‘A young bride alone with an evil dwarf’

The Sinful Dwarf – original title: Dværgen (English: “The Dwarf”) – is a 1973 Danish exploitation horror film directed by Vidal Raski (his sole film credit, so most probably a pseudonym). The film was released theatrically in the US by Harry H. Novak as both The Sinful Dwarf and Abducted Bride.

On February 23, 2016, Severin Films unleashed The Sinful Dwarf on Blu-ray with the following special features:

• The Abducted Bride – Alternate US Release Version
• The Harry Novak Story – Featurette On The Sultan Of Sexploitation With American Grindhouse Director Elijah Drenner
• The Blue Balloon (Dir. Svig Sven) Color / 1973 / 75 mins
• The Hottest Show in Town – Excerpt From Torben Bille Film
• The Search For Torben – Featurette On Effort To Find Cast/Crew
• The Dwarf – International Version
• The Severin Controversy – Featurette on the Lasting Effects of The Sinful Dwarf
• Trailers, TV Spot, Radio Spot

Buy: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk

Plot:

Olaf (Torben Bille) brings women to the home he shares with his drunken mother (Clara Kelle). Once the unlucky ladies arrive, they are drugged, imprisoned, tied up and then turned into junkie-prostitutes. Olaf and ma are also landlords and it’s not long before their new tenants become suspicious about the footsteps in the attic…

Review:

It would be easy to assume that any film boasting such a grand title could never live up to its billing. Not so. The Sinful Dwarf delivers on every level, certainly several levels above the sensational Bille, perhaps the most thoroughly demented performance by any dwarf actor captured on film.

Bille was a common face on Danish television and puts his all into his performance as Olaf, sweating, gurning and frothing at the mouth throughout as he feeds his harem of girls heroin (smuggled into an unconvincing London inside children’s toys) to ensure none of them attempt to escape.

Rumoured to have married the female lead, Anne Sparrow (his nubile tenant), Bille used the film as a springboard onto other fruity material, including Agent 69 Jensen i Skorpionens tegn, starring Anna Bergman, daughter of the famed director, Ingmar and star of one of television’s most notorious racially-insulting comedies, Mind Your Language. Nothing else in his career, from children’s TV presenter to more adult material ever came close to Sinful Dwarf, though.

Despite the rather grey Copenhagen looking little like swinging London, the wooden acting, Bille’s somewhat maverick timing in delivering his lines and the fact everyone looks like they need a wash, the film is essential viewing for any fans of unusual/off-beat or exploitation cinema.

Copious amounts of nudity, sex (off-putting, not titillating), drug use, murder and a bit of singing, the nearest film you could possibly describe it to would be Blood Sucking Freaks. Even then, Ralphus is playing serious catch-up to Olaf. We must mourn that they never appeared together.

By the time you’ve fully got your head around the finale, there can be little doubt that the film not only comes from another time but almost another planet, the odd surroundings and unfamiliar cast lending a feeling of unease to what otherwise is simply top-draw filth (meant in a congratulatory sense). Sadly, Torben died aged 47 in 1993.

Daz Lawrence, Horrorpedia

Buy the Japanese poster from Amazon.com

Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com

Virgin Cheerleaders in Chains is a 2017 American horror film directed by Brazilian filmmaker Paulo Biscaia Filho (13 Weird Stories; Morgue Story: Sangue, Baiacu e Quadrinhos) from a screenplay by producer Gary McClain Gannaway. It stars Dominique Davalos, Elizabeth Maxwell and Gary Teague.

A bumbling young film crew, shooting a low-budget horror movie in an abandoned orphanage, discovers that a family of sadistic killers has rewritten their script…

The film is currently in post-production.

Main cast:

Elizabeth Maxwell, Dominique Davalos, Gary Teague, Ammie Leonards, Jasmin Carina, Kelsey Pribilski, Larry Jack Dotson, Gary Kent, Don Daro, Kaci Beeler, Eric Cepeda, Woody Wilson Hall,  Ken Edwards, David Sturgeon, Evan Michael Glover.

IMDb

For some, all the world’s a stage, for others, a battlefield. Circumstances sometimes mean that these two options are thrust upon a person, both socially and as a career. It’s one thing to possess what would be deemed ‘unconventional looks’ as an actor – these would perhaps be accentuated or swathed in make-up for a role, the over-riding tone being that they are instantly recognisable and often fit that most go-to pigeonhole-means-nothing phrase – ‘character actor’. For some actors, there is no disguise, no hiding place and often no sympathy.

The use of men, women and children affected by dwarfism and other related conditions is, of course, nothing new – from freak shows, circuses and the entertainment of royalty there is a rich, if unforgiving history of short entertainers. With the exception of the Ancient Egyptians who gave dwarfs exalted status and the most desirable occupations, more often they have found themselves slaves to be used for sex, salacious entertainment and mockery in ancient Roman, Chinese, African and European culture.

A modicum of respect and deference was given to some dwarfs in the European courts of the 15^th to 19^th centuries but more often this gave way to treating dwarfs more like pets than members of their immediate social circle. Eye-popping examples include the demeaning-as-you-might-expect ‘dwarf pits’ of the Medicis, to the playthings of the courts of France and Russia, where numbers were often assembled into harems.

By the 19^th and well into the 20^th century, it was considered almost de rigueur for dwarfs to consider the travelling fair or freak show as not only gainful employment but also a way of life. Regardless of intellect or talent, it has often proved impossible for people to look beyond the stature and physique, though the exploits of P.T. Barnum did at least offer the opportunity to showcase the skills of many performers whose look differed from the norm, in return for safe surroundings and an often not inconsiderable income.

Many of the dwarf actors in this article come from a circus background, from Harry Earles to Luis de Jesus, their performances on-screen often reflecting the wide-eyed acts they honed in front of live audiences desperate for salacious and thrilling spectacle. It is notable that in many of the films mentioned – Freaks, She-Freak, Circus of Fear and others – the circus environment and the tapestry of strange characters therein, hold the key to the unfolding double-crossing and hidden secrets of the narrative.

Upon establishing Barnum’s American Museum in 1841, what would nowadays be recognised as a ‘freak show’ was born. Though not the first to exhibit people with physical deformities as entertainment, Barnum’s outlandish showmanship and feverish marketing techniques brought the spectacle out of the royal palaces and sordid backstreets an uncomfortably into the mainstream. Though distasteful on many levels, they were enormously successful and gave performers denied an opportunity to demonstrate their skills in other forms of employment, a meaningful career.

One of Barnum’s most celebrated stars came early in his career, in 1842, the Connecticut-born Charles Stratton Sherwood, he would become better known through his stage name, General Tom Thumb. Hitting the stage when aged only four-years-old (though advertised as being eleven), Stratton never grew beyond 3’35” (though spent most of his career nearer the 2’5” mark) and his performance pitched his size against his age in adulthood, smoking a pipe, joke-telling and impersonating the likes of Napoleon, whilst masquerading as an infant. It is said that Stratton was always grateful for the life Barnum had afforded him, despite the apparent exploitation a modern audience may perceive.

Incidentally, it is said that Barnum first suggested the use of the word ‘midget’ to differentiate between small but proportioned individuals and ‘dwarfs’, those with a condition which affects the proportions. In either case, modern reference generally defines either as being at or below the height of 4’10”.

By the time of Barnum’s death in 1910, the appeal of freak shows was still at its height – touring shows appeared across America and Europe, with previously hidden natural wonders now eagerly proffered for the potentially sizeable returns for exhibition. As well as mobile presentations, there were also static displays, of particular note Coney Island in New York and Ripley’s Believe It Or Not.

Though it would take until towards the end of the century for attitudes to change (at least to some extent – it still took some time to largely banish phrases such as ‘the handicapped’), there remains a fascination for many, with films such as David Lynch’s The Elephant Man (1980) shining a different light on the lives of those presented as freaks. However, though travelling fairs died out, there became a new medium for to both satiate the thirst for the exotic and to give careers to those regularly shunned.

Harry and Daisy Earles

Harry was born Kurt Fritz Schneider in 1902 in Germany, one of seven children, four of whom were small in stature, including his sister Daisy (born Hilda, in 1907). In 1915, both Harry and Daisy relocated to America where they soon found employment in both the travelling circus and vaudeville around the New York area. Just after the turn of the decade, their similarly-sized siblings, Gracie (born Frieda) and Tiny (Ellie), joined them and they named themselves ‘The Doll Family’ an entertainment troupe specialising in song and dance, with the extra string to their bow of being skilful horse-riders.

Appearing for both the Ringling and Barnum circuses, they had initially assumed the surname Earles after the American entrepreneur who enabled their passage to America. It was Harry and Daisy whose performances really stood out, particularly Harry’s ability to hold the audience in his hand and Daisy’s glamourous looks.

It isn’t clear as to when or how they found themselves in Hollywood but they soon came to the attention of the director, Tod Browning, who at this time had already worked with the legendary Lon Chaney on the highly effective 1919 film, The Wicked Darling. In 1925, Browning was ready to adapt a short crime story, The Unholy Three, into a film, and began a search for the casting of one of the most critical roles – a miniature adult thief disguised as a baby to avoid detection.

