Category: Trailers

A Trailer a Day Keeps the Boogeyman Away! Darkness Unleashed!

Dark Intruder 1965

Dark Intruder is a 1965 television movie directed by Harvey Hart and written by Barré Lyndon. Set in 1960s San Francisco, the film follows a series of gruesome murders that leave the police struggling to solve the bizarre crimes that appear to be linked to dark occult rituals. They enlist the help of Brett Kingsford, an urbane occultist/criminologist played by Leslie Nielsen, who is as charismatic as he is roguish. Kingsford poses as a wealthy playboy and encounters a mix of interesting characters, including Peter Mark Richman and Judi Meredith (The Night Walker 1964, Queen of Blood 1964), uncovering dark secrets connected to the city’s history and a demon that emerges from a mystical statue left at each crime scene

Devils of Darkness 1965

Devils of Darkness is a 1965 British horror film that uses vampire lore and satanic ritual themes. Lance Comfort directs with an atmosphere typical of the 1960s British vibe. It stars William Sylvester as Paul Baxter, Hubert Noël as Sinistre, and Carole Gray as Tania. It was written by Lyn Fairhurst and was Comfort’s last feature film.

A group of British tourists on holiday finds themselves in a perilous situation when Count Sinistre, a vampire who leads a secret Satanic cult in a small French village executed in the sixteenth century for his profane acts, rises from the grave. He unleashes his cult upon the unsuspecting tourists, killing three of them. Sinestre resurrects a gypsy girl named Tania, whom he has killed and taken as his bride.

One of the survivors, Paul Baxter, becomes suspicious of the supernatural nature of the deaths and decides to investigate. During his search for answers, Baxter acquires a bat-shaped talisman belonging to Count Sinistre. This prompts the Count to pursue Baxter back to England in an attempt to recover the talisman, murdering anyone connected to him.

And Soon the Darkness 1970

In And Soon the Darkness, a 1970 British thriller directed by Robert Fuest and written by Brian Clemens, is the taut story of two beautiful young English nurses, Jane (Pamela Franklin) and Cathy (Michele Dotrice), who embark on a cycling holiday touring the picturesque rural French countryside.

They stop at a cafe to chart out their next destination when Cathy catches the eye of the mysterious presence of a Frenchman named Paul (Sandor Elès). They hop on their bicycles and continue on their journey when Paul zooms past them on his motor scooter, only to park and wait for them on the side of the road up ahead.

After they peddle along their way, he stops to visit the grave of a young girl, a lovely young tourist who had been murdered three years ago.

The girl’s adventure takes a dark turn when they disagree about their plans. Jane wants to get going before it gets dark, and Cathy hopes to meet up with Paul again. The two quarrel and decide to split up. Jane stops at the local Cafe San Rivo, owned by Madame Lassal (Hana Maria Pravda), who warns Jane that the road is ‘bad,’ though she briefly waits for Cathy to catch up. When Jane returns to the spot where they last took a sojourn, she discovers that Cathy has vanished without a trace, having left her camera behind a trace. A menacing stranger has attacked and killed her. Paul suddenly shows up and becomes the prime suspect in Cathy’s disappearance.

As Jane frantically searches for her friend, she faces language barriers and growing paranoia in an unfamiliar rural community. The hostile locals and Paul’s suspicious behavior heighten Jane’s sense of dread. As she is being stalked, it is hard to know who to trust. The beauty of the unease Fuest creates is that it all takes place in broad daylight, creating an atmosphere of ironic, expansive claustrophobia amidst the vast open spaces of the French countryside. And Soon the Darkness is a suspenseful little psycho-sexual masterpiece penned by British fantasy television writer who created The Avengers and the cheeky little Daleks’ and – Doctor Who. And Fuest manages to attain a level of restrained 1970s shivers, a Hitchcockian landscape, though devoid of the campy, vividly colorful, psychological butterflies that Fuest saved for The Abominable Dr. Phibes duet and The Devil’s Rain in 1975.

Daughters of Darkness 1971

Daughters of Darkness is a 1971 erotic melancholic horror film directed by Harry Kümel (Malpertuis 1971); it is a German/French/Belgian production photographed with exquisite detail by Eduard van der Enden and art direction by Françoise Hardy. The story follows a newlywed couple, Stefan (John Karlen) and Valerie (Danielle Ouimet), who, after having a passionate love-making session on a train, head back from Sweden. Valerie is apprehensive about Stefan’s mother meeting her for the first time, so he suggests taking a room somewhere until he can make a call and prepare for his domineering mother, to whom he is newly married. They arrive at a nearly empty, opulent old hotel in Ostend, Belgium, while en route to England. learning they are the only guests except for two glamorous beauties. The sophisticated image of pure elegance – Countess Elizabeth Battori ‘Bathory’ (Delphine Seyrig) and her traveling companion, the sensuous, full-lipped nymphet Ilona (Andrea Rau).

The clerk is baffled by Battori’s appearance because she poses a remarkable resemblance to a woman who visited the hotel thirty years earlier, yet she hasn’t aged a bit. The couple takes an adjoining suite next to the mysterious pair while there is a series of gruesome crimes: four local girls who are found slaughtered. Also, Stefan seems to be fixated on the murders, while his taste for violent sex rises to new heights.

Stefan and Valerie’s stay takes a sinister turn once they encounter the enigmatic Countess, who is actually a modern-day incarnation of the infamous historical ‘Bathory,’ known for her gory torture of young girls.

While celebrating the luxuriations and pleasures of life, the four share drinks in the hotel lounge, where the Countess relates the story of the ‘Scarlett Countess’ and her sadistic appetites for the blood of hundreds of chained virgins. She not only drank their hot-flowing blood but bathed in its glorious crimson nectar after committing vile atrocities on these poor, helpless maidens. Stefan becomes fascinated and aroused by the details of slit throats… and worse. Valerie is deeply disturbed by the grim conversation.

As the couple becomes entangled with the Countess and her alluring secretary, Ilona, their dark secrets are revealed. They finally learn the truth about the two women who are actually vampires: Elizabeth, the ‘Scarlett Countess,’ and Ilona, one of her lovers. When Stefan beats Valerie with his belt after having sex, she leaves him but is met by the Countess at the train station.

Stefan makes love to Ilona and accidentally kills her when he drags her into the shower. Running water is lethal to vampires. When Valerie and Elizabeth return from the train station, they help Stefan dispose of Ilona’s body, and finally, the Countess seduces Valerie, whom she’s had her eye on from the beginning. Countess Elizabeth now has her new companion. The struggle over Valerie ensues til the climatic, poetic finale—a mesmeric tableau.

With its stylish cinematography and haunting atmosphere, Daughters of Darkness remains a cult classic in the genre. This is another film that calls to me to do a right full-length, The Last Drive In treatment. So stay tuned.

Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark 1973

Released on October 10, 1973, Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark led with the tagline: Now you see them… now you don’t… now you die!

Tiny demonic imps living in a Victorian house terrorize Sally (Kim Darby), married to up-and-coming advertising executive and workaholic Alex Farnham (Jim Hutton), who have just moved in. Sally has inherited the house from her grandmother. The secret of this Victorian portal to the bowels of a hellish domain, the entrance, which is a bolted fireplace in her grandfather’s dingy study, is linked to his volatile relationship with the sadistic little creatures – before he disappeared. Sally is hell-bent, literally, on redecorating with garish appeal, insisting on opening up the locked room, which leads to all the trouble.

Only when Alex is out of the house do the little menacing prune-faced imps play head games, taunting and threatening her while they impatiently wait for the time when she will truly come home. Handyman William Demarest, as cantankerous as ever, continues to urge Sally not to meddle in things better left locked away, but she does not heed his warning. “Some things are better left unopened.”

She hires Pedro Armendariz to tear open the bricked-up fireplace, but he soon pays for it when these horrific little creatures rig up a chord on the stairs meant to break Sally’s neck. The atmosphere of paranoia sets the mood, as no one else sees them, though they pop up everywhere while taking a shower, at a dinner party, and through the staircase. Alex angrily suggests she see a doctor. Barbara Anderson, who plays her best friend, doesn’t even believe her until the very end when it’s too late. Their little Greek chorus, calling her name in whispered tones, “free free free… set us free!” haunt the shadowy darkness as they hate the light—even flash bulbs and lit candles.

Sally is a frustrating, stubborn sort of person who just doesn’t leave when she knows she’s not imagining things, and her dismissive husband refuses to listen. I love to watch this every Halloween, and I can’t resist calling, sitting on my couch, yelling at Sally, the idiot, for just not getting out of the house. Even at the end,… taking sleeping pills and taking a nap on the bed when she is an inch away from being dragged down the darkened hole to nowhere, only to become a whispering tone in the shadows… herself. There’s a great score by composer Vic Mizzy, and one of the imps was played by Felix Silla, who was The Addams Family’s hirsute little character who squeaks and tribbles – ‘Cousin It.’

The Dark Secrets of Harvest Home 1978

Leo Penn directed, and Jack Laird produced this NBC miniseries, The Dark Secrets of Harvest Home. It’s a very atmospheric, folksy horror tale about an urban family who relocates to a seemingly idyllic rural community with unsettling undercurrents. Much like the tranquility of rural life known by Hammer, the surroundings belie the dark secrets beneath its surface. Bette Davis, in a role she was determined to play ever since she had read Thomas Tryon’s (The Other) novel, delivers an unambiguous bond to her Hammer days with films like The Nanny; wearing a pastoral high-neck black dress, white bonnet, and owlish glasses, she captures the essence of the Widow Fortune. Sage and world-weary, outwardly benevolent, yet there is a trace of malice lurking beneath. The Widow presides over the quaint and provincial village of Cornwall Coombe, acting as many things. As their medicine woman, the elder, and the matron who guides the villagers with her strict council. It is this isolated way of life that appeals to the Constantines, who are the perfect archetypal disaffected city people, Nick (David Ackroyd) and Beth (Joanna Miles). Beth has a regular gig with her psychiatrist to help her deal with Nick’s straying, and their daughter Kate (Rosanna Arquette) suffers from anxiety-driven asthma attacks. Once the family is taken into the Widow’s matriarchal bosom, her spell seems to be the nostrum the family needs. Beth is free of her therapy, and Kate’s asthma is cured. But Nick starts to feel the tremors of something corrupting at its core and the facade of their cloyingly charming new life, and the residents of the Coombe are a bit too obsessed with exalting their traditions that make you wonder about the sacred self-reliance and hints – with a rather sinister tone – that no one ever leaves the Coombe. Note: the recordings that blind Robert Dodd listens to are voiced by Donald Pleasance.

