‘Tomorrow comes everyday’

O Sthree Repu Raa! is a 2016 Indian Telugu supernatural horror film directed and produced T. Ashok Kumar Reddy. It features Vamsi Krishna, Ashish Gandhi, Shruthi Mol and Diksha Panth in the lead roles while Manali Rathod and Kunal Kaushik appear in supporting roles.

The film was released on 11 March 2016across Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

Plot:

In the 90s, there used to be numerous rumours that several villages in the Telugu states are haunted by ghosts at night. People used to write “O Sthree Repu Raa” on their compound walls so that the ghosts would never enter their houses…

Reviews:

” … a half-baked execution, lack of riveting horror drama and meandering scenes disappoint the proceedings big time and make this film an outdated horror drama.” 123telugu.com

Trailer:

Wikipedia

‘Uncaged, undead’

Zoombies is a 2016 horror film directed by Glenn R. Miller (The Bell Witch Haunting; The Coed and the Zombie Stoner; Santa Claws) from a screenplay by Scotty Mullen (The Coed and the Zombie Stoner). It was produced by David Michael Latt for The Asylum.

Main cast:

Ione Butler, Andrew Asper, LaLa Nestor, Kim Nielsen, Marcus Anderson, Brianna Joy Chomer.

Plot:

When a strange virus quickly spreads through a safari park and turns all the zoo animals undead, those left in the park must stop the creatures before they escape and zombify the whole city…

Reviews:

” … the effects in Zoombies are expectedly bad, but the bigger problem is how rarely the film relishes in the silliness of it all. There are a small handful of inspired moments throughout, including an homage to the chest-burster scare from Alien and a scene wherein a young girl’s stuffed animal literally comes to life, but Zoombies is seldom as fun to watch as it should be.” John Squires, ConTV.com

Choice dialogue:

Doctor Gordon: “I don’t give a damn about protocol! This animal must live.”

Rex: “This isn’t about the monkeys Ellen. Something crazy is affecting this whole zoo!”

Filming Locations:

Arcadia, California, USA

Trailer:

IMDb

‘Fang and claw killers stalk the streets!’

Black Zoo is a 1963 American horror film directed by Robert Gordon (It Came from Beneath the Sea). It was produced and co-written by Herman Cohen (I Was a Teenage Werewolf; Trog; Craze) with Aben Kandel (Blood of Dracula; The Headless Ghost; Berserk) and released by Allied Artists.

The film was photographed in Panavision and Eastmancolor by Roger Corman regular Floyd Crosby and featured a score by Paul Dunlap.

Main cast:

Michael Gough (Horrors of the Black Museum; Konga; Satan’s Slave), Jeanne Cooper, Rod Lauren (The Crawling Hand), Virginia Grey (Target Earth), Jerome Cowan, Elisha Cook Jr. (Voodoo Island; Blacula; Messiah of Evil).

Plot:

Michael Conrad is a private zookeeper who owns Conrad’s Animal Kingdom. He leads a cult group who literally worship the animals he tends — especially the big cats: a lion, a lioness, a pair of cheetahs, a tiger, and a black panther; as well as a gorilla. Conrad plays organ music to the animals in his living room, and uses them to kill anyone who gets in his way…

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Reviews:

“Black Zoo is just loony enough to function as fine junk; while it may resemble the more refined horror productions of the age, it feels more inelegant and clumsy thanks to its shaggy script and blunt force approach. In some ways, it’s an unholy union between 60s gothic horror and the previous decade’s penchant for nature-gone-amok films…” Brett Gallman, Oh, the Horror!

” … besides the sadistic mayhem, Black Zoo also offers a unique scene where Gough and his family of both people and big cats walk in a funeral procession to a misty graveyard. Seeing lions and tigers among the gravestones, in a scene dominated by grandiose music, struck me as unique and inventive, largely due to the camerawork and lighting.” Black Hole

“Conrad is a really hiss-able post-Psycho villain, a madman who charms teenage visitors yet seemingly hates women. All of Conrad’s affection goes toward the big cats that he literally worships. The standard mystery scenes are fairly forgettable. Too much of the movie follows arguments in the Conrad kitchen and the relationship drama is weak.” Glenn Erickson, DVD Talk

“With Gough hamming it up against the dissimilar style of American actors, and the film’s overall kooky nature, this remains one of the star’s finest hours.” George R. Reis, DVD Drive-In

“The script is poor, Gough overacts and the whole movie fails to create any real horrific atmosphere.” Alan Frank, The Horror Film Handbook

“Sadly, a lot of the film is taken up with lengthy conversations — between Conrad and his wife, between several police detectives and so on — that cause the film to drag for the second half. I blame this all on the script, which is a slow, clunky endeavor. With that said, there are a few great set pieces…” Satanic Pandemonium

