Retribution is a 1986 [released 1987] American supernatural horror film produced, co-edited and directed by Guy Magar from a screenplay co-written with Lee Wasserman; it stars Dennis Lipscomb, Leslie Wing, Hoyt Axton, and Suzanne Snyder.
The film’s synth-heavy soundtrack score was by Alan Howarth, a frequent collaborator with John Carpenter.
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On Halloween, George Miller attempts to commit suicide by jumping off his hotel residence roof. However, he survives.
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Psychiatrist Dr. Jennifer Curtis manages to convince George he must carry on despite him suffering from terrible nightmares. Unfortunately, he discovers that when he is asleep, he forces other people to kill themselves in cruel ways…
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Reviews [may contain spoilers]:
“There are long, tedious stretches where nothing much happens and numerous scenes thrown in that have little bearing on the actual plot and should have wound up on the cutting room floor […] Thankfully, this does manage to come to life during some nicely-directed, shot and staged supernatural sequences.” The Bloody Pit of Horror
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“What does set the film apart from most of its ilk – low budget or studio release – is an obvious affection on the director’s part for his characters (perhaps too much since few of the nice characters are put in danger or even potentially threatened) and confidence in his chosen cast and crew.” Eric Cotenas, DVD Drive-In
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“A fun trash movie, overlong but with enough horrible death to compensate for a hysterical central performance and some ridiculous plot turns.” William Thomas, Empire
“Inexplicably, director Guy Magar, a TV cop-show veteran, and co-writer Lee Wasserman have humorlessly emphasized their hero’s psychological torment as if this was serious stuff, not the hokum that it is.” Chris Willman, Los Angeles Times
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The murder sequences are all strange and inventive enough to catch the attention of any horror fan, especially a surreal vignette involving a huge pig’s carcass at a meat processing plant, and Lipscomb does well in a rare leading role different from his usual TV work. The script itself doesn’t quite hold together as some characters get far more developed than others…” Nathaniel Thompson, Mondo Digital
Guy Magar has said it took three years before he found an investor for the film. A wealthy businessman finally put up the entire $1.2 million budget. Filming began in January 1986 and lasted five weeks.
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Filming locations:
Los Angeles, California, USA
Release:
Retribution screened at the AFI Film Festival of Los Angeles in March 1987. The film was originally planned for theatrical release in October 1986, but its release was delayed. It had a limited release in June 1987 and was finally scheduled for an October 1988 wide release.
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Censorship:
In the UK, the BBFC inexplicably censored the Medusa VHS release by a whopping 1m 24s.
I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Richard Neil, the star of the phenomenal film, Prodigy(2017). Richard hails from New York City (my hometown) and has been a staple in the entertainment industry for over thirty years. He is best known for his roles in Veronica Mars, Entourage and Eli Stone.
Prodigy is a remarkable film about a nine-year-old girl who is capable of the unmentionable… death by sheer will power. Richard Neil portrays the empathetic psychologist, who is determined to break this ruthless demeanour and uncover the humanity buried inside her.
Meredith: Fonda is a broken man, trying to help save a child from her own demons and powers. How did you prepare for such a deep and emotionally scarred role?
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Richard: Well, it’s a period of rumination. I read the script, and immediately felt a connection to the role [Fonda]. He’s a father, a wounded man, and it’s not too difficult to imagine the tragedy in his past. You dwell in that pain, and it somewhat possesses you, and really becomes the key to the character. It infuses all of his personal interactions.
Meredith: Did you feel any direct connection to the Fonda role? Any shared/similar traits?
Richard: As I said, we are both fathers. And without coming across as too New Age, when you embrace the role of an attached parent, it truly does transform your life. My own daughter is now sixteen, and the person I was before becoming an involved dad is a complete foreigner to who I am now. It has so opened me up emotionally, where I’ve really become quite pathetic, as I see my daughter about to leave home. I really have to refrain from getting emotional just by looking at her, so as not to embarrass her. It’s pretty sad really. This connection, this self-identity as an empathetic father is the key to the role. So, where Fonda is at the beginning of the movie is a place of resolve, he feels tremendous guilt and pain, and his lifestyle, his work with troubled youth, his solitary chess playing are his way of dealing with the burden, a kind of self-council. Also on a physical note, Fonda is described as being unkempt, somewhat disheveled in his appearance and hair maintenance. That’s not a big leap for me either.
