Movie Review: Deathdream (aka Dead of Night)

Well before he was making mainstream films like Porky’s and Rhinestone, and way before he directed the Christmas bomb that became a Christmas classic (A Christmas Story), Bob Clark was creating horror movies. It is hard to picture, but it’s true. He made his debut in 1972 with the (in my opinion) overrated Children Shouldn’t Play with Dead Things (I know I have friends who love it, believe me, I’ve tried). He would peak in 1974 with the classic Black Christmas. However, earlier in 1974, he released another horror movie that, despite it’s alluring title, tells a tale that could easily fly under the radar. The movie is called Deathdream (aka Dead of Night, which is the title on the actual transfer presented here). I had seen pieces of it before, but this is the first time I have seen it in its entirety. The best thing to start with is to say: See this movie.

Movie Review: The Black Hole (1979)

Recently, I decided to revisit a movie I remember loving as a child. I was curious to see how it held up, if it held up, and if my opinion of it has changed in the intervening years. The movie is none other than Disney’s 1979 science fiction epic, The Black Hole. Burned into my memory since my youth are the robots, the floating VINCENT, the malevolent Maximilian, the swirling of the black hole, and, of course, that rolling, flaming meteor that threatened to eliminate our intrepid heroes as we steamed towards the climax. Now, I have seen the film a few times over the years, but I cannot recall the last time i saw it. I was also sad to discover that I did not have it in my collection (thankful for the local library).

Movie Review: The Teacher

There was probably a time when a teacher seducing a student was considered taboo and was an act that was completely unheard of. It must have been a long time ago. It seems like we can not go all that long without story of some young teacher seducing a student for illicit sexual escapades. Just the other day I saw a news story about a guy who took off with a female student on the sports team he was coaching, only to get caught trying to get a job to make some money to get across the border. It all makes the plot of The Teacher seem all that more mundane when all you need to do is turn on the news for something more scandalous. Still, I found the movie to be pretty watchable, although not terribly good.

Movie Review: Pick-Up

There are some movies that you pick up to watch that you have absolutely no idea what to expect. Pick-Up is one of those movies. It is a movie that defies logic, sense, and in some cases attention span. I found, while being somewhat intrigued by the happenings in the movie, I had to stop and back it up a few times as I found myself dozing off. It is the first movie in a 32 movie box set of Drive-In Classics that I have watched since getting the set a long time ago. It was also released in a Grindhouse Classics branded double feature some years ago.

Critical Capsule: Best Friends

If you want to remain best friends with someone, do not watch the movie Best Friends with them, no matter how much they tell you they love Richard Hatch. Also, no matter how many times marketing folks call a movie a Grindhouse or Drive-in cult classic, chances are if you've never heard mere mention of it before, there is probably a reason. Best Friends follows two buds and their respective lady friends, reunited and heading out on cross-country trek in an RV. It has some gratuitous nudity, but for the most part, this is Lifetime theater circa 1974. Bad acting and a story that goes nowhere and ends when it should be interesting. This is what happens when you make a coming of age movie and neglect to give it a point. Boredom ensues.

Movie Review: Savage Water

Do you ever watch a movie and wonder why it was made or who the intended audience was? Not only that, you keep watching, no matter how bad it gets? I am sure you have, I know I have on more than one occasion. Savage Water just happens to fulfill all of those qualities. For more than 90 minutes, I sat there wondering why I was watching, hoping it would get better, and powerless to turn it off. I daresay it is one of the worst movies I have ever seen. Despite how bad it is, I sit here willing to give it a pass for getting made. I mean, clearly it is low budget and made by somebody who wanted to make a movie. You have to respect that dedication even if the final result is awful.

Movie Review: Night of the Strangler

Sometimes I watch a movie and when I consider writing about I have to really sit and think about how to start it and if I am going to have enough to say about said movie. This is one of those movies that I doubt I am going to have a lot to add to the discourse of said movie, but I figured I would try anyway. The movie in question is Night of the Strangler, a film saved by the fine folks at Vinegar Syndrome. An oddity of a film that features a Monkee in a lead role and one that may have been completely forgotten about if not for the efforts of Vinegar Syndrome. This bare bones DVD release features a new 2K scan from original 35mm elements and while it does show its age, this is probably the best it’s looked since its 1972 release.

Blu-ray Review: Phantasm

In the late 1970's the slasher film was getting ready to explode, riding on the shoulders of movies like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Black Christmas, and the genre defining Halloween. There was also the growing zombie world with Dawn of the Dead, the man versus nature of Jaws, and sci-fi monsters of Alien. Then there was Phantasm, released in 1979 and not really being like anything that had come before it. While it may not be a personal favorite, it is, indeed an original horror film made on a tight budget that has withstood the test of time, has grown on me, and is still, to this day, straight up creepy. It also has to be said that this newly remastered Blu-ray is gorgeous and the best the movie has ever looked.

"If this one doesn't scare you.... You're already dead."

Movie Review: Pigs (1972)

Pigs. Yes, the movie is called Pigs. Sure, it has gone by many names over the years, from The 13th Pig to Menu for Murder, to Daddy’s Deadly Darling, to Love Exorcism. It is one of those movies where when mentioned to mainstream loving friends will be received with a cocked eyebrow and a clueless stare. Rest assured, it is their loss for not knowing it and another notch in your belt for seeking out and watching obscure oddities. Yes, Pigs can and should be considered an obscure oddity. It is also another winning release from Vinegar Syndrome, plus it has some pretty snazzy reversible cover art by Chris at Quiltface Studios.

Movie Review: Psychic Killer

Here is another 70’s era exploitation feature that has come to my attention by way of a Vinegar Syndrome release. Psychic Killer is a fun, pulpy romp that is not as serious as it wants to be, nor as in depth as it could be. It is a movie that you really have to accept on its own terms. I found that the minute you begin to question it, is the same time your interest will begin to waver. It is buoyed by some decent performances, but even as I was entertained, I wonder what it could have been had it been given another rewrite or two.