Cast and characters:

• Michael Gough as Michael Conrad
• Jeanne Cooper as Edna Conrad
• Rod Lauren as Carl
• Virginia Grey as Jenny
• Jerome Cowan as Jeffrey Stengle
• Elisha Cook Jr. as Joe
• Warrene Ott as Mary Hogan
• Marianna Hill as Audrey
• Oren Curtis as Radu
• Eilene Janssen as Bride
• Eric Stone as Groom
• Dani Lynn as Art Student
• Susan Slavin as Art Student
• Edward Platt as Detective Rivers
• Douglas Henderson as Lieutenant Duggan

Filming locations:

The zoo was built at Raleigh Studio (formerly Producers Studio) on North Bronson in Hollywood, California. The entire zoo and a cemetery were interior sets.

Preview clip:

Wikipedia | IMDb | Black Zoo on HermanCohen.com

‘Victim. Survivor, Avenger.’

Survival Knife is a 2016 horror revenge slasher film directed by Mike McKown (Stiff; Boxed; 60 Seconds to Die; Grindsploitation 2: The Lost Reels) from a screenplay by Jim Towns (House of Bad; Snowfall; 13 Girls) for Robot Monkey Studios.

Main cast:

Danielle Donahue (Amityville Death House; Queen Crab; Bigfoot vs. Zombies), Tara Davis (Alexis), Josh Ebel (Boxed), Chrissy Jenness, Melody Joy, Tom Kolos, Jesse-Lee Lafferty, Bruce Lentz, Dawn Lilly, Kaitlyn Shoeb, Candice Starks.

Press release:

picks up where the typical Hollywood slasher film ends. Penny is the sole survivor of a vicious attack that killed five of her closest friends. To escape, she was forced to brutally kill her would-be murderer. As she begins the slow process of recovering both physically and mentally, she struggles to deal with the violence that happened to her – and the violence she committed herself – and worries that the same killer instinct that helped her survive is slowly turning her into something else…

Filming Locations:

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Wild Eye Releasing trailer:

Robot Monkey Studios trailer:

IMDb

Creepy – original title: クリーピー “Creepy: Fake Neighbour” – is a 2016 psychological thriller directed by Kurosawa Kiyoshi (Sweet Home; Pulse; Cure) from a screenplay co-written with Chihiro Ikeda, based on the 2012 novel of the same title by Yutaka Maekawa.

The film is due to be released in Japan on June 18th.

Plot:

Criminal psychologist Takakura (Nishijima Hidetoshi) is investigating a family’s disappearance six years earlier. Meanwhile, Takakura and his wife Yasuko (Yûko Takeuchi) have moved into a new house next door to friendly neighbour Nishino (Teruyuki Kagawa), his sick wife (Misaki Saisho) and teenage daughter (Ryoko Fujino).

Things take a turn for the strange when the daughter, Mio, one day jumps into Takaura’s house and states that the man she is living with is not her father but a complete stranger…

Reviews:

” … the film becomes more obvious and less psychological as it goes on. Kurosawa is not a gore lover, and there is nothing to cringe over when things heat up. On the other hand, the last-reel revelations, awkwardly doled out as the victims multiply uncontrollably, are more repulsive than scary.” Deborah Young, The Hollywood Reporter

“The horror finally spills out around 90 minutes into the film, and it’s guaranteed to make the sight of any large plastic bag utterly cringe-worthy. Notwithstanding various improbabilities — like how easy it is to evade the police, who never think of calling for reinforcements — the film supplies a headlong rush of tension and cruelty all the way to a gratifying final payoff.” Maggie Lee, Variety

“When the film shifts into territory less Hitchcockian than Lynchian – with a touch of Park Chan-wook’s Asian Gothic – the quiet confidence of Kurosawa’s approach has paid off, allowing him to vault into this more intense register. It’s not all just ghoulish fun, though: there’s a serious subtext here involving everyday evil…” Jonathan Romney, Screen Daily

Teaser trailer:

IMDb

Dwelling is a 2015 paranormal horror film written and directed by Kyle Mecca, making his feature debut.

The film is currently in post-production.

Main cast:

Erin Marie Hogan (Academy of Doom; Axeman at Cutter’s Creek; Evil Within), Mu-Shaka Benson (Half Dead; The Vampire; Savage Christmas), Devanny Pinn (Return to Yucca Flats: Desert Man-Beast; The Los Angeles Ripper; The Black Dahlia Haunting), Abigail Mary, Bill Brown, Josie DiVincenzo, Alexandra Merritt Mathews, Emma Stablewski, Makenzy Glover, Fattie King, Leora Owens, Ava Sammarco, Raven Khreis, Carly Illos.