Once Harry came to Browning’s attention, he was soon cast and made his appearance in the dark and often alarming The Unholy Three in 1925, alongside a cross-dressing Lon Chaney and Victor McLaglen. The film was the first of a remarkable six occasions that Earle would appear as an adult masquerading as an adult – typecasting of a most unusual kind but still often bypassing the roles he really wanted to avoid – comedies which amounted to little more than ridicule.

The advent of sound led to a remake in 1930, again featuring Chaney and Earles. It is a much undervalued film, abruptly startling and unforgiving. Earles is excellent as the squinting, debauched miniature menace, a perfect foil for Chaney in his only speaking role. Despite his fulsome German accent, Harry is undubbed throughout.

Without question, it is Earle’s portrayal of Hans in Tod Browning’s Freaks (1932) that lingers longest in the memory. Playing the pivotal role of a soon-to-be wealthy sideshow performer, he is tempted to stray from his similarly-sized fiancée (played by Daisy Earles) by the conventionally-sized Cleo, a money-hungry trapeze artist in cahoots with her strongman boyfriend, Hercules, to woo, then bump off her target. An astonishingly expressive performance from Harry is both believable, and by turn, doused in pathos and overflowing with over-wrought indignation and largess.  When Cleo reels Hans yet further into her spiteful web by getting him drunk, the camera is unforgiving, yet sympathetic, showing the character as vulnerable, despite his regular bravado. What really comes across from the performance is Earle’s extraordinary confidence as an actor – in a film packed with real sideshow performers, many amateur actors at best, he more than holds his own, an essential ingredient to adding a veil of reality to the film, immediately elevating the film above what could so easily have been cringe-worthy and farcical.

Along with his three siblings, Harry appeared, perhaps inevitably, in The Wizard of Oz (1939), as part of the ensemble of Munchkins, indeed he is instantly recognisable. Though this was his last known screen role, Harry continued to perform on stage in travelling shows for many years to come, certainly until he was well into his 50’s, after which he retired with his three siblings in Florida, in a specially adapted house, dying in 1985 at the age of eighty-three.

Daisy had a much briefer career on-screen – a brief, uncredited role alongside Harry in the 1928 circus-set drama, Three-Ring Marriage, was her only appearance before taking the role of Frieda in Freaks. Both Harry and Daisy were amongst the first of the circus-folk to be cast, through virtue of already having been acquainted with director, Tod Browning. Partly due to their prowess, though more likely to pertain to their less alarming appearance, both Daisy and Harry were permitted to dine with the other studio staff and actors at MGM’s canteen.  It would be reasonable to say that Daisy’s role was the lesser of the two Earle’s roles – Daisy’s doe-eyed concern at her beloved’s taunting at the hands of Cleo borders on the saccharine, though her predicament is made all the more sympathetic by Harry’s oddly brusque and uncaring attitude to her pleas for caution. As was the unspoken requirement, Daisy also appeared in The Wizard of Oz, passing away at the family home in 1980.

Angelo Rossitto

Often known as Little Ang or simply, Moe, Angelo Rossitto was born in Nebraska in 1908 with dwarfism, restricting his height to only 2’11”. Angelo’s prolific and varied acting career can be seen as a benchmark of sorts for actors of restricted height, his seventy film career, as well as roles on television being only one aspect of his remarkable life. Along with the other noted dwarf actor, Billy Barty, he formed The Little People of America, a non-profit organisation still offering support and information to people of short stature and their families today.

From his earliest acting days, Rossitto was happy with roles of any magnitude, from pivotal speaking parts to uncredited appearances in heavy disguise. By his own admission, he was a “ham and eggs actor”, never expecting stardom and supplementing his income for large parts of his life by selling newspapers from a stand on Hollywood and Vine, becoming one of Hollywood’s most recognisable faces somewhat via the backdoor.

Rossitto’s first film role was in The Beloved Rogue in 1927, alongside the meaty acting chops of John Barrymore and Conrad Veidt. His name now in casting director’s contacts books, he starred as everything from pygmies to Vikings to monsters, usually in blink and you miss him roles , though had a slightly more extended appearance in Benjamin Christensen’s Seven Footprints to Satan as a mysterious goateed house guest, up until the Year Zero for actors of unusual appearance, 1932’s Freaks. With a good deal of screen time and an unusual weighty presence, Angelo achieved a level of pop culture fame which would resonate for decades to come, leading the chant of “one of us”, at the sideshow performers’ wedding feast.

In no sense did Angelo’s appearance in Freaks lead to his acting star rising heavenwards. Though he could be seen onscreen in vehicles as diverse as Cecil B. DeMille (Sign of the Cross) and Laurel and Hardy (Babes in Toyland) it was only in roles that could politely be referred to as ‘supporting’ – occasionally parts would present themselves in the unlikeliest places (Shirley Temple’s stunt stand-in, for example).

His connection to the horror genre was never far away, not least due to regular appearances alongside screen giants Boris Karloff (two Mr. Wong films) and more especially Bela Lugosi, alongside whom he made several well-intentioned but often somewhat ropey films. However, for every dud (1941’s Spooks Run Wild; 1947’s Scared To Death) there’s the odd gem (1942’s The Corpse Vanishes).

By the 1950’s, work was beginning to thin out, not least in the sense of his time onscreen in films anything above camp trash – 1953’s Mesa of Lost Women; the iconic lead alien in Invasion of the Saucermen (unrecognisable under Paul Blaisdell’s costume) and the Johnny Weissmuller atrocity, Jungle Moon Men (1955) will give you an idea of the standard of parts available. Even what, on paper, looked like blockbusters were a false dawn – 1957’s The Story Of Mankind may have boasted stars such as Vincent Price, John Carradine, Caesar Romero and the Marx Brothers, but even then it was hailed as camp of the highest order.

Some salvation came in the mid-60s when television was given greater credence, leading to role in the likes of Gunsmoke, The Man from U.N.C.L.E, as well as a recurring role in, of all things, H.R. Pufnstuf. If Angelo’s film roles in the 40’s and 50’s seemed a little on the low-budget side, audiences can rightly have left cinemas heading straight for the shower after his appearances in two of Al Adamson’s trashiest sleazefests – Brain of Blood and Dracula vs. Frankenstein (both tainting 1971).

Although Angelo had the longest-running role of his career in the mid-70’s, in the fondly remembered Beretta as shoe-shine boy informant, Little Moe, the twilight of acting life also saw him accepting roles which were as garish, out-there and sleazy as ever.

On the tamer side of things were the likes of the well-worth seeking out gangster film, Little Cigars (1973) and literal and metaphorical car crash of a movie, Smokey Bites the Dust (1981), whilst the other end of the scale saw appearances in the largely forgotten William Devane-starring The Dark (1979) and 1980’s thoroughly entertaining Galaxina. A low point, but still entirely in keeping with his philosophy of taking whatever job was presented to him, was the softcore movie Adult Fairy Tales, which saw Rossitto as one of the few stars to keep his clothes on.

Rossitto’s final roles of note are amongst his most engaging since the 1930’s – a small role in the impressive interpretation of Ray Bradbury’s Something Wicked This Way Comes (1983); an iconic turn as The Master in Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome (1985 – an experience he regarded as the most enjoyable of his career); and his final on-screen role in the Vincent Price-starring From a Whisper To a Scream (1987). By this stage, Angelo was almost totally blind – though his body and mind were willing to still carry on, film producers were unable (or unwilling) to give him roles as no insurance company would provide appropriate cover for him.

Having already achieved immortality in a 61-year film career (and in music, featuring on the cover of Tom Waits’ seminal 1983 album Swordfishtrombones). Rossitto retired, dying at the grand old age of eighty-three in 1991.

Billy Barty

Though his involvement in horror was somewhat fleeting, despite his lengthy career, it would be wrong of us not to spend a moment considering the contribution of Billy Barty.

Born in 1924, the 3’9” Barty was the driving force behind the formation of The Little People of America in 1957, alongside the aforementioned Angelo Rossitto. His acting career clung far closer to the mainstream, becoming popular for comedic roles and voice-acting right up until his death aged seventy-six in 2000.

Barty’s earlier appearances on-screen had run the usual course of ‘baby’ roles, though with a slight twist – a regular participant in pre-code Busby Berkeley musicals, he often played a quite shockingly seedy infant, leering and plotting to catch glimpses of the chorus girls.

In 1935, he made what could be politely described as a cameo appearance in Bride of Frankenstein, in rather indistinct long-shots of Dr Pretorius’ bottled experiments, perhaps inevitably, dressed as a baby in a high chair. Clearer still shots have been discovered in recent years.

A far more prominent horror role came in 1957’s The Undead, a blisteringly bad, though inadvertently entertaining time-travel farrago from Roger Corman, which sees Billy playing the part of an imp. An equally enjoyable/painful watch is 1989’s Lobster Man from Mars, a spoof film-within-a-film in which Barty plays a somewhat fleeting part.

Billy Curtis

Despite being born in 1909, Curtis, who stood at 4’2” tall, was never either compelled or drawn towards exhibiting himself at sideshows and enjoyed a healthy fifty-year career as an actor.

After spending some time on Broadway (often playing children, as was de rigueur), his very first screen role was no less than the lead in the now derided musical Western, The Terror of Tiny Town, rather like The Wizard of Oz, an almost obligatory gig if you were of a certain size in the industry at the time. However, at the time, the film made huge returns at the box office and promised several sequels and spin-offs, none of which materialised.