The Dark 1979

Tobe Hooper and John ‘Bud’ Cardos direct The Dark 1979, starring William Devane, Cathy Lee Crosby, and Richard Jaekel, who are fighting some kind of monster who goes on a killing and mutilation spree only in the dark of the night. Frustrated by the clueless police, the father (Devane) of the first victim goes looking for answers.

Dark Night of the Scarecrow TV movie 1981

This made-for-TV chiller aired on CBS on October 24, 1981. The dapper burlap fellow above is Bubba (Larry Drake), an innocent, kindly man with an intellectual disability who is befriended by a little girl (Tonya Crowe). In a small Southern town, four vigilante farmers (including Robert F. Lyons) wrongfully execute him when they think he has harmed Marylee, who he actually saved from a dog attack.

But after the court sets them free, Bubba seemingly returns from the grave to exact revenge as inextricable accidents begin to kill them off one by one.

Writer/director Frank De Felitta (Audrey Rose 1977, The Entity 1982) directed this pretty nifty small television production. It is pretty drenched in atmosphere during its nighttime sequences, in particular, the scene where Bubba is hiding in a field disguised as a scarecrow, which will become the haunting embodiment of Bubba’s return. While I agree clowns are terrifying, scarecrows can have a similar effect on me!

Dark Night of the Scarecrow also features Jocelyn Brando as Bubba’s mother and Charles Durning as a postman who delivers more than the mail; he brings a special kind of nasty, viciousness, and bloodlust who instigated the torturous death against Bubba in the first place and adds more murder to cover his tracks.

Alone in the Dark 1982

First, here’s a quick note: I met with director Jack Sholder (who also wrote the story) a while back and will interview him once we both have the opportunity. As part of my feature on Sholder, I’ll give more of my commentary on this special horror film as well as some of his other work, The Hidden (1987), A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddie’s Revenge (1985), and 12:01 (1993).

Alone in the Dark is perhaps one of the most iconic representations of the best of 1980s horror with the finest of genre veterans who are the perfect hosts to entertain us with this bitingly satirical film!

In this superb horror thriller, down is up, and up is down – madness blurs as chaos reigns and the lunatics run the asylum. Dr. Daniel Potter (Dwight Schultz), a psychologist, arrives at the mental asylum known as “The Haven” to work under the eccentric and overindulgent Dr. Leo Bain (Donald Pleasence).

Potter is unaware that the most deranged of the inmates there—”Preacher” (Martin Landau), Colonel Hawks (Jack Palance), “Fatty” (Erland Van Lidth), and “The Bleeder” (Phillip Clark)—are convinced that Potter killed his predecessor and their friend, Dr. Harry Merton (Larry Pine).

This experimental hospital seeks to create a sanctuary for the insane where the rooms don’t have bars on their doors. The head doctor, Pleasance, is himself unhinged, and his fellow patients are referred to as voyagers.

Paranoia grips the violent inmates as they fear Potter might turn on them next. When a power outage strikes, these crazies seize their chance; they break out – arming themselves during a riot and looting before heading to the Potter’s white-bread suburban Springwood, New Jersey home.

Preacher — who likes to burn churches and people — kills a bicycle messenger en route and, gleefully, takes his hat! The group makes it to Potter’s house, where they set siege on the family.

Fatty, a psychotic child murderer, is mistaken as the babysitter of Potter’s daughter, Lyla, whom the sinister Colonel has murdered.

As part of the sharp cynicism of the film, the teenagers in Springwood worship a band called The Sick Fucks as they wield prop axes at their concerts. It’s a commentary on the normalization of violence in American pop culture.

The Dark Crystal 1982

From the magnificently prolific minds of Jim Henson and Frank Oz On comes the story of another planet in the distant past and a Gelfling who embarks on a quest to find the missing shard of a magical crystal and restore order to his world.

This is your EverLovin’ Joey saying: just keep those lights blazing. We’re not ready to audition for the next horror flick!

Unraveling the Knot: Don’t Look Now (1973) A Mesmeric Paradox of Grief in Uncanny Red: Part 1

The basic tenet of horror movies – "˜ Nothing is as it seems "˜ and for me, Don't Look Now is a death of all certainties.

In the early seventies, when even mainstream films could be fearless and experimental, smashing taboos and taunting the censors, it was non-conformists who offered cinemagoing a uniquely intense experience.

 “Don't Look Now 1973 retains its power and mystery today thanks to Roeg's mastery of what Alfred Hitchcock famously called "pure cinema," manifest in his visual sleight of hand and, above all, in his refusal to be bound by the conventions of dialogue-driven narrative and simple chronology. All this has shaped a style that has justifiably come to be described as "Roegian."– (David Thompson: Seeing Red 2015 article CRITERION )

“Nothing is what it seems," says John Baxter, the protagonist of Don't Look Now, at the start of the film. The rest of the movie depicts the tragedy of Baxter's incapacity to apply this fundamental wisdom in his own life. "Nothing is what it seems" may be an untested platitude, but it's a truism when it comes to movies, and Don't Look Now is one of the great "movies-about-movie-watching" ever made. Primarily, it is about the act of perception itself"¦ By seeing an event that has not yet happened as something that is already happening (what-will-be as what-is), he (John) fatally confuses the signs and makes the future the past, i.e., irrevocable, inescapable. Like a movie stamped on celluloid, or the glimpse of the satanic dwarf on the slide Baxter is handling in the opening scene, he fixes something in time, and thereby turns life into death.""” (article – Jasun Horsley Cinephilia and Beyond)

"He was a genius, Nic. A visionary. He made a love scene between a grieving wife and herhusband with no cries of passion, no sounds of orgasm, no words. All you hear is Pino Donaggio's music as Nic intercuts their making love with them getting dressed to go out to dinner. Magical. You don't see that scene as a voyeur. You watch it and it reminds you of yourself, of you being loving and you being loved. We decided it would be wisest not to shoot John's death scene until we'd done everything else, in case the unreliable prop knife failed and my throat would be cut, spilling red. Fragmented, abstract images colour and tell his stories. Look at Omar Sharif on a camel, coming from the other end of the desert towards the camera. That's Nic. Look at the Sahara's empty foreground and suddenly the smokestacks of a steamer crossing from left to right along the unseen Suez canal. That's Nic. He was the was the first to use Panavision's R-200°, which meant he had 15 degrees more shutter for Don't Look Now than the 185°s that were the best before. He was everything I ever wanted from a filmmaker. He changed my life forever. Francine and I asked him if we could name our firstborn after him. He said yes. Our glorious son is named Roeg." -  (Interview – Donald Sutherland)

Continue reading “Unraveling the Knot: Don’t Look Now (1973) A Mesmeric Paradox of Grief in Uncanny Red: Part 1” →

A Trailer a Day Keeps the Boogeyman Away! Halloween A-Z

Z

Zombies of Mora Tau 1957

Zombies of Mora Tau 1957 directed by one of the masters of B-movie horrors, Edward L. Cahn,  combines elements of horror, adventure, and mystery. The film stars Allison Hayes as Mona, Autumn Russell as good girl Jan, Gregg Palmer, Joel Ashley, Marjorie Eaton as the Grandmother who awaits her sailor husband’s return even though she knows he’s one of the zombies, and Ray Corrigan.

The story is set in the coastal waters off the African continent, near a diamond mine. A team of people, including a marine salvage crew and the mine owner’s daughter, arrive at a sunken ship, the Mora Tau, which is rumored to contain a valuable cargo of diamonds.

However, the salvage operation becomes perilous when it is revealed that the sunken ship is guarded by the walking dead who guard the treasure, These zombies are not the flesh-eating creatures commonly associated with modern zombie films.

As the salvage crew and the mine owner’s daughter attempt to recover the diamonds, they must contend with the zombies, who are under the control of a mysterious figure. The film unfolds as a suspenseful and atmospheric tale of survival, as the characters face both the threat of the zombies and the lure of the valuable cargo.

Zardoz 1974

Zardoz 1974 is a fantastical science fiction film directed by John Boorman (Deliverance 1972). The film is known for its surreal and dystopian themes. The film stars Sean Connery and ’70s siren Charlotte Rampling.

In 2293 Zardoz, is an uncanny, omnipotent “God” who speaks from a massive floating stone idol of an imposing god-head, who rules over a barbaric race called the Brutals, who live a primitive and violent existence and struggle to survive in the grim landscape in the Outlands. The Brutals worship Zardoz as their supreme deity.

In this distant future, the Earth is divided into two distinct societies: the Eternals, who live in a technologically advanced and utopian community, and the Brutals, who inhabit the wastelands outside of the Eternals’ domain. Yet the movie actually features five identifiable groups of people: Brutals, Eternals, Renegades, Apathetics, and Exterminators.

Zardoz preaches that the Brutals will be transformed once after they die and go to the Vortex, where they will live a euphoric life as immortals. He has amassed an armed named the Exterminators, armed with guns, as Zardoz’s philosophy is that killing is good, and breeding is the root of all evil. But the truth is like the Wizard of Oz, the man behind the curtain is Arthur Frayn, who hails from an advanced race of The Eternals who exist in that paradisical life in the Vortex.

The Eternals truly are immortal as they do not age and their bodies undergo reconstruction if they “die". This elite group is immortal, never to see an aged moment, and if they should die, they become regenerated. In contrast to the rest of those who live a harsh life, The Eternals do get to bring life into their world as they have evolved as a society, striving through a democratic watchfulness but they are immune to disease or sin, and those who transgress are subjected to the aging process.

Arthur seeks to control and study the movements of the Brutals, and using Zardoz he can achieve that mission, but once entering the Outlands he is cut off from the Vortex and all communication with the Eternals.

Zed (Sean Connery) one of the Exterminators has somehow managed to break through to the Vortex and the Eternals’ society when he stows away inside the Zardoz head, but the Eternals decide to keep him alive so that they can study him and figure out if his infiltrating the Vortex was a freak occurrence before putting him to death.

Amongst the Eternals is May (Sara Kestelman), their head scientist who sees Zed as he is a link to the Brutals. Charlotte Rampling as Consuela is a thrill-seeker who views Zed as an animal whose purpose is to do his work as the hand of the law. The Eternals must protect their Utopian society at all costs.

Once inside, Zed disrupts the Eternals’ tranquil existence and challenges their immortality. He becomes a symbol of change and rebellion, leading to a series of profound and surreal events.

Tidbits:

Writer, producer, and director Sir John Boorman made this movie after an early attempt to film J.R.R. Tolkien's “The Lord of the Rings” was canceled. Studios balked at the projected cost of the project as he envisioned it. When the same thing happened to Boorman again several years later, he made Excalibur 1981 instead.

