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Showing posts from 2014

Zombie Ass: Toilet of the Dead (2011)

Most of us see a horror movie, like " The Grudge ", or " The Ring ", then learn it's a North American remake of a Japanese film.  And we think that the Japanese are pretty badass and awesome.  Then we see the Japanese version of a movie, like " Zombie Ass: Toilet of the Dead "... and then we're not sure what to think of them... A group of friends are going camping in order to find Maki a tapeworm to help her stay skinny.  After swallowing a parasite found in a fish, the group are soon attacked by shambling people, and encounter Dr. Tanaka.  Soon, they discover the connection between Dr. Tanaka and the parasites ... Wow. Just wow. This is not a film to take seriously. At all. Poo covered zombies.  Butt loving parasites.  Farting.  Tentacle loving.  Farting.  Martial arts.  Farting.  Boobs. Did I mention farting? The premise is enough to make you scratch your head, and wonder how they pull it off.  The actual story will have you swi

Son of Ghostman (2013)

Sometimes, a movie comes along at just the right time, that not only entertains you, but reminds you WHY you do what you do.  For me, that movie was " Son of Ghostman " Denny is unemployed, just got dumped, and is in danger of losing his house.  A chance drunken videotape, sends him on the road to a new life.  Unfortunately, he has to deal with an old rival, and the fact that he needs to keep his quest secret from the woman he's attracted to. .. There have been times over the past few years, where I've wondered why I continue reviewing horror movies.  I have wondered if anyone would actually miss this blog... to the point where I've contemplated closing things down, and being... "normal". Then I was approached by  @SonOfGhostman on Twitter to view and review their movie.  I liked the trailer they sent first.  It intrigued me since it wasn't so much a horror film, as much as it dealt with some of the unsung icons of the industry- Horror Movie

The Woman in Black (2012)

Growing up, I was a fan of the classic "Hammer Horror" films like Christopher Lee's Dracula.  So, when I heard that Hammer was back in business a few years ago, I was excited and eager to see what they had to offer modern horror fans.  I am also a huge fan of the 1988 BBC release of " The Woman in Black ".  When I heard that their first submission to the world's scrutiny was to be "The Woman in Black", I was even more excited to see what they would do... Solicitor Arthur Kipps has been assigned the task of preparing Eel Marsh House for sale, and getting the recently deceased owner's papers organized and settled.  Upon arrival, however, Kipps soon realizes that something is wrong with the town and the isolated manor.  Digging deeper reveals a tragedy that still lingers and brings grief to those that stay there... Right off the bat, I have to say that I was impressed.  The story is different enough from the 1988 version that it's fresh,

Bride of the Gorilla (1951)

Werewolves are a staple of the Horror genre- but human transformation isn't restricted to wolves.  There have been human to spider transformation movies , human to wasp transformation movies , and human to ape ones. After Barney Chavez murders his employer and seduces his wife, a series of strange animal killings begin.  His new wife, Dina begins to suspect that Barney's odd behaviour is connected to the events going on.  Soon she and police chief Taro close in on the truth... and find Barney's a changed man... " Bride of the Gorilla " is a bit of a silly movie, but suitable for a night of B-movie guilty pleasures.  The story is an interesting twist on the classic werewolf tale.  There are some nice little threads put together to weave a decent little plot- though it the movie relies heavily on Raymond Burr's acting chops. Other than Chavez, the characters are somewhat laughable and shallow.  Chavez is the only one that has any real depth for someone y

Kong Island (1968)

What can be more terrifying that gorillas going on a rampage?  How about gorillas going on a rampage because of implants in their brains?  How about it happening on King Kong's Island? When Diana is kidnapped by gorillas during a safari, Burt Dawson sets off into the deep jungle to find her.  He soon encounters a jungle girl, a mad scientist, and a band of mind controlled gorillas... Despite the title, " Kong Island ", there is no island... and no King Kong.  In fact, the original Italian title, "Eve, The Wild Woman " is in reference to the jungle girl Dawson meets.  One can only assume that American distributors felt that it would do better if they inferred a connection to the popular big ape. The concept is perfect for a low budget B-movie.  Mix together a mad scientist, a mercenary, a beautiful kidnapped woman, a beautiful jungle woman, and a bunch of mind controlled gorillas.  The story is actually, decent enough for a night of popcorn and relaxing.