Like many of the short actors who appeared in 1939’s Wizard of Oz, Curtis’ part goes uncredited, a fact that rather supports his oft-quoted line that Toto the dog got paid $200 dollars, compared to those with roles as Munchkins’, $50. However, Curtis’ career revolved not only around his size but equally his acting prowess – he rarely took roles which others may consider demeaning, appearing in many Westerns as a character who happened to be short, as opposed to a comedic aside of sorts.

Curtis changed direction just before the end of the War with a (yet again) small, uncredited role in Ghost Catchers and in the 1943 supernatural anthology, Flesh and Fantasy, which he could at least console himself with the fact Peter Lawford also appeared without an acting credit.

The 1950’s and the advent of the dreaded Atom, provided slightly more opportunities to appear in film, though not necessarily in stellar roles. In George Reeve’s debut in Superman and the Mole Men (1951) he played, yes, a Mole Man; in the peculiarly heavyweight Gorilla at Large he featured alongside Anne Bancroft, Lee Marvin and Cameron Mitchell, leading to a lead role… of sorts… in 1954’s Gog, in the unenviable position of being responsible for manoeuvring the metallic/cardboard contraption.

Other genre roles from this period include the excellent The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957) and Angry Red Planet (1959) and a strange bookend to everything we’ve seen so far – the role of Harry Earles in The Unholy Three re-enactment in James Cagney’s rather so-so biopic of Lon Chaney, Man of a Thousand Faces (1957).

Like Billy Barty, television allowed more regular opportunities for work, though it could be argued that Curtis got the cooler parts – the 1960’s saw him appear in everything from Batman to The Monkees to Bewitched to Get Smart. Curtis had certainly warmed to science fiction and fantasy; he starred alongside Horrorpedia favourite Reggie Nalder in the Star Trek episode Journey to Babel and as an ape child in the genre-shaking Planet of the Apes.

Skip Martin

Hailing from London and born in 1923, Skip became something of a horror film regular, fondly thought of by keen-eyed enthusiasts for his appearances in movies with a very European gothic slant. Acquiring his nickname from his habit of skipping school, Martin was born Alec Derek George Horowitz, the surname being due to his Russian father. Although managing a perfectly serviceable career as an actor, he earned his trade on a more stable footing as a tobacconist.

Filmed in 1958, though released in 1962, Martin appeared in the Christopher Lee and Boris Karloff vehicle Corridors of Blood as a tavern regular – not a part that saw him speak or do very much other than slowly carry his gruel to his table but certainly a part he could boast about to his regular customers. Continuing his habit of appearing with horror film icons, he next appeared in the 1961 film, The Hellfire Club, alongside Peter Cushing, the film itself scripted by Hammer stalwart, Jimmy Sangster.

The role for which Martin is best remembered is undoubtedly that of Hop-Toad in Roger Corman’s Masque of the Red Death (1964), also giving him the opportunity to complete his holy quadrangle of horror co-stars alongside Vincent Price. Rather than the silent cameos he had been given previously, Hop-Toad is given a pleasing amount of screen-time, as well as some particularly juicy lines and the film’s standout killing.

Clearly doing enough to catch the eye of Harry Alan Towers, his next appearance was equally significant, as Mr. Big in the 1966 film, Circus of Fear, another chance to work with Christopher Lee, as well the challenge of being on-screen with Klaus Kinski. Whilst not an especially rewarding film, Skip’s character has a lurking menace which at least makes it a fascinating study of shady dealings and potential danger in every shadow.

An easy to miss role in Tinto Brass’ highly-stylised 1967 murder mystery Col Cuore In Gola (I Am What I Am aka Deadly Sweet) may have suggested an increasingly steady decline in more meaty acting parts but instead proved only to be a blip before three more significant horror films.

In Vampire Circus (1971), he again creates unease as the tumbling, mysterious clown, leading to a particularly satisfying revenge enacted upon him by the poor, pestered villagers.

Martin also lends his sonorous voice and magnetic charisma to Horror Hospital (1973) before an unfortunate coda to his career: firstly an appearance in the irredeemably poor rock ‘n’ roll musical Son of Dracula alongside the likes of Ringo Starr and Harry Nilsson; and finally the role of a mini-Rolf Harris in the famous episode of The Goodies set in a zoo. True horror!

Michael Dunn

Born Gary Neil Miller in Oklahoma, Dunn allegedly taught himself to read at the age of three, a sign that the rare case of dwarfism, which affected both his bone structure (both his hips were dislocated, making walking extremely painful) and his lung-growth, would do little to hold him back. A talented pianist and singer, Dunn and his family rejected overtures for him to receive an education in a ‘special school’, preferring instead that his voracious appetite for knowledge be satiated in a standard setting.

Dunn’s acting ability is arguably a step ahead of many of his shorter contemporaries, indeed, often degrees above both his averagely-heighted co-stars and the calibre of vehicle he was appearing in. His acting career began in the theatre after moving to New York from his home in Miami where he had gained a degree in journalism. His parts initially were off-Broadway, though he became a familiar fixture in local bars where he sung with his surprisingly strong voice to great applause.

In 1963, his dedication to his craft paid off when he appeared in the Edward Albee adaptation of the novella, The Sad Cafe, by Carson McCullers. Playing the mysterious hunchback, Cousin Lymon, he earned a Tony award nomination, the play itself sweeping the board at that year’s ceremony.

After forming a nightclub act alongside the actress Phoebe Dorin, he appeared in 1965’s Ship of Fools, alongside the likes of Lee Marvin and Vivienne Leigh. His lynchpin part, narrating both the beginning and end of the film, alongside a moving role in the main body, led to an Academy Award nomination.

It was from this springboard that his most famous appearances on television: firstly on Get Smart as Mr Big, then to fondly remembered one-off parts in Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea; Star Trek (in which he would have stolen the show appearing as Alexander in the episode, Plato’s Stepchildren, now more often remembered as the episode in which Kirk kisses Uhura) and Wild, Wild West, where his role as the villainous Dr. Miguelito Loveless endeared him to a generation of viewers.

Dunn’s first true genre appearance was in Gordon Hessler’s (Scream and Scream Again; Cry of the Banshee) 1971 adaptation of Poe’s Murders in the Rue Morgue, a small part in an unfulfilling movie. Better was to come with an appearance in the Night Gallery episode, The Sins of the Fathers, one of the more alarming episodes of Rod Serling’s less appreciated TV series.

Roles became more and more difficult to find, leading to Dunn taking increasingly less-stellar parts in what could be seen as more demeaning for a man with such great notices earlier in his career. 1973 saw him appear in The Werewolf of Washington, as Dr. Kiss, presumably a nod to Wild, Wild West.

Far worse was to follow the year after in Frankenstein’s Castle of Freaks as the perverted, corpse fondling Genz, alongside Horrorpedia favourite, Sal Boris (here listed as Boris Lugosi). It’s a film that doesn’t even pass the ‘so bad it’s good’ test, a waste of Dunn’s considerable talents.

From his early days appearing in New York nightclubs, Dunn had developed a fondness for alcohol (he was already a smoker from an early age), not uncommon for the actors of the time in the city. It had taken its toll on his liver and an ill-fated relationship with a burlesque dancer had left him wiped out financially. It was now a case of taking roles of any kind, though his later appearances show him moving with even more difficulty than only a few years prior.

It was in this state of physical degradation that Michael Dunn appeared in The Mutations (aka Freakmaker), alongside Donald Pleasence. He lends a terrific element of the unnerving to what veers towards farce on occasion, his ability to hold the camera with his gaze evident in abundance. It was to be his final appearance during his lifetime.

Whilst filming The Abdication in London during 1974, he passed away at the hotel he was staying in whilst in London. Though rumours still circulate that his body was ‘stolen’ for a period and his room ransacked, evidence suggests no foul play and that his medical condition has led to his death at the age of 38.

Felix Silla

Felix Silla was born near Rome, Italy, in 1937, moving to the United States in 1955, joining a succession of circuses where he perfected various skills, from bareback horse-riding, to acrobatics to flying trapeze. When the Ringling Brothers circus he performed with disbanded in the early 1960s, he became an in-demand stunt performer, his stature (3’11”) filling a niche for skilled performers who could fulfil roles not normally possible for average-heights actors.

His relocation to Hollywood quickly earned him to bit-parts in TV series, though it was a casting-call for the soon-to-be aired The Addams Family which led to sustained employment. Passing the audition on-sight, his role was to be that of Cousin Itt, a part which left him disguised under a heap of (real) hair and shades – his burbling voice was dubbed over afterwards. The costume was later replaced with a synthetic, flame-retardant hair ensemble, lest Felix be engulfed in fire from a stray cigarette butt.

Silla was always willing to take parts which either had little value in terms of art or craft, or indeed left him unidentifiable on-screen. A role where Felix is able to exercise his acting chops more clearly came in 1967, with She-Freak the shaky-handed re-telling of 1932’s masterful Freaks. Appearing as the conniving Shorty, he is in an environment he no doubt knew only too well, though the casting of Silla in the film led to an even more shadowy outcome, a nine-year affair with lead actress, Claire Brennan, one which led to them having a child but was kept secret from the outside world.

