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: Death Smiles on a Murderer

In my research into cult, exploitation, and horror films of the past (well, not so much on purpose, but all that I happen to come across), I have found a few prolific directors whose work is a distinct learned taste. They are not directors you are going to love right away, but if you give them time you will find something to really grab onto. Good examples of this sort of director are Jean Rollin, Jess Franco, and the director of the movie in question here, Joe D'Amato. These guys all made a lot of movies, some are good, and some are really, really bad. The movie that stands accused is Death Smiles on a Murderer. Rather evocative title isn't it?

Movie Review: The No Mercy Man

The post-Vietnam War/PTSD/revenge flick is not a mix that I am all that intimately familiar with. With that said, my limited experience puts Rolling Thunder at the top of the heap, that is a seriously awesome movie. By comparison, The No Mercy Man, which predates Rolling Thunder by a number of years, feels like the lite version. It is much like the relationship between Man from Deep River and Jungle Holocaust. This is not to speaking of any of these films, it just shows the development of early exercises in a style compared to the lengths that others take it to a little later. A progression in extreme, if you will.

Movie Review: Vengeance of the Zombies

Jacinto Molina Alvarez. There is a name that trashy horror films needs to be familiar with. Rather, it may be a bit more appropriate to know him by his theatrical name, Paul Naschy. He has appeared in over 100 films, written over 40, and directed 15. Granted, I have only seen but a handful of them and have a long way to go, but there is something about seeing this guy on screen that just feels right. The man exudes confidence, even in the face of ridiculous material. Case in point, Vengeance of the Zombies is a ridiculous excursion into the world of Naschy.

Movie Review: Death Carries a Cane

After a weekend filled with Godzilla films, it was nice to switch gears and take a trip back to the 1970's. The movie of the moment is a 1973 Italian giallo called Tormentor. Well, the copy I watched had that title, when I went looking for more information I found nothing. So, I looked up the director, Maurizio Pradeaux, and started going through his thankfully short filmography. There, everything was in Italian, it took a few clicks, but I found it! The movie was originally titled Passi di danza su una lama di rasoio and seems to be more commonly known in English as Death Carries a Cane. I must say, I like that title.

Horror-A-Day: Blackenstein - The Black Frankenstein

So, the decidedly un-Fall like weather persists. The good thing is that the march towards Halloween movie marathon marches on. There is nothing quite like scrolling through my Netflix queue searching for the next hopeful winner. Well, I did succeed on watching something I had never seen before, but it is not one that is going to float to the top. With that said, it does have a certain undeniable charm that firmly plants it in the era in which it was made, never to be confused with a more modern production.

Horror-A-Day: Crimson, the Color of Blood

The odd early October weather continues and I guess it is just a matter of time before things take a turn for the seasonal. Speaking of a matter of time, I have come across the first film of my October horror run to leave me less than enthused. It is always sad when this happens, but there is no way to sustain a terribly long run of positive experiences, especially when you are working with unknown factors like movies you had never seen, in some cases hard of, before.

Horror-A-Day: The Iron Rose

There are some directors whose work is an acquired taste. One of those directors is Jean Rollin. I have not yet seen enough of his movies to make up my mind regarding my thoughts of him, but I am certainly intrigued enough to keep trying more of his films. Who knows when that may change. The latest film to infect my brain is The Iron Rose. It is a movie that bears some distinct Rollin elements, while being a rather atypical release for the prolific director.

Movie Review: Sssssss

Do you like snakes? I don't. Well, they are pretty cool creatures and all, but I like to keep my relationship to them like Indiana Jones. Now, while I choose not to associate with them in an in person fashion, I have absolutely no problem with them on the screen. That brings us to today's film, the 1973 cult man versus nature flick Sssssss. I have to say it isssss definitely worth sssspending ssssome time with. Too much?

Movie Review: The Baby (1973)

Say what you will about Netflix's selection of current films, I am more than happy with their selection of older, weirder, and bizarre fare. During my browsing through the selections, I happened to stumble upon this bizarre offering from 1973. The move is called The Baby and it is certainly one of the stranger films I have come across that bears the PG rating, perhaps not quite as out there as The Devil's Rain, but it is certainly out there. If you are into cult oddities and like the weird, this is one you will want to check out, don't let the PG rating scare you off.