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Meredith: Savannah Liles is such a talented young lady! What was it like to work with her, portraying such an intense character as Ellie?
Richard: She really was terrific. So well-prepared and poised on the set. She seemed to handle it all quite well. She worked really hard with her mom as well as with an acting coach. And both Alex and Brian, the co-directors, were always there for her, and were protective of her, making sure she felt safe. Our scenes went relatively smoothly. The only drawback to working with someone so young is their time restrictions. Since kids can only be on the set for a strict amount of hours, most of my close-ups were delivered to a stand-in which was usually the script supervisor. So instead of delivering this intense dialogue to a nine-year-old freckle-faced girl, they were usually delivered to a twenty-year-old woman, who was squatting to be at the appropriate height.
Meredith: Fonda at one point, becomes almost… fearless around Ellie. If that were a real situation you were in, would you hesitate before removing the restraints and ignoring all the warnings?
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Richard: Well, at that point, I’ve become quite desperate. I have little recourse except to go rogue. And I suppose, Fonda himself is bit of a depressive, feeling “what’s the worst that can happen?” “So, I die.” At least I tried everything in my power to save her.” When you have little to lose, when you are just so tired, I think that’s where that fearlessness comes in to play.” Not to digress too much, but I remember being bullied as a young boy, growing up in the Bronx, and getting my share of bloody noses. After a while, you are so fed up, you fight back and say, “Enough!” No matter how big or how many there are. You get a little crazy. So when Fonda’s back is against the wall, he says, “To hell with it! Let’s see what happens.”
Meredith: Prodigy is a sub-genre of horror…more along the lines of suspense/thriller. What type of film genre(s) do you find most challenging?
Richard: Every genre has its own challenges. But I think it has more to do with the writing and the character. Some roles, like Fonda, felt easy for me to slip into. Other parts, if they are so wildly different to who I am, my outlook, my personal experience – then you just have to work a lot harder to get there.
Meredith: Tell me about the beginning of your acting career… you grew up in New York City and graduated from The Neighborhood Playhouse? What took you to South Carolina?
Richard: Yes, I got to study at the Playhouse with Sanford Meisner, and with some other very gifted teachers, especially Richard Pinter, who I believe took over as head teacher there since Meisner’s passing. As for South Carolina, I got to be part of a production at the Spoleto Festival in Charleston. A producer on that production asked if I and another member of that production would return for the following Spoleto to be part of a production of Cyrano. That was a collaboration with a local theatre company called Chopstick. After that production, I was asked by Chopstick’s artistic director, Steve Lepre, to become a member of the company. That turned into a wild five year ride, touring and teaching with this company, primarily in the Southeast. I got to play Stanley Kowalski and a lot of other great roles. It was always my dream to be part of a repertory theatre. It was incredibly hard work, and I made a lot of wonderful friends, and basically got that bug out of my system. It turned out to be the best training ground in the world! Working really hard, being thrown into every imaginable role. And making it work!
Meredith: What was your favourite project to work on?
Richard: I’ve been very lucky. Probably the one that made the biggest impact was the film, Best Wishes for Tomorrow. I got to go to Japan for a month, working with a legend, Makoto Fujita, and the director, Takashi Koizumi. It was his third feature as a director, but he worked side by side with Kurosawa for a couple of decades. Koizumi is a pure artist and a true inspiration.
Meredith: What was your proudest moment, as an actor and in life?
Richard: Well, in life, that’s easy. Being a dad, being there for my daughter. As an actor, there are just too many. As I mentioned, working in Japan with Koizumi-san. Also, another amazing artist, with whom I had the good fortune to collaborate on more than one occasion was with the video artist, Bill Viola. What a mind. What imagination. I was part of his installation for the Venice Biennale called Ocean Without A Shore. Well, both Viola and Koizumi are practicing Buddhists, so that probably has something to do with it. Just inspiring to be around. Like going into a spiritual study. I didn’t care so much about the work, just hanging out with these guys was very inspiring.
Meredith: Who are your influences?