Aside from a minor role as a child gorilla in Planet of the Apes, Silla worked extensively in television, from H.R. Pufnstuf to Bewitched, toothsome film parts being few and far between. Little Cigars alongside Billy Curtis promised much but only led to inconsequential, appearances as sideshow acts and diminutive monsters –neither as an attraction in 1973’s SSSSnake; a fireplace imp in TV movie Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark; a malformed infant in 1977’s Demon Seed; nor an admittedly creepy supernatural being in 1978’s The Manitou led to critical acclaim nor award nominations, though as one of the creatures in David Cronenberg’s The Brood, he at least worked with a notable auteur.

More financially rewarding was the role of the somewhat annoying robot, Twiki, in the much-loved (at the time) Buck Rogers in the 25^th Century television series, the second repeat appearance he made in a landmark sci-fi show, following from his appearances in Battlestar Galactica.

Towards the end of his screen career, he made the requisite appearance as an ewok in the third instalment of the Star Wars saga (or the sixth, if you’re picky), a critter in House and Dink in Mel Brooks’ Spaceballs. Whilst Silla was rarely given (or perhaps even craved) the acting opportunities afforded to his similarly-sized contemporaries, he has achieved lasting fame playing monstrous oddities and comedic weirdos, something many in Hollywood would be grateful for.

Hervé Villechaize

Hervé Jean-Pierre Villechaize, some twenty-odd years after his death is still one of the best-known dwarf actors, to the extent where his name will often prompt an impression from someone in the room, should alcoholic drinks have been taken.

Born in France in 1943 of Filipino and English extraction, the 3’10” Villechaize preferred to be referenced as a midget, as opposed to a dwarf, his head and body being in proportion. Despite several medical procedures, something his doctor father was insistent upon, his thyroid-related condition led to his growth being restricted.

Although nationally recognised at an early age for his painting and photography skills, Villechaize left for America aged 21, having taught himself English by watching American television programmes, appropriate given that his greatest success would be via that medium.

Settling in New York, he appeared in blink-and-you-miss-it film roles until a meatier role came along in the form of Christopher Speeth’s 1973 film, Malatesta’s Carnival of Blood. Now considered a classic of American low-budget drive-in cinema, it allowed the actor to use his own very drawly French accent to convey an appropriately strange tone to an already bewildering spectacle.

The following year saw him build on this somewhat cult foundation by starring as the evil Spider in Oliver Stone’s big screen debut, Seizure. Evidently a casting agent had caught one of these early appearances as he soon found himself in the James Bond film, The Man With the Golden Gun, as Nick-Nack, still now hailed as one of the franchise’s greatest villains. It was the first acting part that really paid off financially, the actor living rough at the time in Los Angeles.

Despite the fame this brought him, it did not lead to further blockbuster roles, his next meaningful film appearance being in 1980’s, The Forbidden Zone, as the sexually-charged King Fausto. Indeed, Villechaize’s experience on Bond had sparked an outward confidence with the ladies, fuelled by a fondness for alcohol.

His star actually peaked on television from 1977-1983, as the character Tattoo in Fantasy Island, his refrain, “De plane, de plane!” being better remembered than the show itself. It was here he met his future wife, Donna Camille, a minor actress and model. The relationship only lasted two years, Villechaize a victim of drink, the self-aggrandisement his TV fame brought him and depression, leading to suicidal thoughts. Not long after, Villechaize had an appeal for a wage increase declined, leading to his departure from the hit show and the beginning of a downward spiral into far more intermittent work.

By 1993, he was reduced to self-referential TV cameos, the end truly being self-inflicted when he committed suicide by shooting himself. His suicide note explained he could no longer live with the severe pain his condition caused him.

Luis De Jesus

Born in New York in 1952, details of the 4’3” Luis de Jesus’ life and indeed film career are somewhat sketchy, perhaps befitting of a performer who took exploitation to a whole new level. It is said he began his career in entertainment at the circus, entirely believable considering that the sideshows of Coney Island were still a going concern. From here, his attentions turned to a particular form of film – one in which he appeared in for much of the rest of his life, to almost legendary notoriety.

The first appearance of de Jesus in film is agreed to be a 1970 peep-show loop, later expanded to a full feature, entitled Anal Dwarf, which featured Luis doing exactly what you’d expect. For many years, it was thought to be something of an urban myth, something now ‘helpfully’ clarified. During this somewhat hazy period, it was alleged the actor in question was not in fact de Jesus but Hervé Villechaize, disregarding the fact there was no resemblance beyond their height.

Not long after this, the director, Joel M. Reed, was casting for the horror-sleaze epic, The Incredible Torture Show (1976, later re-titled Blood Sucking Freaks when picked up by Troma in the early 80’s), the key role of the demented and sadistic dwarf, Ralphus, being earmarked, ironically, for Hervé Villechaize, whom he knew via his appearance in Oliver Stone’s aforementioned Seizure. Villechaize had at that time relocated briefly back to Paris and was insistent that his airfare be covered, should he accept, something Reed’s budget would not stretch to. Eager to find a replacement quickly, de Jesus was the first through the door and passed the audition through size and appearance alone, his mass of curly hair and fiendish grin being more than enough talent.

Without an R-rating, The Incredible Torture Show received limited showings in New York, eventually an excellent marketing tool, though at the time a disaster. Less so for de Jesus, who had enjoyed sexual liaisons with at least one of the models who featured in the film off-camera, despite the presence of her boyfriend. It was clear his acting career was not going to lead to a slew of offers from Hollywood after this part, a riotously entertaining, though equally filthy romp.

Indeed, he quickly returned to adult films, appearing in the likes of Gerard Damiano’s Make My Puppets Come (perhaps the only film that could compare to The Incredible Torture Show in terms of ludicrousness) Ultra-Flesh and Fanta-sex Island, a parody of Fantasy Island that yet again saw the two actors briefly crossing the horizon at the same time. By the time of his death in 1988, de Jesus had made a vague attempt at a mainstream career, appearing briefly in Under the Rainbow and as an ewok in Return of the Jedi.

Nelson de la Rosa

Nelson was recognised by the Guinness Book of Records as the world’s shortest man in 1989, reaching an adult height of only 2’4”. He became something of a national hero in his native Dominican Republic after becoming a regular fixture on Venezuelan television, though genre fans will remember him best for his appearance as the titular RatMan, a 1988 Italian production shot on location in his homeland.

His fanged mutation, technically classed as a rat/monkey hybrid, is a real treat, de la Rosa cropping up in the unlikeliest of places with a genuine creepy menace. Yet greater stardom beckoned, cast in the doomed Richard Stanley retelling of The Island of Dr. Moreau. The acting behemoth, Marlon Brando, became somewhat obsessed with de la Rosa, insisting his role was greatly expanded and goading him into making sexual advances towards female members of cast and crew.

Whilst the H.G. Wells film did not lead to further screen success, he became an adopted mascot by the Boston Red Sox baseball team and de la Rosa earned a comfortable living in circuses across South America, leaving a wife and child on his death in 2006.

Zelda Rubinstein

Zelda Rubinstein was something of a late-comer to the world of entertainment, not venturing into the void until she was in her late 40’s. At 4’3” and with a distinctive, high-pitched voice, roles did not necessarily jump out at her, though her first job as a voice-over artist on The Flintstones cartoon did however, give her the confidence to leave her job as a blood bank technician and become a performer full-time.

Work on television adverts followed, leading to her first film role in Under the Rainbow, along with The Wizard of Oz and the Star Wars films, almost a rite of passage for actors of restricted height in Hollywood.

Her breakthrough came quickly, in Tobe Hooper’s (more likely the stewardship of writer, Steven Spielberg) 1982 hit, Poltergeist. Playing the psychic, Tangina, Rubinstein plays a pivotal character arriving slap-bang in the middle of the film. The part was written specifically for a small person and it was one which the actress had to battle hard for, going through several auditions to win the role. Her performance is one of both tenderness and stern warnings, many of her lines – “this house is clean”; “go into the light” – becoming quoted and referenced for many years afterwards.

A huge box-office hit, the film revitalised the haunted house genre and ushered forth two sequels in 1986 and 1988 – more were considered but the death of the little girl, JoBeth Williams brought the run to a close.

Rubinstein remained busy: of note for horror fans was Anguish, Bigas Luna’s dazzling, extremely strange 1987 film which sees the actress in an even more central role as a domineering mother controlling her son via hypnosis to commit grisly crimes. Here, her stature and voice add a more outwardly uneasy tension to the action, an excellent use of her acting skills in a far arty, surreal setting.

Television continued to be a reliable source of employment – recurring roles in Picket Fences and Santa Barbara still allowing time for one-off appearance in Tales from the Crypt and lesser feature films including Little Witches (1996); Wishcraft (2002) and Southland Tales (2006).

Her final film role came in 2006 in Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon. Away from the world of film and television, she was a strong HIV/AIDS awareness activist, as well as supporting other actors of short stature – she founded the non-profit Michael Dunn Memorial Repertory Theatre Company, named after the trailblazing actor who broke down so many barriers before her. Zelda died in Los Angeles in 2010.

Warwick Davis

Perhaps the most well-known dwarf actor in the world (certainly in the UK), Warwick’s 3’6” stature won him the role of Wicket the ewok in Return of the Jedi at the tender age of 11, an association with the franchise that extended to the two spin-offs, Caravan of Courage: An Ewok Adventure and Ewoks: The Battle for Endor, as well as different roles in The Phantom Menace, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and the as-yet-untitled part 8. He became the go-to actor for roles in many fantasy films of the 1980’s onwards, from the still fondly-remembered, Willow (1988); Labyrinth (1986) and, most memorably to younger eyes, the Harry Potter films.