The Wasp Woman (1960)

I enjoy movies that subtly include social issues in the story, and use social fears as the basis for the plot.  " The Wasp Woman " by Roger Corman does this. Janice Starlin is desperate to save her cosmetic company, whose sales have dropped since customers have noticed that she's aging.  How far would she go to regain her youthful appearance... and at what cost? Roger Corman's " The Wasp Woman " is not one of his better films.  There is the obvious influence of the classic movie, " The Fly ", which only came out two years before.  While the concept isn't original, the story takes a different route, and offers up a lot of potential to include social commentary on the cosmetics industry, and humanity's fear of aging as well as its need to be beautiful.  While those are touched on (the fear of aging more so than the others), this movie misses some nice opportunities to bring even more depth to the story- and the characters at the same ti

Horrors of Spider Island (1962)

There is something to be said about horror movies that feature a group of scantily clad women being terrorized by an unknown killer.  Some of those things are good... others, not so good. After Gary and several female dancers crash land near an apparently deserted island, the group begin planning how to escape the island.  When Gary disappears, the women begin to be killed one by one. .. " Horrors of Spider Island " is a horror movie from West Germany, whose apparently reason for existance was to display beautiful women in bikini's being terrorized by a monster.  Nothing more, nothing less. The title gives an expectation of an " Arachnophobia " type of movie.  Too bad, there's only one spider- and a really cheesy, cheap one at that.  When it bites Gary, you're given the expectation of possibly a cool spider transformation of Gary.  Too bad, the make-up on him looks NOTHING like a spider.  There was so much potential here for a decent story, but i

The Atomic Brain (1964)

One of the staples of horror movies from the 1950's and 1960's was the use of atomic power.  Whether it's the accidental creation of mutated animals through atomic tests, or the use of it in experiments by mad scientists, you will find a plethora of such movies during that time.  " The Atomic Brain " is one of them. The rich and elderly Mrs. March has hired Dr. Frank to perform an experimental medical procedure that that would extend her lifespan... by implanting her brain in the body of one of three beautiful women, she's hired as domestic servants ... " The Atomic Brain " had some real potential for genuine eerie and creepy moments- but failed to meet that potential.  The concept was interesting, if not wholly original.  The story moves at an unfortunately plodding pace, and lacks any real suspense or tension. The characters were rather flat, and seemed to rely mostly on the beauty of the female leads.  Mrs. March was suitably malevolent, b

Creepshow (1982)

Growing up, I loved reading horror comics and magazine- " Vampirella ", " Weird War Tales ", and EC's " Vault of Horror , " Tales From the Crypt ," and " The Haunt of Fear ".  I also loved watching horror anthology shows like " The Twilight Zone ".  This means I also enjoy horror anthology movies. " Creepshow " features five short horror stories present to us as stories from a comic book being read by a young teenager: " Father's Day ":  During the annual family get together, a family's deceased patriarch decides to drop in for cake; " The Lonesome Death of Jordy Verrill ":  After finding a crashed meteorite, Jordy Verrill watches as his farm- and himself, go through some changes; " Something to Tide You Over ":  There are some people you never get on the wrong side of, because you'll wind up to your neck in deep water.  Of course... there are some people you never ta

Galaxy Invader (1985)

Sometimes, there comes along a movie that just fills you with amazement, awe, and wonder.  " Galaxy Invader " is one of those films. After a strange object crashes in the backwoods of a small American town, a young man and a scientist embark attempt to reach it- and it's alien occupant... before a money seeking posse gets there first. .. This movie filled me with amazement.  Amazement that it EVER got a green light to be made (even if it WAS direct to video).  It filled me with awe.  Awe that even a low budget movie could have such horrible acting.  It filled me with wonder.  Wonder at the fact that this movie still exists on DVD. I mean it.  It's just a horrible movie.  The special effects are crap- even for a cheesy 1980's movie.  The acting was just outlandish.  The camera work was pitiful- though I do like the shot at the top of this article.  The characters were just inane, and didn't induce any feelings other than, "kill them, Galaxy Invader

