‘Prey. Slay. Display.’

House of Wax is a 2005 American-Australian horror film directed by Jaume Collet-Serra (The Shallows; Orphan) from a screenplay by Chad Hayes and Carey W. Hayes (The Turning; The Conjuring; The Dark Side of the Moon; et al), based on a story by Charles Belden.

The movie stars Elisha Cuthbert, Chad Michael Murray, Brian Van Holt, Paris Hilton, Jared Padalecki, Jon Abrahams and Robert Ri’chard.

The movie is a very loose remake of the 1953 film of the same name, itself a remake of Mystery of the Wax Museum. (1933).

Carly Jones, her twin brother Nick, her boyfriend Wade, her best friend Paige, Paige’s boyfriend Blake and Nick’s friend Dalton are on their way to a football game in Louisiana. When night falls, the group sets up camp. A stranger in a pickup truck visits their campsite, shines his lights and refuses to leave until Nick smashes one of his headlights.

The next morning, Wade discovers that his car’s fan belt is broken. Carly and Paige wander into the woods, where Carly tumbles down a hill and falls into a pit filled with rotting animal carcasses. After rescuing her, the group meets a strange man named Lester, who offers to drive Carly and Wade to the nearby town of Ambrose to get a new fan belt. The two arrive at Ambrose, which is virtually a ghost town…

Reviews:

“At times it can appear that House of Wax is more style over substance (and I’m looking at you, finale) but underneath the glossy surface is a gloriously nasty slasher which delivers the goods. The slasher material feels fresh, the wax elements are played to perfection and the cast do decent jobs of making it all seem believable. Highly underrated…” Andrew Smith, Popcorn Pictures

“105 minutes may seem like a lengthy slog for such a simple stalk and slash picture but precious few of them are wasteful and the last thirty are more than worthy of the price of admission alone. Give House of Wax an opportunity when you desire an old school horror fable with a glossy sheen as, given the chance, it may well melt away your defenses like it did mine.” Rivers of Grue

“House of Wax is not a good movie, but it is an efficient one and will deliver most of what anyone attending House of Wax could reasonably expect… assuming it would be unreasonable to expect very much.” Roger Ebert

“It takes its time and it actually gets better as it goes along. Yes, it’s sensationalist, silly entertainment meant for a young audience, but everyone knows that going in. And yes, its dialogue is stilted, its characters un-delineated and their motivations ridiculous.” Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle

” …isn’t bad as these things go, although these things go nowhere a healthy individual should want to. Having never claimed to be a healthy individual, I found it tolerable. It’s nowhere near as punishing as Rob Zombie’s House of 1,000 Corpses, but it’s increasingly tense and resourceful and, in the end, it gets the sick job done.” David Edelstein, Slate

” …a fun slasher romp with some neat ideas and grisly murders. Paris does okay with her “slutty blonde victim” part and the waxy finale is something we’re unlikely to see anywhere else. Most definitely not for discriminating horror fans, but if you’re game for some trashy entertainment and well-executed executions, then you could do a lot worse.” Vegan Voorhees

“I like this movie a little bit because they still kill the old way. In recent years, in search of big bucks, a number of horror movies have been produced as hard but nevertheless permissible PG-13s, to bring in a younger cash customer. When you see that, you know there’s a certain line the movie won’t cross; it lessens the upfront apprehension, which after all is the point of the horror movie, no?” Stephen Hunter, Washington Post

Cast and characters:

• Elisha Cuthbert as Carly Jones
• Chad Michael Murray as Nick Jones
• Brian Van Holt as Bo Sinclair / Vincent Sinclair
• Paris Hilton as Paige Edwards
• Jared Padalecki as Wade Felton
• Jon Abrahams as Dalton Chapman
• Robert Ri’chard as Blake Johnson
• Damon Herriman as Lester Sinclair
• Andy Anderson as Sheriff
• Dragicia Debert as Trudy Sinclair
• Murray Smith as Dr. Victor Sinclair
• Emma Lung as Jennifer [uncredited]

Release:

The film premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and was released in US theaters on May 6, 2005.

With a reported budget of $40 million, House of Wax earned $70 million at box offices worldwide, $32 million of which came from North American receipts. House of Wax also earned $42 million in VHS/DVD rentals.

Wikipedia | IMDb

‘At home, at work, at play… terror is never far away!’

III Slices of Life – aka 3 Slices of Life and Slices of Life – is a 2010 American horror anthology film directed by Anthony G. Sumner (Gallery of Fear) from a screenplay co-written with Eric Richter and Alan Rowe Kelly. It stars Kaylee Williams, Marv Blauvelt, and Helene Alter-Dyche.

Mira (Kaylee Williams) awakens in front of a seedy roadside motel with amnesia. She searches for clues to her identity in the pages of three bound sketchbooks, in which each book represents a different aspect of everyday life, maybe her life.

Work of Life (‘W.O.R.M.’): A lowly clerk at a nano technology firm unleashes a deadly virus at the office headquarters, giving new meaning to the term corporate zombie.

Home Life (‘Amber Alert’): As local girls begin to disappear, a young pregnant woman is haunted by visions of evil demonic children hell bent on stealing her unborn fetus.

Sex Life (‘Pink Snapper’): A young brother and sister on the run from a sexually abusive home life, take refuge in a countryside Victorian manor- only to discover the monsters hidden in this house have been looking for a new home.