Cinematographer Geoffrey Unsworth filmed scenes with the lens wide open, fog filters on the camera, and smoke machines on-set to achieve a diffused, impressionistic look. It worked on first-generation prints, but when the film was duplicated for release, the image quality was so bad it was almost unusable. The studio forbade any cinematographers from using that process on future movies.

Reportedly Charlotte Rampling, looked forward to her sex scene with Sir Sean Connery then was disappointed when it was over and done with so quickly.

Radio spots were narrated by Rod Serling.

Zardoz was filmed on location in the Irish village of Garrykennedy.

John Boorman would later admit that he was under the heavy drug influence while writing the film and during production. He also claims that not even he is sure what parts of the film are about, mainly due to the haze of drugs he was in at the time, and feels that several scenes are pointless

Burt Reynold's who was a big box-office star at the time, who had previously worked with Sir John Boorman on Deliverance 1972  was the first choice for the lead role of Zed. He bowed out due to illness. According to an article in the 11 April 1973 edition of Variety, the illness was “overwork”.

This is your EverLovin’ Joey Sayin’ I hope you survived this menacing alphabetical barrage of spooky & often kooky trailers! I’ll see you around at the snack bar and wish you a safe and enjoyable month of October and the upcoming candy binge of Halloween! –

A Trailer a Day Keeps the Boogeyman Away! Halloween A-Z

Y

Yongary 1967

Yongai directed by Ki-duk Kim is about Earthquakes in central Korea that turn out to be the work of Yongary, a prehistoric gasoline-eating reptile that soon goes on a rampage through Seoul.

This is your EverLovin’ Joey Sayin’ Y fight it? Z is breathing down your neck as I write this!

A Trailer a Day Keeps the Boogeyman Away! Halloween A-Z

X

X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes 1963

Produced and directed by Roger Corman with a screenplay by Ray Russell and Robert Dillon,  X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes is a 1963 science fiction horror film that follows the story of Dr. James Xavier, played by Ray Milland, a brilliant scientist who develops a formula he puts in special eye drops that gives him the ability to see beyond the visible spectrum into the realms of X-ray vision and beyond.

As Dr. Xavier’s experimentation progresses, he becomes increasingly obsessed with his newfound powers, which allow him to see through objects and even perceive events, even medical conditions occurring in the body and occurring in the future. However, his X-ray vision comes with a dark side, as he begins to witness disturbing and nightmarish visions that test the limits of his sanity.

Dr. Diane Fairfax (Diane Van de Vlis) “What do you see?"
Dr. James Xavier “The city… as if it were unborn. Rising into the sky with fingers of metal, limbs without flesh, girders without stone. Signs hanging without support. Wires dipping and swaying without poles. A city unborn. Flesh dissolved in an acid of light. A city of the dead.”
Dr Xavier ”I’m blind to all but a tenth of the universe.'’
Dr. Sam Brant (Harold J. Stone) “My dear friend, only the gods see everything."
Dr. Xavier ‘‘My dear doctor, I’m closing in on the gods.’

Dr. Xavier’s quest for knowledge and power leads him down a dangerous and morally ambiguous path to touch ‘The Eye of God”, and he becomes an outcast from society which leads him to hide as an attraction at a carnival as a prognosticator daunted by the greedy Don Rickles. His scientific curiosity leads to madness as he is tortured by his unstoppable vision into realms he cannot control.

X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes is known for its cinematography by Floyd Crosby, its production design and art direction by Corman regular Daniel Haller, and its striking visual effects by John Howard that depict Dr. Xavier’s unique perspective. The film’s exploration of the consequences of tampering with human perception and the descent into madness makes it a notable entry into the science fiction and horror genres of the 1960s.

Milland effectively conveys Dr. Xavier’s initial excitement and conviction as he embarks on his groundbreaking research to develop X-ray vision. His portrayal of a dedicated scientist who is eager to push the boundaries of human perception is convincing.

As the film progresses, Milland skillfully portrays Dr. Xavier’s gradual obsession with his work. His performance captures the character’s increasing detachment from reality as he becomes consumed by the dark side of his newfound abilities.

The film also stars a host of great actors from the decade and its horror/sci-fi genre, John Hoyt, Diane Van der Vlee, Harold J. Stone, and Morris Ankrum.

Tidbits:

To create the effect of being able to see through a building, the director filmed the building while it was under construction.

The skeletal building seen repeatedly from Dr. Xavier’s point of view (in “Spectrarama”)was the Department of Water & Power General Office Building in downtown Los Angeles. Construction had begun around 1963 and was completed in 1965.

Roger Corman has said the idea for the film was his. It was originally about a scientist, then he felt that was “too obvious” so he changed the protagonist to be “a jazz musician who had taken too much drugs, and I get into about four or five pages, and I thought, ‘You know, I don’t like this idea,’ and so I threw the whole thing out, and started back and went back with the scientist, which was the original idea.”

The final chase scene involving Ray Milland’s erratic driving took place on Soledad Canyon Road between the cities of Santa Clarita and Acton in California–the same place where nearly the entire film of Steven Spielberg's Duel 1971 was filmed.

Xtro 1983

XTro 1982 is a highly surreal 1982 shocking and imaginative British science fiction horror film considered a ‘video nasty’ directed by Harry Bromley Davenport. The film blends elements of science fiction and horror to create a story that’s both eerie and disturbing.

It begins with the mysterious and sudden return of Sam Phillips (Phillip Sayer), a man who disappeared three years earlier under inexplicable circumstances. His reappearance shocks his wife, Rachel (Bernice Stegers), and their young son, Tony. Sam’s return is unsettling, as he exhibits strange and disturbing behaviors, and his physical condition appears to have been altered dramatically during his absence.

As Rachel and Tony try to come to terms with Sam’s return, they discover that he has been subjected to bizarre extraterrestrial experiments and transformations. Sam’s body now possesses alien abilities, including the power to control and manipulate living organisms in gruesome ways.

This is your EverLovin Joey Sayin’ I’m Xtra sad that this Halloween trailer binge is almost at a close. But don’t snooze yet, Zzzzz! There are two last letters Y & Z to go!

A Trailer a Day Keeps the Boogeyman Away! Halloween A-Z

W

The Wasp Woman 1959

The Wasp Woman is a 1959 American science fiction horror film that has attained cult status over the years. It was a double-bill with Beast From Haunted Cave 1959, both directed by Roger Corman. The film’s central figure is the head of a cosmetics empire, Susan Cabot (In her final film) who plays Janice Starlin, whose fear of aging leads to her obsession with finding a serum that will restore her youth and beauty.

Janice Starlin, the tightly wound cosmetics tycoon, and former model, finds herself grappling with the harsh reality that her fading beauty is not only wreaking havoc with her love life but also casting a shadow on her once-powerful career. Starlin has always been the beautiful face behind her products and her business has fallen victim to competition lately, the decline of her business is due to newer, more innovative competitors. “Not even Janice Starlin can remain a glamour girl forever.”

At Janice Starlin Enterprises the signs of aging are affecting her appearance and her performance.

Arthur Cooper I’d stay away from wasps if  I were you, Miss Starlin. Socially the queen wasp is on the level with a Black Widow spider. They kill their mates in the same way too! They’re both carnivorous, they paralyze their victims and then take their time devouring them alive. And they kill their mates in the same way, too. Strictly a one-sided romance.

She falls prey to Dr. Eric Zinthrop (Michael Mark), an eccentric self-proclaimed scientist peddling a miracle serum derived from the wasp enzymes, promising to reverse the aging process and restore youthful radiance.

Dr. Zinthrop has developed an experimental serum derived from the royal jelly of the queen wasps, which he believes can reverse the aging process. Janice becomes his test subject and begins taking the serum. Initially, the treatment appears to be a miraculous success, restoring her youth and vitality.

Janice eagerly volunteers as the first human guinea pig for Zinthrop’s experimental injections However, as her physical beauty makes a triumphant return, her secretary, Mary Dennison (Barboura Morris), and her advertising executive Bill Lane (Anthony Eisley) notice a change in her personality, though before taking the injections she wasn't the nicest, warmest person in the world. Bill and Mary begin to notice the change in Janice’s personality.

Now the transformation from within is turning her into something worse and fate doesn't look kindly upon her vanity. Zinthrop gets hit by a car he becomes unable to work on his experimental wasp serum anymore. Against Zinthrop’s advice, she proceeds to inject herself with the serum.

With the source of her revitalization cut off, Janice develops a taste for blood and begins to prey on others to maintain her youthful appearance. the transformation takes a startling turn rendering her a creature with wasp-like attributes and a temperament fiercer than a winged little menace with an angry stinger. The metamorphosis leads to dire consequences, as several unfortunate individuals soon discover when they cross paths with the now-menacing Janice who has transformed into a killer wasp-like woman.

There is a dark and unintended side effect: Janice’s transformation into a hideous human-wasp hybrid. As she continues to use the serum, her behavior becomes increasingly erratic and aggressive. For instance, she kills and eats her research and development man Arthur Cooper (William Roerick). Then she kills the night watchman, and then a nurse, devouring her victims whole. Eventually, she tries to slaughter her secretary Mary. Ultimately she is pushed out the window by her ad man Bill Lane.

Of course, the moral is one of contradictions: Women need to retain their youth and beauty to be relevant but when they aspire for this goal they are seen as vain, pathetic, and dangerous.

tidbits:

Susan Cabot's character plays a woman who takes wasp “royal jelly enzyme” to stay younger. In real life, Cabot suffered from mental illness. She reportedly tried to treat it with human growth hormone, which her son took for dwarfism, but it may have exacerbated her illness. Her son later killed her, reportedly in self-defense after she attacked him during a mental breakdown.

Leo Gordon credited with the screenplay, was married to Lynn Cartwright who plays the receptionist.

The 1964 colorized version has an added 11 minutes where the scientist is fired from his job as beekeeper for testing on wasps instead of bees, which ends up the plot of the movie since he winds up working for Susan Cabot. In the original B&W version, the movie begins with a meeting where Cabot discusses her business failing with underlings… then meets the same doctor in the next scene, where the audience sees him for the first time as well.

Barboura Morris co-starred in one of director Roger Corman’s A Bucket of Blood, where she also played the good girl.

Michael Mark was certainly no stranger to horror movie fans, having appeared in numerous Universal classics, including four Frankenstein films, “The Black Cat,” “Tower of London” and “The Mummy’s Hand,” as well as other studios’ chillers (e.g., “Mad Love,” “The Black Room” and “The Face Behind the Mask”)

The Witches Mirror 1962

I plan on doing a major feature on Urueta’s body of work, and the incredibly atmospheric contributions he made to the Mexican Macabre genre of horror films.

