78 Reviews
A Dark and Scary Place
Starring: Charlotte Vega, David Bradley, Bill Milner, Eugene Simon, Roisin Murphy.
Directed Brian O’Malley
Thunderbird Releasing
June 2018
Brother and sister Rachel and Edward are the sole inheritors of a large house with grounds and a lake, after the suicide drowning of their parents in the lake. The house is extremely run-down, but that’s not the worst of their problems. Waters rise and ghosts come for them at night. They realise it is only a matter of time before they must surely succumb to the inevitable. Edward has never left the house, and Rachel ventures only as far as the nearest village for supplies they can barely afford. Here she meets Sean, a soldier home from the Great War. They are instantly attracted to each other. Perhaps he can break the never-ending cycle of her heritage. But will the house allow her to leave...?
After the fantastic Japanese horrors of the 1990s and early 2000s, when subsequent Western productions sought to emulate the style largely without success, there was a general movement back to traditional ghost stories. As with the majority of haunted house chillers this is a slow-burner. However, The Lodgers does combat this inherent failing by having the waters rise through a trap door in the house from the very start. Consequently, when the siblings run to their rooms in terror, the viewer is pulled into the plot immediately. This is essentially a "sins of the father" curse. It is never said outright, but the inference is that the original couple were brother and sister who gave birth to twins (a girl and a boy), and the act was cursed to continue through the ages. Of course, this is not revealed until halfway through the plot – although it does explain why Rachel and Edward are plagued by ghosts that resemble themselves.
There are a couple of unexplained plot holes, or at least loose ends. Why are the forefather ghosts hinting that the siblings should drown themselves in the lake as they did, when there has been no illicit coupling and so no offspring? The other point involves Bermingham, the family solicitor, played by the always welcome David Bradley, who plays the old codger similarly to his recent roles as William Hartnell’s first Doctor Who. When the solicitor turns up uninvited at the house to explain there are no more funds and therefore they will have to sell the house, Rachel gives him an old necklace to sell. However, prior to that scene, Rachel is told at the village there is no more credit, but doesn’t offer the shopkeeper a similar olive branch.
All queries aside, The Lodgers is still a pretty compelling experience and well worth a watch. Director Brian O’Malley creates an almost otherworldly atmosphere. This is fundamentally a character-driven story, as all the best ones are. Extras include: Behind the Scenes, two Deleted Scenes, and a Trailer.
Verdict: 7 out of 10
(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2018)
Starring: Lucas Paul, Dali Rose Tetreault, Ross Paul, Jaime Hill.
Directed Kyle Edward Ball
Acorn Media International
July 2023
Acorn Media International releases the Shudder Original supernatural horror film Skinamarink on Blu-ray. It is the writing/directorial debut of Kyle Edward Ball, who utilises strange, mostly low camera angles to create a sense of claustrophobia, oppression, and unreality. Two young siblings, Kevin, and Kaylee wake in the middle of the night to discover their parents have vanished, along with all the doors and windows to the outside. In addition, dimensions change, and items disappear and reappear to a mysterious buzzing sound. The children use pillows and blankets to build a den in the living-room to avoid the terrifying upper rooms and play a video of old cartoons on the TV to create light and a distraction from the fear. When a muffled voice begins to give them instructions, Kaylee makes the mistake of refusing.
This is a movie which is significantly more interesting in retrospect. You can think about or discuss with others the origin of the entity and the possible meaning of certain events. All well and good. However, the director may have possessed a very low budget to play with but Kyle Edward Ball, in striving for atmosphere and fear of the unknown, has actually created a dullness which makes the 100-minute running time feel like twice as long. It’s primarily the cause of the ultra-low lighting which produces a fuzz tantamount to an nth-generation video recording – the purpose, no doubt, to make you look for something in the darkness. We are rewarded in this respect only once. Another factor that makes the film drag is the camera lingering for long seconds on a wall and other uninteresting locations. Lastly, there is nobody to connect with in the film. The children are unseen for the majority of the film; occasionally their legs are shown from a low angle, and only once or twice is Kevin seen briefly. There is very little dialogue: the children don’t sound distressed by anything that happens, and it comes as a relief when the entity finally speaks. You have to appreciate the originality but, as with Paranormal Activity and The Blair Witch Project, the viewer isn’t rewarded for his/her marathon endurance.
Much about Skinamarink is left ambiguous. I positively gravitate towards this at the conclusion of a movie, but only if the rest of the feature makes some kind of sense. Some have suggested that Skinamarink (who is never named) is from a dimension who can control this one; a child finding eternal amusement by using these children as playthings. Others cite a demonic entity manipulating Kevin willingly into the darkness. I prefer the linked theories that, after Kevin falls down the stairs at the beginning, he imagines or dreams the whole thing in an unconscious state; or Kaylee pushes him down the stairs, claiming that Kevin was sleepwalking, and in doing so unwittingly attracts a demonic entity. It would also explain in this scenario why Kaylee is ultimately punished. The ‘572 Days’ pointer could be how long he has been in a coma for. Again, another valid outlook is that his mother has left his father and Kevin is emotionally and psychologically devastated to the point of losing touch with reality and harming himself. I’m certain every viewer will have their own explanation for the film’s situations, but it does prove one thing: as previously mentioned, the retrospective piecing-together of events is much more interesting than actually watching the movie.
Verdict: 5 out of 10
(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2023)
Starring: Lin Shaye, Leigh Whannell, Stefanie Scott, Angus Sampson, Dermot Mulroney.
Directed Leigh Whannell
Entertainmentone
October 2015
Set a few years before the Lambert Hauntings of Insidious 1 & 2.
Quinn Brenner travels a long distance to visit Elise for the purposes of contacting her dead mother, Lily. Elise refuses to help, as whenever she uses her gift the same figure comes forward and tries to kill her. Quinn fails an audition at a theatre when she sees a sinister dark figure on the balcony. Outside, she sees the same figure slowly and macabrely waving at her. She is hit by a car and dies for a moment, before a sudden looming face jolts her back to life. Confined to the apartment with two broken legs, she is told by a seemingly crazy old lady that the Man Who Can’t Breathe, who lives in the vents, is standing in her room. Cracks appear in the ceiling, but no one is occupying the apartment above – although there are wet, tarlike bare footprints. Quinn is terrorised by the entity, and her father is forced to plead to Elise for her help. Reluctantly, she agrees and finds herself in the Further, searching for the Man Who Can’t Breathe, only to be attacked and almost strangled by the Bride-in-Black.
Quinn’s younger brother finds two ‘Ghosthunters’ on the internet and their father brings in Specs and Tucker to help Elise – who in turn solicits the help of Carl. Quinn is literally possessed and tries to kill herself, but the others manage to bind her. The Man Who Can’t Breathe has attached itself to her because it wants her body. Elise enters the Further again and manages to banish the Bride-in-Black this time. Her dead husband tries to persuade her to kill herself so they can be together; however, Elise realises it is a trick by the Man Who Can’t breathe. After hearing a whispered message from her mother, the physical half of Quinn it has managed to possess rips the breathing mask from the creature’s face, allowing Elise to return with her. But can she be made whole again?
Insidious Chapter Three is directed by Leigh Whannell who plays Specs in the movie, and co-produced by James Wan who directed the first movie. ‘The Man Who Can’t Breathe’ is played by Michael Reid Mackay. It’s an inspired choice to make this film a prequel – mainly because it allows the viewer to enjoy the compelling Lin Shaye as Elise Rainier in a more prominent role. She has such a characterful face and, along with Tucker and Specs, commands attention in every inherent scene. Further (no pun intended), the introduction of new characters achieves much in refreshing the franchise. This has more set-piece scares than the last film, even though it has less ghostly spectres. I defy anyone not to jump at the window scene. I also like the added peril of the ghost in black attempting to Kill Elise every time she uses her gift. The Man Who Can’t Breathe at times sounds like Darth Vader from Star Wars but, although well-presented you can’t help wondering why his breathing machine isn’t ripped-off the first time he presents himself as a threat. The final seemingly unconnected epilogue scene appears to exist only to leave the viewer with the feeling that all is not right, and to offer the consideration that another film may be feasible.
Extras include: Cherry Glazerr – Tiptoe Through the Tulips; Macabre Creations; Stunts – The Car Crash; Origin Story – Making Chapter 3; Haunted – A Psychic Medium Speaks; and Deleted Scenes.
Verdict: 8 out of 10
(Original Review by Ty Power 2024)
Includes: When a Stranger Calls Back (1993).
Starring: Charles Durning, Carol Kane, Colleen Dewhurst, Tony Beckley and Jill Schoelen.
Directed Fred Walton
Second Sight
December 2018
Jill Johnson is a babysitter for Dr and Mrs Mandrakis. Early in the evening she receives a distressing call. A voice on the telephone asks, “Have you checked the children?” This is the first of a series of calls which prompt her to call the police. The children are brutally murdered, and the police find the killer still in their room, but Jill survives because she hadn’t gone upstairs and checked on the kids (not likely, is it?). Seven years later the killer escapes from a psychiatric hospital. Charles Clifford is a police detective turned private investigator, hired by the father of the children to find their killer, Curt Duncan. Clifford suspects Duncan has returned to the city he knows. But also living there is Jill Johnson, now with two children of her own...
Fred Walton’s When a Stranger Calls was released in cinemas in 1979, just a year after John Carpenter’s Halloween. Whether they were aware of each other’s existence is in question, but either way you can’t avoid the similarities. The working title for Halloween was The Babysitter Murders, and there had been a real life event wherein a babysitter and the children had been killed by an unknown assailant. Walton and his fellow scriptwriter Steve Feke loosely did that story as a short film called Sitter (included on this disc), in order get backing to turn it into a feature. Carpenter – who had already gone through this process with his first feature, Dark Star – famously went down the route of the faceless psychopath in the darkness, and the rest is history.
I don’t think Stranger possesses the impact it once had; however, it has got certain strengths. Carol Kane goes for an impactful performance as Jill, which is infinitely better than Lucia Stralser’s somewhat subdued variation in the aforementioned short, Sitter. It’s not so much a vulnerability, as much more intensive and expression-filled shock/horror. Her reaction to receiving a call from the police, telling her they’ve traced the menacing calls to the house she is in, puts a brief shiver down your spine.
Charles Durning as Clifford the P.I. is solid as you would expect an established actor to be, but the surprise here is Tony Beckley. He plays the killer with a lot of uncertainty. It is said that Beckley lacked confidence in the presence of more well-known performers, and so doubted his ability greatly. This comes through strongly as a vulnerability which conflicts with his ‘needs’ – something which is seldom, if ever, seen in the portrayal of a twisted villain. The final scene, wherein he is revealed to be in the bed with Jill, when she believes it to be her husband, is very well handled for a low budget film. (6)
When a Stranger Calls Back (1993) has a young woman babysitting for a couple, when there is a knock at the door. Someone wants to come in and use the phone to ring the vehicle breakdown service. She takes verbal details and assures him she will ring them. When she discovers the phone is dead, she feels it is safer to pretend she has rung. But that is just the beginning of her nightmare. Both of the children are missing, and five years later it starts again when she realises someone is getting into her apartment and making subtle changes to unnerve her. When she reports it to the police, they are far from convinced, simply calling the campus psychologist. This turns out to be Jill Johnson, the babysitter from the original film. She in turn calls in the help of her friend Charles Clifford, who had saved her life. He is convinced the girl is genuine and does not have psychological problems – even after she supposedly attempts suicide. Furthermore, he believes the perpetrator to be a ventriloquist; able to throw his voice to sound like he is outside when he is actually inside with the victim. Jill’s life turns full circle after taking an interest, when the unbalanced new killer turns his attention to her...
This is a made for TV sequel to the first film. Again, there is a prolonged babysitting sequence to start the film, but this time around there is significantly more meat on the bones. It begins as a mystery, and we are actually in the last third of the film before the killer is even seen. Less shocks, you might say, but more inventiveness. It may help that we are already familiar with two of the characters, but for me – as scandalous as it might sound – I think this second film is infinitely the better of the two. (7)
Second Sight Films should be commended here for proving that two films will comfortably fit on one Blu-ray disc, with room to spare for special features. Here we get the short film Sitter – newly restored; and separate interviews with Fred Walton, Carol Kane, Rutanya Alda, and composer Dana Kaproff. There was a 2006 remake of the first film (Walton wasn’t involved) but, although it did okay at the box office, it’s a bit of a non-entity.
Verdict: 7 out of 10
(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2018)
Starring: Alec Newman, Luke Goss, Julie Delpy, Nichole Lewis, Donald Sutherland, William Hurt.
Directed Kevin Connor
Kaleidoscope Home Entertainment
January 2014
Even as a child Viktor Von Frankenstein had a curious and, some would say, morbid fascination with life and death. As a young man, he leaves home to travel to the city and study science, and specifically chemistry and the human body, under the tutorship of a professor. However, he soon begins to ask some startling questions. Beginning with a dog which has been trampled under a horse and carriage, he soon realises that if he can harness enough electrical energy, he may be able to bring a dead body back to life. He takes to robbing body parts and creates a humanoid creature which even he soon begins to regard as an abomination to nature and God. But the problem is the soulless creature just wants to love and be loved, and he is only met with revulsion and violence by others. When Viktor tries to destroy him, the monster vows to destroy everyone Viktor loves...
This retelling of the Frankenstein tale, first released ten years ago [2004], comes in a mini-series format of two discs subtitled 'Night 1' and 'Night 2'. They continue directly on from each other and run to around an hour and twenty-five minutes each. It is probably one of the closest representations of the classic Mary Shelley book I have ever seen. Luckily, there is no attempt to bring it into a contemporary setting, as the story works best within the period it was originally intended. As with all novels around that time it is very formally written, and that comes across into the characters and situations quite heavily, which may tire some viewers. I must say that it is overly long, whilst managing to get across all the intended emotions from the story. It starts with a captain and his crew, from a ship frozen in the ice, witnessing a dog sled chase across the ice. They pick up the injured and exhausted Frankenstein, and the captain is told his complete story, but they don’t bargain on the creature coming aboard the boat.
Luke Goss is suitably gentle, sorrowful and revengeful in the role, but I wonder at the reactions his character receives from everyone except a little girl and a blind man, as he really isn’t that ugly. I suppose part of the moral tale here is that like beauty, ugliness is skin deep. The idea of Frankenstein in the book is playing God, and then making amends. Over time, though, it has become more about the innocence of the creature, and society turning its heart black. Even the death scenes in this depiction are not that violent or prolonged, so the sympathy is definitely with the creature rather than its creator.
A good, solid retelling, but which somehow lacks any real edginess or tension – even with the addition of acting legend Donald Sutherland.
Verdict: 6 out of 10
(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2014)
Starring: Linden Porco, Mark Holton.
Directed Steven Kostanski
Lionsgate
April 2019
“You’re not dead! Good for you.”
A new girl joins a group of Sorority Sisters in returning Alpha Upsilon house to its former glory. This includes solar panels for energy, growing vegetables and drawing from a well they have been told contains ‘bad’ water. The girl’s mother had suffered psychological problems leading up to her death, but the girl has no idea the well harbours the thought to be dead Leprechaun. It seeks to reclaim its gold buried near the house butneeds to embark on a killing spree in order to regain its powers. Can the girls stop it? Especially as there is a new complication...