Psycho 2 (1983)

Normally, sequels tend to get a bad rep- though there are a few rare ones that either do as well as (or better than) the first installment. After 22 years in a mental institution, Norman Bates is finally coming home.  As he tries to put his life back together, and move forward into a healthier future, a shadow stalks him and the house.  Soon, the killing begins.  Has Mother returned as well? Considering that the original " Psycho " was such a hit- and is considered one of THE greatest horror/suspense films of all time, you certainly wouldn't be able to blame Universal for wanting to see if they could capture lightning in a bottle again.  But would someone OTHER than Hitchcock be able to pull it off? Fortunately, Director Richard Franklin does a great job tackling this franchise.  Of course, it helped that the story itself was interesting, and took a look at Norman from a totally different angle: as the victim.  This approach brought a depth and fullness to the ch

Alone in the Dark (2008)

You wake up after having been drugged, with no memory of who you are.  Soon afterwards, people start dying, and you are in a race against a dark organization to control the release of demons of Hell.  Who are you- and what is your connection to the evil that is razing New York? This is going to be a very short review for " Alone in the Dark ".  Why?  Because, to be honest, I wound up violating one of my rules for reviewing.  I became so frustrated with the game that I stopped playing. It didn't take me all that long either, actually. In fact, I didn't even get out of the building I woke up in at the beginning of the game. Why? It wasn't the story.  The premise was great: solve the mystery of who you are, and stop Hell from coming to Earth.  I'm down with that. It wasn't the graphics.  They are phenomenal- especially the fire.  The way it looks, and the physics of how it interacts with the environment, etc was really good.  The details in sid

Profile of a Killer (2012)

Once in awhile, a movie comes along from an independent film maker that just makes your breath catch in your throat with how skillful they are.  One such movie was sent to me recently by Jasmine Reid- the Producer of Caspian Tredwell-Owen's " Profile of a Killer " Saul, an ex-FBI profiler is called in to consult on a case, only to find himself the target of the killer.  Soon, he finds himself face to face with the ruthless murderer, and engaged in a game of wits as he is forced by his captor to profile him.  If he's wrong, people die... and if he's right? I was really impressed by " Profile of a Killer ".  The story is tight and flows smoothly throughout.  It's not intense, but certainly enough to engage you in what is happening on the screen.  There is hardly any wasted puzzle pieces in this plot.  The story is more character driven than action driven- which is something I really liked about it. The characters really helped pr

Friday the 13th (1980)

In this era of remakes, reboots, re-imaginings, remixes and rehashes, I like to go back and look at the original version of many of the films being made these days- like 1980's " Friday the 13th ". Twenty years after the death of a some camp counselors, Steve Christy hopes to reopen Camp Crystal Lake- despite the claims made by "Crazy Ralph" that the place is cursed, and that him and the rest of his staff will die.  While getting the camp ready, staff members start to disappear... What can I say about " Friday the 13th "?  Just this: iconic movie.  Pure and simple. While, the plot is basic and simple, it is still enough to allow the movie to develop the characters- and give us a movie twist that- at the time of release, was unexpected, and unprecedented.  It is this twist that helped to differentiate it from John Carpenter's "Halloween".  It also helped to keep it from simply being another slasher film.  A great little bit of sto

Glint in the Dark (Lori Kay)

Welcome to the first review for 2014!  Woo Hoo! I was approached by Lori Kay about review her book, " Glint in the Dark ", and she even sent me a nice hard copy version of it.  It's taken a little while due to one thing after another happening in my Life- but I've finally been able to sit down and write up the review. Glint is a rock star with a dark past.  Unexpected coincidences soon bring him to the attention of radio station owner Grant Templeton.  Grant begins a journey to find out the source of Glint's success... and what connection he has to the death of his daughter years previously... While there are some horror elements in this story, it's more a dramatic one than a simple horror story.  It's about finding closure after the tragic death of a loved one, and the path that Justice can sometimes take in order to be served.  Those two themes add a nice depth to the story, and puts it above most in the genre. The writing style is fairly smoo