Plot:

A young couple, Ellie (Erin Marie Hogan) and Gavin (Mu-Shaka Benson), deliberately moves into a haunted house to contact the other side. Until their conduit, a painted black mirror proves to contain a malevolent presence hell-bent on bringing harm to their new family…

Trailer:

IMDb | Facebook

Alleluia is a 2014 Belgian-French psychological thriller directed by Fabrice Du Welz (Calvaire; Vinyan) from a screenplay co-written with Vincent Tavier. It stars Laurent Lucas, Lola Duenas and Helena Noguerra.

Plot:

Retells the classic “lonely hearts” case of Raymond Fernandez and Martha Beck — who targeted single ladies via personal ads, then moved in, stole their money and killed them (previously filmed in 1969 as The Honeymoon Killers and 1996 as Deep Crimson)…

Buy: Amazon.co.uk

Reviews:

“Fabrice du Welz’s serial-murder jolly doesn’t quite dramatically press its central relationship enough to prevent the film from devolving at the last into a default bloodbath. But it’s disturbingly credible for a long time, its expert camerawork – all bifurcated faces and heaving pores – seeding the air with claustrophobia around Almodóvar regular Lola Dueñas and Laurent Lucas’ dysfunctional union.” Phil Hoad, The Guardian

“Alleluia may be a remake, butits somber look couldn’t be more original — all the better for the film to spring its nasty surprises on auds, none more unexpected than the way certain shots remain seared into one’s subconscious in the days and weeks that follow.” Peter Debruge,Variety

“Du Welz hardly unveils a simple account of unhinged, obsessive love. His is a demonic hymnal of passion, a darkly droll exercise in the delusory notion of love as an unhealthy obsession told with aggressive flourish. But at its prominent dark heart is an utterly captivating performance from Spanish actress Lola Duenas.” Nicholas Bell, ION Cinema

“The cinematography, courtesy of Manu Dacosse (Amer, Mobile Home) is appropriately gritty and grainy throughout, showcasing Du Welz’s extremely precise mise-en-scene that helps the story move forward both as a narrative and as a character study, with numerous intense close-ups allowing the actors to turn their deranged characters into frighteningly three-dimensional human beings.”Boyd van Hoeij, The Hollywood Reporter

“Du Welz’s film becomes very repetitive very quickly, doubling down on heaving bodies and gushing arteries in order to sustain some sense of momentum. The director’s fetish for invasive close-ups and spatial incoherence comes to seem an aesthetic gimmick, promising a sense of intimacy that never comes to pass, as his film devolves into a genre film that presumes it has the imprimatur of psychological horror.” Christopher Gray, Slant magazine

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Cast and characters:

• Lola Dueñas as Gloria
• Helena Noguerra as Solange
• Laurent Lucas as Michel
• Stéphane Bissot as Madeleine
• David Murgia as Père Luis

Trailer:

Wikipedia | IMDb | Official site

A Toyol or Tuyul is a mythical spirit in Malay mythology of South-East Asia, especially in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Singapore.

The spirit is sometimes called the “Kwee Kia” in Hokkien. In Thailand, they are called Koman-tong (Male) and Koman-lay (Female). In Philippines they have a similar child spirit called the “tiyanak”. In Cambodia they are called “Cohen Kroh”. In South Korea called “Do Yeol”. It is a small child spirit invoked by a dukun (Indonesian shaman) or pawang (Malay witch doctor) from a dead human fetus using black magic.

People normally associate the appearance of a toyol with that of a small baby, frequently that of a newborn baby walking naked with a big head, small hands, clouded eyes and usually greenish skin. It can be seen without the use of magic, though they are unlikely to be spotted casually.

Those who did claim to encounter it described its actual appearance to be childlike (a toddler) with green/gray skin, bald, big red (alien-like) eyes, pointy ears and rows of sharp teeth, and sometimes reported with hairs, like a monkey. Its behaviour is more animal-like. It tends to climb on rooftops either to play or prior to entering houses.

In old village tales, people keep toyols for selfish but petty gains. They use such spirits for theft, sabotage and other minor crimes. With special rituals the toyol can be made powerful and perform murder. A person who suddenly becomes wealthy without explanation might be suspected of keeping a toyol. The toyol is kept in a jar or an urn, and hidden away in a dark place until needed.

What happens at the end of the “contract” is not very clear. It could be that the tablet, along with the urn, is buried in a graveyard (with the relevant rituals), and the spirit is then laid to rest. An alternative method is to dispose them in the sea. Or else, a toyol gets passed down in a family through the generations. This seems to suggest that once you obtain a toyol, not only are you stuck with it for the rest of your life, but all your descendants will also be condemned to own it.