Reviews:

“Though a fair share of the folks in this film seem like non-actors or friends of the filmmakers (apart from the ‘Pink Snapper’ sequence, that is), this film delivers on every other level. Even when some of the performances fall short, the filmmakers know how to make up for it by inducing scares and splattering bodily fluids around by the barrel-full.” Ambush Bug, Ain’t It Cool News

“There’s a few spots where some of the stories seem to drag a bit and could have used some tighter editing, but this aside Sumner has given us a hugely entertaining horror anthology.  Sumner himself calls this a “micro budget horror anthology” and I for one am impressed with the level of acting and with the incredible special effects.” Scott Shoyer, Anything Horror

“All three short films within the movie have blood and gore elements, leaving ‘Pink Snapper’ as the goriest featuring a creature that comes out of a woman’s vagina and being able to dismember human body parts. ‘Amber Alert’ is creepy as it features children and adults alike with faces that morph into disfigured monsters.” Joanna Rose, HorrorNews.net

“This is a poor one with some good entertaining moments and ideas, but with a very amateurish execution and bad acting. It also features Tales-of-the-Crypt type of ironic/moralistic twists […] The deaths are gory, but the splatter only really goes over-the-top for the last one.” The Worldwide Celluloid Massacre

Buy Midnight Releasing DVD: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk

Extras: Blooper Reel | “Jitters” Short Film | “The Ladies of Slices” short | Production Scrapbook Slideshow | VFX Featurette | Audio Commentary by the Cast

Wikipedia | IMDb

‘Deliver her from evil’

The Exorcism of Anna Ecklund is a 2016 British supernatural horror film written and directed by Andrew Jones (The Revenge of Robert the Doll; Werewolves of the Third Reich; The Amityville Asylum; et al). The North Bank Entertainment production stars Lee Bane, Tiffany Ceri, and Jeff Raggett.

Something beyond comprehension is happening to wife and mother Anna Ecklund. Once a mild mannered churchgoer, she is now prone to bouts of violent rage with a particular anger toward religious imagery.

Desperate to find a cure for Anna’s disturbing behaviour, her family call on doctors and psychiatrists to provide a diagnosis. But when no rational explanation can be found, local priest Father Riesinger teams up with Vatican investigator Father Lamont to evaluate the case.

Realising that Anna is inhabited by a malevolent entity, the priests take her to a nearby Convent to perform an exorcism…

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

Reviews:

” …looks like it was shot in quasi-documentary stock, meaning not quite real-time stock and not quite movie stock. As a result, audiences might feel confused about the type of film they are supposed to be watching. In spite of the mismatched look, the pacing was well done…” Jason Rhode, Cryptic Rock

“Considering the budgetary constraints, the actual exorcism scene will likely draw a collective sneer of disdain from the box-office-bred masses, but – all things considered – I think it’s a triumph. With a lush red tint that permeates the scene, and some handy foley work to boot, it’s a definite highlight…” Dave Wain, The Schlock Pit

“The film has nothing new to offer, but it can’t even make its blatant recycling look good. Anna’s demonic makeup is bland, her bodily contortions are limp, and even her shrieking has about as much enthusiasm as any of the other sleepwalking performances on show. It relies heavily on the audience finding the mere idea of possession frightening…” Samantha McLaren, Scream magazine

“This film doesn’t rely on massive special effects and dramatic CGI – but this does not leave it lacking, and nor is it needed! – this actually lends an authentic feel to it. It is actually the character-led story that brings the film to life, that makes it matter. It doesn’t need the distraction of anything but the story itself.” Study Paranormal

Cast and characters:

Lee Bane … Father Richard Lamont – Werewolves of the Third Reich; Cabin 28; The Curse of Robert the Doll; Poltergeist Activity; et al
Tiffany Ceri … Anna Ecklund – The Curse of Robert the Doll; Theatre of Fear
Jeff Raggett … Father Theo Reisinger
Judith Haley … Mother Superior
Rik Grayson … Jacob Ecklund
Claire Carreno … Sister Abigail
Sarah Tempest … Sister Madeline
Melissa Bayern … Laura
Stefano Reali … Monsignor Lamberto

IMDb | Image credits: Cryptic Rock

‘Makes it perfectly clear’

The Werewolf of Washington is a 1973 horror comedy film written, edited and directed by Milton Moses Ginsberg, produced by Nina Schulman and starring Dean Stockwell, Biff McGuire, Clifton James, and Michael Dunn.

The movie satirises several individuals in the Richard Nixon Presidency.

Jack Whittier (Dean Stockwell) is the press secretary for the White House and for the President of the United States, while on assignment in Hungary, he is bitten by a wolf who actually turns out to be a man; when Jack tries to report it, he believes it is the work of Communists.

When he returns to Washington D.C., he is assigned to the President (Biff McGuire); he is also been having an affair with the President’s daughter Marion (Jane House). Jack suddenly starts to feel different changes about him whenever the moon is full…

Reviews:

“One of those faults is the werewolf getup. Maybe they didn’t have enough money to tear the suit, or maybe it’s supposed to be a sight gag, but Stockwell simply looks like a guy wearing a werewolf mask. His nice suit never gets torn or even disheveled, making it hard to swallow. I don’t need a full blown transformation, but at least glue some hair on his chest and rip the shirt a little.” Horror Movie a Day

” …it’s the only film in history in which the word Pentagram is repeatedly mistaken for Pentagon, though the confusion over shape and function is understandable. There are lots of other laughs to be had, some of them might even be intentional, but it’s difficult to tell. It’s a rather cheap and poorly-produced piece of work, but amazingly the acting is half-decent in parts.” Nigel Honeybone, HorrorNews.net

“Dean Stockwell is quite good as a man torn between his two lives and puts plenty of energy into his performance with the make-up on. He leaps and bounces all over the place as the werewolf and has the mannerisms down to a tee. But this is where the problems lie. Once the werewolf scenes are over, the political satire is terrible.” Andrew Smith, Popcorn Pictures

“Dean Stockwell gives a good performance and there’s a funny scene where he starts to turn into a werewolf while bowling with the President […] And then there’s a scene where the werewolf attacks a woman in a phone booth and it’s actually rather suspenseful and almost scary. Plus, Biff McGuire is great and all too plausible as the vapid President.” Lisa Marie Bowman, Through the Shattered Lens

“A hit-or-miss comedy which blends political satire and lycanthropic laughs […] A poorly integrated subplot involving a mad dwarf scientist (Dunn) is good for a few laughs but like the half-hearted pastiche of Universal’s The Wolf Man it goes nowhere.” Nigel Floyd, Time Out Film Guide

“The laughs are few and far between in this political horror spoof […] It’s such a bizarre idea that one really wants it to be funny, but the promise is never fulfilled, and the picture ultimately disappoints.” TV Guide

Cast and characters:

• Dean Stockwell … Jack Whittier
• Katalin Kallay … Giselle
• Henry Ferrentino … Beal
• Despo Diamantidou … Gypsy Woman
• Thayer David … Inspector
• Nancy Andrews … Mrs Margie Captree
• Clifton James … Attorney General
• Biff McGuire … President
• Jack Waltzer … Appointments Secretary
• Ben Yaffee … Mr Captree
• Jane House … Marion
• Beeson Carroll … Commander Salmon
• Michael Dunn … Doctor Kiss

Wikipedia | IMDb

Flesh and Blood: The Hammer Heritage of Horror is a 1994 British/American feature-length documentary film written and directed by Ted Newsom (The Naked Monster; 100 Years of Horror series; Ed Wood: Look Back in Angora; Monsters and Maniacs; et al). It was originally shown on British television in two parts.