I was led to believe this is a twin release, also including the first film. However, as I failed to receive it, I can only conclude there is a single film release, too. Consequently, I can’t comment except to say this sequel comes 25 years after the original Leprechaun, which emerged in 1993 and again stars Mark Holton in the title role. There are now eight films in this series, but this time around they have taken a leaf out of Halloween’s book by linking the latest film to the first, thereby ignoring all the continuity of the sequels in between.
This might be a shrewd plan, but I’m sad to say that all the horror film clichés are in place here: Teens/young adults as victims – check; a character with a history of psychosis – check; shower scene – check; character with film camera – check; weird local – check; and wise-cracking villain – check. There is even an inexplicable friendly ghost, but it’s not Casper. There are no real scares or building of suspense, and there’s no fun. The whole piece is very flat.
I’m a keen follower of most horror franchises but, judging by what’s on display here, there is no more mileage in this one. With this type of concept, the psycho killer has to be somewhat likeable, and yet the Leprechaun is not funny in the vein of Chucky and has little or no personality. The Leprechaun wants its gold and that’s it; far from the depth of character you would expect. The creature reforms several times (Michael Myers repeatedly getting up in John Carpenter’s Halloween has a lot to answer for), and the way is left open for another sequel. Heaven forbid.
Verdict: 3 out of 10
(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2019)
Starring: Emile Hirsch, Andi Matichak, Luke David Blumm.
Directed Ivan Kavanagh
Acorn Media International
October 2021
This is the UK Blu-ray debut of the Acorn Media International Shudder Original Exclusive production of Son. Young mum Laura lives with her placid, quiet and loving eight-year-old son David. After a cloudy past, everything seems tranquil and normal – that is until one night she is shocked and horrified to find a number of sinister strangers surrounding his bed. Frantically, she calls the police, who find nothing amiss and no sign of forced entry. Everyone believes she has imagined the whole episode – particularly when it is revealed she escaped from captivity and afterwards spent time in a psychiatric facility. Paul, a police detective, appears to be the only one on-side, her only solace. But is he really her friend? The real question is does the problem lie with Laura or her seemingly innocuous little boy David...?
This horror film plays the smart trick of having the key protagonist (and so the viewer) off and running from the opening scene, as she gives birth in her car, obviously desperate to escape the area and a horrific past. When, eight years later everything appears to have calmed down, it is to suddenly spring a shock moment, which to all intents and purposes must be a supernatural apparition. These nice little scenes are always going to create more chills than any blood and gore thrown at the screen. Talking of which… The main revelation is revealed in the promotional blurb, so I feel no remorse in mentioning it here. The benevolent boy needs human flesh to survive and turns cannibalistic to obtain it. Strangely, it is not the sight of the blood-soaked boy or a half-eaten corpse that is the most disturbing aspect of this change. Instead, it is the low guttural obscenities and demands made to his mother through a closed door when she initially decides to deprive him of a new victim. This constant metamorphosis is handled really well, as when it first begins his quick degeneration into agony complete with raw wounds opening up all over his face and body confounds the hospital staff.
Another nice touch is that everyone looks suspicious, so even cameo and bit-parts have you unsure as to who might be untrustworthy and who is just curious. I won’t reveal who David’s father turns out to be, but there is a lovely twist at the end which you don’t see coming. The acting on the whole is pretty good, and I’m particularly impressed by Luke David Blumm as David and his enthusiasm for the part (and particularly horror films) on the extras. Combined writer/directors invariably prove to be a revelation or a flop. In this case, it’s far from being a classic, but Ivan Kavanagh has created an enjoyable film with some unexpected turns. Extras consist of short comments about the film by the three main actors, and a few minor deleted scenes.
Verdict: 8 out of 10
(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2021)
Starring: Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, Lin Shaye, Barbara Hershey, Ty Simpkins.
Directed James Wan
Entertainmentone
October 2015
At the end of the first film, Josh brought his son back from the Further, where he had inadvertently astral projected into dangerous territory, where dead people and demons with nefarious intentions crave a living vessel. In other words, they long to be alive again. Now, whilst Josh denies what he has become and what he is condemned to do, Renai’s living nightmare continues as she repeated sees a woman around the house. It becomes increasingly more active until it physically attacks her. Josh’s mother, Lorraine, contacts Specs and Tucker who worked with the parapsychologist, Elise, who was killed, supposedly by Josh. They in turn reach out to Carl, an old colleague of hers. He uses dice with letters on to get help from Elise and is appointed to an abandoned hospital where Lorraine used to work. Lorraine had taken the young Josh into the hospital one time, only for him to be attached by an elderly man close to death. Soon afterwards Lorraine saw him again in a lift at the hospital, only to be told that he had died the previous day after throwing himself from the building. The man’s name was Parker Crane.
Lorraine, Specs and Tucker find his medical file which leads them to his old house. They see what appears to be a little girl in the bedroom, but it is Crane as a boy but dressed and treated like a girl. “She’ll make me kill you,” she says. The boy Dalton is spoken to by a ghost and realises he is astral projecting again. He jumps back into his body before it can be occupied. Carl believes he is being helped by Elise, but it turns out to be a malevolent force which tries to kill him and Lorraine. They find a painting which matches the ghost terrorising Renai. Carl’s dice spell out MATER MORTIS (Mother of Death – meaning the mother of Parker Crane). Crane had gone after Josh because he wanted his childhood back but, as his body begins to degrade, he is forced to make an attempt on the lives of Josh’s family. Dalton, with the help of Carl and the spirit of Elise, ventures into the Further to bring back his father – the real Josh. But the Bride-in-Black has other plans.
This is a direct continuation of the story from the first Insidious film. Parker Crane and his cruel and twisted mother are rather reminiscent of Norman Bates and his controlling mother in Robert Bloch’s Psycho. The boy Dalton is brought much more to the fore, as is Lorraine who has more of a significant role than her daughter Renai. We all knew that Josh wasn’t really Josh at the conclusion of the previous film, so to attempt to portray events as resolved at the beginning of Insidious: Chapter Two is rather strange. Only Renai is in two minds as to whether he’s the same man. I love the scene in the hidden room behind the bookcase, with all the figures covered in sheets. And there is an additional connection to the first film, wherein Josh and Renai from an earlier time are plagued by unknown intruders – namely the present Josh and Carl.
As Chapter Two is not only a sequel but a direct continuation of the same story, part of the mystery of the unknown is lost. We already know what can happen in the Further, and what the dead are capable of, so there is a definite sense of diminishing returns here. This obviously creates the need for a backstory for a little originality and new scares. An origin story of sorts, but which is seen in the present. Therefore, the Bride-in-Black is made more prominent and the red-and-black-faced demon from the first film forgotten. Nevertheless, it’s an enjoyable journey for followers of ghost stories and hauntings, made relevant for contemporary times – as opposed to the much-used Victorian gothic style.
Verdict: 7 out of 10
(Original Review by Ty Power 2024)
Starring: Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, Lin Shaye, Barbara Hershey, Ty Simpkins.
Directed James Wan
Entertainmentone
October 2015
Josh and Renai move their family of two young boys and a baby girl into new house. Renai begins to see presences and one of the boys, Dalton, says he doesn’t like his room because of certain experiences. This is all played down, particularly by Josh, until they can’t wake Dalton one morning. They rush him to hospital and are told he is in a coma, but all of his readings are normal. They have no explanation for it. After three months they are obliged to care for the boy at home. The number of frightening and sometimes violent spectral appearances increases. Renai and her mother Lorraine get in a priest, but Josh is sceptical – particularly as he wasn’t consulted. But then Lorraine brings in psychic investigators Specs and Tucker and their boss medium Elise Rainler. She tells the family that Dalton is not in a coma. From a very young age his spirit form has been travelling at night. He has gone further and further afield because he has always believed he was dreaming. But now he has gone too far, and a fire-faced demon has him trapped. The disturbances in the home are due to the dead wanting to claim Dalton’s body because it is empty.
Elise tells Josh he is the only one who can find and bring back the boy, because he passed on the ability to his son. When Josh was a child, whenever his mother elaine took his picture there was an old woman in the photo. With each succeeding photo she got closer to Josh. She craved his body, so Lorraine brought in Elise and they stopped the spirit travelling and kept the truth from the boy. Josh is put in a trance and his spirit body finds the red door in the attic of the house, that Dalton had drawn a picture of after a supposed dream. The further is a totally different reality. He finds the boy but is forced to fight the demon. Josh makes his escape with Dalton. However, there is a heavy mist, and he doesn’t know which way to go until he hears Renai’s voice. Unfortunately, many of the dead in that realm follow the voice back too.
After a slow start, this becomes a compelling modern ghost story which incorporates both original and traditional aspects. There are some nice set-pieces and claustrophobic, tension-building scenes. Patrick Wilson is convincing as Josh, but the psychic investigators are the only characters with any real personality: Elise being quiet, strange and mysterious, and Specs and Tucker being deadpan and quirky. I liked their on-going light-heated debate about whose expertise was more important. The Lipstick-Face demon (as it is called in the credits) is woefully underutilised. The only real close-up of its red and black face can’t help but make me think of Darth Maul from Star Wars: The Phantom Menace.
The script is written by Leigh Whannell, and it’s directed by James Wan who would go on to make this film a franchise, as well as paving the way for The Conjuring film series and the spin-offs The Nun, and Annabelle. A solid, if not spectacular, film of suburban hauntings. Extras include: Horror 101 – The Exclusive Seminar; On Set With Insidious; Insidious Entities; and a Trailer.
Verdict: 8 out of 10
(Original Review by Ty Power 2024)
Starring: Barbara Crampton, AJ Bowen, Brea Grant.
Directed Brad Baruh
StudioCanal
October 2018
There are figures in the woods. Dishevelled robes and frightening half-glimpsed faces appear to serve or seek solace from a curious cone-shaped structure. James and Casey, and teenaged offspring Jessica and Jason – along with Jessica’s friend Becky – travel to a remote cabin in Oregon for a weekend break. A few curious events take place, but it isn’t until James heads outside to look for suitable wood for the fire that the night turns into a nightmare. He finds an unconscious woman in the woods. When she comes around she just wants to get to the cabin, supposedly for warmth. However, the moment she is inside she immediately outstays her welcome, eating and drinking their supplies and generally being rude and obnoxious to the point they throw her out. But she proves to be the catalyst for a series of horrific pre-planned situations. They are linked to the cone structure via a parasitic organism. Jessica strives to survive and do the right thing as her family becomes dangerously influenced. The figures in the woods tell her there is only one way to save her family. But can she trust them...
Even now I’m not certain whether this film is devilishly clever with its plot layers, twists and turns and a pervasive scent of ambiguity – or it’s simply attempting to break the world record for tributes and references to a multitude of horror films and TV. Everything from psycho-kills-the-entire-family to Cabin in the Woods via Funny Games is referenced. Even the figures in the woods have a very pagan feel, but with a possible alien reference. I have stated in other reviews that I don’t necessarily enjoy stories which are tied-up into a neat little package. Not only is it demeaning to the viewer, but life isn’t simply black and white. You don’t always get all the answers. Personally, I prefer to be left pondering the details.
That is just what this film does to you. Because there is no explanation as to the origins of the horror, and very little is understood or played-out in a completely linear fashion – it’s only logical to make your own assumptions. In reality, who knows what it’s all about. At the beginning a child is taken by the figures in the woods on behalf of the parasitic cone structure. Presumably, she becomes the annoying woman who causes all the axe frenzy madness. I assume the figures are previous women who have been taken for this role, as the entire plot seems to hinge around getting history to repeat itself. Has the mother been sent mad, or are the family really possessed by a dangerous organism? The end even has the parasite-carrying survivor going out into the world and taking a position of power, which is straight out of Robert Heinlein’s The Puppet Masters.
It does have some unusual nice moments, one of which is the television – connected to nothing but the cone structure – playing scenes which are yet to come.
Dead Night stars Barbara Crampton. I wonder if she knows whether she appeared in a visionary new concept or a celluloid mess. I certainly don’t know, but I’m willing to give it the benefit of the doubt.
Verdict: 7 out of 10
(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2018)
Starring: Charlie Ruggles, Bela Lugosi, Dick Foran
Directed by A. Edward Sutherland, Ford Beebe & Others
Eureka Entertainment
April 2023
Eureka Entertainment releases, for the first time on Blu-ray in the UK, Creeping Horror – incorporating the four tales of terror: Murders in the Zoo, Night Monster, Horror Island, and House of Horrors. They star such luminaries of the time as Lionel Atwill, Bela ‘Dracula’ Lugosi, and Rondo Hatton. This Eureka Classics set has a Limited Edition Slipcase and a Collector’s Booklet featuring new writing by Craig Ian Mann and Jon Towlson. The discs are rendered in 1080p high definition and include the additional features of a brand-new commentary on Night Monsters and House of Horrors, with author Stephen Jones and entertaining author/critic Kim Newman; a brand new commentary on Murders in the Zoo and Horror Island, with Kevin Lyones and film historian Jonathan Rigby; stills galleries; and a trailer for two of the films.
In Murders in the Zoo (1933) – directed by A. Edward Sutherland, Doctor Gorman (Atwill) is a millionaire hunter of dangerous animals who is bringing them back to the US in order to open an exotic new zoo. His neglected beautiful young wife entertains other men to alleviate the boredom so, when a fundraising gala is announced to promote the zoo, Gorman seizes the opportunity to use the animals to kill his rivals. A reptile expert sees through the man’s scheme to use the poison from a deadly mamba, but can he survive when Gorman’s attention turns to him? Randolph Scott’s character is somewhat naïve for a scientist, and Atwill reveals his guilt to the police by running away, but the film proves to be an enjoyable romp.
In Night Monster (1942) – directed by Ford Beebe, Kurt Ingston is a rich recluse living in a run-down mansion in the swamps. He invites the doctors who had previously saved his life but left him crippled and, one by one, they are killed by a mysterious creature which doesn’t stick around to be seen. Also present is a creepy mystic, a former friend of Ingson and another doctor unlucky enough to break down in her car near the house. You would have to be two pork pies short of a picnic not to realise who the killer is. It’s a nice run-around though, and the scenes wherein the frogs suddenly stop croaking prior to a door opening in the mansion’s grounds when the creature is near are suitably creepy. The rubber monster feet seen at the climax of the film is one reveal too far, however!
In Horror Island (1941) – directed by George Waggner, a down-on-his-luck local businessman learns that he now owns Sir Henry Morgan’s Island and the supposedly haunted castle. When he is offered $20,000 for the castle, he instead sets-up a boat trip for paying customers to visit the ‘haunted castle’ to enable him to check out the location himself. When there is the rumour of hidden pirate treasure it becomes apparent the other paying customers aren’t there by chance. I liked this one a lot; in some respects, it’s a variation on The Old Dark House scenario, with a little early Raiders of the Lost Ark thrown in. The film is based on ‘Terror of the South Seas’ by Alex Gottlieb.
In House of Horrors (1946) – directed by Jean Yarbrough, an under-appreciated sculptor misses out on a lucrative sale when the buyer shows up with a cruel and sadistic critic. Soon after, the sculptor saves a man from drowning, who turns out to be a notorious monstrous and disfigured criminal. It doesn’t take the cheated sculptor long to use the criminal to kills the critics who denounced him. You kind of feel sorry for the sculptor – and the criminal, to a certain extent, because the film is set from their point of view. It’s the pushy, scheming journalist that you half-wish gets her just desserts.