Richard: As an actor, probably Brando more than anyone. I remember seeing On the Waterfront for the first time, while studying at A.C.T. in San Francisco. And then, of course, getting a bit obsessed, seeing everything he’d ever done. Last Tango in Paris. Not sure if it was acting, being, or what. But having that confidence, and being so present in from of the camera.
Meredith: Was there ever a point in your career where you questioned or regretted any decisions?
Richard: It never stops. Don’t work for a few weeks, a few months… That self-doubt doesn’t seem all that far away. But then you get a good gig, and you know you’re in the right place. All that you’ve done has brought you here. It’s the ridiculous highs and lows which make most of us actors neurotic.
Meredith: You have appeared on countless TV series and full-length films as well. Which do you prefer and why?
Richard: I’ve never had a long running character on a show, so I wouldn’t know that feeling of security. For me, the films have worked out better because it meant longer employment. Like most actors I assume, we would rather be working than auditio
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ning. And as with most jobs, I’m just grateful for the gig! Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.
Meredith: If you had a chance to work with anyone in the world, who would that be? Even if he/she is deceased and you had the power to resurrect them…who would you kill to work with?
Richard: Anyone? Edmund Kean in a Shakespeare production. Or the Lunts. Or the Barrymores. Why not Brando in an early stage production? I’d settle for any of them!
Meredith: Richard, thank you so very much for taking the time to interview with me. You have had quite a career and it looks like more great things are to come! I hope to see you in more fantastic films, TV series, and even some theater productions. I appreciate your time and best wishes on the success of Prodigy. It is absolutely wonderful!
The Farm is a 2018 American horror film written and directed by Hans Stjernswärd (short: Geppetto); it stars Nora Yessayan, Alec Gaylord, and Ken Volok.
A young couple gets kidnapped and treated like farm animals after stopping at a roadside diner to eat meat…
Penny Pinchers: The Kings of No-Budget Horror is a 2017 American documentary film directed by Dustin Ferguson (Meathook Massacre and sequel; Amityville: Evil Never Dies; Camp Blood 4 and 5; et al).
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Press blurb:
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.“An eye-opening documentary detailing the trials and tribulations of no-budget horror filmmaking, featuring some of the world’s leading directors in the genre!”
Includes interviews with:
Todd Sheets
Donald Farmer
Tim Ritter
Todd Jason Cook
Dustin Ferguson
Lloyd Kaufman
Christopher Seaver
Johnny Dickie
Phil Herman
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Reviews:
“Ultimately, budding filmmakers are likely the ones who will get the most out of this documentary; though it still makes intriguing viewing for the casual movie fan, where it offers a view into the proverbial sausage factory. There is enough of the nitty-gritty on display without it soaking up the fun, and Penny Pinchers keeps a sober head about the subject while showing warmth for the horror genre.” Dave Heath, Cryptic Rock
Ready Player One is a 2018 American science fiction adventure film produced and directed by Steven Spielberg from a screenplay by Zak Penn and Ernest Cline, based on Cline’s 2011 novel of the same name.
The movie contains a vast number of popular culture references, mainly from the 1970s and 1980s but also the 1990s; a surprising number of these are from horror culture – this listing contains spoilers, so perhaps watch the blockbuster first:
Both Freddy Krueger and Jason Voorhees are seen as battling avatars in the OASIS game
The T-Rex dinosaur from Jurassic Park is a destructive obstacle in an urban virtual vehicle race.
King Kong climbs down from the Empire State Building and proves a massive obstacle in the aforementioned wacky race.
In the same race, Godzilla can be seen attacking Megalon in the distance.
An Alien chest-burster is used as a practical joke.
The Sulaco spaceship from Aliens, is seen as a virtual toy.
A crashed Martian space ship from War of the Worlds is the site of a virtual meeting.
Beetlejuice is seen as a videogame avatar.
Graffiti related to Gremlins is briefly seen (this passed us by).
The Christine Plymouth from the 1983 Stephen King adaptation can be glimpsed in a virtual race.
Lead gameplayer Wade briefly adopts Michael Jackson’s red outfit from the Thriller music video.
David Cronenberg’s 1986 remake of The Fly is apparently mentioned.
There is a whole extended sequence set in a virtual replica of the Overlook Hotel from The Shining. Besides the creepy twins, elevator gushing gallons of blood, the naked lady in Room 237, the gameplay goes beyond the 1980 movie (and also amusingly notes that Stephen King hated it), to include a giant axe attack in the maze and zombies in the ballroom too.