For fans of horror, Davis became a horror icon, albeit, arguably, one of a rather lower division to that of Jason, Freddy et al – the wise-cracking anti-hero in the long-running Leprechaun series of films (six thus far – surely no more!?).

The 2004 film, Skinned Deep, a lousy Texas Chain Saw rip-off about a dysfunctional family of ghouls and 2007’s appalling Small Town Folk may have paid a gas bill but Davis’ career has largely been on television in recent years, in comedic roles and, bizarrely, as a game-show host.

Phil Fondacaro

New Orleans native Fondacaro was born in 1958 and has carved out an extremely productive career both onscreen and off as a voice-over artist. The ever-reliable Under the Rainbow in 1981 set him off on a career in entertainment that regularly weaved between genres, utilising his 3’6” stature and acting skill to play everything from evil villains to henchmen, monstrous entities and regular Joes. Fondacaro has shown more of a willingness than many dwarf actors to embrace horrific roles, rationalising that these are only characters, as any actor plays, and not a reflection of himself.

A role as a killer clown in Something Wicked This Way Comes in 1983, followed by the inevitable ewok in Return of the Jedi proved to be the springboard for a slew of roles in horror films. Fondacaro voice the character of Creeper in 1985’s Black Cauldron; The Dungeonmaster; Mickey in the ridiculous Hard Rock Zombies before appearing buried under the impressive costume of Torok in the highly successful Troll (1986). The cherry on the cake of Troll is its opportunity for his dual role as Malcolm Mallory, allowing Fondacaro to demonstrate his considerable acting skills.

The voice of Greaser Greg in The Garbage Pail Kids, roles in Invaders from Mars, Willow, Tales from the Darkside and Phantasm II led to an acting part in Ghoulies II, yet another opportunity to work with the infamous Band clan, here for the prolific Charles.

Later collaborations include Dollman vs. Demonic Toys; Blood Dolls; Decadent Evil Dead; Evil Bong and Devil Dolls (spot the running theme). Also of note is his appearance as Dracula in Band’s 1997 film, Deformed Monsters, hailed as the shortest Dracula on screen, a peculiar badge of honour.

Fondacaro had the distinction of taking Felix Silla’s role as Cousin Itt in the small screen revisit to The Addams Family Reunion, before an appearance in George Romero’s Land of the Dead. With regular mainstream TV appearances on the likes of Sabrina the Teenage Witch and CSI have ensured a healthy career for the actor.

They Also Served:

Piéral

1923 – 2003 – 4’0”

The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1956)

Spermula (1976)

Luigi Francis Shorty Rossi

Born 1969 – 4’0”

Sideshow (2000)

Ice Scream – The ReMix (2006)

Mészáros Mihály

1939 – 2016 – 2’9”

Waxwork (1989)

Warlock: The Armageddon (1993)

Freaked (1993)

Torben Bille

1945 – 1993 – height unknown

The Sinful Dwarf (1973)

Rusty Goffe

Born 1948 – 4’2”

Disciple of Death (1972)

Spidarlings (2016)

Tony Cox

Born 1953 – 3’6”

Dr. Heckyl and Mr. Hype (1980)

Invaders from Mars (1986)

Retribution (1987)

Beetlejuice (1988)

Rockula (1990)

Silence of the Hams (1994)

Leprechaun II (1994)

Ghoulies IV (1994)

Chumbinho

Details Unknown

As Taras do Mini-Vampiro (aka Little Vampire Taints) (1987)

Kiran Shah

Born 1956 – 4’1”

The People That Time Forgot (1977)

Legend (1985)

Gothic (1986)

Aliens (1986 – stunt performer)

Jekyll & Hyde (1990)

Deep Roy

Born 1957 – 4’4”

Alien from L.A. (1988)

Disturbed (1990)

Howling VI: The Freaks (1991)

Shatterbrain (1991)

Freaked (1993)

Corpse Bride (2005, voice only)

Paranormal Movie (2013)

Arturo Gil

Born 1960 – 3’6”

Nightmare Cafe (TV Series, 1992)

Freaked (1993)

The Munsters’ Scary Little Christmas (1996)

Deadtime Stories (TV Series, 2013)

Patty Maloney

Born 1936 – 3’11”

Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark (1973)

The Addams Family (1991)

Jerry Maren

Born 1920 – 4’3”

Bewitched (1967)

Planet of the Apes (1968)

Bigfoot (1969)

Something Wicked This Way Comes (1983)

The Being (1983)

House (1986)

Frankenstein Rising (2010)

Dahmer vs. Gacy (2010)

Kenny Baker

1934-2016 – 3’8”

Circus of Horrors (1960)

The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1982)

When the Devil Rides Out (currently in post-production)

Tamara De Treaux

1959-1990 – 2’7”

Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark (1973)

Ghoulies (1984)

Rockula (1990)

Adelina Poerio

4’2” date of birth unknown

Don’t Look Now (1973)

Debbie Lee Carrington

Born 1959 – 3’10”

Invaders from Mars (1986)

Monsters (TV series, 1989)

Seedpeople (1992)

Daniel Frishman

Born 1946 – 4’3”

Twilight Zone (TV Series, 1986)

Night of the Creeps (1986)

Joseph S. Griffo

Born 1952 – 4’3”

Night of the Creeps (1986)

Freaked (1993)

Carnival of Souls (1998)

Little Frankie

Biographical Details Unknown

Godzilla vs. Space Godzilla (1994)

Blind Beast vs. Dwarf (2001)

Kevin Thompson

D.O.B. unknown – 4’5”

Night of the Creeps (1986)

Twilight Zone (TV Series, 1986)

Munchies (1987)

Nightmare Cafe (TV Series, 1992)

Ed Gale

Born 1963 – 3’4”

Phantasm II (1988)

Child’s Play (Chucky’s Stunt Double, 1988)

Chopper Chicks in Zombietown (1989)

The Munsters’ Scary Little Christmas (1996)

Jordan Prentice

Born 1973 – 4’1”

Wolf Girl (2001)

Long Pigs (2007)

Silent But Deadly (2011)

Sadie Corre

1918-2009 – 4’2”

Devil Doll (1964)

The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)

Buy: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk

George Claydon

1933-2001 – Height Unknown

Berserk (1967)

Twins of Evil (1971)

I Don’t Want to be Born aka The Monster (1975)

Shadows (TV Series, 1975)

George Appleby

4′ 6″

Wilhelm the Dwarf Vampire (short film, 2011)

Ravenwolf Towers (streaming and DVD series)

Article by Daz Lawrence, Horrorpedia © 2017

‘No clues. No hope. No escape.’

Wake in Fear – aka All I Need – is a 2016 American horror thriller film written and directed by Dylan K. Narang, making his feature debut. It stars Caitlin Stasey (Fear, Inc.; I, Frankenstein; All Cheerleaders Die), Leah McKendrick (The Last Lovecraft: Relic of Cthulhu) and Rachel Melvin (The Rake; Sleepwalker; Zombeavers).

A young woman, Chloe (Caitlin Stasey), wakes bound and gagged in a dirty motel room. Disoriented, it only takes a moment to realize the horrifying situation she finds herself in.

The room is filled with other young women, not unlike her: beautiful, undressed, and bound. However, she’s the only one that wakes up – and the only one that can hide when the killer who’s set it all in motion comes to make his withdrawal from the room.

Concurrently, a man desperate for work, Andrew, takes a new job to provide for the daughter his estranged wife keeps from him. The new job pays plenty, but increasingly questions Andrew’s morals and will force him to ask how far he will go as his new “work” comes face-to-face with Chloe’s predicament…

The film is available for download in the UK via Amazon.co.uk. A US release is scheduled for February 7, 2017.

Main cast:

Caitlin Stasey; Leah McKendrick; Rachel Melvin; Melanie Avalon; Jonathan Erickson Eisley; Sorel Carradine (daughter of Keith Carradine); Markus Taylor (Deadheads); JT Vancollie; Kevin Cassidy; Adrieanne Perez; Paul Louis Harrell; Erin Stack; Holly Twyford; Christie Swiss; Christina Thomas.

Filming locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA
McLean, Virginia, USA

IMDb

William Peter Blatty (January 7, 1928 – January 12, 2017) was an American writer and filmmaker.

The Exorcist, written in 1971, is his most well-known novel; he also wrote the screenplay for the 1973 film adaptation, for which he won an Academy Award, and wrote and directed the 1990 sequel The Exorcist III.

Blatty was born in New York City, the son of Lebanese parents who travelled to the USA on a cattle boat. His father left home when William was three-years-old. He was raised in what he described as “comfortable destitution” by his deeply religious Catholic mother, whose sole support came from peddling homemade quince jelly in the streets of the city.

He attended a Jesuit school, on scholarship, then Georgetown University. also on a scholarship. He went on to The George Washington University for his master’s degree in English Literature. His writing career began in earnest in the 1960s and aside from novels he worked on screenplays, writing comedy films such as the Pink Panther film, A Shot in the Dark (1964).