However, it can still get released by either the owner or “bomoh” (shaman) to roam free. Without a master, it would stray into the jungle or visit homes as an observer without disturbing residents. Based on an anecdote, a toyol confessed that it likes to peek into people’s lives apart from the occasional distraction of playing with any toys found within houses. Simply put, toyol is quite harmless without a master but like a gun, it can turn to crime or mischief under the command of an unscrupulous individual.

When it comes to stealing money or jewellery, people wonder how the toyol can find such valuables in hidden places where even humans fail to find them. There is speculation that it can somehow see through walls or barriers with its big red eyes (like infra-red) to spot hidden valuables but this is unconfirmed. After stealing, the only traces of its presence are its childlike footprints and fingerprints found at the crime scene if it happens to have dust on its hands and feet. Otherwise, people would not suspect that a toyol had raided their premises.

Although seemingly cunning, toyols are supposedly not very intelligent. It is said that they are easily deceived by marbles, beans and sand and strands of garlic hanging on the door post or placed on certain parts of the house. The toyol will start playing with these items until it forgets its task at the intended victim’s house. Money placed under mirrors has the potency to ward off toyols due to a fear of their reflection.

Wikipedia

NB. Horrorpedia.com posts about superstitious beliefs for information and entertainment only but in no way condones their existence in reality. All forms of religious belief are mere superstition and have no factual scientific basis.

‘It stalks the night! It thirsts for blood!’

“Peternormal Activity” is the fourth episode of the fourteenth season of the animated sitcom Family Guy. It aired on Fox in the United States on October 25, 2015, and was written by Chris Sheridan and directed by Greg Colton. The title is a play on theParanormal Activity film series.

Plot [spoilers]:

Peter Griffin, Glenn Quagmire, Cleveland Brown, and Joe Swanson watch Maniac Pope 2: Thou Shall Not Live at a movie theater but are not impressed. At the Drunken Clam, Peter, Quagmire, Cleveland, and Joe seek inspiration for a horror film idea.

They decide to head to the abandoned Quahog Asylum to gain it and begin sharing their stories:

• Peter tells his horror story involving 2 teens (played by Peter and Lois) being murdered by a mountain cat (also portrayed by Peter)

• Cleveland’s zombie-based story is about a patient, portrayed by himself, in an abandoned hospital who only changes a light bulb, which burns out instantly. When asked when the zombies are going to come in, Cleveland stated that the zombies are arriving on a shuttle bus.

• Peter tells another story about how 3 ambassadors (Cleveland, Peter, and Quagmire) are killed by a haunted soap.

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As they share their ideas, they begin to hear strange noises and footsteps. The four get frightened and try to evacuate, but discover they have been locked in. They crawl through an air duct, but it collapses and they end up in the basement, where they encounter the hook-handed man that was involved in the story about the asylum’s past. They flee past him and get outside, but realise that they are four against one, so they attack and inadvertently kill him.

Upon investigation, they discover he is a property caretaker named Albert and the hook is due to valor in the Korean War. Quagmire wants to confess the murder, but he is overruled. They bury Albert’s body and his car while making a pact to keep the murder silent.

After the incident, Peter has a sleepless night and deals with coincidences that are similar to the circumstances of the murder. At the Drunken Clam, Quagmire denies his involvement and reveals he forged an alibi, prompting Peter to return to the Quahog Asylum to frame Quagmire for the murder. Once he is there, he finds that the other three are already there, all planning to frame each other. Before they assault each other with shovels, Peter sees this as inspiration for a horror film.

Later, their film Cereal Killer is released starring John Goodman as the Peter-like character; they have a negative opinion of it upon leaving the theatre. Afterwards, they see Albert in a newspaper as he is reported missing and revealed to be a Ku Klux Klan leader who stole war medals. This revelation soothes their guilty consciences. Back at the Quahog Asylum, Albert’s hook rises from the grave and his car door rises in the same way…

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Reviews:

“I thought it was rather clever that the janitor they thought was innocent wasn’t innocent at all. He was a KKK leader who stole war medals. Nice social commentary, I guess. But then again, isn’t that sort of ending a horror movie staple?” Lisa Babick, TV Fanatic

Wikipedia | IMDb

Lights Out is an upcoming 2016 American supernatural horror film written and directed by David F. Sandberg, based on his 2013 short film of the same name. It was co-produced by James Wan (Saw; Insidious; The Conjuring) for New Line Cinema, Atomic Monster and Grey Matter Productions.

The film is scheduled to be released on July 22, 2016 by Warner Bros.

Main cast:

, Emily Alyn Lind, Maria Russell, Amiah Miller, Andi Osho, Elizabeth Pan, Ava Cantrell, Rolando Boyce, Lotta Losten, Ariel Dupin.