“Explore the most legendary horror studio of all time with this fascinating, frightening journey hosted by terror titans Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing. England’s most successful independent film company, the “fear factory” of Hammer Studios, has a history filled with feuds, censorship battles and streaks of luck both good and bad.

Now the legacy of horror returns, featuring interviews with such Hammer legends as Raquel Welch, Veronica Carlson, Caroline Munro, Ingrid Pitt, Jimmy Sangster, Hazel Court, Martine Beswicke, Freddie Francis, Val Guest and Ray Harryhausen.

This DVD also includes behind-the-scenes home movies and nonstop shock scenes from over forty classic films, including Horror of Dracula, Curse of Frankenstein, The Devil Rides Out, Curse of the Werewolf and many more. The definitive study of one of the greatest names in horror!” – Press release

Flesh and Blood: The Hammer Heritage of Horror is released on DVD in the UK on May 28, 2018 by Wienerworld. Order DVD via Amazon.co.uk

In the USA, S’More Entertainment is releasing the documentary on DVD on July 10, 201. Order via Amazon.com

Reviews:

“It’s formulaic but pleasantly fast-paced. It doesn’t let one person needlessly say more than the other and the documentary features a wide variety of interviewees, which makes this a pleasant and always nice paced and told insightful documentary. An essential movie for the Hammer lovers.” Frank Veenstra, Boba_Fett1138

“Flesh and Blood is pretty much all-inclusive, though it tends to only skim over some important topics (the “Karnstein” trilogy for example), and unnecessarily chastise Hammer’s later films when they discuss the company’s “fall.” But with its minor flaws, Flesh and Blood is an irresistible scrutiny of a name in horror that will never die in the public’s eye…” George R. Reis, DVD Drive-In

“At 103 minutes, Flesh and Blood is both leisurely and detailed, and pretty much covers all the bases. Written, directed, and co-produced by Ted Newsom, the project clearly is a labor of love. It’s both affectionate and informative, entertaining in of itself, anecdotal yet also a useful reference.” Stuart Galbraith IV, DVD Talk

Release:

Flesh and Blood: The Hammer Heritage of Horror was previously released on DVD in the United States by Image Entertainment on October 5, 2004.

IMDb | Related: Hammer Films on HORRORPEDIA

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Future World is a 2018 American science fiction action film, directed by James Franco and Bruce Thierry Cheung, from a screenplay by Chung and Jay Davis. It stars James Franco, Milla Jovovich, Jeffrey Wahlberg, Lucy Liu, Method Man, Suki Waterhouse and Snoop Dogg.

The film is scheduled to be released on May 25, 2018, by Lionsgate Premiere.

In a post-apocalyptic world, where water and gasoline have long since dried-up, a prince from the oasis (one of the last known safe havens) must venture out to find medicine for the ailing queen (Lucy Liu).

However, along the prince gets mixed up with the warlord (James Franco) and his robot Ash (Suki Waterhouse), which leads to a daring journey through the desolate wastelands…

Cast and characters:

• James Franco …Warlord
• Milla Jovovich
• Lucy Liu … The Queen
• Suki Waterhouse … Ash
• Method Man … Tattooed Face
• Snoop Dogg … Love Lord
• Margarita Levieva … Lei
• Scott Haze … Gutter
• Jeffrey Wahlberg … Prince
• Twin Shadow
• Carmen Argenziano … The Maker
• Destiny Austin … Sky
• Wilmer Calderon … Skinny
• Tamzin Brown … Sweet T
• Krista West … Love Lord Call Girl
• Ben Youcef … Rico

Wikipedia | IMDb

‘One family’s legacy. Carved in flesh.’

Belly Timber is a 2016 American period horror film directed by Bobby Easley (The Dead Bodies in #223; All Sinner’s Night; The Boogeyman [2014]) from a screenplay by Dustin Kay (S.K.B.) and Ken Wallace. The Horror Wasteland Pictures production stars John Dugan, John Johnson and Nate Olp.

For John McCormick, life on the Indiana frontier held nothing but promise. His settlement along the White River would soon become the crossroads of America. Friends and family from back in Ohio and other points east were all making plans to see what all the fuss was about in the newly-formed city of Indianapolis.

However, in Ohio, an evil was brewing. The Lecky family, a group of ruthless Mongolian nomads, had made their way to America and were practicing their cannibalistic religion of Kala with reckless abandon. No one was safe, not even John McCormick’s family…

Belly Timber is released on DVD in the USA by the Shami Media Group on July 10, 2018. Buy DVD via Amazon.com

Reviews:

“Expect bits and pieces of Bone Tomahawk and the Sawney Bean legend mixed into one mixed-up whole and you’ll be close. Sadly, this rather incongruous effort is merely an excuse for lots of nastiness with knives being dragged across naked flesh and low-rent gore effects. The whole thing feels anachronistic…” Leofwine_draca

Cast and characters:

• John Dugan … Grandpa McCormick – The Mangled; Vampire Santa; Rock Paper Dead; Texas Chainsaw Massacre 3D; The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974); et al
• John Johnson … John McCormick – The Boogeyman (2014)
• Nate Olp … Felix Lecky
• Gabriel Bartley … Cyrus McCormick
• Andrea Collins … Victoria Lecky
• Dan Gentry … Jaffa
• Brigid Macaulay … Sadie McCormick
• Christopher McCoy … Thomas McCormick
• Keenan Meeks … Keegan McCormick
• Brent Miedema … Reece McCormick
• Jeff Selke … Henry Morgan
• Gilbert Steve … Hugh
• Solon Tsangaras … Oscar the Berserker
• Gary Lee Vincent … George Pogue – Ayla; My Uncle John is a Zombie; Parts Unknown; Deimosimine; et al

IMDb | Facebook

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‘When there’s no more room in Hell, the stoned shall walk the Earth!’