I love these old horror/thriller film collections from Universal and others. Long may they continue. Other sets which are available include the Boris Karloff collections, and the Inner Sanctum Mysteries.
Verdict: 8 out of 10
(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2023)
Starring: Verona Blue, Ally Loannides, Steven Ogg
Directed by Flying Lotus, Maggie Levin & Others
Acorn media International
March 2023
Acorn Media International releases the Shudder Original release V/H/S/99 on Blu-ray. This is the fifth instalment of the franchise and incorporates five gristly horror tales presented in a found footage format – this time linked by the year 1999. It’s a brutal rendering of social isolation, analogue technology and disturbing home videos – exploring the dark side of 1990s nostalgia. V/H/S/99 is Shudder’s most streamed film ever.
In Maggie Levin’s ‘Shredding’ a local band wishes to film themselves playing in the venue of their heroes. The only trouble is the building is abandoned and considered to be haunted, after the place caught fire and their heroes were trampled by the fleeing crowd and succumbed to the flames. They all lark about, aside from one member who feels it is disrespectful. They will come to regret their nostalgia trip when the spirit ghouls of the dead band return to claim new bodies. In Joannes Roberts’s ‘Suicide Bid’ the concept of college hazing is explored. An initiation involves a girl having to be buried alive for a certain amount of time, as a local legend said had happened years ago – wherein the body had disappeared. This time the arrival of the police and the onset of a storm delay a rescue until the next day. But reprisals from beyond the grave are unforgiving.
The third segment – by record producer, DJ, filmmaker and rapper, Flying Lotus (along with Zoe Cooper) – is a dark comedy about a TV kids’ gameshow which goes hideously wrong when a family’s little girl is seriously injured. In retribution, the family kidnap, ridicule and torture the host, whose only option is to take the family to Ozzy’s Dungeon, where any one-wish can be granted. But the girl’s wish is not what anyone expected in their wildest nightmares. In ‘The Gawkers’ – written and directed by Tyler MacIntyre and Chris Lee Hill – a group of teenage boys spy on a good-looking neighbour, but when they install a camera in her house they get more than they bargained for in terms of monstrous retribution. We conclude with ‘To Hell and Back’ – in which two individuals are hired to film an occult ritual summoning and take more of a part than they would ever have wished.
What begins as quirky and inventive, with fuzzy and jumping video tape images and previous generation recordings coming and going, quite quickly becomes tedious and annoying. All of these segments are concepts we’ve seen before on numerous occasions. The first is probably the most bloodthirsty but also the most dull, and it’s filmed so dark you can hardly make anything out. The idea of a kids’ TV show with a dark background was suitably explored in the Monsters anthology episode, 'Holly’s House', but Ozzy’s Dungeon is also below par. The others are solid tales, with perhaps the last two being most striking. It’s amazing what some movie magic will achieve, when you subsequently view the average behind-the-scenes footage. I very much like short tales with a linking theme; this one is a game of two halves. ‘To Hell and Back’ utilises clever camerawork and quick cuts to reveal (but not linger on) some intriguing nightmare creatures.
Verdict: 7 out of 10
(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2023)
Starring: Tony Todd, Kelly Rowan, Timothy Carhart, Veronica Cartwright.
Directed Iain Ross-McNamee
88 Films
March 2019
Annie visits her brother Ethan, who is accused of murdering their father and a writer on the myth of the Candyman. When she goes to her old family home,she finds paintings and a shrine to the myth. Annie is a school teacher to young children. In order to prove to them the Candyman doesn’t exist, she speaks his name into a mirror five times. The monster appears to her later but, rather than kill her with its hook, it despatches her partner and attempts to obligate her to its requirements. Instead, she looks into his background and discovers not only a history of pain but a secret family connection...
Candyman is a Clive Barker creation. I got into his stuff as early as the original publications of The Books of Blood long-short stories and followed his early releases with much enthusiasm. This includes Hellraiser and, although Candyman isn’t as popular a character as Pinhead, it has become one of the many lesser horror franchises. The crux of the matter for me is that, much that I like Tony Todd as an actor (I have much admiration for fanboy director Adam Green for bringing together his horror heroes Kane Hodder, Robert Englund and Tony Todd in Hatchet), the character just isn’t that scary. He’s simply not on the same level as Jason Voorhees, Michael Myers and Chucky, because rather than inventive kills he’s a one-trick pony. He has to be summoned and then just sticks his hook though the victim, which becomes a tired format very quickly.
There has been this tendency for a number of years now for a first horror sequel to tell a detailed backstory for the killer/monster/creature, thereby unwittingly destroying any mystery or power that it holds. Therefore, an already restricted protagonist becomes further hindered by a newly created persona. It’s rather like the honesty of Superman telling the world he is all-powerful unless a lump of green Kryptonite is waved in front of him. It removes the possibility of any future unknown reveal. In the same manner, mention of the mirror containing the Candyman’s soul – the only thing that can kill him – seems really contrived. It’s shoehorned in with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer. Similarly, the situations and dialogue are somewhat stilted. The scenes don’t seem to flow, and in that sense you get the impression it could have been edited more tightly.
Ironically, this not a bad film, it’s just a very ordinary one. I haven’t watched it for a number of years, but discovered my opinion has not changed at all. Extras include: a Limited-Edition Collectors’ booklet, an Interview with Tony Todd, an Interview with Veronica Cartwright, and a Trailer. The 5.1 and LPCM Stereo optional sounds are good, and the 1080p HD Blu-ray picture is nice and sharp.
Verdict: 6 out of 10
(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2019)
Starring: Neil Morrissey, Katie Goldfinch, Florence Cady.
Directed Iain Ross-McNamee
Screenbound Entertainment
February 2019
In 1649, an associate of Matthew Hopkins, Witchfinder General, breaks an old necromancer’s caldron in two and hangs the man for witchcraft. Cut to 2017, and young assistant curator Isabelle is sent by the museum, for whom she works, to check on a claim that a Shropshire house has discovered half of the caldron (the museum already possesses one half). She is welcomed by Karl and Evelyn and strange daughter Scarlet. Pretty soon Isabelle begins to suspect the house harbours a deadly secret...
The backstory of when the first half of the caldron is uncovered is acted-out very convincingly, along with the revelation that a dark queen was put in the container along with the blood of her victims and, in a magical ceremony, brought back… changed. Her name on the caldron has been carefully scratched-out. The diarist fled the house, leaving a warning. So, who is the dark queen, the obvious vampire of the piece? The mother or the daughter? Or neither? When Isabelle fully reveals the second half of the antique, Karl insists it cannot be removed from the house. He instructs that the first half should be sent down to the house (a recipe for disaster, I would have thought!). The two halves match, as expected, but now a dark figure is seen in the house, and Isabelle has seen too much… Karl, his wife and daughter believe they are promised immortality, but these things never pan out.
After watching so many dark, grainy and atmospheric horror thrillers from America and elsewhere, it’s a pleasant surprise to view a home-grown crisp-clear sunny disposition film like this. The vampire title initially put me off; there are so many dull vampire films out there and I suspected this one wouldn’t be any different. I’m pleased to be proved wrong. This one is more like a ghost story, with a mansion house setting, noises, rumours and a half-glimpsed figure. Many of the mood pieces, chases and atmosphere takes place during the daylight hours, which is really refreshing and offers no respite with the dawn. Overall, it is beautifully filmed, but it does have its faults. Some of the dialogue is stilted and unnatural, any flames are cartoonish CGI, and there’s a yokel (a la Friday the 13th) who says, “Bad things happen to people who go there.”
Isabelle is assigned a room in a part of the house which doesn’t have electricity and given a torch! This is a rather contrived manner of creating atmosphere where there would perhaps be none. Isabelle also falls for the oldest trick in the book with a drugged drink, when she suspects Karl is up to something. I would say, however, that the good points outweigh the bad. Brian Croucher is very good as Ezekiel the necromancer in the black and white filmed opener. Neil Morrissey is convincing as the gardener, too, although he is woefully underutilised. The shaking camera techniques and quick cuts emphasise the general feeling of unease, as does the atmospheric and enhancing soundtrack by Michelle Bee.
It’s far from perfect, but Crucible of the Vampire does focus on the characters and how they relate to events, rather than focussing on the ‘monster’ of the piece – which is how it should be. It’s an entertaining film to watch, and a promising progression by co-writer and director Iain Ross-McNamee.
Verdict: 7 out of 10
(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2019)
Starring: Luke McKenzie, Shantae Barnes-Cowan, Jack Ryan.
Directed Kiah Roache-Turner
101 Films
May 2022
Hard-edged ex-soldier Rhys spends his days tracking and capturing survivors of the apocalypse in a zombie-infested wasteland, to pass to a surgeon who hopes to find a cure for the plague. But over time he discovers more about just what goes on behind the heavy security doors, and his morals do not allow him to continue the task. Instead, he reluctantly joins forces with a brother and sister duo, Barry and Brooke, in order to infiltrate the stronghold and extricate the one person who could be the answer to ending the apocalypse...
101 Films releases Wyrmwood: Apocalypse, the sequel to Wyrmwood: Road of the Dead, on Blu-ray. This is an Australian post zombie apocalypse movie dubbed ‘Ozploitation’ due to the splatter, gore and body horror. As with its predecessor, it is helmed by brothers Kiah and Tristan Roache-Turner. What we get is a full-on frenzied action romp. I’m not normally enamoured with these zombie-blood-and-guts-for-the-sake-of-it and very-little-plot movies, but this one is somewhat grounded by the tough ex-soldier Rhys. We see this character’s daily routine: the protective camp he has erected, with bright lights, high fences and trigger points – and he is made more sympathetic with his need for pills to stave-off the zombie virus. He is very much a Mad Max tribute; no-nonsense action, using full-blown zombies as fuel, but with heart and a moral compass.
As somewhat of a horror aficionado I welcome all sub-genres. With zombies it’s difficult not to group all the films together and tar them with the same brush. I would say that since George A. Romero’s classic Night of the Living Dead only a small number of subsequent movies have made their mark by doing something different or innovative with the concept. With this one, it is not the zombies so much which are different; it’s the backdrop to the plague. There is a mad scientist, a conduit of sorts to the zombies, and anti-viral pills – the source of which is a revelation borrowed from Harry Harrison’s Make Room, Make Room book that was filmed as Soylent Green. In other words, there’s sufficient to keep you interested, and Rhys is an identifiable character rather than a cipher, so you can’t help caring about his welfare.
Verdict: 7 out of 10
(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2022)
Starring: Julie Benz, Fionnula Flanagan, Danielle Harris.
Directed Andrew C. Erin
Thunderbird Releasing
October 2017
Every day Jackie Sullivan relives the nightmare of her alcoholism and that fateful day she drove resulting in an accident which killed her young daughter. Now, after successfully undergoing a rehabilitation scheme she is given an apartment in a turn-of-the-century gothic complex to help put her life back on track. Coincidentally, she is given the same room as a friend who seems to have gone missing without a trace. The house rules are she can stay as long as she likes, with the proviso she doesn’t go back to her old ways. But Havenhurst possesses its own secrets; so when other residents go missing after sounds of a struggle and terrified screaming, Jackie realises the only way to get to the bottom of these macabre events is to purposely fall off the bandwagon and fall foul of the mysterious landlady...
It’s no surprise that this film comes from the producers of the Saw franchise. We have what at first appears to be a supernatural mystery, but very quickly turns into a torture porn movie. In fact, the hidden doorways, covered pit areas, chutes and moving walls reminded me a little of the Stephen Laws book, Daemonic. The family connection to an older evil serves as no more than a standard contrived reason for an otherwise motiveless chain of events. I did like the figure which was always cleverly kept slightly out of focus – hence the original assumption of ghostly goings on. Another nice touch is the little girl who would seem to be the vulnerable character to be protected but is as inquisitive as they come. The fact that the expression on her face doesn’t change for the entire movie could be interpreted as bad acting, but the denouement gives a reason for this which partly answers the question.
There are so many other plot strands lining-up in a failed attempt to be logical. Primarily, the attitude of the police in actually walking away like nothing has happened. They know that at least two women have gone missing from the building, one of which has just rang from there for emergency help. The investigating officer is given proof the dimensions of rooms are changing, and he’s called at least twice to the complex. It just doesn’t ring true. And all for a ‘press the reset button’ ending. This is not a bad film, per se. However, it’s a prime example of set pieces being considered more important than a believable plot.
Verdict: 5 out of 10
(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2017)
Starring: William Peter Blatty, William Friedkin, Dan Perri, Rich Cline, Dr Sarah Crowther, Professor Chris McGlothlin and Nat Segaloff.
Directed Robin Bextor
Reel 2 Reel Films
December 2023
Reel 2 Reel Films releases The Exorcist Untold: The Story Behind the Classic Horror Movie, by Robin Bextor. This being a documentary celebrating 50 years since the groundbreaking film depicting the demonic possession of a 12-year-old girl, and the church’s attempt to cast it out. This study of the film and the story leading up to its creation explores all aspects, with part-interviews, clips and comments from industry experts, film historians and designers – including Dan Perri, Rich Cline, Dr Sarah Crowther, Professor Chris McGlothlin and Nat Segaloff. More importantly, there are archive clips of novel and scriptwriter William Peter Blatty (and later interview sequences with his wife Julie Blatty), and seldom seen footage of the director William Friedkin (To Live and Die in LA, Sorcerer, Cruising, Killer Joe, Rules of Engagement, 12 Angry Men), who had then just recently been presented with a film award for The French Connection...
The Exorcist Untold begins by showing footage of the original film’s release in the US, with cinema sell-outs, queues around the block, and hysteria regarding its content (fainting, sickness and general distaste – whilst hailing the documentary-like feel of the movie as an immediate masterpiece), with an explanation of a general mood swing of the American population from the comfortable setting of peace and free love to a general darkness created by post-Vietnam War, the seriousness of world events, rebellion and a stark change in culture). As an example, William Peter Blatty made a good career writing popular comedy films starring some big names of the time, but suddenly found himself out of work when the 1970s hit.
The most interesting part of this slightly structurally disorganised documentary is the story of how Blatty struggled to get The Exorcist novel published, and when he did it took a chance appearance on a chat show to take it to number one on the bestseller list. Other highlights include behind-the-scenes footage of Friedkin on set, and the unveiling of a plague for the now (in)famous steps in the film. The downside is that most people who know and love the movie will already know the majority of what is explained in this documentary, and the others will not care that much. Certainly not enough to purchase a DVD. This will no doubt enjoy more of an audience on terrestrial TV late on a Friday or Saturday night.
Verdict: 6 out of 10
(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2024)
Starring: Patrick Stewart, Neve Campbell
Directed Sydney Macartney
Second Sight
October 2017
An American physicist secures work in England and so brings his family to the 17th Century Canterville stately home which he has been able to rent at a surprisingly considerate fee. It comes with a resident butler (Donald Sinden) and housekeeper (Joan Sims) – as well as a resident ghost! His teenage daughter Ginny Otis and her two younger brothers both see the frightening ghost early on, but he steadfastly refuses to believe in such things. When Ginny meets a young nobleman from the neighbouring country estate, he confirms the well-known existence of the spectre who is Sir Simon de Canterville (Patrick Steward). She seeks an explanation for the presence and soon learns that his curse to haunt the halls of the house stems from a fateful decision he made hundreds of years ago and the death of his beloved wife. Can the man be forgiven and set free...?