Movie Review: Death Force aka Vengeance is Mine

Death Force is one of those movies that you are really likely to stumble across on the shelves of a brick and mortar store like Best Buy or Target. It is one of those types of movies that seems destined to be forgotten, and for a the majority, it likely is forgotten, along with so many others. This is why we should be thankful for companies like Vinegar Syndrome who go out of their way to not only obtain the rights to films like this, but to go through restorations from the best elements they are able to find. The results here are quite good. The film does show its age and some of the scratches and marks may have been printed in the source. Still, any complaints are minor next to the solid and uncut presentation.

Movie Review: Marta (1971)

Once again, I made the trek to the Alamo Drafthouse in Yonkers, NY, to bear witness to a screening of a rare old movie projected from 35mm elements. The movie is Marta and it is one that I knew absolutely nothing about before sitting down in the theater. Now, having seen the entire movie, I still know absolutely nothing about it. It is the sort of film that when it is over, you look at the person next to you and say: What the hell was that?. It was a bizarre experience of watching a movie I can say I like but am not sure exactly why. It is not particularly good, but it has these strange qualities that make it eminently watchable.

Screening Report: The Jaws of Death (7/19/15 Alamo Drafthouse, Yonkers, NY)

Here I am again with another one of those “for the love of 35mm and the horror community” opens that you have all come to love from me. All right, perhaps not, but that does not make it any less accurate. There really is something special about getting to see some of these crazy old movies in a theater from these scratched up prints. There is history there, these are not movies that had thousands of prints struck. It was mentioned during the introduction that this might have had 50 prints that were played regionally and traveled around. I doubt there were any new ones made, so this is very likely one of those original traveling prints. How's that for history?

Screening Report: Nurses for Sale (6/28/15 Alamo Drafthouse, Yonkers, NY)

If there is one thing to be thankful for, it is discovering screenings of old, cult, classic, obscure, and forgotten films. Over the past five or six years I have been able to see some great and some not so great movies in a theater projected from original, or at least older 35mm sources. There is just something about seeing these things on the big screen, there is history to these prints and that adds to an experience that cannot be replaced. The latest film I had the opportunity to see was a little known film called Nurses for Sale, better known in its original form as Käpt'n Rauhbein aus St. Pauli and then as Captain Typhoon.

Movie Review: Rape Squad (1974)

The 1970's were a wild and crazy time. While I do not remember much of the decade do to my youth, but reliving it through the movies, well dang, it was a free for all. You could pretty much make a movie about anything you wanted, make it as sleazy and over the top as you want, make it gritty, unsavory, disgusting, anything. You would likely be able to find a home in the grindhouse/drive-in scene at the time. Think about it, what are the chances of getting a movie made called Rape Squad these days? Nevermind what it is about, the title alone would be enough to get you black listed. Of course, it did get re-released as Act of Vengeance, but still...

Movie Review: Phase IV (1974)

I love discovering awesome movies by accident, and that is just how I stumbled across Phase IV. At some point I added it to my Netflix queue, and there is sat until I noticed it was about to expire. So, with nothing else planned to watch, I selected it, pressed play, and sat back. What I experienced was nothing like what I expected and pretty much everything I liked. All I really knew about the film was that it was from 1974 and was a man versus nature film, specifically ants. I mistakenly thought the film was going to be more along the lines of Them!, but was pleasantly surprised to find something wholly different.

Movie Review: Sugar Cookies

If you look long and hard enough, you are sure to stumble across some oddball movies. You will find some odd combinations of talent involved in films that do not seem to fit in with the rest of their respective filmographies. They are the kind of movies that folks tend to leave off of their resumes when heading out to auditions. They are also the kind of movies that garner dedicated cult followings. In this case it is a movie called Sugar Cookies. It is the kind of title that appeals to the diabetic in all of us, although, in this case, the title has little to do with the film. The movie happens to be am erotic thriller. It's called Sugar Cookies.

Movie Review: Shock Waves (1977)

Nazi zombies. You have to admit, it is a heck of a combination. They must be the sort of thing that gives Indiana Jones nightmares, well, that and snakes. While there are not a whole lot of movies in the sub genre, there are enough people who thought it was a good idea for it become a thing. This is probably a good thing. Sure, there are some neat ideas and things you can do with a Nazi zombie, but it is still a limiting exercise, albeit one that has had renewed life in recent years with the Outpost and Dead Snow films. Still, when it comes right down to it, one of the best is also one of the first, Shock Waves.

Movie Review: The Town that Dreaded Sundown (1976)

The Town that Dreaded Sundown is one of those titles that just sticks in the brain, even if you know nothing else about the movie. That is pretty much my entrance into this relatively obscure film. It is a movie I had often heard mention of by those in the know, but it was never anything more than a passing reference. Of course, the title is probably at an all time high now, with the impending remake and the recent Blu-ray release (it's first since a VHS release back in the day). It is a movie that has a title that inspires dread and an iconic image of it's antagonist, a hulking man wearing a burlap sack for a mask.

Movie Review: Who Can Kill a Child?

So, this past weekend some friends put on a horror marathon at a local drive-in, digital projections of some classic and not so classic horror films. It was an eclectic mix of titles, with only one likely known by mainstream audiences (that being Prom Night), filled with movies I had never sen before, for better or worse. One of those movies, while far from being the most outlandish, had an interesting effect on my mind. As it ended, I walked over to my promoter friends and said “What the F--- did you just make me watch?” I was serious too, the movie was really rather demented and effective. It is the sort of movie you may wonder what sparked the idea (or the novel, in this case).