Spawn is seen as an avatar in a battle sequence.
Slasher doll Chucky is used as a weapon, prompting a startled virtual soldier to exclaim, “It’s fucking Chucky!”
Villain Sorrento adopts the guise and weaponry of Mechagodzilla from Toho’s Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (1974).
A toy version of Robbie the Robot from Forbidden Planet.
The scary skeleton warriors from Jason and the Argonauts are glimpsed in a battle scene.
There may have been a toy Godzilla in young Halliday’s bedroom but it could have been a model dinosaur.
Simon Pegg was, of course in Shaun of the Dead; Hot Fuzz and The World’s End, Steve Coogan’s comedy TV series Dr. Terrible’s House of Horrible, plus the upcoming Slaughterhouse Rulez
Thanks to Vulture.com for identifying a few we missed when viewing Ready Player One earlier today. Please let us know if there are others in this whirlwind of a movie in the comments below.
The Screaming Skull is a 1958 American horror film, written and produced by John Kneubuhl (Two on a Guillotine), inspired by the short story of the same name by Francis Marion Crawford. It was directed by Alex Nicol (A*P*E; The Night God Screamed; Point of Terror), who also plays the gardener). It stars John Hudson, Peggy Webber, and Russ Conway.
The film’s cinematographer was Floyd Crosby who worked with Roger Corman several times, especially on key genre movies such as House of Usher (1960) and ThePit and the Pendulum (1961).
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In the United States, American International Pictures (AIP) released the film on a double-bill with Terror from the Year 5,000.
On April 25, 2017, The Screaming Skull was released on Blu-ray by Scream Factory.
Opening narration: “The Screaming Skull is a motion picture that reaches its climax in shocking horror. Its impact is so terrifying that it may have an unforeseen effect. It may *kill* you! The producers would like to offer a free burial service to anyone who dies of shock…”
A newly-wed woman (Peggy Webber) believes she is being haunted by the ghost of her husband’s previous wife…
” … for a directorial debut, it demonstrates remarkable credibility and resourcefulness, and for a horror film of its station and era, it earns a well-deserved niche in the curator’s mind. It’s a nice example of what people used to call a “sleeper.” Tim Lucas, Video Watchdog
” …gets a lot of mileage out of the creepy half-empty house as well as the surprise appearances of the titular skull. The final sequence in which Eric himself gets attacked by the vengeance seeking skull is particularly memorable.” Mitch Lovell, The Video Vacuum
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“Nicol evidently didn’t have much of a budget to work with, though he was able to select a nice location with the country house and its surrounding gardens, and though The Screaming Skull began in rather pedestrian manner stick with it since it only lasted barely over an hour, and in that time it built up a neat amount of mayhem within its meagre means. The best idea it had was to take what was clearly hokum deadly seriously…” Graeme Clarke, The Spinning Image
” … it’s possible to find some kind of meaning in the character relationships – parallel drownings, an ex-wife resembling the new wife’s mother, etc. But there’s neither enough quality nor enough camp to make the flick rewarding.” David Elroy Goldweber, Claws & Saucers
“Crosby’s camerawork is superb, and there are some nicely macabre moments (birds screeching all around, grinning skulls popping out of a dark pool) … Nicol, an actor directing here for the first time, let’s the action spin out much too slackly…” The Aurum Film Encyclopedia: Horror
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Director Alex Nicol as Mickey the gardener
“But while some of the tension is very good and the story is well told within its brief 68 minute runtime, The Screaming Skull cannot escape the silliness of the bland acting, naff script and rolling skull […] For everything it does right, it does twenty things wrong.” The Flickering Myth
” …the earnest atmospherics, and perfectly ambiguous ending set this one apart. No, it’s not a masterpiece. But it’s classic late ’50s matinee fun.” The Terror Trap
“The Screaming Skull opens with a [William] Castle-ish gimmick, and the film definitely belongs to the Castle school of horror: a little cheesy, a little suspenseful, a whole lot of fun. The film isn’t quite as high-quality as any of Castle’s many immensely enjoyable outings, but it’s still a pretty good watch… Lindsey D., The Motion Pictures
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“No movie should be repetitious if it is only 68 minutes long […] You could easily cut this movie to under an hour and not lose anything. In fact, The Screaming Skull for the most part comes across as a bad episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents…” Duane, Rogue Cinema
‘One last mission. Retrieve the asset. Go back to your family.’