The Canterville Ghost was written by classic author and master of wicked wit Oscar Wilde. Of course, this adaptation from 1996 is not exactly the same but, nevertheless, it’s very entertaining. Very much a family film, it can be enjoyed on many levels, and cleverly avoids slipping into the sickly-sweet bracket (the reason why I avoid most of the Christmas TV movies). A young Neve Campbell (Scream) is pretty compelling, and there is a host of Carry On-type household names such as the aforementioned Sinden and Sims, as well as Leslie Phillips. However, the show belongs to Patrick Stewart. As the ghost he’s mock-scary, sad, humble and emotes practically every expression in the book. It’s inspired casting, because as the required thespian he’s like Simon Callow the Next Generation! Even though Sir Simon the ghost talks of meeting Shakespeare, to all intents and purposes Stewart plays him as the Bard and it works remarkably well. I wonder what the film would have been without him; somehow lacking, I’m sure.
Extras include: A new Interview with the Director Syd Macartney, and a new Interview with Producer Robert Benedetti. Something from Patrick Stewart would have been nice, but you can’t have everything. It’s certainly worth a look. Make it so.
Verdict: 7 out of 10
(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2017)
Starring: Ethan Embry, James Remar, King Bach, Jonathan Schaech, Reed Scott, Michael Rooker, Mark Hamill.
Directed Various
Acorn International
September 2023
Acorn Media International releases Season 3 of the Shudder Original series, Creepshow. This is an updated version of the 1982 horror anthology film and its two sequels by George Romero and author Stephen King, this time with new tales from notable names in the industry. Showrunner Greg Nicotero (Executive Producer of The Walking Dead) has split this series into 6 episodes, with 2 segments per episode – so, that’s 12 scary stories in total. They are presented across two Blu-ray discs, with an impressive overall running time. Of course, the legacy of Creepshow extends much further back than the 1980s films; its origins are in the E.C. horror comics of the 1950’s. Accordingly, we have the resident Ghoul introducing the segments with no more than an evil chuckle and a pointed indication of animated representations of these aforementioned comics. We see the adverts of monster masks and other items for sale, before the aspect moves to the comicbook introduction of the story in question. One frame becomes live and, abruptly, we are plunged into the live action tale.
We begin with 'Mums', in which a farm boy’s mother is killed by his violent, gun-loving father. She is buried in the garden but mutates into a man-eating plant. In 'Queen Bee', three fans of a famous pop star break into a hospital to see the idol give birth but get more than they bargained for. One of the stand-out segments here is 'Skeletons in the Closet', in which a film fanatic opens an exhibit of ultra rare props. When he is blackmailed by a rival collector, the proprietor wreaks a terrifying vengeance. There are multiple references to classic films here – even the original Creepshow skeleton Creep. In 'Familiar', a trainee lawyer visits a fortune teller where a familiar attaches itself to him and fools the man with deadly consequences. In 'The Last Tsuburaya', an unseen priceless painting is sold to a mega-rich collector, after which an ancient demon is released. In 'Okay, I’ll Bite', a model prisoner who loves spiders is cheated out of his parole by corrupt prison officials and retribution ensues. In 'Stranger Sings', a man thinks he has found his soulmate, but has instead found a dangerous mythical siren who demands he carry out an operation. 'Meter Reader' is set within a dystopian future wherein a man is immune to a devastating contagion of possession and has the task of fighting the afflicted. But his own strict rules of safety threaten his life and that of his family.
In 'Time Out', a young man in law school uses an unusual piece of furniture left to him by his grandfather to cheat time. Once inside, time stands still. He uses this for years to quickly climb the corporate lady, only to discover time will catch up with him in the end. In the animated tale 'The Things in Oakwood’s Past', a woman discovers the town’s dark past of disappearing people is related to a chest. Old writings seem to suggest the chest can save the populace, but should it be opened? In 'Drug Traffic', a bus containing US citizens reaches the Canadian border. A security officer ignores the filming and reporting of political issues, instead focussing on a woman and her very sick daughter. The woman is found to be carrying drugs; However, removing access to the drugs for the daughter triggers a terrifying metamorphosis. In 'A Dead Girl Named Sue', a police chief seeks to prevent a revenge mob from killing the son of the mayor who is a sociopathic murderer and rapist. He believes in a lawful process until he has a personal reason to change his mind. The killer is brought to the local jail for personal justice. This will make more sense in a horror context if I explain it is filmed in black and white and takes place within the classic zombie film Night of the Living Dead.
If I’m honest, I’d say this bunch of tales isn’t quite up to the uniformly high standard of Seasons 1 & 2. Perhaps I’ve become acclimatised to the format and have viewed too many in a short period of time. Don’t let my minor quibbles put you off though; this is a very competent anthology show. Season 4 has aired in the US… and long may it continue.
Verdict: 7 out of 10
(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2023)
Starring: Stephen Geoffreys, Jim Metzler, Maria Rubell, Pat O'Bryan, Sandy Dennis.
Directed Robert Englund
Eureka Entertainment
October 2020
Hoax is a socially inept and nerdy high school kid who is kept younger than his age by his religious and overly oppressive mother. His hero is his cool and good-looking cousin Spike, who has a leather jacket, a Harley Davison motorcycle, and who gets the girls. Constantly beaten-up, terrorised, and belittled, Hoax longs for his life to change. After spying on Spike with a girl, Hoax discovers a card for phoneline ‘horrorscope’ readings. 976-Evil gives him pointers on how to get on in life, but he gives no consideration as to from where the advice originates. A demonic force gradually begins to take over his life. But will he reject or embrace it...?
This is one of only two movies directed by Freddy Krueger himself: Robert Englund. The first thing that’s apparent is its deep-rooted connection to the 1980s. The hair, the clothes and the attitudes essentially mean it doesn’t stand the test of time too much. Nevertheless, putting that to one side, it is a film worth checking out. Stephen Geoffreys was very young when he played Hoax. By all accounts, he was quiet and pretty much kept himself to himself. It’s not surprising that he’s a breath of fresh air when you consider he worked on the superior Fright Night (1985) – playing the lead character’s best friend, the hilarious Evil Ed. And, like Fright Night, this film is billed as a horror comedy, when it so clearly isn’t. The effects very much aid this project, being subtle or full-on as required. They were competently created by Kevin Yagher, who had worked with Robert Englund on A Nightmare on Elm Streetand was juggling with the first ‘Chucky’ Child’s Play while working on this one, too. The make-up effects by Howard Berger (The Walking Dead) – at Englund’s behest – were subtly increased on the protagonist, displaying his gradual possession by the demonic presence.
There is the added sub-plot of Marty investigating the strange goings-on to the point of tracing the call centre for 976-Evil, only to discover it is no longer operated and somehow automated. Although Spike is the cool guy, he is essentially ‘good’ – and although he is told to take what is his, he resists by putting back the leather gloves he has lifted. It is this action which makes the demon change its attention to Hoax. Thus, it attempts to kill Spike with a wayward car, and it is Marty who saves his life. Marty brings another character to the house at the climax of the film, only to nearly get her killed. The partly superfluous character of Marty uncovers some unanswered questions relating to the origin of the demon through the phone line. If you are offered an origin, it’s only natural to want a whole explanation. Better, therefore, if that side of things remained a mystery. There was a 1992 sequel to this film. However, it was a minor slasher pic with no attempt to tackle the aforementioned unanswered questions.
This Eureka Video Classics release is the film’s first appearance on Blu-ray in the UK. I would say that the picture is clear but lacks the crisp quality of some similar 2K or 4K releases (this is a 1080p presentation). Extras include an Audio Commentary by director Robert Englund and set decorate Nancy Booth Englund; there is an Extended Home Video Version of the film (from its first release in that format); a New Interview with producer Lisa M. Hansen; a New Interview with special make-up effects artist Howard Berger; and an entertaining New Interview with special effects technician Kevin Yagher. There is a Limited Edition First Print Run of 2000 copies, which contains a Slipcase and a Collector’s Booklet featuring new writing on the film by Craig Ian Mann. I received a download of the booklet and found it fairly comprehensive, with plenty of colour photos.
Verdict: 6 out of 10
(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2020)
Starring: Aya Cash, Josh Ruben, Rebecca Drysdale, Chris Redd.
Directed Josh Ruben
Acorn Media International
August 2021
Fred is an inspiring horror writer who rents a remote cabin in the woods to offer himself space after a turbulent relationship break, and to write the epic werewolf story he has in his head. While attempting to get some exercise outside, he meets a young woman, Fanny, who turns out to be a best-selling horror writer staying at another cabin. He is caught between wanting to get to know her for their common interest and hating her for her abrupt, abrasive and conceited manner. When darkness falls and a storm knocks out the power, Fanny arrives at his cabin challenging Fred to Scare her because she is bored. He attempts to tell her about his werewolf story, but it is only when she encourages him to fully act it out that the night takes on a life of its own. They exchange stories which seem increasingly more real, until the pizza man turns up and joins in, creating friction and competition with Fred which turns fiction to devastating reality...
This film is billed as a scary comedy or a comedy horror; either way, the opening scenes are somewhat silly. It’s easy to write-off the film as derisory when it suddenly begins to intrigue. The two main characters are well fleshed-out and very different, and the stories told create creaks from the timbers and shadows on the walls as tension builds. It is not particularly thrilling, as horror films go, but it does hold your attention.
The ending is another matter, though. Many writers and filmmakers don’t know how to satisfactorily finish a story. It’s often an anti-climax, and that proves to be the case here. Not particularly a bad conclusion; however, it does resort to a hackneyed idea and somewhat loses the power it has built. Protagonist turned antagonist has been done before. Cocaine and beer may make someone behave differently, but it would be unlikely to turn them into a crazed killed in an instant. Fred’s backstory of constant harassment, frustration and underachievement is essentially a good one for narrative purposes, so it would perhaps have been significantly more effective had he ‘acted-out’ the crazed killer in an attempt to genuinely scare Fanny and win the competition – only to have her kill him in defence.
Additionally, the epilogue doesn’t make sense. Without giving it away, let me just say that a cab driver would not become a bestselling author overnight – even if she did have notes on what happened that night. And she wouldn’t have all the intrinsic details. As far as the humour goes, it doesn’t really work when it’s forced. The deadpan reaction to certain odd events is much more funny. It sounds like I’ve pulled this offering apart, but the truth is that Scare Me is a solid release by first-time writer/director and key character protagonist actor, Josh Ruben.
Extras include a Director and Cinematographer Commentary, very brief Outtakes, and quick questions answered (literally only seconds) by Josh Ruben and Fanny actress Aya Cash. The Blu-ray is released by Acorn Media International in conjunction with Shudder, after its success on the streaming service. This is certainly the best ‘tales around the campfire’-type story I have seen since the opening of John Carpenter’s The Fog, and the Monsters anthology episode 'The Match Game'.
Verdict: 7 out of 10
(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2021)
Starring: Kevin Corrigan, Lucy Davis and Barry Bostwick.
Directed Jack Perez
Koch Media
October 2012
Ken Boyd has just returned to his home town after time spent in a psychiatric hospital, addressing problems stemming from his constant torment by the college basketball team. A recluse, a loner, and a closet horror artist, he spends his days working at the ice-cream parlour and suffering verbal abuse in the evenings from his long-suffering and unsympathetic mother. Further confusion and awkwardness sets in when he finds himself the attention of a beautiful young woman, and a daughter he never knew he had. But he hasn’t forgotten his ill-treatment at college, and pretty soon the bodies begin to stack up...
It’s an extremely refreshing viewing experience to be surprised by a film. Having never come across this one before, the title had me believe it might be another sordid fictionalised biopic of a serial killer, or at best a horror-comedy, which seldom works as well as it should. However, even when you do realise the premise of the story, the seemingly standard offering gets lifted by a number ingredients. This is a movie which is much more than the sum of its parts. It cleverly transcends several genres; incorporating, and so potentially appealing to, followers of horror (particularly slasher movies), murder mystery/police procedurals, dark comedy, emotional family tales, and the feel-good factor.
An extra added advantage seen here in all its glory is the obvious chemistry between the actors, allowing the characters to really flesh-out in a relatively short space of time. Kevin Corrigan, who plays the key character of Ken Boyd, brilliantly keeps his part introverted and yet darkly comedic. Lucy Davis plays wannabe girlfriend Stephanie with a skittishness which means she has experienced problems of her own. Barry Bostwick’s portrayal of the sheriff is initially tiresomely lightweight and distracted, but we discover he has layers. He has the backbone to stand up to politicians, and he surprises everyone - even his deputy - by getting to the heart of the matter.
The film is given an emotional poignancy with the sub-plot of Ken’s newly discovered daughter. He has no idea how to react to her; there is a wall he has built around himself, and he isn’t sure he wants to live in the real world any more than going through the motions. Of course, he isn’t used to nice things happening to him, and has difficulties making the adjustments.
Of course, a large percentage of viewers are going to predict the outcome as easily as if it were displayed in subtitles, but that in no way detracts from what is essentially a hugely enjoyable film. I will say I was disappointed with the lack of extras considering this is in Blu-ray format. The Making of... is a scant few minutes long, and there is only a (albeit entertaining) Commentary to accompany it.
On a final note: John Landis was once connected with this movie, but moved on to another project. Director Jack Perez asked if he could still use his name as Executive Producer. Landis agreed and was very pleased with the outcome. Well, why wouldn’t he be?
Verdict: 8 out of 10
(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2012)
Starring: Boris Karloff
Directed Various
Eureka Entertainment
July 2022
Eureka Classics releases the two-disc Universal Terror Blu-ray set, incorporating three Boris Karloff films: Night Key (directed by Lloyd Corrigan – 1937 B/W), The Climax (directed by George Waggner – 1944 Colour), and The Black Castle (directed by Nathan H. Juran – 1952 B/W). This is the first retail release for Night Key and The Climax, and the first outing for all three on Blu-ray in the UK. The first print run of 2000 copies include a limited-edition O-card slipcase and a collector’s booklet featuring new writing by Karloff expert Stephen Jacobs (author of Boris Karloff: More Than a Monster). All three films are 1080p 2K scans of the originals. Extras include: Brand new audio commentary tracks on Night Key and The Climax by Kevin Lyons and Jonathan Rigby; a brand-new audio commentary track on The Black Castle by author Stephen Jones and author/critic Kim Newman (Newman is invariable entertaining, like chatting to a mate down the pub!). There are also Stills Galleries and Trailers.
In Night Key, Boris Karloff plays the inventor of a highly elaborate security system which has been utilised by the police for some years with great success. When the alarm of any premises is silently triggered, a light flashes in police HQ. The number of the light is cross-referenced to an address and a police unit dispatched. However, the inventor believes it is now outdated. He has been working for many years on a radical new system which he attempts to sell once more to the police. Afraid that their expensive system will become useless in light of the new invention, the police take it on but decide to shelve it. The old inventor is horrified he has been duped. To him it is not the money that’s important but the fruition of all his hard work. In order to stress how outmoded the existing system is, he adapts the new one to emit a bridging electrical pulse matching that of the alarm systems and demonstrates he can break into protected establishments. However, a local crime boss and his gang kidnap him and hold his daughter to force him to break into places they can rob. Can this seemingly doddery old scientist turn the table on his captors and free his daughter before it’s too late?