A Masterpiece of the Mexican Horror Movement!  The Witch’s Mirror 1962 (Original title: El espejo de la brujais) is one of the landmark films of the Mexi-horror genre that infuses gothic imagery with a poetic horror story filled with madness, obsession, and gothic horror director by the prolific Chano Urueta. Apparently, the production created a very profitable horror film at the box office, which satisfied even the most elite Mexican critics, after having proven their grasp of what makes an impactful Gothic horror film. The Witches Mirror is a feverish mixture of Alfred Hitchcock’s adaptation of DeMaurier’s Rebecca, and Franju’s Eyes Without a Face.

from The Reinterpretation of Terror: Cine Matografica ABSA and Mexican Gothic by Jose Luis Ortega Torres 2023
”The talent of {writer} the still young Carlos Enrique Taboada wickedly ltwists the plot of The Witches Mirror, a dark entity causes a terrible and selfish evil to punish another equally malevolent one, the exercise of an abhorrent science. Trapped between these forces are two young and beautiful women, both doomed to function as irraparable collateral damage.’‘

Housemaid Isabela Corona plays a witch Sara is troubled by her godchild's abusive husband. In order to protect her godchild Elena (Dina de Marco) from her cruel cheating husband (Armando Calvo), an unethical plastic surgeon. She is warned by her enchanted mirror revealing glimpses of the past and the spirit world which she uses to carry out her wicked deeds. The magic in the mirror tells her that he will murder Elena. But the sinister presence that lurks in the reflection is a malevolent force.

Sara's incantation fails and as predicted Eduardo poisons Elena's milk, and then winds up taking a new wife Deborah (Rosita Arenas). Eduardo begins to further his descent into malevolence and obsession with restoring her beautiful face.

Read my tribute to Rosita Arenas Here in my Brides of Horror: Scream Queens of the 1960s

Sara is in contact with Elena's spirit who is out for revenge. When she materializes in the enchanted mirror, so shocked by her ghostly presence, Eduardo knocks over a lamp with burning oil onto Deborah's face and disfigures her. As a plastic surgeon he seeks to restore his wife's beauty by experimenting with other young girl's skin (two years before Georg Franju explored this theme with his grotesque yet poetic Eyes Without a Face 1960 ) but Elena still has a fierce desire for revenge, she haunts him with her nightmarish rage.

This is a beautiful film of the nine Mexican horror films produced by the actor Abel Salazar during the early 1950s through to 1963 (El monstruo resucitado/The Resurrected Monster (1953), El vampiro/The Vampire (1957), El ataúd del Vampiro/The Vampire's Coffin (1958), El hombre y el monstruo/ The Man and the Monster 1959, El mundo de los vampiros/The World of the Vampires (1961), El espejo de la bruja/The Witch's Mirror (1962), El baron del terror/ The Brainiac 1962 (my personal favorite) La cabeza viviente/The Living Head (1963) and the beautifully gothic La maldición de la Llorona/The Curse of the Crying Woman 1963 (another favorite of mine),

The Witch's Mirror is perhaps his most Gothic vision of Chano Urueta's work influenced by the burgeoning subgenera of European Gothic and Folklorish tableaus. The Italian Gothics, Ricardo Freda's The Horrible Dr. Hichcock 1962 starring Barbara Steele, the French surgical horrors like Franju's Les yeux sans visage / Eyes Without a Face 1960, and L’Horrible Docteur Orloff/ The Awful Doctor Orloff 1962, and The Hands of Orlac.

George Stahl Jr.’s striking photography creates a moody atmosphere, not to mention the impressive gothic set designs by Javier Torres Torija. And there are some unsettling elements surrounding Eduardo's grisly surgeries weaved within the eerie supernatural happenings.

The darkened spaces are set within a sprawling, ominous mansion that serves as the backdrop for much of the story. This mansion is filled with dimly lit, grandiose rooms, long hallways, and hidden chambers. Its architecture and decor are reminiscent of traditional gothic mansions often seen in classic horror films, contributing to the film’s unsettling atmosphere.

The central element of the film, the enchanted mirror, is a quintessential gothic trope. Mirrors are often used in gothic literature and cinema to symbolize duality, self-reflection, and the supernatural. In this case, the mirror serves as a conduit to the spirit world and reveals disturbing glimpses of the past, enhancing the film’s eerie ambiance, the otherworldly dread, and the threat of Eduardo’s stark medical horrors.

Wrestling Women vs. The Aztec Mummy 1964

The Wrestling Women vs. The Aztec Mummy is a 1964 Mexican luchadoras (women wrestling) film directed by René Cardona. It’s the adventures of a trio of Mexican wrestling superheroines: Lorena Velaázquez as Loreta aka Gloria Venus, Elizabeth Campbell as Golden Rubi, and Maria Eugenia San Martin as Chela the Flame.

The mummy Xochitl and her lover Tezomoc can turn into a snake or a bat. Loreta, Golden Ruby, and Chela join forces to battle the evil Prince Fujiyata (Ramón Burgarini) and his Judo wrestlers. Tezomoc is the benevolent mummy who fights alongside the women wrestlers who were edited in from Doctor of Doom in 1963.

Willard 1971

Willard 1971 is a classic example of the emergence of the early 1970s American horror film directed by Daniel Mann. When a socially awkward and isolated young man named Willard Stiles, portrayed by Bruce Davison, develops a peculiar and unsettling relationship with rats all hell breaks loose. The film was remade in 2003 starring Crispin Glover.

Willard’s life takes a dark turn when he is mistreated and abused by his overbearing boss, Mr. Martin, played by Ernest Borgnine. Seeking solace and companionship, Willard befriends a group of rats living in his basement. He develops a strong and strange connection with these rats and discovers that he can communicate and train them to do his bidding.

As Willard’s bond with the rats deepens, he uses them to exact revenge on those who have wronged him, including his tormentor, Mr. Martin. However, his newfound power and obsession with the rats begin to spiral out of control, leading to a series of disturbing and tragic events.

Willard is a character-driven horror film that explores themes of isolation, revenge, and the blurred lines between humanity and the intelligent animal kingdom. Bruce Davison’s performance as Willard Stiles brings a complex and sympathetic portrayal of the character who is simultaneously socially awkward and sympathetic. Davidson a uniquely complex actor’s portrayal is regarded as a highlight of the film because of his outstanding ability to convey, loneliness, frustration, and the need to feel connected. It is this vulnerability that enables him to be a relatable figure despite his unconventional actions.

One of the things that work best aside from the strong performances and the emotional depth of the cast is its claustrophobic, eerie atmosphere and unsettling depiction of the connection between the protagonist and his rodent companions. The film’s success led to a sequel, Ben, which continued the story of the rat-human relationship.

Ernest Borgnine plays Mr. Martin, Willard’s overbearing and antagonistic boss. His portrayal of Mr. Martin is memorable for its abject cruelty as a domineering authority figure. He’s a character the audience loves to hate, and you cheer for the rats when it’s time for his comeuppance. Mr. Martin’s mistreatment of Willard serves as a catalyst for the events of the film. His actions drive Willard to seek revenge when he summons the army of his loyal rat friends. Full disclosure: I had an amazing pet rat named Gunther whom I loved dearly. She was a good companion and even my cats got along with her. I dread cruelty to rats in horror films.

Welcome to Arrow Beach 1974

Welcome to Arrow Beach also known as “Tender Flesh,” is a brutal exploitation horror film from 1974. An  American psychological thriller directed by actor Laurence Harvey. The film is known for its dark and unsettling themes and boasts a great cast of ’70s actors including Stuart Whitman (Read my tribute to Whitman HERE:), and John Ireland.

Ghostly-eyed Meg Foster plays Robbin Stanley a free-spirited hippie wandering on a California beach and seduced by a Korean War veteran to come stay at his secluded mansion nearby with his sister Joanna. Robbin soon begins to suspect that the mansion is hiding a disturbing and violent secret. 

Laurence Harvey’s character is a disturbed man named Jason Henry. Henry is a Vietnam War veteran who is suffering from severe psychological trauma.

Beauty from the 1970s, Joanna Pettet, and a particular favorite actress of mine from that decade portrays Grace, Jason Henry’s sister. While on vacation at the remote Arrow Beach. takes pity on Henry when she realizes the extent of his mental illness and agrees to help him find his way back to society. Little does she know that Henry’s instability runs deeper than she could have imagined.

Haunted by his experiences in the war, which have left him emotionally scarred, and unhinged, he has become a murderous cannibal. Soon she discovers the disturbing and violent nature of Henry’s condition, and her own safety becomes increasingly threatening.

Welcome to Arrow Beach uses Henry’s character to shed light on the harrowing and long-lasting effects of war trauma on veterans, illustrating how such experiences can lead to PTSD’s profound psychological trauma and suffering.

Meg Foster is an American actress known for her distinctive features, including striking blue eyes, which have made her a memorable presence in film and television. She has had a diverse and extensive career, with notable roles in various genres. Here are some aspects of Meg Foster’s acting, often praised for her intense and focused performances.

She has appeared in horror films like “Masters of the Universe” (1987), where she portrayed the villainous Evil-Lyn, as well as dramas like “The Osterman Weekend” (1983) and her collaboration in 2012 with Rob Zombie and his outer violent and grotesque The Lords of Salem. She has earned the right to be called one of the reigning contemporaries of Scream Queen for her appearances in a slew of horror films including the most recent horror film The Accursed and Hellblazers in 2022, There’s No Such Thing as Vampires 2019, Jeepers Creepers 3 in 2017, 31 in 2016, Stepfather II Make Room For Daddy and Relentless 1989, They Live 198, and The Wind 1986.

Joanna Pettet’s character is also subjected to a nightmarish and psychologically challenging situation.

Pettet’s character, Joanna, is initially depicted as compassionate and caring. She takes pity and protectiveness for her mentally disturbed brother.

Joanna Pettet is a British-American actress who had a notable career in film and television during the 1960s and 1970s. With her incredibly unique and striking look, she began as a fashion model, before she made the transition to acting. She made her film debut in 1964 with a small role in the British drama The Third Secret.

But her breakthrough gained Pettet significant attention for her role in the 1966 film The Group, (a guilty pleasure of mine in what would be considered a ‘women’s picture’ based on the best-selling novel by Mary McCarthy. Her performance as Kay, who is subjected to spousal abuse and gaslighting by husband Larry Hagman. She is just one of the ensemble cast of incredible actors garnering her critical acclaim and establishing her as a rising talent. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Joanna Pettet appeared in a series of notable films, including “Robbery” (1967), “The Night of the Generals” (1967), and “The Evil” (1978). She ventured into television appearing in the haunting episode of Night Gallery – The Girl With the Hungry Eyes directed by John Badham.

