The Leech Woman is a 1960 American sci-fi/horror hybrid film, the tragic parable about the steep spiritual toll extracted in the relentless pursuit of immortality. directed by Edward Dein (Shack Out on 101 (1955) and Curse of the Undead 1959). The film follows the story of a wealthy but aging woman named June Talbot, portrayed by Coleen Gray (Nightmare Alley 1947), who is desperately seeking a way to regain her youth and beauty. Her husband, Dr. Paul Talbot, played by Phillip Terry, is a research scientist who discovers a remote African tribe that practices a ritual involving a special elixir made from the secretions of male pineal glands. This serum has the power to temporarily rejuvenate and transform the person who consumes it.

The film begins with Dr. Paul Talbot and his wife June in the middle of a heated argument.

Dr. Paul Talbot confronting his alcoholic wife June:  “It’s interesting to watch a “bottle baby” defend her weakness. One thing I can say for you, your approach is always different. Today, it’s complete submission. I can’t even get a rise out of you. You know, I think I like you better when you’re sloppy drunk, and violent. That’s the real you, and that’s the one I like, the one that hates me and gives me a chance to hate back.”

Dr Paul Talbot Old women always give me the creeps!

She has been driven to drink herself into a stupor and is now an emotional wreck because of his vicious emotional abuse. An arrogant scientist obsessed with his work in rejuvenation, Talbot encounters the 152-year-old Malla and it changes everything. She and her tribe’s preternaturally driven magic hold the key to everlasting youth. He follows Malla back to the remote part of the African jungle and beholds a mystical ritual that transforms Malla the ancient old woman into a breathtakingly beautiful goddess with just a few drops of fluid extracted from a sacrificed man's pineal gland.

Old Malla You will never escape me, you are the one in my dreams of blood!

Naturally, Talbot wants to steal the secret formula and cunningly tries to get back together with his wife so he can use her as a guinea pig in his experiments with the serum. But June has other ideas about her devious husband. Once her youth is restored she must choose a man to sacrifice in order to keep her perfection going, so who does she choose to sacrifice? Of course, it's her dirty rat of a husband. Furthermore, she must continue to resort to a series of grisly murders, killing male strangers to extract the elixir from their pineal glands.

Universal (then Universal-International) made this low budget horror film because they needed a second feature to play with their U.S. release of the Hammer production – The Brides of Dracula 1960

The interior set of the Talbots’ ranch house living room was also used in the 1958 Universal spookfest- The Thing That Could Die 1958

The Living Skeleton is a Japanese horror film released in 1968, directed by Hiroki Matsuno, and is his sole cinematic endeavor, known for its eerie atmosphere and unsettling themes.

The story revolves around a young woman named Saeko (Kikko Matsuoka), living in a seaside town, as a child, who survived a shipwreck that claimed the lives of her parents. Now haunted by the unearthly phantoms of a ship’s crew murdered by modern-day pirates. Saeko is bedeviled by the traumatic memories of that night and the loss of her sister Yoriko, who went missing during the same incident.

As Saeko grows older, she becomes involved in a series of mysterious and gruesome murders along the coastline. These murders are connected to a group of pirates who have been using a ghost ship to lure victims to their deaths.

As Saeko delves deeper into the mystery, she uncovers disturbing secrets about her sister’s fate, the true identity of the pirates, and the supernatural forces at play.

The Living Skeleton is celebrated for its atmospheric black-and-white cinematography (Masayuki Katŏ), eerie soundtrack, and its ability to create a sense of dread and unease. It is considered a cult classic of Japanese horror cinema and is known for its unique and unsettling storytelling.

The Living Skeleton (1968) is a haunting mediation on vengeance and grief that is deeply steeped in the darkly poetic style of American noir of the 1940s. It stands as a lesser-known classic, made all the more intriguing by the fact that Notably, screenwriter Kyuzo Kobayashi, who also penned “Goke, Bodysnatcher from Hell,” brings a unique blend of social commentary and jarring storytelling.

The film features eerie underwater sequences creating a surreal and otherworldly mood. It can be described as a ghost ship movie with a Japanese title that, when literally translated, resembles something along the lines of “Bloodsucking Skeleton Ship” or “Bloodsucking Pirates.”

Read my Katherine Ross tribute Here: The Women of The Alfred Hitchcock Hour

The Legacy is a 1978 British-American horror film directed by Richard Marquand with a screenplay co-written by Jimmy Sangster and starring Katherine Ross alongside her real-life husband Sam Elliott. The film follows the story of a successful American fashion model named Margaret Walsh, portrayed by Katherine Ross, and her boyfriend, Pete Danner, played by Sam Elliott.

Margaret and Pete are invited to an English country estate for a weekend getaway. However, upon their arrival, they discover that the mansion’s eccentric owner, Jason Mountolive (John Standing), has passed away, and they are unexpectedly drawn into a sinister and supernatural inheritance ritual. The inheritance involves a group of wealthy and influential individuals, each with unique abilities, who must compete for the right to claim Jason’s vast fortune and power.

As Margaret and Pete become embroiled in the strange, bizarre, and deadly events at the estate, they must navigate a web of dark secrets, occult rituals, and supernatural forces.

Long Weekend is a 1978 Australian horror film directed by Colin Eggleston is a cautionary tale. At the root of the story is a troubled couple, Peter (John Hargreaves) and Marcia (Briony Behets), who decide to take a camping trip in a remote and picturesque coastal wilderness for a long weekend to try and salvage their deteriorating relationship. However, as they embark on their journey, they exhibit a lack of respect for nature and the environment, acting reckless and indifferent – littering and animal cruelty.

As the couple’s disrespect for nature continues, the wilderness seems to retaliate in eerie and inexplicable ways. They encounter a series of increasingly bizarre and terrifying events, including strange animal behavior, unexplained sounds, and unsettling visions. It becomes apparent that the very forces of nature are conspiring against them.

The Lost Boys is known for its 1980s nostalgia, memorable soundtrack by Thomas Newman, and the mesmerizing performances of its cast. It has become a cult classic in the horror genre, known for its blend of vampire lore and teen rebellion, making it a beloved and enduring film.