This three-film set is marketed as horror (or, at least, terror); in actuality it is a crime/thriller with a sprinkling of science fiction. Notable for its format which became prevalent during the era of 1950s B-movies, it originates the central cast of the professor, his beautiful daughter, her love interest (in this case a police officer), and the villain – who in this case in just as much the police chief as the crime boss. Although far from edgy, it is imminently watchable. Karloff is convincing in his earnestness, tinged with angst or guilt as he is in many of his offerings. This one is like a Fu Manchu plot without the hammy elements.
In The Climax, Karloff portrays the physician of a theatre opera house. He had fallen in love with the star singer and become so besotted with her that her singing came between them. She subsequently went missing without a trace (but we all suspect what happened to her, don’t we viewers?). Now, ten years later a new young singer has arrived on the scene with a voice which matches the lost star, and the same musical is revived. The physician is devastated to hear the singing of his lost love and goes to extreme lengths to prevent her singing again – including hypnotism, association, and sheer force of will. But he hasn’t counted on the intervention of the woman’s betrothed and the young king.
This one is a difficult one to quantify. It is at times a suspense thriller, a horror, and even a musical. In essence, it follows similar lines to a Phantom of the Opera scenario. There are long, drawn-out stage sequences wherein we are obliged to endure high-pitched shrieking, which is supposed to be one of the greatest voices in the world. This is tempered by the entertaining excitement and eagerness of her fiancé, Franz Munzer, played engagingly by Turhan Bey. A very young Scotty Beckett also puts in a good turn as The King, who amusingly momentarily forgets his etiquette when watching the new starlet sing. It would have been nice to have seen what happens off-film before the beginning, and there would have been the running time available if not for the over-long stage scenes. Karloff’s presence has a calm intensity to the point much is made of his stare, in the same manner as Bela Lugosi’s is lit in a couple of shots during 1931’s Dracula. The dénouement is somewhat reminiscent of House of Wax.
In The Black Castle, a young nobleman knight-of-the-realm travels incognito, under invitation, to Count Karl von Bruno, seeking information on two comrades who he believes have been killed at the Count’s hand. They soon diplomatically butt heads when it is discovered the Count is a cruel and sadistic master, least not to his beautiful, arranged marriage wife. When our hero attempts to spirit her away, they are both imprisoned in the castle’s dungeon. They find help from the most unlikely source when the Count’s doctor offers them a potion which fakes death. This way they can escape the castle. But can the doctor be trusted?
The Black Castle is by far the most entertaining of the three films presented on offer here. Richard Greene takes centre stage as the swashbuckling hero, and Karloff shares the billing with fellow horror star Lon Chaney Jr. as the Count’s gruesome mute dogsbody. Karloff himself is the Count’s doctor, who remains pretty much in the background until the final quarter. Then his presence shines, giving the character an ambiguous quality. The difference is our hero and heroine are offered no choice but to trust him. The castle secret passages, traps and a deadly pool of crocodiles crank up the horror aspect. This is a movie that is wildly underrated in many reviews. Whilst not a strong as the Karloff at Columbia set which I reviewed in April 2021, Universal Terror remains of great interest. All of these gems from the classic horror stars deserve to be treasured.
Verdict: 8 out of 10
(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2022)
Starring: Angela Bettis, Brent Roam and Juliet Landau.
Directed Toby Hooper
Anchor Bay Entertainment UK
April 2005
Nell Barrow, a young woman, rents an apartment with her husband in the Lusman complex, a 1940's building under renovation. The walls are thin and she hears many strange noises. After a call to the police proves to be a false alarm, she is seen as a busybody by the landlord. But the truth is she is worried. Two woman from other apartments have gone missing; unbeknown to her violently murdered by a madman using hardware tools. With help she discovers that the same apartment number is missing on each floor, meaning there is a large area the others are not seeing. The building's blueprints show a number of mystic symbols which create a spell which keeps the killer there, in a grim representation of life.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre inspired a lot of horror films, one of which was the original Toolbox Murders. So it seems rather strange that Tobe Hooper should be remaking a movie which was influenced by his own Chainsaw masterpiece.
Watching the additional features, it seems the idea here was to reinvent the horror genre, the effect of which had become muted by real-life tragedies in the news. However, in my opinion it's not enough simply to depict a series of violent and gristly scenes. We have to care about the characters, and the plot has to move us along. These killings are well choreographed using old-school techniques, and you have to commend Hooper and his team for avoiding the easy trap of CGI to cut corners, but there's simply not enough of any significance going on the rest of the time.
In many ways this film also carries a baggage of clichés which quite frankly are unacceptable in this day and age. Potential baddies queue-up for recognition: a biker, a creepy handyman, an argumentative caretaker and a long-term resident living in the past. Many classic mystery writers have said that it's against the rules and certainly a cheat to have the killer be somebody not seen as an ordinary character during the plot. I'm not sure any writer should adhere to rules, but in this case it does treat the watching audience with a modicum of scepticism.
No shame is displayed in using a Jason Vorhees-like killer. Inexplicably, Nell goes back to the apartment alone when it's all over, instead of travelling to the hospital with her husband. She knows the killer is missing, so shouldn't be surprised when he smashes through the window to attack her (a trademark of the Vorhees character). And like the final scene of John Carpenter's Halloween, the killer is shot repeatedly, falls from a window and is missing when they look. Killers just never stay dead these days; Michael Myers has a lot to answer for.
This two-disc set is nicely packaged in a slip cover. Extras include: Widescreen, 5.1; a commentary by Tobe Hooper and the two writers; a commentary by the producers; a theatrical trailer; biographies and film notes. Disc two contains: EPK (a short behind-the scenes); a stills gallery; and a feature-length documentary called The American Nightmare. This last extra is extremely good, exploring the connection between fictional film horror and real-life horror depicted by the news (much of it soul-destroying). Some classic horror films are discussed by such luminaries as Tobe Hooper, John Landis, David Cronenberg, John Carpenter and Wes Craven. This feature alone is worth an extra point.
The Toolbox Murders in no way progresses the genre to the next level, as some might have you believe, but it is an above average horror/thriller flick.
Verdict: 7 out of 10
(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2005)
Starring: Jason Clarke, Amy Seimetz, John Lithgow.
Directed Kevin Kolsch & Dennis Widmyer
Paramount Pictures
August 2019
A doctor and his family move from the hustle and bustle of Boston to rural Maine, where they buy a house near a small road, with multiple acres of woods at the rear. There is a pet cemetery in the woods and local kids with animal masks make a solemn ritual of laying their pets to rest. When Church, the Creed family cat, is killed on the road it seems like the obvious choice. However, an old local man tells the doctor about a place in the woods beyond the cemetery, and a man-made barrier where, if buried, the cat will return to life. But it returns feral and spiteful. When their young daughter is hit and killed by a speeding truck on her birthday, the mother takes the little boy to her mother’s house for a break. That night the father digs up her body and takes her to where the cat was buried… but can he handle the consequences, as the family will never be the same again...
This is a remake of the original 1989 film, based on the Stephen King novel. There are differences though, which is part of the reason why it spent so long in the planning and pre-production stages. Directors Kevin Kolsch and Dennis Widmyer wanted Jason Clarke to play the father from the start, but realised, quite rightly, that the success or failure of the movie depended on how convincing the young daughter was. The bottom line is that Jete Laurence is pretty convincing as Ellie. The quality of John Lithgow shows through though as the old man. The only plot device which doesn’t actually make sense is when Lithgow’s character tells the father he can bring the cat back – even though he knows it is wrong and has had a very bad experience himself in the past.
The main changes from the 1989 film are changing the dead offspring from a boy to a girl and setting the climactic scene in and around the cemetery rather than the house. The book, certainly from an emotional angle, is one of King’s darkest tales. I don’t think you could lighten this up if you tried. A BBC dramatisation for radio – although well done – was one of the most depressing things I’ve ever listened to. I must say, I don’t like the ending of this film, which I won’t give away. An alternative ending is only slightly better. However, when you have so much suspense and peril in the build-up, the conclusion is invariably a disappointment. Also, the dead student’s ghost is woefully underused. I should also mention there is a throwaway line when someone points out that Cemetery is spelt wrong on the sign!
Technology is so much more advanced these days, but it doesn’t necessarily make this a better adaptation than its predecessor. In fact, personally, I found the special features to be just as interesting as the film, particularly a four-chapter documentary which explores different aspects of the behind-the-scenes. The extras amount to 90 minutes, and include deleted and extended scenes, the haunting visions of three characters, The Tale of Timmy Baterman, and the aforementioned alternate ending. These gain this release an extra point.
Verdict: 7 out of 10
(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2019)
Starring: Emily Bergl, Jason London, Dylan Bruno, J Smith-Cameron, Amy Irving.
Directed Katt Shea
88 Films
March 2019
Rachel is a teenager either ignored or bullied by the in-crowds at school. She lives with uncaring foster parents after her mother was committed to Arkham Asylum (a nice reference to the works of H.P. Lovecraft) when she was a small child. A group of American football jocks play a ‘game’ whereby they keep running scores on their sexual conquests with the girls. Jesse wants nothing to do with this. When he takes an interest in Rachel over one of the in-girls this riles the jocks and the ‘clicky’ cheerleaders. The couple get together when Jesse helps Rachel get her dog to the emergency vets after it is run over. The others decide to ruin this attraction by setting-up an elaborate trap of embarrassment and lies at a party after the big game. But they hadn’t bargained for Rachel’s deadly secret. She is the half-sister of Carrie White, and also has extraordinary powers of telekinesis that emerge at times of pain, stress or anger. Something tells me the party won’t end well...
This is a very nice 1080p HD Blu-ray presentation, by British distributor 88 Films of the 1999 film The Rage – a sequel of sorts to the 1976 Brian DePalma adaptation of the Stephen King novel Carrie.
The original made quite an impact on the mainstream and horror film circuits. This film was a long time coming, arriving 23 years after the original. However, rather than a rehash – as many sequels are – it manages to both update and flesh-out the old concept by telling an original and then-contemporary story, whilst maintaining links to the backstory which are tenuous and so unobtrusive.
Emily Bergl is very good as the isolated and outcast teenager. You believe her situation and her initial acceptance of always being on the fringes. When her only friend commits suicide after being sexually disrespected by one of jocks, this proves to be a catalyst for the involuntary development of her abilities.
The plot seems simple but is told very well at the hands of director Katt Shea, best known for Poison Ivy. Opinion seems to be divided on this film, but I think it makes an impact. If you care about the characters, it’s doing the right thing, and the sign of a good film can be how quickly the running time passes you by. The epilogue has a nice shock sequence, changed from a cut scene. The film also has a very nice and varied soundtrack; one minute Metal, the next Sixties-sounding keyboards, and a little bit of Acid-Bath-Hippy-Hop-in-the Garage for the hipster scenes.
Extras include: Deleted scenes, an rather nonsensical Alternate Ending, two Audio Commentaries, and a Limited Edition Collectors’ Booklet.
Verdict: 8 out of 10
(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2019)
Starring: Ralph Bates, Barbara Jefford, Suzanna Leigh.
Directed Jimmy Sangster
StudioCanal
August 2019
Not far from the notorious Karnstein Castle, a young woman has gone missing. She is one of many whose blood is used to return the beautiful but evil Carmilla to life. Horror fiction author, Richard Lestrange, arrives at a nearby inn, looking for lodgings while he carries out his research in the area. The locals tell him of the vampires that emerge from the castle every 40 years. Curious, he visits Karnstein, but it is the nearby Finishing School for young women that intrigues him more. He falls in love with a stunning blonde called Mircalla and takes the place of another teacher as a means to be close to her. He will soon learn the truth, but will it change his view of her...?
This movie – beautifully remastered for Blu-ray – is the latest in a string of Hammer classics to receive a new lease of life… and they’ve never looked better. The picture is crystal clear and returns us to those halcyon days when horror was more about style than gore-for-effect. This one was directed by prolific Hammer scriptwriter, Jimmy “Do you want it Tuesday, or do you want it good?” Sangster, who wrote the screenplay for Dracula (1958) among many others. There are a lot of good-looking young women here, most of which feel a need to show their ‘assets’ whenever they get the opportunity. The sexual aspect of the film is to demonstrate the allure of a vampire and the power they have over mortals, although Michael Johnson’s character only has to profess his love for Yutte Stensgaard’s voluptuous vampire for her to practically fall at his feet (and more!).
The film was released in 1970 when Hammer was said to be suffering a slump. American backers had pulled out, and the long-time executive producer left. Their answer was to tap into the sexual revolution. The restraint on sexual content – and particularly how it is used with horror – was relaxed; Hammer wanted to be among the first to push the boundaries. This also resulted in The Vampire Lovers, Twins of Evil, and Countess Dracula. Of course, this path doesn’t stop Lust For a Vampire being an entertaining film. It’s simply that many felt Hammer had reduced its proud name to simple titillation for the masses. And what is that dream sequence and ‘Strange Love’ song supposed to achieve? Hammer were soon back on track during the 1970s.
Whilst far from being the best film in Hammer’s formidable arsenal, it does pack its own passive punch. Ralph Bates was taken on to replace the ageing Christopher Lee but was never in the same league. Nevertheless, his portrayal here of the school master who is desperate to be Mircalla’s disciple, is impressive. Curious then, that he later revealed his dislike for the part.
Again, the Special Features boost the score for this release. We have an informative Featurette called Strange Love: Hammer in 1970; Script to Screen: To Love a Vampire (the original intended title for the film); Judy Matheson Interview (one of the lovely young women); and a Stills Gallery.
Verdict: 8 out of 10
(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2019)
Starring: Elisabeth Shue and Terence Stamp.
Directed Richard Franklin
StudioCanal
February 2021
Jane is an American zoology student who takes a job at the English isolated cliff-top house of leading anthropologist Doctor Steven Phillip. His work explores the link between apes and man, and involves three subjects: Voodoo, a violent and unruly female; Imp, a friendly and child-like chimp; and Link, a circus-trained ape who is dressed and utilised as a servant companion. After an incident in the lab, Dr Phillip goes missing and Jane is obliged to look after the apes alone. A subtle change in the hierarchy means she effectively becomes trapped in the house as one of the apes displays psychotic tendencies...
Director Richard Franklin had been attempting to get this movie made since 1980 or 1981. He soon realised that men in ape suits wouldn’t work for this project, as it relies on a number of close-ups. It proved a revelation turning to expert animal trainer Ray Berwick, who did not receive a single complaint of animal cruelty when the film was released – due to his exemplary handling of the apes. Link was initially going to be more of a factual concept. Scientific research into violence amongst chimpanzees countered the earlier long-time theory that man is the only species who makes war upon itself. Franklin chose to make the picture in England, his only gripe on the extras interview being an exaggerated comment about everything stopping for tea breaks.
Two aspects combine creatively to make this work. One is the, frankly, truly amazing animal training techniques of Berwick, and the other is the clever filming and editing which ensures we see significantly more than is actually going on. To use a football analogy, this is a game of two halves. It’s true to say that for the first half of the film very little happens. This is setting the scene and building-up to the suspense thriller which follows. The large house on the coast used as the location means there is plenty of space to play with and, more importantly, isolation. A basement that not only houses the main gas supply but which leads out to the rocks at sea level, therefore allowing a temporary means of escape, is believable in this context. Although not fully explained, I liked the addition of wild dogs on the Moor, making it impossible to seek help without a vehicle.