Without Warning 1980

Without Warning is a 1980 science fiction horror film that has a certain compelling low-budget aura that emerged in the earlier horror science hybrids of the early 1980s. The film is directed by Greydon Clark and features two great actors, Jack Palance and Martin Landau who would go on to appear together in the black comedy horror film Alone in the Dark in 1982 directed by Jack Sholder. I was supposed to interview him a few years ago, but we lost touch. I really need to make that happen.

In a peaceful and remote forested area, where a group of campers and vacationers find themselves terrorized by a deadly extraterrestrial creature. This alien being is equipped with a variety of lethal weapons, including razor-sharp discs and tentacles that it uses to hunt and kill humans.

As the group of unsuspecting individuals tries to survive and evade the relentless alien predator, they must band together and find a way to fight back against this otherworldly menace.

This is your EverLovin’ Joey Sayin’ Woe letter W, we need to take cover! The letter X is on our trail!

A Trailer a Day Keeps the Boogeyman Away! Halloween A-Z

V

The Vampire and the Ballerina 1960

BLOOD-LUSTING FIEND WHO PREYS ON GIRLS! VAMPIRE-QUEEN WHO FEEDS ON LIFEBLOOD OF MEN!

The Vampire and the Ballerina also known as “L’amante del vampiro,” is a 1960 Italian horror film directed by Renato Polselli. The film is notable for its blend of vampire lore and dance elements.

In a remote European village, a ballet troupe arrives at a doctor’s house that lies at the edge of a nearby castle to rehearse. The castle however is inhabited by vampires who seek to use the girl’s blood.

Among the dancers is a beautiful ballerina named Louisa played by Hélène Rémy. The village is rumored to be cursed by the vampires who live in the old ruins. As the ballet troupe rehearses for their performance, they become entangled in a series of gruesome murders.

The Vulture 1966

The Vulture 1966 is a British horror film directed by Lawrence Huntington. It’s an obscure offbeat horror film that has a strange vibe that to me almost feels like a strange fuzzy dream you don't want to bother resorting to Jung to figure out. It is set in The film stars Robert Hutton( Man Without a Body 1957, Invisible Invaders 1959, The Slime People 1963, Trog 1970).

Read my feature on Invisible Invaders HERE:

An American atomic researcher Eric Lutens escapes to Cornwall to take a break from work and visit with his wife Trudy's (Diane Clair) family.

In the heart of this chilling tale, a mythological creature emerges"” with the face and hands of a human but the imposing colossal body of a monstrous vulture that rises up from its grave having been buried alive centuries ago and moved to an old church cemetery, now seeks vengeance on the descendants on those who put it there.

A school teacher Annette Carrell as Ellen West cutting through the church graveyard during a stormy night is frightened beyond belief and the shock sends her hair ghostly white and leaves her in a mental hospital raving mad with her unreal story telling it to anyone who will listen. The livestock are inextricably going missing, one of the local sheep is found torn to bits in a cave.

The unearthing of a golden coin and the revelation of an open grave cast an eerie spotlight on an unusual local legend. Many centuries in the past, a man named Francis Real had fallen under suspicion of practicing witchcraft. He met a gruesome fate, being seized and buried alive alongside his peculiar companion"”a strange vulture-like bird along with a chest filled with valuable gold coins.

The ominous tale went on to recount that Francis Real had sworn an oath to exact revenge upon the descendants of the local squire who had supervised his burial. This unsettling revelation deeply troubles Eric, as it turns out that the cursed man had been an ancestor of Trudy’s, sending chills down their spines as they grapple with the implications of this ominous family connection.

A vigilant gamekeeper catches the faint echo of what appears to be a remarkably large bird flying over the estate owned by Trudy’s eldest surviving relative, Brian Stroud (Broderick Crawford). Intrigued he discovers a mysterious black feather on the ground.

Eric sends it to a renowned expert specializing in local avian species. His hope is that this expert can shed light on the identity of the bird, this feather belongs to. Enter Akim Tamiroff as Professor Koniglich, a local historian who needs to get around using two canes as a result of an accident. He has had dealings with Brian over the years.

Additionally, we meet Brian’s brother, Edward (Gordon Sterne) who resides in a nearby town. Koniglich listens intently to Eric’s story and hints at being intrigued by science. Eric, who works with research on atomic mutation theorizes that someone has been experimenting which ultimately created this giant monstrous bird that carries off Crawford in its gigantic vulture-like talons.

Eric panics and realizes that Trudy is the creature’s next victim. Without a moment to lose, he races back to the quiet Cornish town, but it’s a race against time as Trudy is suddenly snatched from a desolate road near the Professor’s house. The menacing beast with large claws descends from above and snatches her away.

When he gets to the Professor’s and uncovers the astonishing secret concealed within the basement"”an advanced nuclear-powered laboratory. There he finds a skeleton seated at a control panel, alongside a casket that has been broken open containing the gold coins. It appears that the Professor, driven by his obsession with his lust for gold, used his equipment to switch his matter with what lay inside the buried coffin.

But the Professor’s experiment backfired when his atoms mingled with the remains of the bird, resulting in the emergence of a grotesque composite creature that had broken free from its grave.

Making his way to the hidden cave nestled within the cliffs, he confronts the Professor who in a twist is unmasked as having a colossal bird-like body concealed beneath the cloak he had always worn. The reason for the canes. In a climactic showdown, Eric shoots the creature and stumbles into the sea below the cliffs.

Vampire Circus 1972

The Circus of Nights. A hundred delight!

Vampire Circus 1972 is an extraordinarily underrated atmospheric British horror film directed by Robert Young. A village in 19th-century Europe is more than happy to welcome a traveling circus who has broken through the quarantine to take the locals’ minds off the plague. But soon their children begin to disappear and the legacy of a long-ago massacre comes full circle. Vampire Circus stars Adrience Corri as the enigmatic Gypsy and Anthony Higgens as the equally beguiling Emil. John Moulder-Brown as Anton Kersh, Richard Owens as Dr. Kersh, Laurence Payne as Albert Mueller, Thorley Walters as the Burgermeister, Lynn Frederick as Dora Mueller, Domini Blyth as Anna and Mary Wimbush as Elvira.

The story is set in a small European village plagued by a deadly outbreak of the plague. The villagers, fearing for their lives, decide to quarantine the town and prevent anyone from entering or leaving. However, a mysterious and theatrical circus that create a fairytale atmosphere once it arrives in the village, seemingly out of nowhere.

The circus, led secretly by the enigmatic Count Mitterhaus, played by Robert Tayman, becomes a source of fascination and curiosity for the villagers. Little do they know that this circus is no ordinary one. It is a front for a group of vampires who have come to the village to satisfy their thirst for blood and revenge. It’s been 15 years since the village slain the evil Count Mitterhause, yet they have been living under his shadow ever since. A plague has left them cut off from the world and they believe the Count has cursed them.

The circus finally seems to bring a little joy into the lives of these tormented souls performing acrobatics, and feats of magic changing themselves into animals. But this traveling horror show has come to avenge their Count’s death and use of the blood of their victims to resurrect him from his tomb.

As the circus performances unfold, the vampires use their supernatural abilities to seduce and feed upon the villagers, leading to a series of gruesome deaths. Among the victims is the village teacher’s daughter, whose death prompts her father and a group of locals to confront the malevolent circus and its colorful performing vampires.

Alternatie versions:
The BBFC examiners originally required heavy cuts to the film but many of these were successfully waived after Hammer consulted BBFC head Stephen Murphy. Among the cuts were shots of Hauser’s burnt face (reduced from 2 to 1), a face stabbing during the opening skirmish in the castle (removed completely), some bloody shots during the climactic decapitation, the whipping of Gerta, erotic elements of the circus ‘whip’ dance, and shots of the mutilated panther victims in the forest. However the latter scenes seem to have been reduced rather than cut, leaving the results somewhat ambiguous. It is unlikely that the cut footage still survives, and all later video and DVD releases feature the UK cinema print.

 This is your EverLovin’ Joey Sayin’ V is for our Victory over that Boogeyman! Now wait a minute… I think I hear the soft and eerie Wailing of the letter W!

A Trailer a Day Keeps the Boogeyman Away! Halloween A-Z

T

Terror is a Man 1959

Terror Is a Man is a 1959 film directed by Gerardo de León and Eddie Romero. The film is a loose adaptation of H.G. Wells’ classic novel “The Island of Dr. Moreau.” Set on a remote island in the Philippines, a shipwrecked survivor William Fitzgerald (Richard Derr) finds himself washed ashore, marooned on an island where the population on the island has been driven away by irrational fears surrounding the reclusive Dr. Charles Girard an enigmatic scientist played by Francis Lederer.

Now, the sole inhabitants of the island are Fitzerald, Dr. Girard, his alluring wife (Greta Thyssen), his dubious assistant, his servant, and her young son. But there is someone else lurking. Dr. Girard has been experimenting with transforming a panther into a violent human being.

As Fitzgerald gets settled he begins to suspect that  Girard is conducting these gruesome experiments, to turn animals into human-like creatures through surgical procedures and genetic manipulation. These humanoid hybrids are the result of his obsession with pushing the boundaries of science and evolution.

Torture Garden 1967

The carnival sideshow is the perfect tableaux for a portmanteau film, both offer the opportunity to explore a variety of oddities, strange narratives, and macabre fables. In the case of Amicus Productions’ Torture Garden (1967), director Freddie Francis and screenplay by writer Robert Bloch (Psycho) curate a sideshow that offers just such astonishments. Torture Garden also features a wonderful ensemble of mostly British actors -  Jack Palance, Peter Cushing, Niall MacGinnis, John Standing, Beverly Adams, Michael Bryant, Barbara Ewing, Nicole Shelby, Catherine Finn, Bernard Kay, Ursula Howells, Michael Ripper, and Maurice Denham.

Dr. Diablo, portrayed with gleeful malevolence by Burgess Meredith, assumes the role of an eccentric ringmaster of a mystifyingly peculiar and kitschy carnival sideshow Рa role Meredith gushes with relish as the master of ceremonies for this devilish pageantry. With an unapologetic zeal, he adorns himself with oversized gloves, a dastardly cartoonish moustache and goatee, and a generous smear of theatrical eyeliner. Amid his sideshow, the majority of attractions revolve around clich̩-ridden waxworks showcasing a macabre array of torture devices and modes of death and execution.

After the main spectacle, hewing to the old tradition of carnival mystique, Dr. Diablo presents a captivating offer to only five of his patrons.

