-con John Martense (Blake Adams) returns to his childhood home of Lefferts Corner after serving time for a crime he didn’t commit. Martense visits family friend Knaggs (Vincent Schiavelli), a mortician who has been holding half of a map for him. The map leads to a graveyard where Martense’s father hid the money from his last heist.

Arriving at an abandoned church, Martense is confronted by Cathryn (Ashley Laurence), a young woman seeking revenge for the murder of her sister, and town doctor Dr. Haggis (Jeffrey Combs).

This group is quickly joined by a trio of criminals who are looking to find the money John’s father stole from them. What everyone is not aware of are the humanoid creatures lurking underneath the holy grounds…

Reviews:

“As with many Full Moon films, Lurking Fear‘s trailer is better than the feature it promotes. That’s unfortunate because Joyner had a wonderful professional cast who, with a cleaned-up script and a hands-on producer, could have made the film a standout among [Lovecraft] adaptations.” Andrew Migliore and John Strysik, Lurker in the Lobby: A Guide to the Cinema of H. P. Lovecraft

Buy: Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com

“… zippy little gem … The Morlock-looking creatures are nicely designed by Wayne Toth [House of 1000 Corpses; Wishmaster] and are a suitably nasty bunch, dragging any poor sod they can down into their subterranean abattoir. The product of years of inbreeding, they’re perhaps a fitting metaphor for just how incestuous the Full Moon production line once was.” Matty Budrewicz, UK Horror Scene

“With such a talented cast, a cool concept, and a fresh young director coming off a popular Trancers sequel, there’s no reason the final product should have been this lousy. I applaud Joyner’s effort to mix the horror, action, and crime film genres, but it just didn’t work. The end result is a somewhat boring creature feature, that apparently ruined C. Courtney Joyner’s taste for filmmaking.” The B-Movie Film Vault

“Lurking Fear is pretty spot on and cohesive. The action choreography and stuntwork is top notch. The acting is way better than I expected and I’m impartial to strong female characters. The gore, my favorite aspect of the movie, was amazing and performed through the use of practical effects and that really brought me back to a better time.” Horror Society

“It’s no masterpiece, but it’s a nicely done flick made by people who clearly strove to produce a good movie. The acting is uniformly good and nicely naturalistic, the characters tend not to do stupid stuff just to advance the plot, the settings are, again, quite fetching, the film is fairly brutal in terms of killing likable characters, and the script is actually *gasp* fairly well thought out, with one event actually leading logically to the next.” Ken Begg, Jabootu’s Bad Movie Dimension

Buy: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk

“There’s an equally impressive cast here, with Combs at his hammy best as the sozzled quack, Finch genuinely menacing as a Cockney gangster and Laurence convincing as a Lara Croft type Amazon. Unfortunately the script doesn’t give them anything more than generic dialogue, and that adjective sums up the film as a whole. While the creatures have an interesting design, though wisely kept hidden for most of the running time, they’re not utilised in any particularly interesting manner.” Eric Hillis, The Movie Waffler

“Lurking Fear is loaded with graphic violence, monsters and gore, so fans of this fare will not be disappointed. And the cast is good…” John Stanley, Creature Features

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

“The gore is generally weak, but I must credit the effects team and director for making so many attempts to please the Fangoria fans out there. There are a lot of dead body, corpse and skeleton scenes in which these props are used for more than just background. They come with a few laughs. The creature make-up is similarly ho-hum. But they embrace it. They don’t make you wait until the last 20 minutes of the movie to see it.” John Leavengood, Movies, Films and Flix

“The actors all seem game enough, but the characters are generally one-note … but as the story winds on, the people seem to have little function but to mark time when the creatures aren’t on screen. The monsters themselves are fairly well-executed but unmemorable…” TV Guide

Filming locations:

Buftea Studios, Bucharest, Romania

Wikipedia | IMDb | Image credits: The B-Movie Film Vault | The Movie Waffler

‘A horror film with guts’

Slime City is a 1988 American comedy-horror splatter film written and directed by Greg Lamberson (Killer Rack; Dry Bones). The Psychotronic Video Guide has suggested that the budget was $50,000.

The film stars Robert Sabin (Naked Fear; Undying Love; I Was a Teenage Zombie), Mary Hunter (Undying Love; Ghoul School), TJ Merrick, Dick Biel, Jane Reibel, Bunny Levine and Allen Rickman.

In 2008, Lamberson wrote a book about his filmmaking experiences on this movie and his oeuvre, Cheap Scares! Low Budget Horror Filmmakers Share Their Secrets, published by McFarland.

In 2009, Lamberson directed a belated sequel, Slime City Massacre, starring Robert Sabin and Scream Queen Debbie Rochon.