Cartel 2045 – aka Juarez 2045 – is a 2017 science fiction action film written and directed by Chris Le, and starring Danny Trejo (Dead in Tombstone; Voodoo Possession; The Devil’s Rejects) with Alexander P. Heartman, Brad Schmidt, and Blake Webb.
The year is 2045, the continuing drug war has caused havoc between The United States and Mexico. Gear Side International, a robotics engineering company on the brink of bankruptcy, sells off their technology to the Cartel on the black market.
With the advanced military robotics technology in the wrong hands the cartel uses it to their advantage; replacing their enforcers, hit men, and soldiers…
Cartel 2045 premieres on VOD on May 1, 2018 from Uncork’d Entertainment.
The Toybox is a 2018 supernatural American horror film directed by Tom Nagel (ClownTown) from a screenplay by Jeff Denton, based on a storyline by Tom Nagel, Jeff Denton, Brian Nagel and Jeff Miller. It stars Denise Richards, Mischa Barton, Katie Keene, and Matt Mercer.
Charles has purchased a vintage RV with the hopes of taking his family on a road trip to reconcile with his two sons, a promise he made to his wife before she recently died. His oldest son, Steve, his wife Jennifer (Denise Richards), their daughter and family dog, are excited for the excursion, however, his youngest son Jay is less than enthusiastic.
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Along the way, the family picks up Samantha (Mischa Barton) and her brother, broken down on the side of the highway. Before they get them to a service station in the next town, Charles insists on taking a detour into the desert to visit a landmark and they soon get lost.
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Now stranded in the desert, the unsuspecting group is blindsided by the terrible secrets they discover within the walls of the RV and find themselves in the fight of their lives…
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The Toybox will have its world premiere at the Texas Frightmare at the beginning of May.
Cast and characters:
Denise Richards … Jennifer – Scary Movie 3; Valentine; Starship Troopers
Mischa Barton … Samantha – Ouija House; The Basement; The Hoarder; Zombie Killers: Elephant’s Graveyard
Dead List is a 2017 American comedy horror anthology film written and directed by Holden Andrews (segments: ‘Zander’, ‘Kush’), Ivan Asen (segment ‘Scott’), and Victor Mathieu (segments: ‘Jason’ and ‘Bob’).
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Calvin (Deane Sullivan) is competing with five other actors — Zander, Scott, Kush, Jason and Bob — for a major movie role. Stopping at nothing to win the role of a lifetime, he uses a demonic book to curse his fellow actors, with each actor being killed off in their own separate unique and terrifying chapter.
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High Octane Pictures is releasing Dead List on May 1, 2018 on VOD, DVD on July 3, 2018, and via streaming platforms on September 4, 2018.
318 Girls’ Dormitory – original titles: 318 Nv Sheng Su She and 318女生宿舍 – is a 2017 Chinese horror supernatural film directed by Shao Jin and Duan Yu-Bao from a screenplay by Shao Jin and Li Jian. It stars Joessi Qiao Xi, Benjamin Zhang Yi-Wen, Zhang Han-Dan, Ma Ke, Xi La-Li, and Timothy Zao.
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We are currently unable to locate a plot synopsis, although the trailer below indicates there is a ghostly presence in a girls’ boarding school. The film is not yet on IMDb.
Angels vs. Zombies – aka Dark Patch – is a 2017 French science fiction horror film written and directed by Emmanuel Saez. It stars Philippe Coste, Manuel Gonçalves, and Sonia Pérez.
The Biblical prophecy of the End of Days is seemingly manifested by the destruction of Rome and a zombie apocalypse – Satan’s Army of the Undead – that can only prevented by seven angels from Heaven itself…
Party Hard, Die Young is a 2018 Austrian slasher horror film directed by Dominik Hartl (Attack of the Lederhosen Zombies) from a screenplay by Robert Buchschwenter and Karin Lomot. It stars Marlon Boess, Markus Freistätter, and Michael Glantschnig.