For a trifling sum of £5, he entices them with the chance to see something ‘truly terrifying.’ As their curiosity deepens they follow toward the back of the ceremonial tent, where Dr. Diablo sheds his dramatic facade, setting their admittance on fire as it vanishes into thin air and so begins the clandestine twist to his captivating carnival act.

Once inside Diablo reveals an uncannily lifelike statue of Atropos, the Goddess of Destiny brought to life by British actress actress Clytie Jessop. Atropos holds the sharp golden shears. Atropos is most frequently represented with scales, a sundial, or a cutting instrument, described by John Milton in Lycidas as the "abhorred shears" with which she "slits the thin spun life."

Dr. Diablo mesmerizes these five captive listeners with the moral about the Goddess who has the power to reveal the true nature of evil within each person- their inner-secret horrors and the grim fate that awaits them. At first, they are all skeptical yet, one by one they are beguiled as they gaze into the gleaming shears beckoned by the statue of Atropos, delivered to prophetic visions of what lies ahead"”a glimpse into the hidden abyss of their own malevolence, and the bleak fates awaiting should they neglect to change course.

In the narrative of Enoch’s story, Colin Williams (portrayed by Michael Bryant) cunningly engineers the downfall of his affluent Uncle Roger (Maurice Denham) with the aim of securing access to his curious fortune. Yet, his elation turns to dread when he unearths that this fortune comes with a stipulation of servitude to a mystical feline deity, conceivably a witch’s trusted familiar. Now, he stands face-to-face with horrors far more formidable than the specter of destitution.

Within the narrative of “Terror Over Hollywood,” Carla Hayes (Beverly Adams), an up-and-coming starlet, resorts to sabotaging her roommate Millie’s (Nicole Shelby) rendezvous with Hollywood producer Mike Charles (David Bauer) in a bid to ensure her own romantic liaison with him. This maneuver propels her into the exclusive inner sanctum of Hollywood’s elite, known as the Top Ten, where like others, Carla is fascinated by actors like Bruce Benton (Robert Hutton) who never seem to age. However, Carla’s journey swiftly unravels the shocking truth.

In “Mr. Steinway,” Dorothy Endicott (Barbara Ewing) is involved with a concert pianist Leon Winston (John Standing), but makes the tragic mistake of trying to drive a wedge between his love affair with his ‘grand’ piano.

In this truly macabre tale, “The Man Who Collected Poe” Jack Palance plays Ronald Wyatt, an obsessive collector of Edgar Allan Poe memorabilia who hunts down Lancelot Canning (Peter Cushing) who is the foremost collector of Poe ephemera. But Wyatt will stop at nothing to get his hands on Canning’s most prized possession and ultimately brings him to a shocking revelation.

When the fifth and final player in this fateful excursion  Gordon Roberts (Michael Ripper), faces the imminent unveiling by Dame Fortune, it takes an unexpected turn and defies Dr. Diablo’s initial expectations, is there an unforeseen twist of fate that changes the course of things

When I saw it during its theatrical release in 1967, the gimmick was to hand out seeds to each moviegoer, so you could grow your own torture garden! Now that’s worth going to the movies for…

Terror at the Red Wolf Inn 1972

They’d love to have you for dinner!

The American Horror- Terror at Red Wolf Inn, aka Terror House suggests an adult fairytale. Released in 1972 and directed by Bud Townsend (Nightmare in Wax 1969 starring Cameron Mitchell and Anne Helm), It winks at us with its homey touches yet this darkly humorous film is a delirious and claustrophobic horror story that creates a sense of unease. Especially the use of the song “(There’ll Be Bluebirds Over) The White Cliffs of Dover” is a popular World War II song composed in 1941 by Walter Kent to lyrics by Nat Burton. It is used as a satirical motif in the film, eventually coming full circle when Regina sings it to Baby John.

The film features Linda Gillen, John Neilson, Mary Jackson, and Arthur Space. A college student unexpectedly wins a vacation to a secluded countryside retreat managed by an elderly couple. Unbeknownst to her, the hosts have a gruesome secret – they serve meals made from human flesh. While the movie incorporates significant horror elements, into the horror genre, marked by its “tongue-in-cheek" humor. Interesting tidbit- David Soul, Bruno Kirby, and Richard Dreyfuss all auditioned for the role of Baby John.

Regina (Linda Gillen) is a solitary college student who gets a strange letter telling her that she has unexpectedly won a free vacation to a quaint seaside bed and breakfast called the Red Wolf Inn. What's even stranger is she has a private plane waiting at the airport to take her to her destination. When she arrives at the remote island, she is met by a curious guy who tells her his name is Baby John Smith. (John Neilson). He takes Regina on a joy ride speeding through town outrunning the police Jonathan the Deputy on his tail. Instead of being frightened by Baby John, she is thrilled by the excitement and this pleases him a lot.

They get to the Red Wolf Inn she is greeted by Baby John's grandparents Henry and Grandma Evelyn Smith (Arthur Space and Mary Jackson), the nice old couple who own the little resort home. There are two other guests staying there – Pamela (Janet Wood) and Edwina (Margaret Avery). When Regina asks to use the phone to call her mom and let her know where she is, she finds it's out of order. First red flag at the Red Wolf Inn. As if invited to a glorious meal set out like a feast that includes finger-licking good barbecue. the seemingly kind old grandma and grandpa enjoy pampering their guests with good food, encouraging them to eat more.

 

Regina: It’s really good. What is it?

Evelyn: Filet, dear. Filet.

 

Henry: A butcher’s work is never done.

Fattening them up we’d expect. After that delicious meal, Regina goes in search of something to calm her stomach and stumbles on Baby John in the kitchen coming out of a large walk-in fridge, he seems like a butcher holding his large carving knife. Seeing Baby John startles her and she screams waking everyone up. Regina admits to Edwina that she and Baby John are drawn to each other and that she finds him attractive. We they awaken in the morning they are told by Henry and Evelyn that their other guest Pamela has moved on, yet Regina has found the girl's beautiful black dress that she loved, hanging in the closet of the carriage house behind the Smith's mansion. A sweet romance begins to blossom between Regina and Baby John. But he exhibits the oddest behavior, while on the beach where they share a kiss, Baby John reels in a small shark and proceeds to bash its head in against the rocks screaming Shark! In a panic. Afterwards, he exclaims to Regina that he's in love with her then he runs away.

Baby John -[reeling a small shark in on his fishing line] SHARK! SHARK! SHARRRRK

[picks it up by the tail and repeatedly bashes it against a rock]

Baby John: SHARRRK! SHARRRRK! SHARRRRRK! SHARRRK! SHARRRRK!

[calms down and turns to Regina]

Baby John {says to Regina then runs off}: I think I love you.

That night, a party is thrown to celebrate Edwina’s upcoming departure. Following a lavish dinner, as everyone retires to bed, the Smiths enter Edwina’s room, incapacitating her with a cloth soaked in chloroform. They then deliver her to a chilling fate – inside a meat locker the sounds within confirm their gruesome motives.

The next day, Regina becomes alarmed when Evelyn informs her that Edwina has left without saying goodbye. Regina attempts to contact her mother but is abruptly disconnected by Evelyn. A police car arrives at the mansion, and Regina rushes outside for help, only to discover that the officer is another Smith family member, portrayed by producer Michael MacReady.

Regina now realizes that she is captive yet does not realize the extent to which this insane family is actually cannibals. The Smiths leave Baby John in charge of guarding Regina to make sure she doesn't escape, while they go into town. This is an opportunity to go explore that creepy off-limits fridge. But horrified she finds Edwina and Pamela's heads, and that's where they store their "˜meat', the same human meat she has been consuming for days. She tries to make a desperate run for it, but Baby John follows after her. The two have fallen in love. But It is too late, Evelyn and Henry get home and grab her before she can escape. Now it's inevitable that Regina will become their next meal, but Baby John like a true child, is depending on his grandparents (who aren't really kin) to welcome Regina into the family.

Theater of Blood 1973

Theater of Blood is a 1973 British horror-drollery starring Vincent Price who of course is perfect in the role of  Edward Lionheart, a tour-de-force for Price in a stylish, irresistible horror angle. It was the tenth film Vincent Price made in Britain since 1964, and director Douglas Hickox’s first horror film, having mastered his dark comedy Entertaining Mr. Sloane in 1970. He considered this to be his personal favorite of all of his films, followed closely by Dr. Phibes in 1971 directed by Robert Fuest who was originally asked to helm this film. ”I think that was the best feeling of achievement and satisfaction that I ever had from a film.” Early on Vincent Price”s greatest desire was to be a proficient Shakespearean actor on stage in England.

Frustrated by how his film career had ultimately pigeonholed him into horror film roles, he relished the chance to quote Shakespearean prose in this film and jumped at the chance when approached. He was also very pleased to be cast opposite so many well-known Briitish character actors, several of which had the experience of previously being in the RSC.

It was also considered by Dame Diana Rigg who plays Price’s daughter Edwina, to be her best film. Theater of Blood includes an ensemble of the best British actors cast with the most marvelous personas, including Jack Hawkin, in what would be his last role, as Solomon Psaltery, Ian Hendry as Peregrine Devlin, Harry Andrews as Trevor Dickman, Coral Browne as Chloe Moon, Robert Coote as Oliver Larding, Michael Hordern as George Maxwell, Arthur Lowe as Harris Sprout, Robert Morley as Meredith Merridew, Dennis Price as Hector Snipe, Milo O’Shea as Inspector Boot, Eric Sykes as Sgt. Dogge, Madeline Smith as Rosemary, Joan Hickson as Mrs. Sprout, and Diana Dors as Maisie Psaltery.

Robert Morley starred five years later in Who is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe? 1978 a film with a very similar topic in which he also played a gourmet. Oddly enough, Robert Morley played a gourmet in the Alfred Hitchcock Presents TV episode “Specialty of the House” (1959) where he was not only the lover of food who frequented an exclusive restaurant but he was also the main course for a secret society of cannibals.

A once-respected Shakespearean who has spent twenty glorious years on the British stage is now a fallen actor -Edward Lionheart believes himself to be one of the greatest thespians of his time. But the ultimate betrayal and humiliation come when he is passed over for the Critics Circle Actor of the Year Award, losing it to a mumble-mouth method actor!

Lionheart has been consistently panned by the critics for his performances, but this was the bitter end. His ego is shattered when this group of critics consistently berates his performances publically, ultimately leading to his apparent suicide. This despair and humiliation set the stage for his descent into madness and vengeance.

However, Lionheart manages to survive, and aided by Diana Rigg and a band of seamy homeless folk, initiates a theatrical and grisly quest to exact his vengeance against the critics who heartlessly maligned him.