Evil Bong 666 is a 2017 American comedy horror film directed by Charles Band from a screenplay by Kent Roudebush, based on a storyline by Band and Brockton McKinney. It stars Mindy Robinson, Diana Prince, and Jessica Morris.

When a blood sacrifice opens a portal to Hell, Ebee is returned to Earth where Lucy Furr, the new proprietor of her weed shop, has some sinister plans of her own…

Buy Full Moon Features DVD: Amazon.com

Reviews:

” …seemingly endless parades of padding sequences and scenes that overstay their welcome, bringing in horrid “jokes” and innuendo, obnoxious characters barely portrayed by actors, references to other Full Moon properties (specifically The Gingerdead Man and Killjoy), and some mild nudity for the idiot teenage stoners…” Allusions of Grandeur

“A stoner flick with prodigious T&A, a talking bong, a vagina-shaped portal to hell, the movie has it all, but at the same time it doesn’t have much else. Its saving grace is that it doesn’t take itself seriously for even a microsecond. It knows its place, its style, and its audience. It only tries to outdo itself, to increase the absurdity with every passing moment…” Martin Liebman, Blu-ray com

” …it’s a step down from the company’s salad days in the 1990s when video store revenues and a deal with Paramount could fund bigger, better B-movies. But it’s also a step up from the last few Evil Bong movies, with more energy, ambition and consistency of talent in front of the camera.” Patrick Bromley, F This Movie!

“The humor here is mostly sex related, with a heavy dose of weed jokes, of course. I do feel like some of the product placement was heavy handed and overdone, but other than that, this is what you’d expect from an Evil Bong movie. If you haven’t liked the franchise to this point, I doubt this installment will you over, but if you’re a fan, you’ll have fun with this one.” Marc Fusion

” …in terms of simple entertainment it’s probably the best Bong since Evil Bong 2: King Bong. Of course, your enjoyment will depend on your tolerance for the usual stoner logic and antics that fills these films, but I imagine anyone interested enough to read a review of a movie like Evil Bong 666 is on-board, strapped-in and ready to roll.” Silver Emulsion

Cast and characters:

• Mindy Robinson … Lucy Furr
• Diana Prince … Alluring Woman
• Jessica Morris … Misty
• Peter Donald Badalamenti II … Beelzebud [as The Don]
• Robin Sydney …Sarah Leigh
• Tonya Kay … Versnatchy
• Orson Chaplin … Hesher 2
• Sonny Carl Davis … Rabbit
• Alan Maxson … The Gingerdead Man’s mouth / The Gingerweed Man’s mouth
• Megan Sage … Stoner Zombie Girl
• Tom Devlin … Extra
• Michelle Mais … Evil Bong / Ebee (voice)
• Riley Mae … Sexy Demon
• Nihilist Gelo … Sweaty Dude
• Bob Ramos … The Gingerdead Man (voice)

IMDb

‘A howling good time!’

Full Moon High is a 1981 American comedy horror film written, produced and directed by Larry Cohen (The Stuff; Q: The Winged Serpent; It’s Alive franchise; et al). It stars Adam Arkin, Roz Kelly, Ed McMahon, and Alan Arkin.

Teenager Tony Walker (Adam Arkin) goes on a trip to Transylvania with his father Colonel William P. Walker (Ed McMahon) and gets bitten by a werewolf.

Made ageless, Tony attempts to put his life back together a couple of decades later by enrolling in high school. He tries to keep his secret from the school and his girlfriend. He also tries to ignore his girlfriend’s sexual advances because it is his “time of the month.”

Buy Scream Factory Blu-ray: Amazon.com

Reviews:

” …Full Moon High is one of the weaker entries in the Larry Cohen canon […] There’s a smattering of laughs, some vaguely engaging inter-generational commentary, bit parts by Bob Saget and Pat Morita, and I really like the low-rent map used for travel montages…” Junta Juleil’s Culture Shock

“It is generally dark and sexually charged, and fairly biting with satiric elements. At the same time, it is also very traditionally goofy, which makes for a weird combination. It also doesn’t help that it has a few awkward moments of jokes that don’t land…” Gordon Maples, Misan[trope]y

“The special effects are bad in a comically obvious way – a hand comes down and squashes the lead model of a plane as it crosses a map of Europe; and during the transformation sequence, the camera lens is ‘accidentally’ shot, which proves the opportunity for an off-screen voice to describe what great effects the audience are missing.” Richard Scheib, Moria

“It’s all very silly but in good fun, and when Adam Arkin’s father Alan Arkin comes in as Dr. Brand, the sarcastic psychiatrist who “shames people down” from ledges and mocks the depressed in an attempt to enliven them, Full Moon High hits its high notes again.” The Moon is a Dead World

“Critical opinion, even among genre aficionados, remains divided on the merits of Full Moon High but Larry Cohen fans will find much to chew on as he reworks some of his pet themes in a loosely comic, borderline improvisational fashion.” Richard Harland Smith, Turner Classic Movies

Choice dialogue:

“I don’t believe in vampires, werewolves and virgins – I’ve never seen any of those things.”

“Oh, no, I’ve never killed anyone. I just kinda nibble. I’m a nosher. A little bit goes a long way you know. But I’m worried one day my eyes will get bigger than my stomach…”

“No, don’t leave me. Come back you premature ejaculator!”