The primary cast are pretty solid in their performances, which was not always the case in 1980s horror flicks. Terence Stamp (Perhaps most fondly remembered for General Zod in Superman II) does a Janet Leigh and goes missing halfway through the running time as Dr Phillip. The mainstay in this – aside from the apes themselves – is Elisabeth Shue, who plays the student Jane. She is undoubtedly best known for her role alongside Ralph Macchio in The Karate Kid. She is very good in this movie. There are some interesting cameos, too. Geoffrey Beevers has appeared on television and on stage numerous times, but is remembered by SF enthusiasts for his role as The Master in The Keeper of Traken, alongside Tom Baker in Doctor Who. His real life wife Caroline John (sadly deceased) is also in the movie. She was in Doctor Who many years before, alongside John Pertwee’s Doctor. The unmistakable Kevin Lloyd from The Bill also makes an appearance.
The Blu-ray has a 4K restoration as well as the following extras: An Audio Commentary by Film Historian Lee Gambin and Film Critic Jarret Gahan; An Interview with Film Programmer and Horror Expert Anna Bogutskaya; Deleted Workprint Scenes; An Interview with Director Richard Franklin (Audio Only); and the UK Theatrical Teaser Trailer. I couldn’t sign-off without mentioning the soundtrack by Jerry Goldsmith, and in particular the main Link theme. It’s jaunty to the point of being ridiculous… until it is played again at the end of the film. Due to the direction the film takes, the jaunty theme suddenly takes on sinister connotations. There is a demo of the theme on the extra features. Well worth a watch.
Verdict: 7 out of 10
(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2021)
Starring: Tae-woong Eom, Yoon Jae-Moon and Josiah D. Lee.
Directed Shin Jeong-won
Optimum Home Entertainment
March 2010
A policeman from Seoul, Korea is transferred to a small community in the hills. The town is proudly crime-free, but expecting an excruciatingly slow pace, he is surprised to find a young and conceited detective investigating the circumstances leading up to the discovery of some mutilated bodies. Partway into a murder investigation it becomes apparent that they are looking for a large and savage animal. The detective hires a well known hunter trained in Finland, but when faced with a huge boar he turns out to be somewhat less than a hero. The boar is killed and publicly shown to much media acclaim. However, an old and grizzled local hunter convinces the newly arrived policeman that the boar responsible is significantly larger, and he is proved correct when it attacks the packed town hall during a celebration, looking for its mate. The policeman and the hunter set up an expedition to track down the monster, but they discover that conventional bullets simply bounce from its ultra-thick hide...
The promotional blurb from Optimum Home Entertainment cites The Host as an influence in the new wave of Asian (and in particular, Korean) monster movies. I remember seeing The Host at a cinema in the Trocadero Piccadilly Circus and not quite knowing what to make of it. It was certainly more of a monster movie in the traditional Godzilla respect.
Chaw follows a natural animal's (albeit a gargantuan one) exploits, and so has a closer connection to something like Razorback. It's intelligently directed in the early scenes, wherein only tantalisingly brief glimpses are shown, but it also holds-up when seen in its entirety for the first time when breaking through the wall into the town hall. Subsequent appearances when charging or chasing are well-rendered in CGI.
The characters are well-defined; I particularly liked the inclusion of the policeman's mother, who clearly suffers with mental problems and proves increasingly unpredictable. On top of that the woman next door is deranged, looking after a doll like a baby and neglecting the little boy in her charge. The police captain is lazy and weak-stomached, the detective is vain, and the elderly hunter dark and resentful. Only the newly arrived policeman appears in any way normal. But such is life, and it does work well.
The humour is another matter; when subtly applied and kept dry it succeeds in spades, but a little too often it reduces itself to the school playground, becoming very childish and slapstick. So the tone switches constantly from suspenseful to lightly comedic without ever getting the balance quite right. Nevertheless, it's an enjoyable evening's viewing.
Verdict: 7 out of 10
(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2010)
Starring: Travis Aaron Wade, Tina Huang and Howard Johnson Jr.
Directed James Isaac
G2 Pictures
October 2009
John is a city boy who as a youngster had spent time on his uncle's ranch, but he is certainly no stranger to hunting. Now his uncle is dead, and he returns with three friends with the idea of checking out the property and getting in some wild pig hunting. Unfortunately for his friends, John's girlfriend Brook tags along. When they stop at an isolated gas station store they are told the local legend about The Ripper, a huge three thousand pound black boar which has killed many animals and a handful of people. Of course, John's friends consider this a tall tale at best - especially considering they are very soon met with a new problem. Confronted by the Tibb Brothers, local past compatriots turned violent enemies, who insist on accompanying the group, matters are made even worse when the group fall out over cannabis plants found growing on John's uncle's land. Pretty soon one of the brothers is dead, and all hell suddenly breaks loose as the surviving brother and his redneck family and friends seek bloody vengeance. A nearby hippy commune seems a possible place of refuge, but is it really the haven it promises to be...?
I had already seen trailers for this movie on previous DVDs for review, and I wasn't impressed. But prepared to be proved wrong in my preconceptions, I sat down with my impatient head on. It all seems so stereotypical at the beginning, with the cool and perfect hero, the Lara Croft-like girlfriend, and the immature teenage friend, very much in the vein of the characters in some of the Friday 13th films or The Texas Chainsaw Massacre boy in the wheelchair. Then there are the inevitable rednecks. So, there is the expected nod to Deliverance and others of its ilk. On face value you would think Pig Hunt and Dying Breed to be virtually identical films, because they share so many ingredients.
However, Pig Hunt possesses significantly more depth than the aforementioned example. There's so much peril here that you don't get a chance to tire of any one danger. Whether by accident or design, the conflict is piled on in layers, exactly as it should be in any story of triumph over adversity. There is internal and external argument, the life or death threat of the locals, and of course The Ripper itself, which plays a much more prominent role than the Tasmanian Tiger in Dying Breed. I particularly liked the concept of the hippy commune and the origins of its members. A much better film than I expected, although I'm disappointed at the lack of extras; there's only a trailer here.
Verdict: 7 out of 10
(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2009)
Starring: Terri Dwyer, Gareth Lawrence, Linny Bushey.
Directed Andrew Jones
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
October 2017
Sue Sharp is staying at a cabin in the remote and peaceful region of Keddie when – over the period of one night – hell comes calling. She and her daughter are terrified by the appearance of an intruder in a skull mask. Initially, they fight him off, but he is soon joined by another figure in a frightening clown mask and a third in a pale female ghost mask. Whilst trying to escape Sue hides her two very young sons and their slightly older friend under a bed. Her elder son has been out and returns with a friend, unaware of the situation. His friend is quickly dispatched, leaving the others to be mentally tortured and physically attacked by a hammer...
There has been a number of films said to be based on real life events; some true and filmed with dramatic licence and others apocryphal at least. For example, it is said that Friday the 13th was based on events which took place in Sweden. There is a metal music band called Children of Bodom. Bodom is where it happened and the children in question are the lakeside campers killed, apparently, by a figure from the wilderness.
In the case of Cabin 28 this is one of America’s most notorious unsolved crimes. The bodies of the mother and elder son are discovered, but the daughter is missing. By only showing two or three characters before the night of the attack the inference is that they are responsible. Certainly, they are the ones shown being interviewed by the deputy. An on-screen update at the end states these characters left the town and were never heard of again. In recent years it would seem new evidence has come to light in the form of the daughter’s skull being discovered. The investigation is on-going.
After seeing the cover picture I’m sure I can be forgiven for thinking this to be an enjoyable fantasy violence slasher film – particularly in view of the very effective creepy clown mask. Instead, what I got was something closer to the style of The Last House on the Left, or more accurately Funny Games. This one is played completely straight, trying to re-enact much of what is only guesswork. Would it have been in bad taste to give this scenario more dramatic licence? Perhaps, but as a result of expanding the story at all we have been offered something which is somewhere in the middle: It doesn’t instruct, and it doesn’t entertain.
Verdict: 4 out of 10
(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2017)
Starring: Emily Goss, Taylor Bottles, Cathy Barnett, Jim Korinke.
Directed Aaron Keeling, Austin Keeling
Second Sight
February 2016
Jennifer Branagan’s husband relocates them to her childhood home state of Kansas, after she has suffered an unexpected mental breakdown. She is seven months pregnant, and Luke believes it is the ideal place to have their baby. But her opinionated and overbearing mother, Meredith, immediately tries to take control of her life. Furthermore, the house they have rented harbours a dark and violent force which only she experiences. Is she suffering another serious relapse, or is the house really haunted? Her constant fear and unease is only exacerbated by the way people behave around her. Feeling a stranger in a location where she should be at ease, Jennifer begins to reach out for help. But are the locals wary of her or the house...?
I need to dissect this movie into beginning, middle and end to fully appraise its potential effect on the viewer. The first third is quite slow and predictable, with stereotypical characters and situations. There is the humourless and abrupt landlord who is never seen again after the first few minutes, the reluctant and vulnerable wife, the practically emotionless husband, and the mother who always knows best. I really thought this was going to be a copy of Rosemary’s Baby - particularly during the party sequences when Jennifer keeps seeing individuals staring seriously and intently at her when everything else is going on normally around her. This is very effective, and a little unnerving. Another thing which reminded me of that film was the way characters keep putting a hand possessively on the mound of her pregnancy.
The second third teeters on the fence between supernatural and psychological horror, in that it is ambiguous for a long time whether the events which happen to her in the house are real or figments of a very traumatised mind. This premise is helped along by the fact nobody else witnesses the violence she endures from the house. There is a nicely played chilling moment when her friend’s little boy repeatedly says, “Hello,” and gives a distracted wave to something behind Jennifer. Something which can’t be seen. Although the entity’s attacks on our pregnant protagonist take place in different parts of the house, many of them seem to emanate from a cupboard in the bedroom. A bedroom which she inexplicably continues to sleep in. The force is usually shapeless, but two or three times moves like a distended dark shadow across the walls of the basement to the stuttering guttural sound which has been utilised in Japanese horror films like The Grudge.
The pretty solid middle section of the film is majorly let down by the complete mess which makes up the last third. There are so many unanswered questions and inexplicable actions that it’s hard to know exactly where to begin. Having taken the shape of Luke on a handful of occasions to scare or attack Jennifer, the only time Luke himself is attacked by the entity is off-screen. She returns home to find his dead body in the garden. Why does the house wait this long to act? And why isn’t Jennifer accused of killing him? Also, there’s no explanation for the haunting, as even research by Jennifer reveals no unsavoury past. After the baby is born, she leaves it in the hallway to check upstairs. Is she mad? Perhaps so, but it’s never revealed if she is still suffering anxiety – only that her unbalanced mind may have stirred-up a dormant energy in the house. The biggest factor for me was that no event or action seems to cause any consequence. Instead, the end plays-out like a series of unconnected set-pieces.
A promising film spoilt by shoddy continuity and editing. No extras.
Verdict: 6 out of 10
(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2016)
Starring: Sarah Davenport, Andrew Divoff, Darby Walker.
Directed Michael G. Kehoe
Thunderbird Releasing
October 2018
A Nazi who had close connections with Hitler has settled in America, married, and has a teenage daughter. He is already very strict, but the arrival of an Iron Cross has fatal repercussions for the whole family. The cross is a religious artefact taken by the Germans during the French occupation. It was said to have the power to imbue the possessor with luck and good fortune. However, a consequence of this is that everything negative has been
soaked-up by the cross. It is sealed-up in the wall of the basement but immediately begins to affect the family. The man drowns his daughter when she asserts her independence and, as a result, her mother kills the Nazi. Fast forward to the present: four teenage girls and a younger girl are staying at the house for the weekend, but a malevolent presence remains – as does the Iron Cross...
The interesting part of this story, and all of the intrigue, is immediately lost the moment we move to the present day. It basically reverts to an amalgamation of teen horror and haunted house scenario. The teen characters are pretty bland, and the little girl initially points towards the Poltergeist connection with the dead, but just as quickly forgets about it. The ghost of the murdered girl manifests itself gradually, which I always believe is an unrealistic situation. If a vengeful spirit was going to be violent it would be so from the start. What we get is a number of cheap camera tricks leading up to a Japanese-style full ghost apparition, complete with black tendrils seeping into the walls and ceiling. We then learn she just wants her body to be found – which not only defies the logic of what has gone before but, again, ‘borrows’ from countless other films.
The ghost of the Nazi father, in his heavy weeding gear, is only seen once as the movie concludes. It’s as if director Michael G. Kehoe is hoping to kick start a franchise. The film doesn’t seem to flow in a logical linear fashion, and I wonder if the script could have been improved by a couple more drafts. Probably not. They should probably have had a couple of draughts down the pub instead. There’s simply not enough content or originality. The Iron Cross remains in the wall, and the Nazi only makes his post death appearance when the story is done. It’s as if part of the tale has been saved for a sequel. As every writer worth his salt will tell you: put all of your eggs in one basket. If the first script or book doesn’t work, you won’t get the opportunity to do a sequel.
Verdict: 4 out of 10
(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2018)
Starring: Scarlett Alice Johnson, Jack Gordon, Michael Jibson, Elen Rhys, Joshua Richards, Millie Midwinter.
Directed Chris Crow
Trinty Film
October 2017
Four young adults win an all-expenses paid V.I.P. trip to New York in a private jet, courtesy of the social network site All2gethr.com. Soon after taking off and getting acquainted a voice welcomes them and begins round one of a game. This asks them pointed questions regarding their personal lives. But it doesn’t end there. The voice begins to make demands, setting them against one another, and showing footage of their loved ones in captivity. Then they discover the aircraft isn’t heading to New York at all...
I reviewed the initial release of this film on DVD back in 2011. Purposely, I’ve avoided re-reading that review; I want to know if my opinion has changed at all with this remastered release. Certainly, as time has passed the subject matter has become much more relevant, with fears of identity theft, on-line fraud, and any number of other unsavoury on-line crimes. Social networking has always been a two-edged sword. Making and meeting friends is countered by the fact that many people play-out their life on-line for all the world to see, making it easy for the more unscrupulous among us to use their information for nefarious ends. I can’t recall many movies from the era of Panic Button’s origin which showed the dark side of the internet. Killer Net and FearDotCom spring to mind. Of course, Hostel III and many others have since used scenarios which have dangerous – even fatal – events being enacted for the entertainment of a select, paying, perverted secret society, etc.
We should always encourage home grown talent, and this is one of those periodic films which has endeared me to it more through the extras than the feature itself. There is an audio commentary with writers Frazer Lee, John Shackleton and David Shillitoe; a Guerrilla Filmmakers Masterclass; and the hugely enjoyable/informative Flight School – How to Get a Film off the Ground. Thrown in as well are a Gag Reel, Outtakes and Deleted Scenes, and a ‘Making of’ Gallery.
The early scenes are fun, whilst instilling that early doubt. We already know from the opening that the mother of one of the key players has been killed by intruders, so I believe the early ambiguity of events would have been improved by excluding this opening. I like the way the characters are friendly but tentative with each other. One of the group is so annoying you can’t help considering him a **** (insert your own expletive) after only twenty minutes, and this proves good characterisation and acting. The tension is systematically cranked-up through the first round of questions. Once we get to the disembodied voice’s demands to the individuals, all of the cards have been pretty much laid on the table and the taut power of the plot rushes away, leaving you uncaring about the conclusion.
Having just looked at my old review of Panic Button; although I have made some new observations this time around, it would seem my overall opinion is unchanged.
Verdict: 6 out of 10
(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2017)
Starring: Uma Thurman, Annasophia Robb, Isabelle Fuhrman, Victoria Moroles, Noah Silver.