Allegedly retiring to a remote and rented chalet in woodland off Lake Tahoe, Blatty wrote The Exorcist, a story about a twelve-year-old girl being possessed by a powerful demon, that remained on the New York Times bestseller list for 57 straight weeks and at the Number One spot for 17 of them. It would eventually be translated by himself and director William Friedkin into one of the most famous mainstream horror movies of all time.

William Peter Blatty with Max Von Sydow

The first sequel, Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977), was disappointing both critically and commercially. Blatty had no involvement in this first sequel and his own follow-up ignored it entirely.

In 1978, Blatty adapted his novel Twinkle, Twinkle, “Killer” Kane! into the retitled The Ninth Configuration; and in 1980 he wrote, directed and produced a film version. In it, a commanding officer who attempts to rehabilitate patients at an insane asylum for Army soldiers by allowing them to live out their fantasies. The film was a commercial flop. It has since acquired a cult following.

In 1983, Blatty wrote Legion, a sequel to The Exorcist which later became the basis of the film The Exorcist III. He originally wanted the movie version to be titled Legion but the studio insisted otherwise.

On September 27, 2011, The Exorcist was re-released as a 40th Anniversary Edition in paperback, hardcover and audiobook editions with differing cover artwork. This new, updated edition featured new and revised material. Blatty commented:

“The 40th Anniversary Edition of The Exorcist will have a touch of new material in it as part of an all-around polish of the dialogue and prose. First time around I never had the time (meaning the funds) to do a second draft, and this, finally, is it. With forty years to think about it, a few little changes were inevitable – plus one new character in a totally new very spooky scene. This is the version I would like to be remembered for.”

The Exorcist was adapted into a TV series in 2016.

Blatty died on January 12, 2017, five days after his 89th birthday. His death was announced a day later by The Exorcist director William Friedkin via Twitter.

Wikipedia

I Know You’re in There is a 2016 supernatural horror film written, produced and directed by Robert Lawson Gordon, making his feature debut. It stars Mindee de Lacey, Will Hurst and Karin Lee.

When his mother commits suicide, Tom Redding discovers he has a long lost sister who cannot move or talk. Together they travel to their dead mother’s isolated home where Tom hopes to document his sister’s illness, only to be driven to the brink of madness by a supernatural evil…

Main cast:

Mindee de Lacey, Will Hurst, Karin Lee, Grainne McDermott, Blake Newcomb, Minae Noji, Jaimes Timas.

Reviews:

“There is a supernatural element to the film but this is hardly explored outside of the story of the mountains having some kind of native American significance. There is also a sense of The Shining in a certain scene of the film but you will have to watch the movie to see what that is. If you like a film with a small cast and a story that keeps you hooked check out I Know You’re in There.” Peter ‘Witchfinder‘ Hopkins, Horrorscreams Videovault

“The end of the film features a decent twist and the viewer remains engaged with the story line, but if you cannot stomach the lead actor, this film will be a tough watch.” Mike, Wicked Channel

“The cinematography, quite often with the juxtaposition of Tom’s documentary footage, and comparatively well played parts by Mindee de Lacey and Grainne McDermott respectively are the only things that deserve some appreciation. The rest is half-pie.” Leaky Loonage

Interviews:

Director Robert Lawson Gordon talks to Horror Interviews

Filming locations:

Gazelle and Los Angeles, California, USA

IMDb | Facebook | Google+ | Official site | Twitter

Image thanks: Shaanig

‘Freedom is wild.’

Plank Face is a 2016 American horror film directed by Scott Schirmer (Harvest Lake; Found) from a screenplay co-written with Brian Williams. It stars Nathan Barrett, Susan M. Martin and Brigid Macaulay.

A man is taken captive by a feral family in the deep woods. They are determined to transform him, body and mind, into one of their own — whether he likes it or not…

The film was released on VOD on August 27, 2016.

IMDb | Facebook

‘Don’t keep mother waiting’

Bunni is a 2013 American slasher horror film written, directed by and starring Daniel Benedict (Fall of Grayskull; The Unwanted).

A group of teens explore an abandoned factory at the request of one of their friends. Little do they know he is leading them to a slaughter at the hands of his mentally deranged mother…

Following an initial self-distributed DVD, the film was picked up by Wild Eye Releasing and released on March 8, 2016.

Reviews:

“This fast paced slasher film was written and directed by Daniel Benedict, some may recognise him as the talented man behind the short fan film Fall of Grayskull. He has written this really well and just throws us into the action without the need for a big build up to our unlucky Halloween party friends.” Peter ‘Witchfinder‘ Hopkins, Horrorscreams Videovault

“The movie suffers often from the lack of proper funding, when one hears the term low budget everyone has his or her own level of interest and for this production an estimated accounting suggests $2,000. This blueprint for the checklist of issues, muffled audio with regard to dialogue exchanges, poor lightning, filming mostly at night in darkened rooms, bad framing and what every horror with blood-loss, good special effects, that lacks; too.” Duane, Rogue Cinema

“You can tell the cast and crew had a blast making Bunni and that always produces stellar results. What Bunni is lacking in overall depth it makes up for with great gags and kill scenes … Benedict not only reaches the desired results of the effects he exceeds them.” Horror Movies Uncut

“Bunni is a no budget, independent film that suffers from bad acting, forced dialogue, and stereotypical characters. That said, there are surprisingly solid special effects, and it fooled me with the twist. The second half of the movie is much better than the first because many of the worst actors are finally killed off, and it’s just the Final Girl and the antagonist.” Branden Chowen, Cinefessions

Filming locations:

Owensboro, Kentucky, USA

IMDb

The Vampire Bat is a 1933 American horror film directed by Frank R. Strayer (Condemned to Live; The Monster Walks) from a screenplay by Edward T. Lowe (House of Dracula; House of Frankenstein).

The film stars Lionel Atwill, Fay Wray (King Kong), Melvyn Douglas (Ghost Story; The Tenant; The Old Dark House), and Dwight Frye.

Fay Wray and Lionel Atwill had been in the successful film Doctor X the previous year and had already wrapped shooting on Mystery of the Wax Museum for Warner Bros. This was quite a large-scale release and would have a lengthy post-production process. Seeing a chance to exploit all the advance press, poverty row studio Majestic Pictures Inc. contracted Wray and Atwill for their own “quickie” horror film, rushing The Vampire Bat into production and releasing it in January 1933.

The film was shot on the Eastern European village set from Universal’s Frankenstein (1931) and the cave scene was film was in Bronson Canyon, while some interiors were from The Old Dark House (1932).

Plot:

When the villagers of Kleinschloss start dying of blood loss, the town fathers suspect a resurgence of vampirism.

While police inspector Karl Brettschneider (Douglas) remains skeptical, scientist Dr. von Niemann (Atwill) cares for the vampire’s victims one by one, and suspicion falls on simple-minded Herman Gleib because of his fondness for bats. A bloodthirsty angry mob hounds Gleib to his death, however the vampire attacks continue…

Buy: Amazon.co.uk

Reviews:

” …The Vampire Bat is far better than you’re entitled to expect. It remains moody and atmospheric, and tries hard, if unsuccessfully, to give the plot a rational underpinning – plus it gives me an excuse to stare at Fay Wray for an hour or so, which can’t be a bad thing.” Nigel Honeybone, HorrorNews.net

“The Vampire Bat is a fun trip, getting by on looking okay and playing with enough conventions to still seem sprightly, even with wooden direction and some lame comic relief. It serves as a fascinating mix of every genre trope that had emerged in both the silent era and the early sound years.” Danny, Pre-Code.com

“Like most of the early horror talkies, The Vampire Bat is exceedingly, well, talky, but Strayer does a good job of minimizing the damage caused thereby. He has a great eye for frame composition, he makes deft use of some unconventional transitional techniques between scenes, and most importantly, he keeps the camera moving, panning and zooming and winding busily around the set.”

“Quirky, odd, and different, The Vampire Bat is a horror film about vampires that take the concept to a whole different direction.” J. Luis Rivera, W-Cinema

“It offers numerous surprising or creepy sequences and images: the close-up of the dog, the chase through the torch-lit cave, the blood transfusion, the caped killer at the window. The defects include a lack of atmosphere and consistency…” David Elroy Goldweber, Claws & Saucers

“One of the best independent films churned out to meet the new vogue for horror (most of which were more darkish thrillers than pure horror).” The Aurum Film Encyclopedia: Horror

Buy: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk

“Atwill and Dwight Frye act as though they believed everything in a cheap quickie that starts as a vampire movie and turns into yet another variation on the standard mad scientist plot.” Alan Frank, The Horror Film Handbook

“Edward T. Lowe’s script and Frank R. Strayer’s direction are outdated but this is worth seeing for the cast…” John Stanley, Creature Features

“Dated low-budget horror comic with a few well-dash handled moments amongst the talk.” Howard Maxford, The A-Z of Horror Films

Buy: Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com

Choice dialogue:

Burgomeister: “Vampires are at large, I tell you. Vampires!”

Dr. Otto von Niemann: “Mad! Is one who has solved the secret of life to be considered mad? Life! Created in a laboratory! … Living, growing tissue. Life! That moves, pulsates, and demands food for its continued growth! Ha!”