Cast and characters:

• Adam Arkin as Tony Walker – Halloween H20
• Ed McMahon as Colonel William P. Walker
• Roz Kelly as Jane – New Year’s Evil
• Joanne Nail as Ricky
• Bill Kirchenbauer as Detective Jack Flynn
• Kenneth Mars as Coach / Principal Cleveland – Young Frankenstein
• Elizabeth Hartman as Miss Montgomery
• Alan Arkin as Doctor Brand – Wait Until Dark
• Louis Nye as Reverend
• Demond Wilson as Cabbie / Bus driver
• Cheryl Lockett Alexander as Pregnant Teenager
• Jim J. Bullock as Eddie
• Tom Aldredge as The Jailer
• Tom Clancy as Priest
• Laurene Landon as Blondie
• John Blyth Barrymore as Student
• Bob Saget as Sportscaster
• Pat Morita as Silversmith
• Armando G. Fernandez as School Dance Dancer
• Julius Harris as Hijacker

Filming locations:

Filmed partially at John Burroughs Senior High School, Burbank, California, in the summer of 1979. Also filmed on location in Lyndhurst, New Jersey, on the football field in Bergen County Park.

Background:

Larry Cohen said of the film, “It has some interesting ideas about how life in America has changed sexually and politically since the early sixties. All of Arkin’s friends have changed but he hasn’t. And whereas he changes into a werewolf all of the time, his friends change into middle-aged people while he is gone, with different values and different ideas. They change as much as he does, actually.”

Offline reading:

Buy: Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com

Buy: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk

Wikipedia | IMDb

Werewolves on HORRORPEDIA

Grindsploitation 3: Video Nasty is a 2017 British horror anthology film comprised of segments and faux trailers submitted to Body Bags Films and compiled by Shane Ryan and Jason Impey.

It is a sequel to Grindsploitation and Grindsploitation 2: The Lost Reels (both 2016). Troma Entertainment released a Blu-ray compilation of all three Grindsploitation releases on April 10, 2018.

Buy Blu-ray: Amazon.com

• Introduction by Troma Entertainment’s Lloyd Kaufman
• Film Selection with Each Short Film within the ‘Trilogy’
• Original Film Trailers from Troma Entertainment’s Own Grindhouse Cinema
• Classic Troma Public Service Announcements

Directors and segments:

• Zac Amico … “Kabukiman vs Dracula”
• Lee Bibby … “Steve”
• John P. Brennan … Kabukiman vs Dracula”
• Matthew Burchfield … “Pathogen”
• Walter Martyn Cabell … “Blanche Dumas from B to Z”
• Laume Conroy … “Ursus Homonis”
• Domiziano Cristopharo … “No One Will Be Safe”
• Alex DiVincenzo … “director “Cybershock 1999”
• Elliot Diviney … “director “Hammer 3”
• Jason Figgis … “director “All The Little Things”
• Mathew Fisher … “Victoria”
• Krister Twizz Forsberg … “director “Rock Star Zombie Killer”
• George James Fraser …”Blood Sex and Other Things”
• Donny Gonzalez …”Voyeur Destroyer”
• Chris Greenaway… “Hooker With A Rocket Launcher
• Dylan Greenberg … “Rindsploitation”
• Richard Louprasong …”*67″
• Tony Newton … “Video Nasty”
• Ruben Rodriguez … “A Prayer For the Undead”
• Ryan Schaddelee … “Steel Vengeance”
• Allan Smithee … “Don’t Pull Out”
• Struan Sutherland … “Don’t Go Into the Water”
• Rob Taylor … “Night of the Garbage Monster”
• Brad Twigg … “Halloween Hell Night”

Yes, British actor Simon Callow appears in Grindsploitation 3: Video Nasty!

IMDb | Facebook

Automata is a 2018 British/United Arab Emirates horror film directed by Lawrie Brewster (For We Are Many; The Unkindness of Ravens; Lord of Tears) from a screenplay by Sarah Daly (The Black Gloves; Kids vs Monsters). It stars Jamie Scott Gordon, Alexandra Nicole Hulme, and Erich Redman.

An antiques expert is sent to authenticate a three-hundred-year-old clockwork doll with a notorious history, the ‘Infernal Princess.’ He soon comes under its corrupting influence, and, along with his stepdaughter Rose, finds himself the target of dark forces beyond his control…

Director Lawrie Brewster has commented: “Automata is a wild, gothic thrill-ride inspired by the decadence of Ken Russell’s Gothic, as well as the sensual expressionism of Argento’s Suspiria and Bava’s Black Sabbath. It’s by far the most ambitious film we’ve produced, with a truly epic story that switches between the 1700s and the present day to reveal the truth behind the curse of the ‘Infernal Princess’.”

wA release in December 2018 is planned. In order to fully fund post-production, Hex Studios have a Kickstarter campaign offering pre-orders of the film, an Owlman plush toy, plus a new book about their monsters: http://kck.st/2JygnzE

Main cast:

• Jamie Scott Gordon – The Black Gloves, Bonejangles; Lord of Tears
• Alexandra Nicole Hulme – Lord of Tears, The Black Gloves
• Erich Redman – Demonsoul
• Jonathan Hansler – Evil’s Evil Cousin (short); Convention of the Dead; Nocturnal Activity; The Devil’s Business; Patrol Men
• Victoria Lucie

Source: Horror Society

‘A harmless trip finds harm’s way…’

Blood Junkie is a 2010 American horror film written and directed by Drew Rosas (Billy Club). The Surgery Room production stars Nick Sommer, Mike Johnson, and Sarah Luther.

High school senior Laura Mills’ parents are gone for  the weekend, leaving her stuck at home baby-sitting her lame little brother. When her friends invite her on a camping adventure, she decides to join the fun and drag him along.