Peregrine Devlin (Ian Hendry): You begin to resent an actor if you always have to give him bad notices. Ian Hendry and Dame Diana Rigg appeared together on The Avengers in 1961.

However, Lionheart survives and, with the help of a group of homeless people, begins a gruesome and elaborately staged campaign of revenge against the critics who wronged him. Each murder is styled after a death from a Shakespearean play, with Lionheart delivering lines from the Bard’s works before committing the murders. Lionheart’s transformation from a broken artist to a vengeful and diabolical figure is central to the flamboyant story of vengeance. He fakes his own death and embarks on a twisted mission to exact revenge on the critics who drove him to the brink

As Lionheart’s hit list grows, Inspector Boot (Milo O’Shea) takes on the case, and he becomes determined to catch the dramatic executioner.

In Theater of Blood, Vincent Price delivers one of his most over-the-top and unforgettable performances as Edward Lionheart. Lionheart is a character who embodies the quintessential Vincent Price role"”a charismatic and tormented figure with a flair for the dramatic.

The cast included a remarkable array of actors including future wife Coral Browne, who initially had turned down the film twice. “No, no I can’t be doing that, one of those scary pictures with Vincent Price – don’t be ridiculous.” However, after Robert Morley called her up and said, “We haven’t been together since The Man Who Came to DInner (on stage in 1941). I’ll do Theater of Blood if you’ll be in the Theater of Blood.”  Vincent Price and Coral Browne insist that they met in a graveyard, when the critics gather to bury the first of the victims executed by Lionheart. “As the gravedigger, Price was kitted up in muddy Wellies, sleeves rolled up, a battered hat on his head, face smeared with grime. The elegant Miss Browne eyed him askance: “And I though, ‘Oh, this man, oh, this dirty-looking old creature,’ and took absolutely no notice a’tol.” But coexecutive producer and longtime friend Sam Jaffe remembers that the two artists were quickly ‘very friendly.” (source: The Complet Films of Vincent Price by Lucy Chase Williams.

This campy horror flick is a thing of grandeur, and Vincent Price’s portrayal of Lionheart is characterized by his theatricality and grandiose delivery. Price fully embraces the character’s melodramatic flair and relishes the opportunity to recite Shakespearean lines while dispatching his victims. Lionheart’s appearance is also noteworthy, as Price undergoes a transformation to embody the character’s flamboyance. He wears extravagant costumes, dons theatrical makeup, and adopts various disguises, all of which contribute to the character’s larger-than-life presence. Dame Diana Rigg as Edwina Lionheart also cloaks herself in theatrical affectations in order to sidekick Lionheart’s plot.

Once Peregrine Devlin suspects that someone is killing the theatre critics of London, he confronts Edwina who denies the implication it’s her thespian father and assures him that the great actor died of a broken heart.

Vincent Price’s performance as Edward Lionheart in Theater of Blood remains one of the highlights of his illustrious career. His ability to balance the character’s tragic backstory with his increasingly unhinged and malevolent actions creates a character that is both unforgettable and emblematic of Price’s status as a legendary figure in the world of horror cinema.

In “Theater of Blood” (1973), each of the murders is meticulously staged to resemble a death from a different Shakespearean play. These theatrical killings add a unique and darkly comedic element to the film. Here are some of the scenarios of death in the movie:

  1. Julius Caesar: Lionheart murders one of the critics by recreating the famous death of Julius Caesar from Shakespeare’s play. The victim is stabbed to death by a group of people wearing Roman attire.
  2. Cymbeline: Another critic meets his demise in a bathtub filled with wine, mirroring the death of the queen in Shakespeare’s “Cymbeline.”
  3. Titus Andronicus: A critic is fed a pie made from his own pet dogs, reminiscent of the gruesome events in Shakespeare’s “Titus Andronicus.”
  4. Henry VI, Part 1: A critic is drowned in a barrel of wine, inspired by a death in “Henry VI, Part 1.”
  5. The Merchant of Venice: One critic faces a punishment similar to Shylock in “The Merchant of Venice” by having his pound of flesh extracted.
  6. Othello: Another critic is smothered to death, echoing the tragic fate of Desdemona in “Othello.”
  7. Romeo and Juliet: In a twist on the famous balcony scene from “Romeo and Juliet,” one critic is killed by a group of hooligans.
  8. Hamlet: A critic meets his end in a fencing match, referencing the duel in “Hamlet.”

Tidbits:

This film was shot entirely on location in and around London. No scenes from it were shot in a studio.
Price fell in love with and married Coral Browne following the film’s production, which lasted from July 10 to August 17, 1972. This film was released after Price’s March 18, 1973 appearance as the subject of “This is Your Life”, his last public appearance with his second wife Mary, who knew nothing yet about his affair with Coral, set up by Dame Diana Rigg who noticed the chemistry between the two.

The name of Dame Diana Rigg's character in the film was derived from that of Edwina Booth, daughter of Edwin Booth (1833-1893), considered by many to be the greatest Shakespearean actor of his day, and the brother of John Wilkes Booth, the most infamous actor of his day. When this film was adapted for the London stage in 2005, Dame Diana Rigg’s role was filled by her real-life daughter Rachael Stirling.

Edward Kendal Sheridan Lionheart's Vincent Price's theater hideout was the Putney Hippodrome, built in 1906. It had been boarded up for 14 years when it was chosen as a location for this film. The filmmakers rented it for $127.00 a week and set parts of it on fire for the film’s ending. The building was demolished in 1975 and housing was erected on the site.

Due to Jack Hawkins’ speech loss from laryngeal cancer (he could only speak through an artificial voice box), his voice in the role of theatre critic Solomon Psaltery in the film was dubbed by Charles Gray.

Vincent Price said this was one of the best scripts he had ever read and jumped at the chance to make the film. He was excited by the Shakespearean theme to the film and loved the black comedy in it. He was also pleased that the film was going to get a mainstream theatrical release in the UK and Europe (via United Artists) rather than the drive-thru theaters and B movie theaters that many of his US made horror films had been having in the US for several years.

Renēe Asherson and Eric Sykes appeared in The Others 2001

“Some of the do-ins are funnily horrible as director Douglas Hickox uses his DeLuxe color cinematography to emphasize Robert Morley’s outrageously blonde hairdo as well as all the blood flowing… If you know the Shakespeare plots, you’ll get some fun trying to guess how scripter Anthony Greville-Belle has adapted them for each murder.” – Deirdre Mack, Films in Review, Volume XXIV, Number 6, June-July 1973.

“Few horror films are written with English majors in mind, but… Theatre of Blood surely can make such a claim… Director Douglas Hickox skillfully handels the material, allowing his camera to bear witness as Price steals the show, gliding between delightfully over the top camp and sheer irony… But what is most interiguing about Theatre of Blood is the extent to which it can be said to have influenced some of the best modern offerings.” Gina McIntyre, Wicked, Volume 3, Number 1, Spring 2001.

 

To the Devil a Daughter 1976

To the Devil a Daughter is a 1976 British-German horror film directed by Peter Sykes and Don Sharp. The film is loosely based on the novel of the same name by Dennis Wheatley with a screenplay by Christopher Wicking and John Peacock. The film stars Richard Widmark, Christopher Lee, Honor Blackman, Denholm Elliot, and Nastassja Kinski as Catherine Beddows.

The story follows an American expatriate and occult novelist named John Verney, portrayed by Richard Widmark. Verney is asked by his friend, Henry Beddows, played by Denholm Elliott, to help rescue Beddows’ daughter, Catherine (Nastassja Kinski), from the clutches of a sinister and demonic cult led by the charismatic and enigmatic Father Michael Raynor, portrayed by Christopher Lee.

As Verney delves deeper into the investigation, he discovers that Catherine is being prepared to serve as the vessel for a demonic entity. The cult believes that this entity will grant them immense power and immortality. Verney must race against time to save Catherine and thwart the cult’s diabolical plans.

Christopher Lee’s performance as the charismatic and sinister cult leader is a standout, and the film’s themes of satanic cults and demonic possession were in line with the occult and horror trends of the 1970s.

Tentacles 1977

Tentacles 1977 is directed by Ovidio G. Assonitis (produced and directed Beyond the Door 1974 with Juliet Mills)

Set in a coastal town in California, (although this was an entirely Italian production, it was shot in California) people have vanished mysteriously in the water their remains were discovered stripped down to the bone.

Then it turns up as a series of mysterious and deadly accidents that occur in the waters off the coast. When boats and swimmers go missing, a determined Dr. Ned Turner (John Huston) who is married to Tillie (Shelley Winters) starts digging for answers. He begins to suspect that the deaths are related to a giant, octopus-like creature, a monstrous threat lurking in the ocean depths. As the death toll rises and panic grips the community, Ned joins forces with marine biologist Will Gleason (Bo Hopkins) to track down this aquatic menace and they embark on a perilous mission to stop the giant creature before it claims more victims.

Dr. Turner begins to suspect this beast has been created by the company building a tunnel beneath the bay which has most likely contaminated the water causing this mutation to occur. While all this is unfolding Turner's nephew Tommy is taking part in a sailing regatta which puts the kids at risk of becoming appetizers for the colossal killer octopus.

The cast also included: Henry Fonda as Mr., Whitehead, Claude Akins as Robards, Cesare Danova, Delia Boccardo, and Sherry Buchanan. While truly a schlocky B movie entry into nature vs. humans in the 1970s horror subgenre like many horror films of that decade, Tentacles features prominent Hollywood actors.

The production spent nearly $1 million on a life-sized replica of a giant octopus, which promptly sank when it was put in the water.

Trailer narrated by Percy Rodrigues. The movie was sold as an alternate take on Jaws, and bringing in Rodriguez, most famous for narrating all Jaws trailers, was part of this campaign

Terror Train 1980

Terror Train is a 1980s slasher film starring Scream Queen Jamie Lee Curtis. The film is set in the dark and eerie atmosphere of a New Year’s Eve costume party on a moving train.

A group of college students decided to celebrate the holiday by hosting a costume party aboard a chartered train. Little do they know that their festive evening will take a gruesome turn. A masked killer begins stalking and murdering the partygoers one by one, using various disguises and costumes to conceal their identity.

As the body count rises and paranoia spreads among the passengers, Jamie Lee Curtis’s character, Alana, becomes a central figure in the fight for survival. Alana must use her wits and courage to uncover the identity of the killer and put an end to the bloodshed before it’s too late.

In this 1980s slasher film, the killer’s motivation for seeking revenge on the victims is revealed as a result of a traumatic event that occurred several years prior to the events of the film.