Directed by Rodrigo Cortes
Lionsgate
October 2018
Wayward teenager Kit Gordy is taken to the Blackwood Boarding School, a huge mansion hidden at the edge of a forest and miles from anywhere. Joining her are four other troublesome individuals: Izzy, Veronica, Ashley and Sierra. Their first experience of something not quite right is the fact they are the only students. Madame Duret is the strict and uncompromising principal. Kit experiences some strange phenomena; a dark figure and a violent spirit. All too soon the girls acquire amazing talents in a particular artistic area. One becomes an accomplished painter – and begins signing her work with the initials of a famous artist. One becomes expert in formulaic equations, even though she barely passed algebra. As for Kit, she is suddenly able to play a complicated and vigorous concerto, when she hasn’t played basic piano since she was nine years-old. Kit is determined to discover the mystery of the house, what the disturbances are all about, and what is behind the off-limits door...
Down a Dark Hall is based on the book by Lois Duncan. I enjoy a good ghost story, but they are by their own definition slow-burners. This film gets around that problem by creating instant conflict; Kit’s conflict with her mum, her school principal, the curiously 19th century Madame Duret, and the four other girls – particularly Veronica. The pace is kept at a constant or increased by the appearance of a ghost or two. I particularly like the dark, just distinguishable figure at the end of the corridor, and the dark shape that quickly backs into a corner and disappears. This has much more effect than the multitude of ghosts seen later in the movie. I don’t know why some filmmakers believe that more of something is necessarily better.
I love the idea of Kit and the other students being vessels for dead artistes who believe their work to be unfinished. It’s also nice to see Uma Thurman in an older role, which proves she will have no problems in that area. Duret’s second-in-command, who acts as housekeeper, nurse and bodyguard, is under-used when a plot point is set-up regarding her reasons for staying being forgotten – or at least not being progressed. It is understandably taken over by the prominence of Kit’s dead father guiding her.
Whatever I feel about a couple of loose ends not being properly tied-up, this is an enjoyable romp. It’s half classic haunted house territory, half Harry Potter – and I don’t even like the Harry Potter stuff. Often, the sign of a good film is you don’t notice the running time passing you by. This is one such example. However, I am disappointed by the absence of disc extras.
Verdict: 8 out of 10
(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2018)
Starring: Katherine Barrell, Tim Rozon, Sai Bennett, Luke Newton, Craig Stein, Greg Kriek, Joe Pantoliano.
Directed by Darrell Roodt
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
September 2018
A group of specialist eco-warriors who expose corrupt companies to the public accept one last job. There is supposedly a covert facility on an island in Lake Placid. It is sealed-off after an accident which made it highly radioactive. But a clean-up was never arranged, and when they arrive by boat no trace of radiation is detected. So what is the big secret? They find a wrecked camp, blood and then a body. A large footprint points to a reptile. This is a huge crocodile 50 feet in length. It destroys their boat, and abruptly they are marooned on the island, fighting for survival as the croc hunts them down...
This is the fifth film in the Lake Placid franchise (the previous instalment in 2012 was subtitled The Final Chapter!), which this time seeks to explain the origins of a hybrid species with the mixed DNA of a prehistoric and contemporary crocodile. The building and tunnels where all this took place is abandoned by all but one person. So, there’s a little material for a subsequent sequel (heaven forbid!). It’s easy to call the characters ciphers; after all, there’s an Alpha male, a no-nonsense girl, her younger sister afraid of her own shadow, an electronics geek, and a guy who is pretty hyper – moaning and complaining about every little thing. He can’t utter a sentence without using the BS expletive. However, some of these individuals are skilled in their respective fields for a reason. This is what they do, only not on this scale. It is sad though that they simply become cannon fodder, so to speak.
The crocodile itself is essentially kept to quick cuts and moody appearances in tunnels. You might think this is clever and heightens the atmosphere. Here though it’s not so much to protect the reveal as to hide the shortcomings. The rendering of the monster croc is cheap to the point of looking cartoony. The CGI you see on TV shows and advertisements as standard is that much better. Also, I’m not certain the bucket on a mini digger would be heavy enough – if dropped on its back – to immobilise a 50 foot giant armour-plated relic from prehistoric times.
I hate to say it, but I can only see Lake Placid: Legacy finding a home on daytime TV. Perhaps the Horror channel for Saturday afternoon viewing. There are no extras; I don’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing.
Verdict: 4 out of 10
(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2018)
Starring: Judy Geeson, Joan Collins and Peter Cushing.
Directed Jimmy Sangster
StudioCanal
October 2017
In this, one of a number of Hammer Films being re-released in Doubleplay editions to celebrate 60 years of Hammer Horror, a young woman who has suffered a nervous breakdown and has been undergoing psychological counseling meets and marries a man who has secured a live-in job at a remote boys school. Having been attacked by an intruder with a prosthetic arm at her previous home, she is far from stable, but when her new husband is regularly sent away on errands by the headmaster she is left to her own devices. Attacked again, she suspects the creepy but gentlemanly headmaster, but is he the real enemy...?
It turns out the school suffered a serious fire in the past and was closed. The headmaster bought the building and restored it to its former glory, and now carries on as if nothing happened – except there are no children. He has electrical switches which activate recordings of the children in lessons or in the dining hall. Just that idea is bizarre. Peter Cushing, however, plays the part with formal aplomb (he really was an outstanding actor). He only makes a handful of appearances here, but it’s enough to make his mark. In fact, I believe he only filmed for two or three days.
Joan Collins is suitably snooty as the headmaster’s wife, Ralph Bates is solid enough, and Judy Gleeson spends the whole thing looking stunned and confused – which works well as the fragile victim of the piece. The final moment of the film confirms this is just the right characterisation.
Fear in the Night from 1972 works really well as a suspense thriller rather than out-and out horror. It is one of only a small number of Hammer movies with a then-contemporary rather than period setting. It is undoubtedly the Jimmy Sangster show, as the regular writer turned in the screenplay as well as both producing and directing. It was his final contribution. Check out his great autobiography Do You Want It Good Or Tuesday? He connects the scenes in this film using linking dialogue – even halfway through a sentence – and in one case with a kiss. This gives the false impression of a fast-moving plot. It’s a neat trick.
I first reviewed this movie in 2006 but, as it was part of The Ultimate Hammer Collection Box Set (over 20 films), space and time prevented more than two or three lines. So it’s definitely nice to get this opportunity to review this one in its own right. There’s a short documentary wherein Hammer historians talk about the movie. I’m sure there was a Jimmy Sangster commentary on the disc included with the Collection Box Set, but for some reason it’s not included here.
Verdict: 7 out of 10
(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2017)
Starring: Gillian Hills, Robert Hardy, Patrick Magee, Michael Hordern and Shane Briant.
Directed by Peter Sykes
StudioCanal
October 2017
Bavaria is the setting for this period piece of madness and incest. Baron Zorn fears his family line of insanity and in-breeding has affected his own offspring. Elizabeth and Emil are kept docile by blood-letting and locked-up in separate rooms. Zorn himself is being treated by the frankly untrustworthy psychiatrist Professor Falkenberg. The truth will finally be revealed, but not before more people die...
By the early 1970s some people felt that Hammer Horror had run its course – particularly in terms of quality and originality. In reality, the company was as prolific as it had been since The Curse of Frankenstein in the late 1950s. However, what we started to see was a very mixed bag. The Horror of Frankenstein, The Devil Rides Out, Dracula AD 1972, and others (including the Hammer House of Horror TV series) proved they were still able to produce the goods. There was a return though to psychological thriller scripts, in some circumstances thinly disguised (or certainly marketed) as horror.
Demons of the Mind (1972) is an odd one. Because the events are non-linear the viewer has no inkling as to what is happening on the screen. Of course, there’s a backstory, but for the majority of the film it seems that a series of hysteria-related set pieces are paraded before us. No one appears to act with any kind of logic or reason. It’s as if the cast was pushed in front of the camera and told to run around like their tail was on fire. Either that or told to go glassy-eyed and pretend they were somewhere else. With Robert Hardy and Patrick Magee as the stars you expect a little more; however, in any situation like this it’s down to the material they are given to work with.
I realise this all stems from the madness of one character, but I don’t think this concept has much mileage. Eking it out over 89 minutes is excruciating. Perhaps if the scenes had been tightened and scripted differently it may have allowed the viewer to engage more sympathetically with the story. I suppose Hammer should be commended for trying something different. Certainly, there’s plenty of graphic violence (including a close-up throat-cutting, a frantic stabbing of keys through a throat, and the impaling of a flaming cross through a torso – to name but a few), which is tempered occasionally by some titillation (I have to say Virginia Wetherell was quite a picture). When presented to EMI they had no idea how to react to it. It couldn’t really be classified under any distinct sub-genre and so EMI didn’t know how to market the thing. In the end it was put out as a support to another movie.
I agree with EMI. It’s a bit of a mess.
Verdict: 4 out of 10
(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2017)
Starring: Rita Tushingham, Shane Briant and James Bolam.
Directed by Peter Collinson
StudioCanal
January 2018
Brenda is a naïve young woman who tells her mother she is pregnant and wants to find the father. In fact, she wants to go to London to find her Prince Charming and have a child with him. Securing a job in a boutique, another girl offers her a room at her place. But when Brenda is betrayed, she walks the streets where she meets a wealthy young man with a dog. Thinking all her prayers have been answered she stays with him, only to discover the man Peter is seriously unhinged, with psychotic tendencies...
Straight On Till Morning is another in the collection of Doubleplay releases from Hammer Films via StudioCanal. In the early 1970s Hammer wanted to go in a new direction, returning in part to their psychological thrillers of the 1950s. This was marketed as a double bill with the similar format Fear in the Night. Straight On Till Morning is quite a departure from their standard horror theme. Hammer’s attempt to be gritty and realistic in the urban hardship of late '60s Liverpool (this was originally screened in 1972) comes over like an amalgamation of Cathy Come Home and Peeping Tom.
Creating a groovy and happening London full with beautiful women and promiscuity makes it all the more surreal when the serpent is revealed in paradise. Rita Tushingham handles the role of the innocent ‘Plain Jane’ very commendably. Shane Briant is infinitely superior in this than the mess that was Demons of the Mind – although he regularly sinks into a trance-like state in both films. As for the very popular James Bolam, he’s woefully underutilised.
This film is directed purposefully off-kilter by Peter Collinson of The Italian Job fame (one of my all-time favourites) by way of shooting through scenery and other objects. However, the choice of music is not good; Roland Shaw’s horrible jazzy music played throughout drives you to distraction.
The ending is left ambiguous as, after Peter mentally tortures Brenda by playing her recordings of him killing his dog and the friend who had betrayed her, he is seen alone and slowly rocking himself. Is Brenda dead? We’ll never know. A bold new approach from Hammer with a shocking plot theme for the time, but which only succeeds in part.
Verdict: 6 out of 10
(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2018)
Starring: Kevin Dillon, Ted Raimi, Ali Larter, C Thomas Howell, Iman Benson, Josh McDermitt, Ashley Laurence, Keith David.
Directed by Various
Acorn Media International
September 2023
Acorn Media International releases Season 2 of the Shudder Original series, Creepshow. This is an updated version of the 1982 horror anthology film and its two sequels by George Romero and author Stephen King, this time with new tales from notable names in the industry. Showrunner Greg Nicotero (Executive Producer of The Walking Dead) has split this series into five separate episodes, with nine scary stories in total. There are also another three seasonal specials. The collection is presented across two Blu-ray discs, with an impressive overall running time of 322 minutes. Of course, the legacy of Creepshow extends much further back than the 1980s films; its origins are in the E.C. horror comics of the 1950’s. Accordingly, we have the resident Ghoul introducing the segments with no more than an evil chuckle and a pointed indication of animated representations of these aforementioned comics. We see the pages of the comic books in question, before the aspect moves to the introduction of the story in question. One frame becomes live and, abruptly, we are plunged into the live action tale.
We begin with Model Kid (by Stephen King) in which a 12-year-old boy is bullied by his uncle when the man moves in and takes over after the boy’s mother has died of cancer. The violence becomes more extreme when the uncle loses his job and takes it out on the boy and his cherished collection of monster models. The ghost of the boy’s mother urges him to order a model called The Victim, which is then used as a voodoo doll to issue the retribution that his uncle deserves. In Public Television of the Dead, when a TV show called The Love of Painting is cancelled, Ted Raimi is invited onto an opposing show with the Necronomicon (The Book of the Dead – as a tribute to the eldritch tales of H.P. Lovecraft and The Evil Dead films directed by Ted’s brother Sam Raimi). When the book is opened an evil entity is released, killing the studio staff. It is left to the presenter of The Love of Painting to fight the good fight. In Dead and Breakfast (wasn’t there a humorous horror film of the same name?), the grandchildren of serial killer “Old Lady Spinster” inherit her house and open it as a public haunted house. However, when a know-it-all live streamer arrives to review the place she discovers the killer’s missing victims, with devastating consequences.
In Pesticide, a self-important exterminator is approached by a businessman to clear a group of homeless people from an abandoned warehouse he wants to renovate. After refusing, he accepts a lot of money, and poisons their stew while they are asleep. But his conscience becomes his greatest enemy when he it set upon by the most terrifying and realistic nightmares. In The Right Snuff, two astronauts are testing an anti-gravity machine. An object almost collides with them, but it turns out to be first contact with an alien race. Conflict and jealousy between the two men threatens the entire future of mankind. In Sibling Rivalry, a high school girl is convinced her brother is trying to kill her, but the school psychologist believes it is attention seeking. Her brother later attacks her with an axe because he knows she has become a vampire. In, Pipe Screams, a plumber is called to an old building to pinpoint a problem with the pipes. When he identifies a drain clog it turns out to be sentient and hungry.
In Within the Walls of Madness, (as a nod to the great H.P. Lovecraft, and John Carpenter’s The Thing) a graduate student in a research facility in Antarctica is accused of killing a fellow student. However, Dr Trollenberg (a nice reference to The Crawling Eye 1950s B-Movie), has summoned the Old Ones through a portal and the Cthulhu-like creature killed the student’s associate. The normal season concludes with Night of the Living Late Show, in which a man invents a state-of-the-art fully immersive virtual reality machine which places you within an existing old movie. His favourite is Horror Express (Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee), and he continually returns to the action – neglecting his young wife – to the point that he lusts after the heroine. Retribution of the most horrific kind will seek him out. This is undoubtedly the best short of season 2, along with Public Television of the Dead.
On this collection there is the added bonus of some seasonal specials. Survivor Type (narrated by Kiefer Sutherland) is an animated body horror about a man washed-up on a deserted island, who has to cut off his own body parts to survive. But where will it end? Twittering From the Circus of the Dead (by Joe Hill) is another animation wherein a family stops to visit a spooky circus – only to becomes volunteers in a real-life horror show. Shapeshifters Anonymous is a Christmas 2020 special, in which a man visits a special self-help group because he suspects he might be killing people as a werewolf. It turns out they are all were-creatures – including the quiet member, who is really an ancient creature created by God. But so, by all accounts, is Kris Kringle, but he turned to Satan. There follows a truly remarkable battle between the group and Kris Kringle’s army of evil Santas. I love Christmas horror films, and this short is excellent, gory and funny. This is another enjoyable set, with more horror than you can shake a stick at!