Plot:

Artist Alex and his girlfriend are looking for a cheap New York City apartment to move into and eventually find one. However, their gothic new neighbor seduces Alex while his girlfriend is away.

Following the incident, Alex begins to turn into an angry, melting monster. He finds that the only way he can return to normal is to commit murder. His girlfriend must learn the cult secret of the apartment and the brutal massacre that took place centuries ago…

Buy: Amazon.com

Reviews:

“Despite the fact that the whole narrative is rather scattered it still works for the most part. All in all it nicely falls into the late night movie scene in New York City in 42nd Street theatres from the late 1980s. Director Gregory Lamberson did a good job with the inadequate resources he more than likely had access to. The lead male actor, Roberty C. Sabin is solid in his role. He does bring an element of sadness near the end as the unstoppable slime overtakes him.” HorrorNews.net

” … the strange thing is that this movie is incredibly entertaining, whether intentionally or otherwise. The makeup effects on Alex as he undergoes his transformations are well-beyond the standard set forth by the rest of the movie (not shocking given the SFX team also worked on Toxic Avenger and Street Trash). Also, while I did call out one laughable gore effect, most (unintentionally funny or not) are surprisingly ambitious.”James Lasome, Horrorfreak News

“Frequently gory, imaginative and full of wonderful slimy horror, Slime City more than lives up to its name. Fun, cheesy and surprisingly resilient considering the age it now boasts, whilst it is not a film without faults.” Daryl Hobson. Blood Soaked Horror Reviews

” … a film that not only sports vaginal doorways, but vaginal stomachs as well (Alex’s cunt-tummy eats the arm of a mugger in an alleyway) to fill a large chafing-dish. This gam anxiety is best observed during the film’s wonderfully disgusting finale, where Lori’s legs, and, not to mention, her winsome feet, come lower extremity-to-lower extremity with torrents of yellow arterial spray and clumps of sausagey entrails.” House of Self Indulgence

Previous releases:

Slime City was released on VHS in the United States by Camp Video in 1989.

The film was released in the United Kingdom under the title The Slime in 1993 by VIPCO.

The film was released on a special edition DVD by Shock-O-Rama Horror Cinema in 2005. The uncut DVD was re-released in July 2009, with Lamberson’s other features, Undying Love and Naked Fear, under the title Greg Lamberson’s Slime City Grindhouse Collection.

Wikipedia | IMDb | Image credits: House of Self Indulgence

‘War is Hell’

The Devil’s Rock is a 2011 New Zealand supernatural horror war film produced by Leanne Saunders, directed by Paul Campion from a screenplay co-written with Paul Finch, and Brett Ihaka.

Main cast:

Craig Hall, Matthew Sunderland, Gina Varela, and Karlos Drinkwater.

Plot:

On 5 June 1944, commandos are sent to the Channel Islands on sabotage and distraction raids, to draw Hitler’s attention away from Normandy.

Two New Zealand soldiers, Captain Ben Grogan (Craig Hall) and Sergeant Joe Tane (Karlos Drinkwater), paddle to Forau Island. They approach a German fortification and hear what they think is a man being tortured. They are disturbed when a German soldier (Luke Hawker) runs out of a tunnel pleading for help. Grogan stabs the soldier in the back of the neck and kills him. They hear a woman screaming…

Buy: Amazon.co.uk

Reviews:

“By keeping the action confined to the tunnels and cells of the blockhouse, Campion creates a claustrophobic setting, but for all the gore and demonic transmogrification, there’s a distinct lack of chills and frights.” Michael Hann, The Guardian

“There’s not much in the way of flaws in The Devil’s Rock. The film does suffer a little technically. But, then…it is a low-budget affair. Some of the CGI is a little dodgy and perhaps you could argue that there was a lack of grue for a film about conjuring gore-eating demons. However, I felt that the lack of gore let you take in the wonderful performances without distraction.” Bryan, Film Deviant

Buy: Amazon.co.uk

” … they have a little fun with the historical touches; amidst all the real actions mentioned, the Nazi mentions Hitler’s near-possession of the Ark (Raiders) and attempt to raise the Old Ones (Hellboy). Pretty cool, and not distracting if you don’t get the reference. The demon makeup is also terrific…” Brian W. Collins, Horror Movie a Day

“Eventually, after what feels like an agebut what was actually only about half an hour, The Devil’s Rock gets to the meat of its story, which turns out to be some disappointing and mass produced packet ham available from any cut price supermarket. There is nothing fresh or creative about the taste of this film once it shows its hand.” Flickering Myth

Cast and characters:

• Craig Hall as Captain Ben Grogan
• Matthew Sunderland as Colonel Klaus Meyer
• Gina Varela as Helena/The Demon
• Karlos Drinkwater as Sergeant Joe Tane
• Luke Hawker as Private Muller
• Jonathan King as Suicide German
• Hadyn Green as Dead German
• Jessica Grace Smith as Nicole
• Geraldine Brophy as the Voice of the Demon

Wikipedia | IMDb | Facebook

Howard Lovecraft and the Frozen Kingdom is a 2016 animated film co-produced, written and directed by Sean Patrick O’Reilly. It is based on the graphic novel of the same name. The inspiration comes from the writings of American horror author H. P. Lovecraft.