However, what begins as a killer weekend might just become a killing one when they discover an abandoned building where evil resides…

Reviews:

“Blood Junkie was a pleasure to sit through and there’s enough here to prove that Rosas is an exquisite horror filmmaker. His audacious directive style makes him something of a B-movie Wes Anderson […] At 72 minutes, Junkie could never be accused of outstaying its welcome and it’s a film that I feel deserves some of your time.” Luisito Joaquin Gonzalez, A Slash Above…

“The increasingly plotless vibe ensures that by the time the horror-oriented stuff finally kicks in at around the one-hour mark, the viewer has long-since lost the ability to care about the fates of any of these people – which effectively confirms Blood Junkie‘s place as a well-intentioned yet entirely underwhelming low-budget effort.” David Nusair, Reel Film Reviews

“For a no-budget movie, the acting in Blood Junkie is exceptional. While the actors are purposefully adding a bit of cheese onto their lines, every character embodies their role both flawlessly and humorously. This is probably easy because the dialogue in Blood Junkie is hilarious. Filled to the brim with quotable quotes…” Take My Life, Please

” …the tone and look of the movie is spot on, as it really does feel like you are watching a slasher movie from 1989 at times. The kills are bloody, but only one is really that graphic […] the film ends up feeling too gimmicky for it’s own good, with several of the jokes and references running on nostalgia and little more.” Talk of Horrors

“As with Billy Club the tropes of the slasher and horrors of the 80s are played with, but not mocked so much as embraced. If you love watching movies like Deadtime Stories, Scalps or Killer Workout, you’ll enjoy this while scratching your head how it is so damn close to the vibe of the VHS era new releases.” David Zuzelo, Tomb It May Concern

Main cast and characters:

• Nick Sommer … Craig Wilson
• Mike Johnson … Teddy Bender
• Sarah Luther … Laura
• Emily Treolo … Rachel
• Andrew Swant … The Creature
• Ross Bachhuber … Jef Bolstead
• Chris Chuzles … Hitchhiker
• Bobby Ciraldo … Billy the Butt
• Brady Cohen … Andy

Production and release:

Shot in Wisconsin for $6,000. The film premiered at the Milwaukee Film Festival on October 2, 2010. It was released on DVD in the United States by Troma Entertainment on May 10, 2011. Troma have since made the film free to view online via YouTube.

Trivia:

The film’s original title was Rocky Trails

IMDb | Image credits: Tomb It May Concern

3 From Hell is a 2018 American horror film written and directed by Rob Zombie (31; The Lords of Salem; Halloween and sequel).

The film stars Sid Haig, Sheri Moon Zombie and Bill Moseley, reprising their roles from The Devil’s Rejects (2005), despite the fact that their characters died in that movie. The latter was a sequel to House of 1000 Corpses (2000)

The movie is currently in production with plot details yet to be announced.

Cast and characters:

• Sid Haig … Captain Spaulding
• Sheri Moon Zombie … Baby Firefly
• Bill Moseley … Otis Firefly
• Dee Wallace
• Jeff Daniel Phillips
• Daniel Roebuck … Morris Green
• Emilio Rivera
• Billy Blair
• Clint Howard … Mr. Baggy Britches
• Danny Trejo … Rondo
• Sylvia Jeffries …Heather Starship Galen
• Bill Oberst Jr. … Tony Commando
• Austin Stoker
• Tom Papa
• David Ury
• Dot-Marie Jones
• Richard Edson
• Kevin Jackson … Gerald James
• Richard Riehle
• Christopher B. Duncan … Glassy Wolf
• Pancho Moler
• David Ury
• Jan Hoag … Betty Lou
• Tomas Boykin … Derek Zoom
• Stacie Greenwell … Janice

IMDb

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‘Is this camp cursed?’

Camp Hideaway Massacre is a 2018 American slasher horror film directed by Skip Bizr and Ted Moehring from a screenplay by producer Skip Bizr. It stars Tina Krause, Gutrot Layton, and Nikki Schaeffer.

In 1928, in a small Pennsylvania town, a satanic cult is eradicated and their house is burnt down.

Ninety years later, with the ruins nearby and tales of disappearances, odd happenings, stories seem to haunt Camp Hideaway. Monsters, killers, even aliens. As the body count continues, Dana (Tina Krause) hopes to find out the truth, while saving her friends…

Cast and characters:

• Tina Krause … Dana
• Gutrot Layton … Gutrot
• Nikki Schaeffer … Hippie Girl
• Lerch Buckler … Army Vet
• Morgan Curry … Campfire Girl
• Walter Curry … Hunter
• Haley Dittrich … Haley
• Jessica Dittrich … Pregnant Woman
• Danielle Fessler … Mother
• Kanyon Fessler … Kanyon
• Amber Gilson … Campfire Girl
• Marvin Horn … Skip
• Evan Kraemer … Young Couple
• Andrew Kylakopoulos … Passerby
• Jobin Santos … Young Couple

IMDb

Mary Shelley is a 2017 American/British/Luxembourg romantic drama film that references the science fiction and horror genres, directed by Haifaa al-Mansour from a screenplay by Emma Jensen. The film stars Elle Fanning, Maisie Williams, Douglas Booth, Bel Powley, and Ben Hardy.

Explores writer Mary Shelley’s first love and romantic relationship with poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, which inspired Mary to write Frankenstein…

Reviews:

… it’s a double shame that such a rich story should be given such surface-level treatment, and its heroine reduced to a two-dimensional shade mouthing vacuous pseudo-feminist platitudes.” Christopher Machell, CineVue

“It’s somewhat amusing – especially Tom Sturridge, who turns Lord Byron into poetry’s version of Jack Sparrow – but immediately forgettable.” Mark Medley, Globe and Mail

“Mary Shelley is a diverting enough biopic that features decent performances through an often vivid lens, but given the unusual facts of the author’s life, a far more offbeat and far less rigid film could have been made here.” Benjamin Lee, The Guardian

” …by its second act, presumably once Al-Mansour realized that no Mary Shelley biopic would be remotely complete with actually showing off the creation of Frankenstein, the film turns towards unwieldy and bizarre, all dramatic rainstorms and overwrought nightmares and on-the-nose scripting.” Kate Erbland, IndieWire

“The film is gratifyingly on point with its gender politics and styled to perfection, with Caroline Koener’s costumes offering a carousel of visual pleasures. But unlike Shelley’s famous monster, the disparate parts Al-Mansour has assembled here do not move as one.” Sophie Monks Kaufman, Little White Lies

“Impressively shot and suffused with a righteous feminist fire, the film is undercut by a confused and clunky script and a fundamental lack of thematic focus, turning an extraordinary story into didactic and disjointed melodrama.” Andrew Barker, Variety

Cast and characters:

• Elle Fanning as Mary Shelley
• Douglas Booth as Percy Bysshe Shelley
• Bel Powley as Claire Clairmont
• Ben Hardy as John William Polidori
• Tom Sturridge as Lord Byron
• Maisie Williams as Isabel Baxter
• Stephen Dillane as William Godwin
• Joanne Froggatt as Mary Jane Clairmont

Filming:

Principal photography began on February 20, 2016 in Dublin, Ireland. On March 7, the production moved to Luxembourg.