Creepy image from 2013 short

Plot:

When Rebecca left home, she thought she left her childhood fears behind. Growing up, she was never really sure of what was and wasn”t real when the lights went out… and now her little brother, Martin, is experiencing the same unexplained and terrifying events that had once tested her sanity and threatened her safety. A frightening entity with a mysterious attachment to their mother, Sophie, has reemerged. But this time, as Rebecca gets closer to unlocking the truth, there is no denying that all their lives are in danger… once the lights go out.

Trailer:

Original Lights Out short film:

Wikipedia | IMDb

Organ (オルガン) is a 1996 Japanese splatter horror film written, directed and produced by Kei Fujiwara (Id). She also stars in it as one of two organ thieves who remove organs from their captives while they are still alive.

Plot:

Two undercover detectives, Numata and Tosaka, infiltrate a plastic covered den where they discover a gang of organ thieves led by the teacher Saeki and his one-eyed sister Yoko who are cutting open a victim who is still alive. After a gun battle ensues, Tosaka is captured and Numata escapes.

Saeki works at a girls’ school where he offers private lessons to teens whom he later harvests for organs. We learn later that Saeki’s mother bit off his genitals when he was young and, like his victims, Saeki is now rotting away…

Reviews:

“Gross without being shocking, and anarchic without being fun, this confused and confusing helming debut by the lead actress of cult hit Tetsuo: The Iron Man is a chaotic tour through a Tokyo nether world of body-part dealers.” Derek Elley, Variety

“Diminishing returns hit splatter movies faster than most other genres, and this starts straining for effect and repeating itself within its first hour – with a turgid 45 minutes of blood-letting and grotesquerie to go.” Time Out

“There’s a scene or two that closely resemble some parts from Mermaid In a Manhole (from the outrageously violent Guinea Pig series out of Japan). This film is most certainly gross, and the ultra slimey makeup FX are pretty cool to look at if you’ve got a strong stomach, but its not all that shocking to be honest.” B-Grade Gems

“Organ is not an easy film to watch and is almost impossible to enjoy. In terms of its power to disgust or disturb, its in a category with the early Guinea Pig instalments and the ero-gro films of Kazuo Komizu. But unlike those films, it’s not a bland attempt to shock or gross out, but a complex portrait of moral, physical and psychological decay” Jim Harper, Flowers from Hell

Buy: Amazon.co.uk

Trailer:

Wikipedia | IMDb

‘Did you ever want to strangle your mother?’

The Killing Kind is a 1973 American psychological horror thriller directed by Curtis Harrington (Night Tide; Whoever Slew Auntie Roo?; Ruby) based on a screenplay by Tony Crechales (Point of Terror; House of Terror; The Attic), that was revised by producer George Edwards, a producer on Harrington’s previous and future films. It was originally titled Are You a Good Boy?

Harrington extensively researched studies of serial murderers and said he had been complimented on the film’s accuracy. The film features music by Andrew Belling (Crash!; End of the World; Zoltan… Hound of Dracula) and cinematography by Italian cinematographer Mario Tosi (Frogs; Carrie).

Main cast:

Ann Sothern (Lady in a Cage; The Manitou)
John Savage (All the Kind Strangers; Door to Silence; Tales of Halloween)
Ruth Roman (The Baby; A Knife for the Ladies)
Luana Anders (Dementia 13)
Cindy Williams (Beware! The Blob; The Creature Wasn’t Nice; The Stepford Husbands)
Sue Bernard (The Witchmaker; Necromancy)
Marjorie Eaton (Zombies of Mora Tau; Night Tide; The Reincarnation of Peter Proud)

Plot:

Terry (John Savage) is a man whose mind is destroyed after being physically forced to participate in a gang rape and serving two years in prison when the victim, Tina Moore (Susan Bernard), lies about the nature of the incident.

Terry’s mother, Thelma (Sothern), runs a boarding house primarily for elderly ladies. Terry and Thelma have a relationship of unusual intimacy.

Terry returns home after the prison stay and moves back in with his mother.

When his mother wishes that Tina were dead, he borrows the car and runs her off the road.

He then kills the attorney who failed to get him a reduced sentence, Rhea Benson (Roman). He is heavily influenced by the power of suggestion in his vengeance…

Reviews:

“Immersive horror film cum character study is a lost gem among dozens of 70s style ferociousness on film. While Harrington’s movie is occasionally shocking, the performances of its two leads are the pictures life blood. Highly recommended for those who appreciate a carefully constructed horror thriller with mounting suspense and occasional shocks.” Cool Ass Cinema

“But when the focus is on Savage and his mother, I had no issues at all, as these scenes work great (again, as more of a drama than a horror film). She actually unknowingly sets him on his murderous path, as both of them seemingly live to please the other. Yes, it gets a bit icky at times (many a kiss goodnight is on the lips), and will of course invite some comparisons to Psycho, but it actually provides the film with most of its suspense.” Horror Movie a Day

