Directed by Damiano Damiani Dino De Laurentiis Corporation Ordinarily I have some inkling of how to start these pieces, but I confess, for this title I am somewhat at a loss. A prequel-of-sorts before such a thing became to a degree de rigueur for the horror film franchise – and not blameless in the rise … Continue reading Amityville II: The Possession (1982)
Directed by Allan Holzman New World Pictures Preposterous in almost every meaningful sense, this Roger Corman production may well be one of my new favorite movies – it’s great! A schlock masterpiece, it’s almost inconceivable any film crew could do any more with any less than is accomplished in this tale of Science Gone Horribly … Continue reading Forbidden World aka Mutant (1982)
Directed by J.P. Simon Dister Productions “Based on the novel ‘SLUGS’ by Shaun Hutson.” No, I haven’t read it, but you better believe I’m going to try to track THAT baby down. This entertaining piece of dreck is the sort of film so unconcerned with “verisimilitude” – there we go again – that it sticks … Continue reading Slugs aka Slugs: muerte viscosa aka Slugs – The Movie (1988)
Directed by Bob Claver A Bill Wilson Production This entertaining incompetence spotlights an endearing and enduring theme enrapturing schlock filmmakers since time immemorial – the Giant Deadly Snake that strangely resembles … an ordinary snake. (Decidedly not a giant one, either.) By the end of this ridiculous romp, we are supposed to believe the snake … Continue reading Jaws Of Satan (1981)
directed by donald p. Borchers a donald p. borchers production in association with new sky communications, inc. Whew! After the scarifying experience of watching a legitimate piece of cinema, we’re back to the land of good ol’ schlock here, folks. It’s an old-fashioned haunted-house yarn, mostly, dressed up with a parapsychology “professor” and some backwoods … Continue reading Grave Secrets aka Secret Screams (1989)
directed by charles martin smith de laurentiis entertainment group Growing up in the Rust Belt, my older brother and I were metalheads with questionable taste – redundant! – so we saw this picture in the theatre of pain, probably compelled by the presence of Gene $immon$ in the cast. Then as now, my impression of … Continue reading Trick or Treat (1986)
directed by dave parker Warner premiere/dark castle home entertainment/fever dreams llc/ludovico technique Maybe I’ve seen a few too many of these damn things, but a premise that seemed alluring as this story grew legs – obsessive fan seeks mythical lost slasher film – garnered much tarnish once a few too many knowing references were manifest. … Continue reading The Hills Run Red (2009)
directed by mike findlay An ed adlum and mike findlay production Glacially paced, predictable, and of little apparent budget, this feckless outing flaunts its amateur nature consistently throughout its 84 minutes. Ham-fisted edits! Complete disregard for continuity! (Events often appear to take place simultaneously in daylight and at nighttime.) Unconvincing “acting”! Also: what amounts to … Continue reading Shriek of the Mutilated (1974)
written and directed by Michael Dougherty bad hat harry productions/legendary pictures Taking a cue from what seemed a trustworthy source, I made this pic my Halloween viewing this year and was not disappointed. A hearty romp through four (sort of) interrelated stories, spun out in nonchronological fashion and represented in the guise of a comic … Continue reading Trick ‘r Treat (2007)
written & directed by kevin s. Tenney trimark pictures/Blue Rider Pictures It was surprisingly difficult to access this cinematic … accomplishment, but I guess I shouldn’t be too surprised, as the truly sublime can often be misunderstood in its own era and lost to the mists of time. Such a fate didn’t befall this assuredly … Continue reading Pinocchio’s Revenge (1996)
SPACE RATS From Outer Space 