Release:

The film had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) on September 9, 2017. The film will have its North American premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival on April 28, 2018.

Mary Shelley is scheduled to be released in the United States on May 25, 2018, and in the United Kingdom on July 6, 2018.

Trivia:

Originally titled A Storm in the Stars

Wikipedia | IMDb

Related: Gothic (1986)

‘Every dead thing has thoughts.’

Tempus Tormentum is a 2017 Canadian horror thriller film written and directed by James Rewucki (Aegri Somnia). The Absurd Machine Films production stars Tyhr Trubiak, Dr. Rage, Darren Johnston and Paul McWhinney.

Mr. Mouse (Tyhr Trubiak), an unlucky drifter happens to become the prey of three masked psychopaths.

The psychopaths are nicknamed Clown (Dr. Rage), Devil (Darren Johnston), and Slashmouth (Paul McWhinney). After drugging and abducting their victim, the trio use a combination of psychological and physical torture to drive Mr. Mouse mad, kill him, or both…

On April 17, 2018, Terror Films is releasing Tempus Tormentum in North American markets across multiple digital platforms such as: Amazon Prime Video, iTunes, Vudu, Google Play and XBox Live. This release will be followed by additional platforms and a DVD release, at a later date.

Reviews:

” …the line between reality and nightmare becomes fuzzier and fuzzier […] thanks to a suitably gritty directorial effort that manages to stay away from pure sensationalism, and a great central performance by Tyhr Trubiak, this concept comes to life at full impact.” Mike Haberfelner, Search My Trash

” …this film is not a part of a genre, it creates its own. This film has such a tension that it is hard not to get sucked in. This film also blurs several lines in reality and a atmosphere that we assume could be a nightmare or bad trip. This is David Lynch 2017, if he was heavily influenced by shrooms and vodka.” Wicked Channel

Release:

In 2017, the film was shown at festivals such as FEARnyc, Tampa Bay Underground Film Festival, Amarcord Chicago Arthouse Film Awards and the Hamilton Film Festival CA.

Tempus Tormentum on IMDb | Facebook | Official site

Satan Superstar: A Handbook of the Infernal and the Immaculate in Pop Occulture is a 2018 British book edited by David Flint and self-published by The Reprobate.

“An audacious study of the occult, witchcraft, Satanism and esoteric religion in music, film, TV, literature, photography, art, and belief, Satan Superstar delves deep into the world of occult obsession and diabolical entertainment – from Satanic Panic to Satanic Celebration. With incisive writing and commentary from leading experts, practitioners and critics, Satan Superstar is entertaining, informative and provocative.

Contains new writing, art and comment from Lydia Lunch, Boyd Rice, Nikolas Schreck, Lucien Greaves, Billy Chainsaw, Jason Atomic, David McGillivray, Nigel Wingrove, A.D. Hitchin, Carl Abrahamsson, Daz Lawrence, Logospilgrim, C.J. Lines, Bruce Barnard, Keri O’Shea, Tom Six, Groovie Mann, Sarah Appleton, Darius Drewe, Gipsie Castiglione, K.K. Eye, Ben Spurling, Sammm Agnew, Ilya Falchevsky, The Church of Satan, the Church of Rational Satanism and The Partridge Family Temple.” – Press release

Chapter listing:

• Come to the Sabbat: an introduction to Satan Superstar – David Flint
• Satan Calling – Nigel Wingrove
• Hymn of the Satanic Empire: The Church of Satan interview – David Flint
• Dog-Fearing: The Rise and Fall of St Guinefort – Daz Lawrence
• The Black Velvet Underground: Satanism and the occult in 1970s made-for-TV movies – Ben Spurling

• Gerald Gardner: the first naked witch? – David McGillivray
• Sigil Magik – K.K. Eye
• Satan Superstar – a personal view – A.D. Hitchin
• Delectable Misdeeds: the scandalous Madame Chantelouve and ‘The Damned’ – Keri O’Shea
• Wheatley and All His Works: the curious career of Britain’s most popular occult novelist – David Flint

• Golden Idol: how my experiences in the Orthodox Church led to self-reverence, self-determination and self-emancipation – Logospilgrim
• Heaven Shall Burn When We Are Gathered: Blackhearts and the international Black metal underground – C.J. Lines
• Satanic Mojo Manifesto – Jason Atomic
• The satanic reformation: The satanicv temple, the Westboro Baptist Church and the art of protest – Lucien Greaves
• Into the Occult – Sammm Agnew / Ilya Falchevsky
• Satan Superstar: a personal view – Lydia Lunch

• If Needs Must, The Devil Drives: the story of the Satanic Sluts and Black Mass – Nigel Wingrove
• The Golden Age of grotesque: the occult photography of William Mortensen – David Flint

• Holy Orgasms: Divine Interventions and their religious sex toys – Gipsie Castiglione
• Satan Superstar: a personal view: Groovie Mann (Thrill Kill Kult)
• Fun is the Law: the magical world of the Partridge Family Temple – Billy Chainsaw
• Adventures in demonology: the strange world of the occultist instructional LP – Darius Drewe / David Flint
• Satan Superstar: a personal view – Carl Abrahamsson
• The Life and Death of Peter Solheim – Bruce Barnard
• Walpurgis: The Satanic sabbat in art – Keri O’Shea

• Satan Superstar: a personal view – Boyd Rice
• The Nikolas Schreck Files – interview by David Flint
• The Witches: pulp fiction folk horror from the 1980s – David Flint
• Satan Superstar: a personal view – Tom Six (The Human Centipede and sequels)
• It’s Always the Quiet Ones: tridents and hoedows in country music – Daz Lawrence
• Some Very British satanists: The Church of Rational Satanism – Sarah Appleton
• Satan Superstar: a personal view – Billy Chainsaw
• From Witchcraft to Christ: Doreen Irvine and the birth of the British Satanic Panic – David Flint
• They Sold Their Souls for Rock ‘n’ Roll: A Satanic Rock Top ten – Darius Drewe

Limited edition of 666 copies. A5. 240 pages. Order via The Reprobate

‘Strike three: You’re dead’

Billy Club is a 2013 comedy slasher horror film written and directed by Drew Rosas (Blood Junkie) and Nick Sommer. The latter stars alongside Marshall Caswell, Erin Hammond and Max Williamson.