“Terry’s rage and confusion begins to spiral deeper and faster with each female encounter. While Curtis Harrington’s pacing may seem a little slow for some, it is nonetheless an effective psychological study of a murderer. Although compared to similar fare, such as Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, The Killing Kind can feel quite quaint.” Jason McElreath, DVD Drive-In

“So, even with some colorful kills, such as Terry forcing a woman to drink a paralyzing amount of liquor before setting her on fire, The Killing Kind is really just another crude Hitchcock rip-off, right down to the Rear Window­­-style shots of a neighbor spying on Terry with binoculars.” Peter Hanson, Every ’70s Movie

Release:

In the US, the film was handled by Media Trend Productions, a distributor about whom Harrington said in interview “They knew about as much about distribution as my grandmother”.

In the US, Paragon Video released it on VHS in 1987 (a British VHS release was retitled The Psychopath). It was later released as the second half a double-bill with James Landis’s The Sadist (1963) on a DVD from Diamond Entertainment Corporation in 2003.

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Dark Sky Films released the film on Region 1 DVD in 2007. The release features an interview with Harrington made shortly before his death.

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Cast and characters:

• Ann Sothern as Thelma Lambert
• John Savage as Terry Lambert
• Ruth Roman as Rhea Benson
• Luana Anders as Louise
• Cindy Williams as Lori Davis
• Susan Bernard as Tina Moore (billed as Sue Bernard)
• Marjorie Eaton as Mrs. Orland
• Peter Brocco as Louise’s Father
• Helene Winston as Flo

Choice dialogue:

Thelma Lambert: “That lousy lawyer. I could have done a better job myself.”

Terry Lambert: “How can a lady judge be tough? I mean, women are supposed to be soft and cuddly and they smell so sweet and pretty?”

Terry Lambert: “I like the rain. It shuts everything out.”

Wikipedia | IMDb | Image thanks: VHSCollector.com

Count Dracula Duck is a character revealed to be the final boss in the NES Duck Tales video game and its remastered version. In the latter, his real name was revealed to be Drake Von Vladstone. The remastered game is available on Xbox 360, Wii U and Playstation3.

Drake von Vladstone’s appearance was modelled on Scrooge, except he wears a more 17th century form of noble-wear, his hat a purple ring around it rather than red, his eyes have purple bags, and he has two vampire fangs.

The big fight takes place in Transylvania. Count Dracula Duck only has one attack. He teleports and summons a bat toward Scrooge McDuck. Scrooge must jump over the bat to get a boost to then jump on him a few times until he is defeated. After his defeat, Magica De Spell and Flintheart Glomgold race Scrooge to the top of the pillar to collect the treasure.

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Virus: Extreme Contamination is a 2016 science fiction Italian horror film directed by Domiziano Delvaux Cristopharo (House of Flesh Mannequins; Bloody Sin; Hyde’s Secret Nightmare) from a screenplay co-written with Antonio Tentori (A Cat in the Brain; The Three Faces of Terror; Dracula 3D). The film was “freely inspired” by The Colour Out of Space, a short story written by American author H. P. Lovecraft.

Main cast:

Halil Budakova, Michael Segal, Rimi Beqiri, Merita Budakova, Vilson Spaqi, Adrian Vila, Hasan Lushi, Adem Kicaj, Avni Lushtaku, Faik Gashi, and Paola Barale.

Plot:

An Italian scientist moves to Kosovo to study the impact of a meteorite that is the cause of some strange events. Once there, he discovers that the object has been moved in a near military base where all the people were turned into dangerous weird creatures… 

Filming locations:

Prizren, Kosovo

Teaser trailer:

IMDb | Facebook

Death by Umbrella! The 100 Weirdest Horror Movie Weapons is a 2016 book by Christopher Lombardo and Jeff Kirschner published by BearManor Media.

Press release:

“As horror movies have become more extreme, even the tools of the tree surgeon have be-come passé. Besides, why risk industrial deaf-ness dispatching virgins with a chainsaw?

Death by Umbrella! The 100 Weirdest Horror Movie Weapons is a fun-filled romp through the world of gore ordinances. Hosts of The Really Awful Movies Podcast, Christopher Lombardo and Jeff Kirschner, explore a variety of very odd weapons that have helped people meet their maker in horror films.

These include being fatally skewered by mounted deer antlers, death by exercise machines, curling irons, and ears of corn, laceration by avant-garde sculptures, bludgeoning into the beyond by pogo sticks, and even lethal basketballs thrown at high velocity (!)

A must for horror fans, the book also features some really cool (and gory) illustrations, plus a foreword by Troma legend Lloyd Kaufman.”