Finally, graduation! No more high school! In order to celebrate Julia, her classmates and thousands of fellow graduates are on their way to an island resort in Croatia. It’s supposed to be the party of their lives.
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The harmless frivolity, however, soon turns dead serious. When a friend is killed in a tragic accident, the party people’s euphoria is crushed.
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Moreover, Julia’s best friend Jessica has been missing and she is the only one who believes in a connection between the two incidents. Unfortunately soon after, her suspicion is confirmed when Jessica’s lifeless body is washed up on the shore…
Time Is Up – aka Open Wound – is a 2016 psychological mystery film written and directed by Jürgen Weber; it stars Leila Lowfire, Jerry Kwarteng, and Erik Hansen.
A man and a woman are on their way to a pool party. The apparently harmless situation shifts into a dance macabre…
Unlisted Owner is a 2017 American found footage horror film directed by Jed Brian (who also stars) from a screenplay co-written with Tyler Landers.
The film was edited as crime scene video evidence, with law enforcement placards showing the date time and whose camera was filming in the next sequence.
A small Illinois community in fictional Lawford County that has been shaken to the core by the murders of a Roth family who had recently purchased a house with a dark history unaware to many.
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A radio broadcast of the deaths is heard by a group of friends: Gavin Landers (Gavin Groves), Griffin Potts (Griffin Groves), Tyler Brian (Tyler Landers), Jed Groves (Jed Brian), Andrea Mills (Andrea Potts), and Haidee Summers (Haidee Corona).
The teens realise the murders are only a mile away from where they are going camping. Since the murder scene is so close, they decide to investigate themselves…
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Reviews [may contain spoilers]:
“Because the events in the beginning of Unlisted Owner take so long to get through, the ending of the film is very rushed. This leaves viewers feeling like they have just gone through a rollercoaster effect of deaths since all happen within minutes or seconds of each other. ” Samantha Andujar, Cryptic Rock
“Yes, it looks and feels realistic enough but you just want it to move on to the fun bits. You almost wish that there was more footage of the family in the first video but we do not stay with them long enough to care for them. Clocking in at 65 minutes, it is a quick watch and you know what to expect.” Phase 9
“I wouldn’t say Unlisted Owner was a flop, though if there had been more attention taken to adjusting certain elements of the plot to make into something truly terrifying than I think the film would have done well!” Popcorn Horror
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” …the last twenty minutes was solid horror and effectively filmed, especially the clever way each of the characters vanish one by one. Despite being obvious in this type of genre it had some good moments, such as the camera battery running out at a key moment, the final (if predictable) shot and a reason for filming that just about holds up.” Daniel Simmonds, The Rotting Zombie
” …the acting in this no budget feature is actually quite good. Unfortunately the douchebag dialogue is so convincing, I wanted to kill the characters myself. I certainly didn’t care when any of them died. A long build leads to budgeted pull-away kills which would have been okay, except I wanted to see these immature assholes die.” Jason Minton, Without Your Head
The film premiered to a focus group in Vincennes, Indiana on June 14 and 15, 2013, and screened again November 24, 2013, in Evansville, before screening at festivals and the American Film Market (AFM) in November 2015. Lawford County Productions signed a distribution agreement with Tom Cat Films/Summer Hill Entertainment in October 2016. Unlisted Owner was released on Amazon.com on November 14th, 2017.
The First Purge is a 2018 American dystopian action horror film directed by Gerard McMurray from a screenplay by James DeMonaco. It is a prequel to 2013’s The Purge and is the fourth movie in The Purge franchise.
The film stars Y’Lan Noel, Lex Scott Davis, Joivan Wade, Luna Lauren Velez, and Marisa Tomei.
To push the crime rate below one percent for the rest of the year, the New Founding Fathers of America (NFFA) test a sociological theory that vents aggression for one night in one isolated community. But when the violence of oppressors meets the rage of the marginalised, the contagion will explode from the trial-city borders and spread across the nation…
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The First Purge is scheduled to be released on July 4, 2018 by Universal Pictures.
Production:
Principal photography began in mid-September, 2017 in Buffalo, New York. Shooting wrapped on November 8th, 2017.