Overview:

The Howard Lovecraft series is a trilogy of graphic novels that began publishing in 2009 with Howard Lovecraft and The Frozen Kingdom. The books derived their world and characters from the Cthulhu Mythos created by Lovecraft.

Howard Lovecraft and The Frozen Kingdom is the first screen adaptation of the Howard Lovecraft series and the first animated feature adaptation of Lovecraft’s work. It features vocal performances from Ron Perlman, Christopher Plummer, Jane Curtin, Doug Bradley and Scott McNeil.

In the US, Shout Factory are releasing the film on Blu-ray on September 27th.

Plot:

After visiting his father in Arkham Sanitarium, young Howard Lovecraft accidentally uses the legendary Necronomicon to open a portal to a strange frozen world filled with horrifying creatures and a great adventure…

Reviews:

“Hardcore fans of the author will appreciate the minutia, but writer-director Sean Patrick O’Reilly (Pixies) crams too much mythology into 83 minutes. Simple scenes like Howard and Spot playing in the snow linger too long, while complex references are glossed over in passing. Yet all of that will go over most younger viewers’ heads, leaving them with an enjoyable tale.” Alex DiVincenzo, Broke Horror Fan

Cast and characters:

• Ron Perlman – Shoggoth
• Christopher Plummer – Dr. West
• Jane Curtin – Algid Bunk
• Doug Bradley – Nyarlathotep
• Scott McNeil – Govlins
• Alison Wandzura – Mary Lovecraft
• Kiefer O’Reilly – Howard Lovecraft
• Tyler Nicol – Winfield Lovecraft

Wikipedia | IMDb

Suddenly in the Dark – original title: Gipeun bam gabjagi – is a 1981 South Korean supernatural horror film directed by Go Yeong-nam [Young Nam Ko] from a screenplay by Sam-yuk Yoon. It stars Il-bong Yun, Yeong-ae Kim and Ki-seon Lee.

Mondo Macabro have announced they are releasing the film as a limited edition Blu-ray on October 31st, initially limited to just 500 copies.

Press release:

This amazing, almost unknown film is full of uncomfortable sexuality, cheap visual effects, creepy dolls, shamanism, butterflies, and murder – all set to a searing, original synth score!

Contrary to some popular belief, Korean horror didn’t start in the late 90s, it had been a staple genre in that country for many decades prior, with the early 1980s being a particularly rich period. Unfortunately, these films remain almost completely unknown outside of the ROK. Just the sort of challenge we love! Suddenly in the Dark is one of the very best pre-millennial K-Horrors: genuinely frightening and utterly bizarre.

A woman’s idyllic middle-class life is disrupted when her husband brings home a beautiful young orphan to be their maid. At first she welcomes the pretty girl, in fact seems oddly fixated on her, but soon comes to suspect the girl of having an affair with her husband. At the same time odd, unexplained incidents – most involving the maid’s mysterious wooden doll – began to make her question her own sanity. Soon it all spirals out of control as the film climaxes in a fever pitch of sexual jealousy, murder, and supernatural vengeance, all set to a pounding synth score.

Almost completely unknown outside of its home country, Suddenly in the Dark is one of the best examples of pre-millennial K-horror. It was made at a time when censorship law were being liberalized, igniting a boom in both horror and erotic films. Elements of both are present here, directed with bizarre flair by Go Yeong-nam in a style often compared to the wilder Italian films of the 70s and 80s.

Mondo Macabro is proud to present this classic of Korean horror on Blu-ray for the first time anywhere in the world. Our presentation has been restored from the best available elements from the Korean Film Archive, and features brand new extras produced exclusively for this release.

Special Features:

-Interview with producer Suh Byung-gi
-Interview with critic Kim Bong-seok on the history of Korean horror films
-Classic K-Horror VHS Cover Art Gallery
-Teaser Trailer
-Mondo Macabro Promo Reel
-Limited edition booklet with brand new essays on the film by Grady Hendrix and Christopher Koenig
-New Cover Illustration by artist Naomi Butterfield

The release will be available directly from Mondo Macabro

IMDb

The Curse of Doctor Wolffenstein is a 2015 German science fiction horror written and directed by Marc Rohnstock (Necronos; Graveyard of the Living Dead; Dungeon of Evil) for Infernal Films.