Cast and characters:

• Lionel Atwill as Dr. Otto von Niemann
• Fay Wray as Ruth Bertin
• Melvyn Douglas as Karl Breettschneider
• Maude Eburne as Gussie Schnappmann
• George E. Stone as Kringen
• Dwight Frye as Herman Gleib
• Robert Frazer as Emil Borst
• Rita Carlisle as Martha Mueller
• Lionel Belmore as Bürgermeister Gustave Schoen
• William V. Mong as Sauer
• Stella Adams as Georgiana
• Paul Weigel as Dr. Holdstadt
• Harrison Greene as Weingarten
• William Humphrey as Dr. Haupt
• Carl Stockdale as Schmidt
• Paul Panzer as Townsman

Wikipedia | IMDb

It Stains the Sands Red is a 2016 zombie horror film directed by Colin Minihan (Extraterrestrial; Grave Encounters and sequel) from a screenplay co-written with Stuart Ortiz (aka The Vicious Brothers). It stars Brittany Allen, Juan Riedinger, and Merwin Mondesir.

In the throes of a zombie apocalypse, a troubled woman from Las Vegas with a dark past, finds herself stranded in the desert with a lone and ravenous zombie…

The film is being shown at the Horror Channel Frightfest in Glasgow on 24 February 2017.

Main cast:

Brittany Allen (Extraterrestrial; Dead Before Dawn 3D), Juan Riedinger (Excess Flesh; The Haunting of Alice D; Jennifer’s Body), Merwin Mondesir (Grave Encounters; Lost Boys: The Tribe), Kristopher Higgins, Andrew Supanz, Michael Filipowich, Nico David, Dylan Playfair, Kyle McCachen, Steve Judkins, Warren E. Thomas.

Filming locations:

Valley of Fire, Nevada, USA

IMDb

‘Evil is born within’

Shock is a 2016 American horror film co-produced and co-directed by Moziko Wind and Markiss McFadden from a screenplay by Mohammed Bardi, who also stars.

When a gruesome killer targets the staff of a psychiatric facility, it is up to ex-cop turned private investigator David Evans to find the killer and put his own life back into perspective…

The film is available on Amazon Instant Video

Main cast:

Mohammed Bardi, Meredith Basinger (Silent Predator), Arthur Roberts (Scared Topless; The Mummy’s Kiss; Not of This Earth), Amiée Conn, Muneeb Rehman, Rai Quartley, Casey O’Keefe, Chris Moss, Kausar Mohammed, Aeriél Miranda, Markiss McFadden, James Killebrew, Freddie Edo, Brittany Falardeau, Keasha Bell, Aubrey Reynolds.

Choice dialogue:

David Evans: “The guy’s an asshole but he’s not a killer.”

IMDb | Facebook

Shadows of the Dead is a 2016 American supernatural horror film directed by John William Ross (shorts: The Thing in the Apartment; The Stress), making his feature debut, from a screenplay co-written with Joe Chisana. The film was produced by genre specialists Cinetel Films.

Wojciech Golczewski (Tonight She Comes; Beyond the Gates; We Are Still Here) provided the synth score.

It should not be confused with the 2004 film of the same title.

While attending an anti-prom party held in a cabin deep in the woods, a group of teenagers inadvertently awaken an evil creature that lives in the shadows…

The film premiered on the Syfy channel on October 22, 2016, as part of their ’31 Days of Horror’ season.

Main cast:

Kennedy Tucker, Brian Maierhofer, Thomas Miguel Ruff [as Tommy Ruff], Taylor Jorgensen, Lindsay Elston, Alexandria Paige, James Gaisford, Rene Michelle Aranda, Lisa Cole, Ronak Gandhi,  Jude Lanston,   Anna Steers, Ace Underhill.

Reviews:

“There was no real consistency to this shadow monster but then again, Shadows of the Dead is not the type of film that demands consistency. The monster had its frightening moments and its ever-shifting powers led to some nicely surreal moments.  Ultimately, your enjoyment of this film will depend on how seriously you take it. (Needless to say, taking it seriously in any way would be a mistake.)” Lisa Marie Bowman, Through the Shattered Lens

“The opening attack on the farmer out in his cabin is quite shocking with his frantic actions not being in the slightest bit reasonable but still maintaining some nice suspense about the oncoming threat, a later scene where they encounter their friend in the middle of the woods and try to take her back only to get caught up in the car crash is quite chilling and the encounter in the hospital where the bodies rise up behind the unsuspecting victim before the final attack all make this one quite fun…” GL84, IMDb

IMDb

‘Tumorous parasitic beasts are nesting in the bowels of their victims… Soon, they will HATCH…’

The Abomination is a 1986 American horror film written [as Bando Glutz], produced and directed by Bret McCormick [as Max Raven] (Repligator; Children of Dracula; Highway to Hell; Tabloid). It stars Scott Davis (Witchcraft III; Ozone: Attack of the Redneck Mutants), Jude Johnson and Blue Thompson.

TV evangelist Brother Fogg unleashes a biblical plague straight out of the “Book of Daniel” into the unsuspecting home of Cody Lee and his mother. Cody is soon taking orders from the Abomination and no one is safe from the creature’s insatiable diet of human flesh…

The film was shot on Super 8mm and audio dubbed afterwards, mostly with first-person narration. The synth score was provided by Kim Davis, Richard Davis and John Hudek.

Main cast:

Scott Davis, Jude Johnson, Blue Thompson, Brad McCormick, Suzy Meyer, Rex Morton, Victoria Chaney, Gaye Bottoms, Van Connery, Bubba Moore.

Reviews:

“From a filmmaking perspective there’s hundreds of things wrong with this movie but yet they’re all so perfectly wrong in just right ways! […] The Abomination is a masterpiece of zero-budget shitty horror movies. Any worthless hack can make a terrible movie (Ax ‘Em I’m thinking about you motherf*cker!), but all the stars have to align just right to make something so unique and perfectly horrible as The Abomination. It’s truly one of a kind.” Dymon Enlow, Happyotter

“The Abomination is a genuine abomination of surreal homegrown splatter filmmaking complete with droning synthesizers, library music, monotone acting and direction, and oodles of gore. It’s fun, but at the end of the day, it’s more fun telling people you’ve seen it than the actual process of seeing it.” James Oxyer, Obscure Cinema 101

“If you can stick with the excruciatingly droning dialogue there is much joy to be had from all the stupid silliness of The Abomination. It’s like David Cronenberg designed a gore version of The Muppet Show, only to have Andy Milligan rewrite and direct it, just mind-boggling and so plain odd and entertaining. Recommended for fans of 80s cheapo gore and those of us that like a little cozy weirdness on their screens.” Rubbermonsterfetishism

“The Abomination is an ambitious, bloody, hungry-monster-in-the-kitchen movie from Texas […] There’s a chainsaw decapitation, slit throats, hands bit off, an exorcism, a cat in a toilet, and good ole fart humor.” Michael J. Weldon, The Psychotronic Video Guide

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

“It’s quite a memorable little oddity with its Bible-infused weirdness, rivers of blood and odd sound effects. Only low budget filmmaking can play with the sort of stuff we see, so we have to be prepared to live with the inevitable shortcomings of such a fringe production. At the very least, it’s a memorable, distinctive effort so I’d say give it a look if you can.” Boris Lugosi, Girls, Guns and Ghouls

” …I did not find The Abomination boring at all! An experience in madness and a control to feed this “demon’s” bloodlust for human flesh is had with all it’s gory trimmings. I enjoyed how the story pans out from it’s dream sequence beginning to its blood soaked ending. Maybe the ending could have been more insane but it was far from terrible!” Extreme Horror Cinema

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

Choice dialogue:

“There is no escape from the abomination!”

“Well, you tell him that last night I choked out a tumour big enough to choke a horse!”

“You are the Whore of Babylon, mother! You are the mother of this abomination!”

Filming locations:

Poolville, Texas, USA

Related: The Deadly Spawn

IMDb | Image thanks: Le Blog des DVDpasChériens | VHS Collector

Colossal is a 2017 Spanish-Canadian psychological science fiction monster movie written and directed by Nacho Vigalondo (V/H/S Viral; Open Windows; The ABCs of Death). It stars Anne Hathaway, Dan Stevens and Jason Sudeikis.

After Gloria (Anne Hathaway) loses her job and is kicked out of her boyfriend’s apartment, she leaves her life in New York and move back to her hometown.

When news reports surface that a giant creature is destroying Seoul, Korea, Gloria gradually comes to the realization that she is somehow connected to this far-off phenomenon.

As events begin to spin out of control, Gloria must determine why her seemingly insignificant existence has such a colossal effect on the fate of the world…

IMDb

Return of the Fly is the first sequel to the 1958 horror film The Fly. It was released in 1959, and directed by Edward Bernds. Unlike the preceding film, Return of the Fly was shot in black and white. It was followed by a further sequel in 1965, Curse of the Fly.

Plot:

Phillipe Delambre is determined to vindicate his father by successfully completing the experiment. His uncle Francois (Vincent Price) refuses to help. Phillipe hires Alan Hines from Delambre Frere and uses his own finances, but the funds run out before the equipment is complete.

When Phillipe threatens to sell his half of Delambre Frere, Francois relents and funds the completion. After some adjustments, they use the transporter to “store” and later re-materialize test animals. Alan Hines turns out to be Ronald Holmes, an industrial spy. Ronnie tries to sell the secrets to a shadowy cohort named Max.