The killer, who eventually takes on various disguises throughout the movie, seeks revenge on a group of college students because of a horrifying prank they played on him during a previous New Year’s Eve party. During that earlier celebration, a cruel and dangerous prank orchestrated by the students goes horribly wrong, resulting in severe emotional and physical trauma to the individual who would later become the vengeful 80s stalker. He holds the group responsible for the pain and suffering he endured due to their thoughtless prank.

Terror Train is a notable entry in the 1980s slasher genre, and possesses several stylistic and campy elements that were characteristic of many films in this era:

One of the film’s distinctive elements is the use of costumes and disguises. Since the story is set during a New Year’s Eve costume party on a train, characters frequently change outfits, leading to an air of mystery and confusion about the killer’s identity. This creates a sense of unpredictability and tension, adding to the film’s campy atmosphere.

There are also a number of creative kills and staged murder scenes. The killer employs various props and methods associated with their disguises and costumes to carry out his revenge. These deaths often involve a combination of surprise, gore, and dark humor. Terror Train also stars Ben Johnson, Hart Bochner, magician David Copperfield, Sandee Currie, and Timothy Webber.

This is your EverLovin’ Joey Sayin’ T is a Terrifying letter but U… haven’t seen nothin’ yet! The Letter U is coming for U!

A Trailer a Day Keeps the Boogeyman Away! Halloween A-Z

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Supernatural 1933

Supernatural (1933) is directed by Victor Halperin and stars Carole Lombard as Roma Courtney, a young woman who finds herself entangled in a web of eerie supernatural events. After a strange encounter with a fortune-teller Madame Gourjan (Beryl Mercer), Roma’s life takes a dark turn. She becomes connected to the mysterious and malevolent spirit of Ruth Rogan (Vivienne Osborne), a black widow murderess who returns to life in Roma’s body, her evil spirit wants to exact revenge on her former lover, a phony spiritualist Grant Wilson (Randolph Scott) who betrayed her.

As Roma investigates the circumstances surrounding Ruth’s death, she becomes increasingly convinced of the supernatural forces at play. The film weaves a tale of suspense and eerie occurrences as Roma races against time to uncover the truth behind the threat that is haunting her.

The Slime People 1963

The Slime People is a 1963 science fiction/horror film directed by actor Robert Hutton. The movie is set in Los Angeles, where a thick, mysterious fog suddenly engulfs the city. As the fog dissipates, it reveals a group of grotesque creatures known as the Slime People who have emerged from the underground. These slimy and subterranean beings begin to terrorize the city’s residents.

The film primarily follows the efforts of a small group of survivors who band together to combat the Slime People and find a way to escape the city. Along the way, they must navigate the treacherous streets of Los Angeles, evade the Slime People’s attacks, and uncover the mystery behind the creatures’ origins. It also stars sci-fi regular Les Tremayne. The Slime People was photographed by William G. Troiano who did the cinematography for the exploitation film Scream of the Butterfly 1965, The Devil’s Messenger 1962, and Horror of the Blood Monsters 1970. Tom Hollan is the guy in the slime suit.

Scars of Dracula 1970

Scars of Dracula is a 1970 Hammer horror directed by Roy Ward Baker. In this installment of the Dracula series, the infamous vampire Christopher Lee’s Count Dracula returns to terrorize a small Eastern European village.

Paul (Christopher Matthews) seeks refuge in the village after escaping from Dracula’s castle. However, as Dracula sets his sights on Paul’s girlfriend Sarah (Jenny Hanley), the villagers become increasingly desperate to rid themselves of the vampire’s curse. The battle between good and evil intensifies as the villagers and a fearless priest attempt to confront the immortal Dracula and put an end to his malevolent reign. Scars of Dracula stars Dennis Waterman, Michael Gwynn as the priest, and beloved Michael Ripper as the Landlord.

Simon King of the Witches 1971

Simon, King of the Witches is a 1971 cult film directed by prolific television scriptwriter Bruce Kessler (Chopper ep. Kolchak). The film follows the surreal journey of the enigmatic Simon Sinestrari, a modern-day, self-proclaimed witch and occultist who lives in the counterculture of Los Angeles. Simon, portrayed by Andrew Prine, uses his mystical knowledge and psychedelic experiences to navigate the tumultuous world of the 1970s. Simon is deeply involved in mysticism and practices witchcraft.

Simon’s quest for enlightenment and his desire to harness supernatural powers lead him to experiment with various rituals and mind-altering substances. Along the way, he encounters a colorful cast of characters, including a fellow witch named Linda (real-life love Brenda Scott), and a police officer who becomes obsessed with him.

As Simon delves deeper into the occult and his own psyche, the film blurs the lines between reality and hallucination, taking viewers on a bizarre and psychedelic journey into the world of magic, mysticism, and countercultural rebellion.

Simon is a complex character who combines elements of mysticism, rebellion, and a sense of being an outsider in society.

Andrew Prine captures Simon’s eccentric nature with a charismatic and unconventional performance as a nonconformist who rejects societal norms, and Prine embodies this by delivering his lines with a mix of intensity and whimsy. His portrayal of Simon’s oddball behavior, such as his penchant for wearing outlandish clothing and embracing a bohemian lifestyle is superb.

Read my tribute to Andrew Prine HERE:

Sugar Hill 1974

Sugar Hill 1974 is an American International film, a unique and potent blend of blaxploitation and horror directed by Paul Maslansky. It’s known for its stylish and gritty portrayal of 1970s New Orleans. The story is centered by Diana “Sugar” Hill, portrayed by Marki Bey whose performance is marked by her charisma, confidence, and undeniable screen presence. a nightclub owner in the vibrant city of New Orleans. When Sugar’s boyfriend, Langston (Larry Don Johnson), is brutally murdered by a group of gangsters led by the ruthless Morgan played by Robert Quarry, she becomes determined to seek revenge. Bey effortlessly manifests Sugar’s journey from a nightclub owner into a vengeful force of supernatural retribution. The Black culture magazine Jet asked the question of why Black horror films drew their inspiration from the Christian vision of the Dracula mythos, ”when there was Voodoo in the Black experience.” Sugar Hill, attempts to rescue the legitimacy of Voodoo. ‘‘If most Blaxploitation celebrated a ‘bad N…’ who challenges the oppressive White system and wins, then Sugar Hill celebrated the ”Baad Bitch who did the same.” (Robin R. Means Coleman)

Mama Maitresses ‘‘How strong is your hate?'’

Sugar Hill ‘‘As strong as my love was, my hate is stronger.”

However, Sugar doesn’t turn to conventional methods of retribution, she uses supernatural forces to combat her adversaries. Instead, she seeks out the assistance of Mama Maitresse (the wonderful Zara Cully), a voodoo priestess, to help her get vengeance through supernatural means. With the guidance of Mama Maitresse and the power of voodoo, Sugar raises an army of undead, zombie-like enforcers to take down Morgan and his criminal empire one by one.

Sugar Hill [after feeding a man to a sounder of starving pigs in a pig pen] I hope they’re into white trash.

 

Sugar Hill ”Hey, Whitey! You and your punk friends killed my man.'

Tank Watson ‘‘You know, you got one of the prettiest asses in town. I’d sure hate to see it kicked in for accusin’ people.'

Sugar Hill ‘‘I’m not accusin’ you, Honk. I’m passin' sentence”

Marki Bey’s performance as Diana “Sugar” Hill in “Sugar Hill” is a standout in the blaxploitation genre. She brings a captivating mix of strength, determination, and vulnerability to her character. As Sugar, Bey portrays a woman who transforms from a grieving girlfriend into a fearless avenger, seeking justice for her murdered lover. Sugar Hill also co-stars Don Pedro Colley as Baron Samedi, Richard Lawson as Valentine, and Charles Robison as Fabulous.

The zombies in this film more closely resemble the creatures of voodoo legend – i.e., the walking dead who do the bidding – than the flesh-eating “living dead” popularized by Romero. According to the film, the zombies are the preserved bodies of slaves brought to the United States from Guinea, Africa.

“Much like the White Final Girl, Black women stare down death. However, these Black women are not going up against some boogeyman; rather, often their battle is with racism and corruption. In this regard, there is no going to sleep once the ”monster” is defeated, as the monster is often an amorphously coded as ‘Whitey”, and Whitely’s oppressions are here to stay. From Horror Noire Blacks in American Horror FIlms from the 1890s to Present by Robin R. Means Coleman

 

Strange Behavior 1981

Strange Behavior 1981  is a disturbing and uneasy atmosphere that fills this science fiction/horror film directed by Michael Laughlin (Strange Invaders 1983, produced The Whisperers 1967 and Two-Lane Blacktop 1972). Set in a small American town, the film follows a series of gruesome murders that seem to be connected to a mysterious research project. The film explores the exploration of mind control, innocence lost, the terrifying realization that they may be capable of committing heinous acts against which they have no free will, paranoia and the juxtaposition of innocence all played out with graphic violence.

The story centers around a teenager named Pete Brady ( Dan Shor), who becomes entangled in the investigation when his friends are brutally murdered. As Pete delves deeper into the case, he discovers that the murders are linked to a behavioral experimentation program led by the enigmatic Dr. Le Sange (Arthur Dignam).

What makes the killings even more chilling is that the perpetrators are seemingly ordinary townsfolk who have been turned into mind-controlled killers on a homicidal rampage.

The film is known for its eerie and atmospheric cinematography, as well as its unique take on the horror genre. It explores themes of psychological manipulation, the consequences of unethical scientific experiments, and the dark side of human behavior.

With its combination of a small-town setting, a mysterious conspiracy, and a rising body count, Strange Behavior is a cult classic that offers a distinctive and unsettling take on the horror genre of the early 1980s. The murders are gruesome, one scene in particular still makes me queasy, not so much for its gore but for the naked realism that it conveys with its cold and mindlessness, and I don’t mean unapologetic, I mean somnambulistic viciousness. The brutal, violent acts of controlled killing, like homicidal puppets, still have a quite shocking effect. This intelligent visual construction of gore and violence diverges from the work of the father of the splatter genre -Hershell Gordon Lewis.

Strange Behavior is set in a small, seemingly peaceful town, which enhances the sense of isolation and vulnerability. The idea that such disturbing events can occur in an otherwise idyllic setting creates a feeling of unease and an atmosphere of mystery and paranoia as characters try to unravel the enigmatic events taking place in their community. The sense of not knowing who can be trusted and who may have succumbed to mind control adds to the film’s tension. The film stars Louise Fletcher, Michael Murphy as Pete’s dad John Brady, and Fiona Lewis as Gwen Parkinson Le Sang’s assistant.

This is your EverLovin’ Joey Sayin’ S’eeee Ya at the snack bark to grab me a tray of the letter T for terror with some cheese on top!