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Amityville: The Evil Escapes is a 1989 American television supernatural horror film produced by NBC. It was written and directed by Sandor Stern (Pin) from a novel by John G. Jones.

Stern previously wrote the supernatural possessed house TV movie The Strange and Deadly Occurrence (1974) and the original Amityville Horror film (1979) that began the series.

The film is also known as The Amityville Horror: The Evil Escapes and Amityville 4: The Evil Escapes.

Main cast:

Patty Duke (Night Gallery: “The Diary”; She Waits; Look What’s Happened to Rosemary’s Baby; The Swarm), Jane Wyatt, Fredric Lehne, Lou Hancock, Brandy Gold.

Plot:

A stormy night at the infamous Amityville house: Six priests, led by Father Manfred (Norman Lloyd) start to exorcise it. Father Dennis Kibbler (Fredric Lehne) is in an upstairs bedroom and begins to bless it when he sees a glowing brass floor lamp.

A burst of energy emerges from the outlet, through the cord, and into the lamp sending the priest flying.

A demonic face appears in the large round bulb…

A few days later, Father Manfred believes that the evil spirits are finally left the house and the real estate agency decides to have a yard sale. Helen Royce (Peggy McCay) comes across the lamp and buys it for $100. She sends it to her sister as a birthday present, explaining that ugly gifts are a running joke. While checking the lamp, Helen cuts her finger. As the day goes on, Helen’s finger begins to get infected and discoloured.

A week later, the lamp arrives at Helen’s sister, Alice Leacock’s (Jane Wyatt) house, in a small Californian town called Dancott…

Buy: Amazon.co.uk

Reviews:

“… Jane Wyatt’s household is terrorized by all the horror clichés from the previous Amityville entries. Patty Duke looks totally lost as she joins with priest Frederic Lehne to fight the wicked lamp.” John Stanley, Creature Features

“What’s most interesting here is that… well… this TV Movie doesn’t suck NEARLY as much as it could (and possibly should) have. Let’s face it, in spite of its name-recognition and longevity, the Amityville Series isn’t exactly a saga packed with great films. It’s hard to believe that the fourth in the series (and a made-for-TV-movie at that) would be more logical and better-made than the theatrical releases that preceded it.” World’s Greatest Critic

“Many of the scares have to do with other appliances – such as tea kettles to chainsaws and disposals – that turn themselves on. Stars Patty Duke and Jane Wyatt are spared the most embarrassing moments.” Mike Mayo, Videohound’s Horror Show

“But it’s not too boring, which I had feared, since the Amityville films aren’t known for their body counts (and, as I mentioned, the villain is a friggin lamp). Stern (or novelist John G. Jones) at least had the good sense to add a whole bunch of peripheral characters to the movie, since Duke and her 3 adolescent children certainly wouldn’t be killed (Wyatt was fair game though).” Horror Movie a Day

Buy: Amazon.com

Release:

In the US, the film was released on home video by Vidmark Entertainment, then released on DVD twice by Allumination Filmworks in 2003 and 2007.

Cast and characters:

• Patty Duke as Nancy Evans
• Jane Wyatt as Alice Leacock
• Fredric Lehne as Father Kibbler
• Lou Hancock as Peggy
• Brandy Gold as Jessica Evans
• Zoe Trilling as Amanda Evans (as Geri Betzler)
• Aron Eisenberg as Brian Evans
• Norman Lloyd as Father Manfred
• Robert Alan Browne as Donald McTear
• Gloria Cromwell as Rhona
• James Stern as Danny Read
• Peggy McCay as Helen Royce

Trailer:

Wikipedia | IMDb

Posted in tribute to actress Patty Duke who died March 29, 2016.

When Animals Dream – originally titled: Når dyrene drømmer – is a 2014 Danish supernatural horror mystery and the feature film directorial debut of Jonas Alexander Arnby from a screenplay by Rasmus Birch.

Plot:

Marie (Sonia Suhl) is a shy sixteen-year-old growing up in a remote fishing village in Denmark where she lives with her father Thor (Lars Mikkelsen) and mother (Sonja Richter), who is catatonic and confined to a wheelchair. She’s bothered by a strange rash that develops on her chest, only to become more unnerved when she begins to sprout hair.