Dagon is a 2001 Spanish horror film directed by Stuart Gordon (The Dentist; From Beyond; Re-Animator; et al) from a screenplay by Dennis Paoli. Despite the title, the plot is actually based on H. P. Lovecraft‘s novella The Shadow Over Innsmouth (1932) rather than on his earlier short story ‘Dagon’ (1919).
A boating accident off the coast of Spain sends Paul and his girlfriend Barbara to the decrepit fishing village of Imboca. As night falls, people start to disappear and things not quite human start to appear. Paul is pursued by the entire town.
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Running for his life, he uncovers Imboca’s secret..they worship Dagon, a monstrous god of the sea… and Dagon’s unholy offspring are on the loose…
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Vestron Video is issuing Dagon as a restored Collector’s Edition Blu-ray release on July 24, 2018.
Audio Commentary with Director Stuart Gordon and Screenwriter Denis Paoli
Audio Commentary with Director Stuart Gordon and Star Ezra Godden
New: “Gods & Monsters” – A discussion with Director Stuart Gordon, Interviewed by Filmmaker Mick Garris
New: “Shadows over Imboca” – An Interview with Producer Brian Yuzna
New: “Fish Stories” – An Interview with S.T. Joshi, author of I Am Providence: The Life and Times of H.P. Lovecraft
Vintage EPK
Archival Interviews with Stuart Gordon, Ezra Godden, and other Cast & Crew
Theatrical Trailer
New: Conceptual Art Gallery from Artist Richard Raaphorst
Storyboard Gallery
Still Gallery
Reviews:
“Though it’s not perfect, Lovecraft fans will most likely be willing to forgive Dagon‘s shortcomings in favor of a film that obviously shows great respect and appreciation for its source materials.” Jason Buchanan, AllMovie
“With a few script touch ups and, more fleshed out characters and a more endearing lead, the film would’ve kicked my ass all over my padded my room. As/is there was a human anchor missing. But even with its set-backs there are still enough horror treats in this unsettling tale to make it worth the boat ride.” Arrow in the Head
” …Dagon demonstrates that the filmmakers still ascribe to their small-budget and exploitation roots, putting most of their money up on the screen by way of creature effects, make-up, production design, etc., along with a mild infusion of some gratuitous T&A. The look of the movie and the effects is fantastic…” Marjorie Baumgarten, Austin Chronicle
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” …I’m willing to forgive the sometimes cheap-looking digital effects and the sometimes rubbery-looking tentacles. The fact that said tentacles are often seen in association with Macarena Gomez (probably the sexiest high priestess in movies for many a year) or clutching at a naked Raquel Merono (who essays the helpless struggling victim role very nicely) while she’s suspended in chains over a pit probably helps.” John Llewellyn Probert, House of Mortal Cinema
“Godden does a great job as the confused Paul and adds a comic relief touch to his character while still showing the emotion of pure terror and narrowly escaping the mutant townsfolk. Speaking of which, there’s also a good amount of scares and gore to go around. Every chase scene if full of suspense and does a great job entertaining you for the film’s 90-minute runtime…” Strange Kids Club
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” …builds some good spooky mood at first and manages to be watchable with Godden making a suitably “dorky” hero, an okay opening dream sequence involving a mermaid, decent creature effects and couple of gruesomely cool moments (the best one involving a derelict’s face). Sure it’s a bit leisurely paced and certainly not perfect…” The Video Graveyard
“Gordon nicely creates the decayed humanity of Lovecraft’s ‘Innsmouth’ […] Dagon is a dark story well told, but for some Lovecraft lovers, it may be a fish that should have gotten away.” Andrew Migliore and John Strysik, Lurker in the Lobby: A Guide to the Cinema of H. P. Lovecraft, Night Shade Books, 2006
Bloody Chainsaw Girl – original title: Chimamire sukeban chênsô – is a 2016 Japanese science fiction comedy horror film directed by Hiroki Yamaguchi (Hellevator) from a screenplay by Mitsunori Fukuhara, based on a manga by Rei Mikamoto. It stars Rio Uchida, Mari Yamachi, Seira Satô, and Yuki Tamaki.
Delinquent high school student Giko (Rio Uchida) wields a chainsaw like no other, a talent she inherited from her long-deceased father.