Fifteen years after a gruesome triple homicide devastated their Little League baseball team, four friends reunite to commemorate their dead coach and fallen teammates.

A mystery unfolds as the secrets from their past return to haunt them and a vengeful killer, hidden by an antique umpire’s mask, returns to even the score…

Reviews:

“Billy Club is a slasher that does a pretty solid job of capturing that 80’s vibe. It has some of the best editing I have seen, some good laughs, cool practical effects (I just wish there were more), and a fun little twist in the final act. I don’t know if this warrants multiple viewings (unless your with friends), but if you know what you are in for you can have some fun with it.” Adam the Movie God

“The visual template of the film is adeptly complimented by the balance the script achieves between horror, comedy, and absurdity. The film is funny, especially early. The script gives us easily likeable characters and develops them very quickly, something many horror films try to do, but take forever when trying. This lets the action develop very quickly with characters like and have an interest in, almost immediately.” Mister Joshua, DreadWorld

“The cast is strong with Erin Hammond standing out as the final girl, Alison McKenzie and a smile-inducing extended cameo role from Animal House star Mark Metcalf. Billy Club understands what is wants to be and makes the most of it managing to excel beyond its limited budget and modest beginnings. Many larger budget, even studio driven, films have trouble getting the slasher genre as well as Billy Club does.” HorrorNews.net

“Overall, the film was first-class, a solid slasher flick. Nick Sommer, wearing multiple hats in this film, along with his writing/directing  partner, Drew Rosas, hit an unyielding double-play (to use little league vernacular). Not quite a home run, but for young directors, Billy Club is a very strong step in what looks like a promising career.” Influx magazine

“The directing/writing duo of Drew Rosas and Nick Sommer’s love for 80s slasher films comes shining through in a horror movie that is better then it has any right to be. Tributes to 80s slasher films are nothing new, but if they at least got one thing right it was a great back-story with a gimmicky killer.” Mr. DuLac, Letterboxd

“You’d expect a film so ripe in so many places to be equally as gory and we are treated to some outrageous kill scenes. These do aim more for realism than extremity though and I believe that suits the film’s set-up perfectly. Whilst the chase sequences are suspenseful and the bogeyman does have that hulking Jason Voorhees-like frame, the best chills for me came from the discovery of the killer’s lair and the childlike score that accompanied it.” Luisito Joaquin Gonzalez, A Slash Above…

“Billy Club is a great revenge horror with everything to please horror fans. Sommer and Dunlop provide huge laughs for the film. Every moment with them provides great entertainment. We are also given a strong female lead in Erin Hammond. Apart from the laughs come excellent and gory kills.” Cody Landman, Slasher Studios

“Aside from the acting, the execution is all great. It’s a well-shot, well-directed film with a great killer and fun kills. Unfortunately, when the script is bad that doesn’t matter.” Wicked Horror

Main cast and characters:

• Marshall Caswell … Bobby Spooner
• Erin Hammond … Alison McKenzie
• Nick Sommer … Kyle Tripper
• Max Williamson … Danny Evans
• Mark Metcalf … The Umpire
• Mathew Dunlop … Devon

Filming locations:

Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA

IMDb | Official site | Facebook | Twitter

Image credits: Adam the Movie God | HorrorNews.net

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‘He gives us dreams… and steals our souls!’

The Sandman is a 1995 American supernatural horror film directed by J.R. Bookwalter (Mega Scorpions; Polymorph; Ozone; The Dead Next Door) from a screenplay co-written with Matthew Jason Walsh. It stars A.J. Richards, Rita Gutowski, Terry J. Lipko and James Viront.

Something is murdering the residents of a small-town trailer park – something big, with glowing red eyes! When insomniac novelist Gary (A.J. Richards) catches a glimpse of something strange next door to him late one night, he becomes embroiled in a quest to find out why everyone around him seems to be dying in their sleep…

Reviews:

”  …wait until you see their pathetic excuse for a title creature, which consists of a hooded monk’s robe, light-bulb eyes, and cheap skeleton hands. This flick is so terminally boring you wanna take a pick ax to your TV (or better still, Bookwalter’s squishy l’il head), while utilizing the highly touted “film-look” video processing (which only makes it look like a color-drained, fourth-generation dupe).” Steve Puchalski, Shock Cinema

“The titular character only really appears at the climax, which is wise because the monster costume is really awful and had me bursting into laughter when it appeared. However, while this film suffers from the usual problems associated with independent cinema, a little more fun than usual is injected into the proceedings so it’s not quite one of the worst.” Leofwine_draca

“J.R. Bookwalter is known for low budget straight-to-video movies, from no-budget ones like Robot Ninja to 8mm epics like The Dead Next Door. The lack of budget (and maybe the lack of talent…) on his movies is usually replaced by good old blood and gore. The problem with The Sandman is that it have no exploitation elements, no blood, no gore and no nudity.” Ultra Tippergore

Cast and characters:

• A.J. Richards … Gary
• Rita Gutowski … Maris
• Terry J. Lipko … Bud
• James Viront … Zachariah
• Barbara Katz-Norrod … Mrs. Martinak
• Stan Fitzgerald … The Sandman
• Matthew Jason Walsh … Ozzy
• Mary Wilkerson … Bizarre
• Jennifer Barrett … Bimbo Model
• Lisa Neeld … Bedelia
• Nicholas Cleland … Pugsley
• James L. Edwards … Gerald Rivers
• Lawrence Latsko … Joyner
• George Abrams … Hershberger
• Hal Vandersall … Hooper
• Douglas Bouslough … Merle
• Jennifer Mullen … Slutty Metal Chick

Trivia:

Not be confused with other movies of the same name, such as the 2017 Peter Sullivan film

IMDb