Meanwhile, Marie begins working at a fish processing plant where her coworkers bully her under the false premise that it is hazing and not intended to be malicious. As Marie’s body undergoes more changes, she begins to realise that her family has been hiding strange secrets and that her mother’s current condition may relate to what Marie is currently going through…

Reviews:

“Tonally, this is more in line with Let the Right One In while channeling elements of Ginger Snaps. But make no mistake, this isn’t as sensational or wild or funny as the latter comparison. It’s a movie that lurks quietly in the shadows, stalking you until its ready to pounce and show you what big, sharp teeth is has.” Ryan Turek, Shock Till You Drop

“Initially too slow to share its obvious secrets, When Animals Dream only clicks into full-blooded horror mode in its final act when hairy, scary Marie embarks on a Carrie-style rampage of revenge against the neighbors who previously made her life hell. Stylish but slight, Arnby’s debut feature ultimately sticks within werewolf movie conventions, adding little fresh to the form.” Stephen Dalton, The Hollywood Reporter

“This is a tremendous feature debut, haunting and elegaic, while not shying away from violence and sex. There is certainly no subtlety to the film; but then again, werewolves aren’t meant to be subtle.” Shelagh Rowan-Legg, Twitch

“There’s absolutely noting wrong with When Animals Dream. It’s wonderfully acted, lustfully crafted, and sinister when necessary – it’s just not the enigmatic wonder some are claiming it to be. Credit Denmark with creating a unique take on a werewolf story most studios would turn into yet another genre splatterfest, but Jonas Alexander Arnby ensures Rasmus Birch’s story is built with the right mindset.” Matt Donato, We Got This Covered

Buy: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk

Cast and characters:

• Sonia Suhl as Marie
• Lars Mikkelsen as Thor
• Jakob Oftebro as Daniel
• Sonja Richter as Mother
• Mads Riisom as Felix
• Benjamin Boe Rasmussen as Ib
• Esben Dalgaard as Bjarne

Trailer:

Wikipedia | IMDb

Scherzo Diabolico is a 2015 Mexican-American comedy horror thriller film written and directed by Adrián García Bogliano (The ABCs of Death: “B Is for Bigfoot”; Penumbra; Cold Sweat; Here Comes the Devil; Late Phases).

The title refers to a musical piece which is is the third of the Études in the minor keys, for solo piano by the French composer Charles-Valentin Alkan.

The film is released in the US by Dark Sky Films on DVD and VOD on May 3, 2016.

Main cast:

Francisco Barreiro (We Are What We Are, Here Comes the Devil), , Vita Vargas, Evan Alducin, Pau Alva, Tito Guillén, Pablo Guisa Koestinger.

Plot:

Mexico City: Aram (Francisco Barreiro) is a low-paid accountant living an unbearably dull existence. With a nagging wife who berates him for not being assertive enough, he quietly suffers while awaiting a long-deserved promotion. But there’s more to Aram than his quiet demeanor lets on. In fact, he has been secretly devising a scheme to finally get what he feels he is owed.

“Scherzo Diabolico’s third act takes a welcome turn into black comedy, and its unexpected moments of violence will likely inspire huzzahs from midnight audiences. One particular image of gore is basically abstract expressionism. Yet these moments of dark fun are wildly at odds with the psycho-sexual torture of the earlier scenes.” Jordan Hoffman, The Guardian

“It’s interesting and meaty stuff that Bogliano address in a subtle and polished way. Through all of the vivid flashes of violence and pitch-black humor, Scherzo Diabolico feels like his most personal and entertaining work yet. There’s a meanness and bleakness to the film that may turn off some viewers…” Patrick Cooper, Bloody Disgusting

“There’s a fine line between being darkly humorous and downright disturbing, and Scherzo Diabolico tiptoes along it like a tightrope. Viewers with leanings toward the sadistic side of cinema might find themselves laughing out loud (full disclosure: I did), but most probably won’t find much of the film to be a humorous matter; it gets dark. Very, very dark.” Madeleine Koestner, Fangoria

Filming locations:

Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico

IMDb | Facebook

‘Evil is eternal’

Consumption is a 2014 American supernatural horror film written, directed and co-produced by Brandon Scullion (60 Seconds to Die: “Found” segment; December). It was originally known as Live – In Fear.

The film is due out in the US on DVD via Wild Eye Releasing on July 26.

Main cast:

Sarah Greyson, Arielle Brachfeld, David Lautman, Chris Dorman, Myles Cranford, Geoffrey Gould, Maria Olsen.

Plot:

A group of friends travel to the snowy Utah mountains for a weekend retreat. One brings with him a dark secret that could destroy their lives forever. As they prepare to face an ancient secret buried in the woods outside their winter resort, an unstoppable evil begins to grow, consuming them one by one…

Filming locations:

Brian Head, Utah, USA

Trailer:

IMDb

Buppha Ratree: Haunting in Japan is a 2016 Thai comedy horror film written and directed by Yuthlert Sippapak (Rahtree: Flower of the Night; Buppah Rahtree Phase 2: Rahtree Returns; Rahtree Reborn and Rahtree Revenge).

Plot:

A Thai rock band travel to Japan to shoot a new snow-bound music video. Unfortunately, the band discover that the house they have rented for the shoot is haunted by a female ghost. So, they call in an exorcist…

Trailer:

Source: Twitch