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On her way to high school, Giko is attacked by Sayuri, an assassin sent by rival student Nero. It seems that Nero has been burning the mad scientist oil and turning fellow classmates into cyborgs that obey her every command. The nefarious Nero is looking to add Giko to her collection of demented soldiers.
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Although able to repel Sayuri’s attack, Giko is hardly out of the fire, and finds herself targeted not only by Nero, but also by all the members of her school’s Ninja Club, including Hanzo, their female leader who – in addition to a cyborg makeover – received a sex change from Nero…
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Reviews:
“Evidently, Yoko Matsuda and Kazuhide Shimohata in the makeup department, Yuta Okuyama, Soichi Umezawa and Adam Nishida on the special effects, and Mami Ito in the costume department have done wonders into portraying all this bloody preposterousness on screen, and the result is truly impressive.” Panos Kotzathanasis, Asian Movie Pulse
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“It manages to fill most dialogue with nonsense, especially the rationale of the villain – which is so nonsensical I still cannot comprehend […] If you want an example of the craziness, look at the poster here and see where the missiles come from.” Moonlight Knight
‘Devil’s Level’ is a 2018 song by veteran punk band Dwarves (whose manic career deserves – and will soon receive – a HORRORPEDIA entry). It’s taken from their new album ‘Take Back the Night’, which is released on Burger Records on April 19, 2018.
The horror-themed track has a graphically gory promo video, that includes homages to Lucio Fulci and Luis Buñuel’s work, shot by director nesto whose 2016-17 promo reel also contains some horrific imagery.
Thanks to 13th Floor for making us aware of this Dwarves video and new album.
La Maldición de la Bestia – translation: “The Curse of the Beast” is a 1975 Spanish supernatural horror film directed by Miguel Iglesias as M.I. Bonns from a screenplay by Jacinto Molina aka Paul Naschy who also stars. It is the eighth in a long series about the werewolf Count Waldemar Daninsky.
The film is also known as The Werewolf and the Yeti, Hall of the Mountain King, Horror of the Werewolf and Night of the Howling Beast.
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In the early 1980s, the film became one of the infamous British video nasties when it was caught up in the moral furore over freely available violent videos.
Waldemar Daninsky goes on an expedition from London (cue shot of Big Ben) to Tibet to find proof that the yeti really exists.
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Unfortunately, he encounters vicious bandits and becomes captured by two feral, cannibalistic women who turn him into a werewolf. Waldemar’s friends are then kidnapped by a sorceress, and later, he briefly fights a yeti… Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.
Reviews:
“The flaying scene where Melody has the skin stripped from her back is actually pretty graphic, especially when one considers when the film was made. The sex scene in the cave is perhaps another reason why the film found its way onto the video nasty list.” Behind the Couch
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” …Euro-exploitation of a particularly unhinged variety, and the film does not disappoint […] with a few moments of genuine atmosphere smuggled in – as when Daninsky seeks refuge in a cave system bathed in an amber glow with lavender highlights.” Jonathan Rigby, Euro Gothic, Signum Books, 2016
“This is a crazy watch, it has werewolves, a yeti, blood rituals, skin-peeling, warlords, and cannibalism – there’s a little bit of everything here for everyone, all mixed up in a goody stew of action and horror that never gets boring.” McBastard’s Mausoleum
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“We get a decent amount of werewolf carnage here and the action scenes are both plentiful and well-choreographed […] the sets and locations employed work nicely and the camerawork is more than competent, occasionally even flashy. Not the best of Naschy’s Daninsky pictures but definitely an entertaining monster mash well worth seeking out.” Ian Jane, Rock! Shock! Pop!
“Too bad we have to wait until the last eight minutes before Naschy’s snarling lycanthrope battles some shambling, anonymous dude in a yeti suit. Nevertheless, The Werewolf and the Yeti a.k.a. Night of the Howling Beast ranks as one of the Spanish horror star’s most enjoyable outings.” Andrew Pragasm, The Spinning Image
A young couple, Mary (Ellie Church) and PJ (Jason Crowe), are kidnapped in their own home by a sadistic clown (Arthur Cullipher) who wants to break their spirits and sell them into servitude to a cult of wealthy deviants. Mary holds onto her humanity through trial after trial, desperately looking for a way to escape her torment and rescue PJ from his own madness…