Main cast:

Mika Metz, Isabelle Aring, Roland Freitag, Stephanie Meisenzahl, Klaudia Pawluk, Julia Stenke and Mario Zimmerschitt.

Plot:

Eighty years ago, the diabolical Dr. Victor Wolffenstein wanted nothing more than to be immortal. His tireless quest led him to create a vaccine that did just that, but also infected his body with a flesh-rotting form of necrosis.

As the Doctor’s limbs literally fell apart, he tried to replace them by using the crudely removed arms and legs of the local villagers who, in order to stop Wolffenstein’s reign of terror, captured him and buried him alive for his crimes.

In present day, five teenagers plan to attend an out of town rave that goes awry, and end up stranded in the village, when the evil and still decaying Dr. Wolffenstein wakes up, screaming for vengeance!

The unlucky teens land squarely within sight of the malevolent medic, and, with the help of his latest creation, the Infiltrator, Dr. Wolffenstein lures them to his secret hideaway with the intention of curing his necrosis and ending his Curse once and for all…

A Reel Gore Releasing Blu-ray/DVD combo is available from October 25th, 2016.

IMDb | Facebook

Hobgoblins is a 1988 American comedy horror film directed by directed, written, and produced by Rick Sloane, who also served as cinematographer and editor. Kenneth J. Hall (director of The Halfway House and Evil Spawn) fabricated the hobgoblins.

The plot concerns small, hobgoblins (demon like mythical creatures) although they do not appear until 29 minutes into the film.

Often seen as a rip-off of Gremlins, the film is generally considered to be of exceptionally poor quality, and has come to be regarded as one of the worst films ever made.

The film had a low profile until director Rick Sloane submitted it to the Mystery Science Theater 3000 team. MST3K writer Paul Chaplin later commented: “It shoots right to the top of the list of the worst movies we’ve ever done.” The ensuing negative publicity led Sloane to produce Hobgoblins 2, a self-mocking sequel in 2009.

On October 24, 2016, Vinegar Syndrome released the film on Blu-ray, with the following bonus features:

Scanned, restored & preserved in 2k from 35mm original camera negative
Archival commentary track with director Rick Sloane
Hobgoblins Revisited: brand new making-of featurette
Brand new interview with hobgoblin creature fabricator, Kenneth J. Hall
Hobgoblins: The Making of a Disasterpiece: featurette
Hobgoblins Invade Comic-Con: featurette
Trailer
Reversible cover artwork
English SDH Subtitles

Buy: Amazon.com

Plot:

Kevin just got hired to be the assistant night watchman at an old film vault. Warned to stay out of one mysterious chamber, the rookie guard can’t help but satisfy his curiosity and unwittingly unleashes a group of hobgoblins: furry aliens who grant people wishes only to kill them in the process.

As the body count starts to rise, Kevin, with the help of his friends, decide to track down the deadly creatures before they wreak havoc on the city…

Reviews:

“It’s in the absolute cellar as far as production values and filmmaking competence are concerned, but the acting, creature effects and attempts at comedy are so atrocious that it never once gets boring. There’s so much surreal anti-humor, from the extended garden tool fight scene to the hobgoblins themselves, completely unarticulated puppets that need to be held against the characters…” Jim Vorel, Paste magazine

“There’s nothing charming about writer/director Rick Sloane’s oily failure, no sense of glorious insanity that accompanies the most charming flops, no feel of outlandish camp that comes with an over-the-top bomb. What we have instead is a loathsome, ugly, and downright dumb stab at comedy, a sort of Ghoulies reimagined by someone who doesn’t have a single clue as to what he’s doing.” David Cornelius, DVD Talk

“Hobgoblins is a movie that I had immense pleasure in watching. If you can stomach unknown actors who are not that good, bad effects, and dumb comedy that is so stupid that it makes you laugh, it is a movie that you will likely enjoy as well. It clearly takes its inspiration from the movies that preceded it, but it does enough with the material to set it apart from the pack.” Jesse, HorrorNews.net

Buy (English audio option): Amazon.co.uk

Cast and characters:

• Tom Bartlett as Kevin
• Paige Sullivan as Amy
• Steven Boggs as Kyle
• Kelley Palmer as Daphne
• Billy Frank as Nick
• Tamara Clatterbuck as Fantazia
• Duane Whitaker as Roadrash
• Jeffrey Culver as McCreedy
• Kevin Kildow as Dennis
• Kari French as Pixie
• Daran Norris as Club Scum M.C
• James Mayberry as Sergeant Parker
• Ken Abraham as Thug
• Don Barrett as Comstock

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