Before Ronnie can get away with the papers, a British agent confronts him. Ronnie knocks him out and uses the transporter to “store” the body. When rematerialized, the agent has the paws of a guinea pig that had been disintegrated earlier, and the guinea pig has human hands…

Buy: Amazon.com

“Somewhere along the line this “horror” movie morphs into a noir-esque drama rife with shady characters, tilted Stetsons, cars rolling over cliffs with bodies in the trunk—but no tough dames, sorry […] To the filmmakers’ credit, they avoid simply repeating the same plot as the original; even though there are strong similarities, there are also enough twists to make this movie enjoyable for its own sake.” David Maine, Pop Matters

” … the film was only interested in jerry-rigging things to get another guy into a giant fly mask … Watching somebody lose the battle for all the things that matter to him resonates with everyone on some level. Watching his son try not fall over because of an oversized prop fly head only makes you realize that they should have hung a flystrip up in the lab the second go around.” Monsterhunter

“The film only lasts for an hour and fifteen minutes, and yet is plodding and too lengthy for the most part. The production design is more ambitious, and the stark black-and-white imagery seems to have dated less than the original’s colour tones, but this appears to be the only thing going for Return of the Fly.” Raphael Pour-Hashemi, The Digital Fix 

“With stark black-and-white photography by Brydon Baker, director Edward L. Bernds evokes some horrifying moments in a mortuary and keeps things buzzing.” John Stanley, Creature Features

Buy: Amazon.com

” …abandons any pretence to dramatic content in favour of re-using the gimmick from the first film: the ‘happy’ ending is particularly unfortunate.” Alan Frank, The Horror Film Handbook

“Although Bernds script is overly episodic and his direction flat, the film was a commercial success…” The Aurum Film Encyclopedia: Science Fiction

“Artless and filmed on a strictly B picture budget and with a B picture script, this fly should have stayed swotted.” Films and Filming, 1959

Buy: Amazon.co.uk

Buy: Amazon.co.uk

Buy: Amazon.co.uk

Wikipedia | IMDb | AFI | Amazon.com

Image thanks: the scene of screen 13

The Field Guide To Evil is a 2017 horror anthology film from the producers of the ABCs of Death and its sequel.

Ant Timpson, the producer behind such Sundance breakout hits as Turbo Kid, Deathgasm and The Greasy Strangler, and Tim League, the CEO of the Alamo Drafthouse, have joined forces once again to bring something they think will excite fans around the world.

The Field Guide To Evil is a feature-length anthology film that will be directed by Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala (Goodnight Mommy), Peter Strickland (Berberian Sound Studio), Agnieszka Smoczynska (The Lure), Katrin Gebbe (Nothing Bad Can Happen), Can Evrenol (Baskin), Calvin Reeder (The Rambler), Ashim Ahluwalia (Miss Lovely), and Yannis Veslemes (Norway).

Synopsis: 

They are known as myths, lore, and folktales. Created to give logic to mankind’s darkest fears, these stories laid the foundation for what we now know as the horror genre.

We’re going to be exploring the strange tales from all over the globe. Each filmmaker will be making a short about a myth from their country and it will all stitch together in a feature film.

The Field Guide to Evil is running a crowdfunding campaign through the new Microventures IndieGoGo platform in which those who participate are not just contributors but actual investors who will share in the future profits of the film.

Ghastlies is a 2016 American comedy horror film directed by Brett Kelly (My Fair Zombie; Homicycle; Jurassic Shark) from a screenplay by Chris Bavota (shorts: Never Tear Us Apart; Attack of the Brainsucker; After Ate).

The film stars Kim Valentine (Monster Pool: Chapter Two), Kendra Summerfield (Raiders of the Lost Shark), Jessica Huether, and Julie Racine.

Four sorority sisters accidentally unleash a trio of ghastly ghouls from an underground bunker during a weekend getaway in the country…

Main cast:

Kim Valentine, Kendra Summerfield, Jessica Huether, Julie Racine, Eric Deniverville, Joel Elliot, Kyle Martellacci, John Migliore (The Drownsman; Bite; Poltergeist Encounters; et al), Janet Hetherington, Peter Whittaker, Jurgen Vollrath, Kyle Martellacci.

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‘Ready for some fun?’

Summer Camp is a 2015 Spanish-American horror film directed by Alberto Marini (co-executive producer of [Rec] and sequels; Sleep Tight) from a screenplay co-written with Danielle Schleif (The Condemned). It stars Diego Boneta, Jocelin Donahue, and Maiara Walsh.

Four young Americans travel to Europe to work as counsellors for a summer camp there.

Before the kids arrive, however, a rage-inducing, demonic disease spread rapidly from animal to person, resulting in the counsellors desperately trying to escape the illness…

On 10 April 2017, Summer Camp is released in the UK on DVD by Kaleidoscope Home Entertainment.

Buy: Amazon.co.uk

Reviews:

“Moments of obvious foreshadowing and the protagonists occasional lapses in judgment hold Summer Camp back from iconic status, but Marini’s script is one of the most intelligent horror screenplays we’ve seen in some time, throwing in a number of effective twists that naturally develop within the context of the story.” David Opie, Flickering Myth

“Less laudable is Marini’s direction, as he utilizes shaky-cam almost nonstop, to the extent that I suspect it might even give Adam Wingard a headache. He also favors cramped, close-up action, so many of the big attack scenes are little more than a jumbled mess of flailing arms and shouted incidental dialogue like “Go!” and “Shit!” Brian W. Collins, Horror Movie a Day

“Mixing aspects of the camp slasher, zombie flicks, Cabin Fever, Shrooms and Who Can Kill A Child? into a heady homebrew – and a genre jamboree – Summer Camp is always several steps ahead of us, and hilariously mean-spirited to boot. After spending so long hiding in the dark shadows of Spanish genre cinema, Marini has emerged a fully grown, freakily fun guy.” Anton Bitel, Screen Anarchy

“Marini’s camera captures this cinematic environment in it’s beauty even when it’s contrasted by plentiful gore and violence. I found Summer Camp to be a very fun ride from start to finish. It’s got innovation and style that compliment the storytelling well and it kept me enthralled for it’s duration.” Christopher Stewart, UK Horror Scene

Buy: DVD + digital: Amazon.com

“Clearly seasoned in the art of genre, Marini has crafted some impressive jump scares. I refuse to cross over into spoiler territory but every single scare is perfectly timed and utterly unpredictable. Building on his theme of trust, Marini also implements an ingenious plot device which, in the way it is executed, makes Summer Camp feel surprisingly fresh resulting in some incredible character-driven moments.” Jon Dickinson, Scream magazine

“Occasionally, there are some flashes of genuine brilliance that truly highlight just how special Summer Camp could have been. A slight playfulness guides the proceedings but only peeks through a certain times, such as during a wicked, black-hearted climax. Even this, though, doesn’t land quite as well as it could because the characters are so underdeveloped.” Brett Gallman, Oh, the Horror!

“Once it’s sloppy, badly written first act was out of the way, Summer Camp wound up being a gory, funny, mean spirited and fairly ingenious ride. One that took what we know about the “infected” subgenre and used it against us while tagging a fresh twist on it all that gave the whole a much needed boost.” The Arrow, JoBlo.com

“Marini and Schleif take a well used storyline and injected some uniqueness, fun, and excitement. In addition, a surprise ending and plenty of twists and turns keeps the viewer on their toes all the way to the end. Bringing it all together nicely, the acting by the small cast is sharp and they adapt well to the stark changes in scenes and direction.” Robyn Andrew, Cryptic Rock

IMDb

Ozone: The Attack of the Redneck Mutants is a 1986 ecological horror film written [as Brad Redd] and directed by Matt Devlen (Tabloid! and co-producer of Soulmates; Body Parts; The Invisible Maniac).

The film was co-produced by Devlen and Bret McCormick (Repligator; Highway to Hell; The Abomination) and stars Scott Davis (The Abomination), Blue Thompson, and Brad McCormick.

A hole in the Ozone layer caused by toxic pollution turns a group of rednecks into flesh-eating mutants…

Buy: Amazon.co.uk

Reviews:

“The acting is low-budget quality, but not horrible. There’s lots of toilet humor and gross sound effects to keep the immature at heart giggling a bit. Like I said before, some of the blood and gore scenes are quite well done […] There’s a bunch of good to go along with a handful of bad…” HorrorNews.net

“This would have been campy fun in the vein of H.G. Lewis but the comedy is very lame, and the splatter occurs mostly at the climax where rednecks go on a rampage in a karaoke gathering and in people’s homes, tearing people apart. The rest of the gore consists of blood splatter and a lot of multicolored goo oozing and vomiting.” The Worldwide Celluloid Massacre

“This movie does take full advantage of the fact that it was filmed in such a precious format as Super 8. It even has fun with itself, as all the sound is dubbed in post-production (the lips don’t match the words half the time, as if a rewrite of the script was done in post-production to add more jokes, once they figured out how ridiculous the whole concept of the film truly was).” Jaime Grijalba, Desist Film

” …a good example of what you can achieve what a backyard filmmaking team can achieve when it sets out to do something squarely within its means — not much, to put it kindly, but the kind of “not much” that’s done with enough passion, heart, and balls that it ends up having its own kind of demented, but thoroughly watchable, charm.” Ryan C., Trash Film Guru

IMDb