Verdict: 9 out of 10
(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2023)
Starring: Richard Widmark, Christopher Lee, Honor Blackman, Denholm Elliott, Natassia Kinski, Anthony Valentine.
Directed by Peter Sykes
StudioCanal
January 2018
Henry Beddows approaches John Verney, a man with knowledge of the occult, to intercept and protect his daughter Catherine. She has been raised by a satanic cult called Children of the Lord. The leader is an excommunicated priest who is determined to get her back. It seems she is an integral part of a black magic ceremony involving a demonic baby...
This is one of a number of Hammer horror film releases which has been cleaned-up and presented as Doubleplay discs by StudioCanal.
To the Devil a Daughter (1976) is seen by many as the end of an era, and in many ways it was. However, no one can claim there was any slump in quality. This was the second Hammer adaptation of a Dennis Wheatley novel, who was the foremost writer of occult fiction. I’ve always thought this film plays second fiddle to the superior The Devil Rides Out … and I still believe that. Having viewed To the Devil a Daughter a handful of times over the years (I last reviewed the DVD in 2004) I undoubtedly enjoyed it infinitely more this time. Whether it is due to a retrospective appreciation of a classic or simply because I’ve just reviewed the relative mess that is Demons of the Mind and sought something better is debatable. Whilst being based on Wheatley’s novel this film is far from being a close representation. Wheatley was displeased with the result, calling it disgusting. He was incensed enough to prevent any more of his novels being adapted to screenplay.
To my mind this is an extreme view. To the Devil a Daughter is a decent enough movie to cause no detriment to the reputation of the book. Furthermore, the cast is a veritable who’s who of class actors. Richard Widmark plays the main protagonist John Verney. Admittedly, he’s been better – probably due to the fact he considered he was belittling himself with this British and German co-production – but he does enough to carry if off. Denholm Elliott (Beddows) plays the character who gets in too deep and is caught between fear and doing the right thing. He really convinces as the terrified father. Honor (The Avengers) Blackman and Anthony (Raffles) Valentine play Verney’s agent and partner. The couple are close friends of the author, and the charismatic connection brings the film momentarily out of the darkness.
So, it’s all the more shocking when the mentally controlled Catherine stabs the agent in the neck. Nastassja Kinski plays Catherine, the daughter of Henry Beddows (Elliott), a nun raised by the Children of the Lord, a church formed by an excommunicated priest. And talk of the devil: Hammer stalwart Christopher Lee returns in one of his finest roles. It was a very clever and successful decision to cast Lee against type in The Devil Rides Out. However, he returns here as the anticipated bad guy in perhaps his most powerful portrayal since Horror of Dracula, and Rasputin the Mad Monk. Derek Francis plays the bishop to which Verney goes for information, and there’s an early appearance by Frances de la Tour as a Salvation Army officer.
Even Christopher Lee it seems wasn’t enamoured with the demon baby, believing it shouldn’t have been seen at all on screen. But it does work really well. The final scene in the blood circle – although rushed and all too easily overcome – does include Catherine on a stone altar pushing a clawed red demon baby into herself. The censors passed the film uncut. Bear in mind this was only two years after the 1974 UK release of The Exorcist. Black magic was selling. Both Hammer and Wheatley lost out by not settling their differences and adapting more of his books to film.
Verdict: 8 out of 10
(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2018)
Starring: Bela Lugosi, John Carradine, George Zucco.
Directed by William Beaudine
Media Enterprises
June 2019
Film screenwriter Ralph Dawson is asked by his boss for another manuscript, but he’s about to get married and due some leave. A friend of his wife-to-be is lured off the road by a bogus detour sign and kidnapped by the henchmen of Doctor Richard Marlowe. The doctor’s wife has been dead for a number of years and seeks to revive her by transferring the essence of a live woman into her using the power of Voodoo. There have been several failures; these women remain hypnotised and captive. Dawson and his fiancé try to find their friend with the help of the local sheriff but she, too, is captured. This time the subject could prove compatible for Marlowe, so the race is on to find Dawson’s betrothed before the ceremony can be completed...
This is the Voodoo Man’s debut release on Blu-ray and DVD. It’s always great to get the chance to enjoy these old films. This one from 1943 was penned by Robert Charles but is said to be heavily borrowed from Andrew Colvin’s Tiger Man, which the film company purchased earlier the same year. It’s very much a product of its time; horror and thrillers from the 1930s and 1940s seemed to follow a similar pattern, so it’s easy to realise how they evolved into the sci-fi monster B-movies in the 1950s. The filming schedule was very tight, taking place over only seven days. In the same manner, the plot is played-out very concisely. There is no padding here, as the running time is only 62 minutes.
Of course, the main draw is Bela Lugosi in the role of Doctor Marlowe. He certainly made an impressive impact in Universal’s Dracula, but also every part thereafter was a re-enactment of that character. Here, he has the power of hypnotism over people – particularly the women victims. Close-ups of his eyes mirror that moment in Dracula. He may be called Voodoo Man, but in actuality it is another man performing the ceremonies, waving his arms about in every relevant scene and chanting a string of nonsense. Outside of his own house, Lugosi’s Marlowe is the perfect charming gentleman, although he does give away so many clues that you would have to be a complete fool not to suspect him from the beginning. The film also stars John Carradine and George Zucco. There is something about this era – also repeated for a time in some 1970s movies – which obviously felt obliged to incorporate a silly or mentally challenged character as light relief. This materialises as a slow-on-the-uptake sheriff, a lazy and complaining deputy, and two Igor-like dogsbodies to Marlowe.
I like the way this ends-up being a film within a film, when Dawson presents his new screenplay (what we have just witnessed) to his boss and suggests the actor Bela Lugosi for the lead. The picture quality on this old film is simply amazing. I do think the initial RRP is far too high for what amounts to an hour-long film with no special features, but the price will drop. I recommend that vintage film collectors wait awhile before adding this to their viewing library. It’s not a classic, by any means, but it’s worth a look.
Verdict: 5 out of 10
(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2019)
Starring: Boris Karloff, Melvyn Douglas, Charles Laughton, Gloria Stuart, Raymond Massey.
Directed by James Whale
Eureka Entertainment
May 2018
Eureka! Entertainment releases the 1930s film classic The Old Dark House on dual format Blu-ray/DVD as part of The Masters of Cinema series. A group of travellers run into trouble whilst driving through a remote region of Wales. Flash floods and hill-slides culminate in their obligation to take refuge in a spooky old mansion owned by an elderly brother and sister (the Femms), who really don’t want them there. Morgan, the creepy mute butler, is unstable enough but the upper levels harbour family secrets: A gloriously mad old woman on her death bed, and a mysterious presence behind a heavily bolted door...
This is the original version of the film based upon the book by J. B. Priestly. Not to be confused with the Columbia Pictures remake a decade or two later. When the rights expired 15 years after this was made, the film fell into obscurity and has only recently undergone a long overdue restoration. I must say it looks pretty good. Of course, the big selling points are screen legend Boris Karloff and Charles Laughton of Mutiny on the Bounty and Spartacus. However, the movie has a lot going for it in other areas. Director James Whale was no slouch, having turned-out the Universal Films classics Frankenstein, The Bride of Frankenstein, and The Invisible Man. Here he makes the best use of light and shadow since the silent movie Nosferatu in the 1920s.
The Old Dark House has a mainly British cast, with great character actors. There is a definite class distinction in play here, designed to make the two later newcomers to the house clash initially with those already present. Unlike many modern-day films, there are distinct and very separate personalities which makes the exchanges feel more natural. The Femm sister looks like an old Romany-type, and she’s hard of hearing, short, untrusting and bad-tempered. Her brother is quiet and refined (looking more like a butler himself) and is scared of his own shadow. Morgan the butler is a scarred and leering sinister presence, and when drunk is threatening and aggressive. It helps that he’s mute and murmurs a few unintelligible guttural sounds now and then. He’s certainly more of a menace than what is locked behind that door. Of the visitors, there is the well-to-do young married couple (the blonde woman of which Morgan leers at every opportunity he gets!). The man with them quickly falls for the dark-haired working-class showgirl, and they even promise marriage within a relatively short space of time.
The wizened old woman in the bed is priceless. She at first seems quite sane and then shrieks and cackles like a lunatic. We really don’t see enough of her (although we continue to hear her periodically). This brings me to the dark humour, which is ever-present, but cleverly only materialises through the character exchanges and idiosyncrasies. This is notoriously a difficult balance to get right in horror. The Old Dark House succeeds by making you smile at the quirks or outright madness of the building’s occupants. It’s worth mentioning the model work at the beginning of the film, featuring the car struggling through floods of water, sliding on mud and just missing being trashed by a hill slide. It is very well done for the time.
Extras include two commentaries, including one by critics Kim Newman and Stephen Jones; Curtis Harrington saves The Old Dark House (about tracking-down the film when it was thought to be lost); and Daughter of Frankenstein: A Conversation with Sara Karloff. This is the most entertaining feature. Sara talks about her father’s career, including the fact that he had made 80 films before the fame of Frankenstein arrived. He wasn’t even invited to the premiere. I didn’t receive a copy of the artwork by Graham Humphreys (shame on you), but I’ve seen the concept, and it looks fantastic.
This film has often been cited as the best horror film of all time. Certainly, it set the rules for what followed. In fact, The Rocky Horror Show wouldn’t have required too much rewriting from The Old Dark House’s screenplay. It’s mad, its zany, it’s funny, it’s creepy … The Addams Family. So, you can see how this little 1930s film influenced many films and TV serials which followed. It’s great but far from being the best horror film of all time.
Verdict: 7 out of 10
(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2018)
Starring: Dee Wallace, Patrick Macnee, Dennis Dugan, Christopher Stone, Belinda Balaski
Directed by Joe Dante
StudioCanal
October 2017
Karen White is a news reader and investigative journalist. She is contacted by a serial killer known as Eddie, who wants to meet her. Led by telephone calls to the red light district she enters a sex shop’s pornographic film booth (like you do). Even though she carries a wire trace fitted by her TV crew the connection is lost, and the hunt is on to find her before it’s too late. Karen has witnessed something so terrifying that her mind has blocked it out. It doesn’t stop her having regular nightmares. A doctor psychiatrist recommends she take a break at a small rural community. However, the coastal location isn’t as idyllic as it seems. As if losing her partner to the local man-eater (in both senses of the word) isn’t bad enough, it seems the community harbours a sinister secret. It is a secret which they will protect from outsiders at all cost...
I last reviewed the Special Edition DVD of this film back in 2004, and the bottom line was I was far from impressed. I considered The Howling only an average example of this horror sub-genre. I actually remember enjoying the documentary more than the feature itself.
So, with this newly remastered DVD, have I changed my mind… and, more importantly, has it stood the test of time? Well, that’s not an easy one to answer in a single sentence. The film’s imagery is very firmly fixed in the 1980s, which does age the product significantly. I will admit there are some impressive sequences, but the one major factor which lets it down is the pace. Any tension which has been built leaks away pretty quickly. The screw should be tightened progressively through the plot; instead, loose editing has overly long or nonsense scenes which might be described as light-hearted but are quite simply not. An American Werewolf in London managed to get the balance just right, whereas The Howling just shouldn’t have bothered. This is not necessarily a reflection on Director Joe Dante, it’s just a different type of film which could have gained a lot by tightening-up the script and playing it straight.
The likes of Patrick MacNee, Slim Pickens and John Carradine would certainly have been audience draws at the time of the film’s release, and Dee Wallace seemed to be in every genre film (E.T., Cujo, Critters, The Hills Have Eyes, etc.). However, it’s Rob Bottin’s werewolf effects which steal the show in the aforementioned outstanding scenes. One such example is when Karen’s friend is attacked in the doctor’s office by a tall, suitably imposing and very impressive werewolf. Juxtapose this with when Karen herself is attacked at the same location by Eddie who takes so long to change into a werewolf that she has ample time to clear up the mess and add a fresh coat of paint to the walls and ceiling. It still makes me laugh now. Karen just stands there and stares at him; she even manages to look bored at one moment. These very differently handled scenes just don’t sit well with each other.
Supposed to shock and sadden, I suppose, the climatic piece is simply ridiculous. Karen’s ‘cute’ werewolf simply reminds me of Bungle out of Rainbow. In retrospect, perhaps that’s infinitely more frightening! I therefore have mixed feelings about The Howling and what it could have been, so my verdict remains unchanged. As in most cases, I preferred the original book (in fact, I read the three).
An hour of extras include: Howlings Eternal, with Producer Steven A Lane; Cut to Shreds, with Editor Mark Goldblatt; Interview with Co-writer Terence Winkless; Horror’s Hallowed Grounds – A Look at the Film’s Locations; Interview with Stop-Motion Animator David Allen; and an Audio Commentary with Author Gary Brandner.
Verdict: 6 out of 10
(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2017)
Starring: Timothy Hutton, Amy Madigan, Julie Harris, Michael Rooker
Directed by George A Romero
Eureka Entertainment
October 2019
A writer and lecturer authors respected books under his own name of Thad Beaumont (which nobody buys), and brutal horror thrillers under the pseudonym of George Stark (which are very successful). When someone discovers they are one and the same person and tries to blackmail him, Thad decides to come clean and reveal all in a publicity stunt wherein a mock gravestone for George Stark is placed on the family burial plot. But Stark won’t go easily. As a child Thad had suffered debilitating headaches. It turns out the remains of a twin foetus was attached to his brain. It was cut out and buried in the family plot. The twin – or the dark half of Thad Beaumont – takes on the form of a heartless killer from the Stark books, and is killing everyone that is close to Thad. There has to be a reckoning, as only one of them can survive The Sparrows Are Flying Again...
Film company Orion suffered monetary problems at the time of The Dark Half’s release, resulting in around seven movies not seeing the light of day for two years. Bird effects put the movie quite a bit behind schedule. The sparrows were obviously added to create more of a visual horror impact – doubly important for the film version. Real birds were brought in, but obviously could not be controlled, so mechanical birds and birds-on-sticks were utilised to create the desired effect. In close shots it works surprisingly well, and is a little lacking in other areas. Intelligently, large wheels of cut-out bird shapes were used with a light source to throw out shadows of countless birds. When they take Stark apart and drag his remains into the night sky towards a glowing fog, it defies explanation.
So, The Dark Half is a film which succeeds and fails in equal measures. The early parts are gripping: the young writer collapsing with head pain, and the eye opening in the brain during his operation (suitably gruesome). In fact, the young Thad – to all intents and purposes, the young Stephen King – is so watchable it made me long for the story to be told with him. The twin babies of Thad and his wife are amazing; the most continuously curious and happy ones I can remember.
George A. Romero will forever be known for the original zombie classic Night of the Living Dead, but he nurtured many other films. He does his best with this one, but the material itself means certain sections of the movie are non-sustaining. The figure of George Stark is rather stereotyped as a bad guy with a cut throat razor. It takes only a minute to get a grip on the characterisation before you begin suffering diminishing returns. In other words, he’s dull. I do like the idea that King used a real life experience and exaggerated it to see how far it would go. Many great ideas evolve from the smallest grain of a concept.
This duel format Blu-ray and DVD release is well deserving of an extra point for the excellent special features. There is an Audio Commentary with director George A. Romero (sadly no longer with us); a Making-of Documentary / Retrospective with Romero, Make-up Special Effects with Everett Burrell and John Vulich, Visual Effects Supervisor Keven Kutchaver, Actor Robert Joy, and Editor Pasquale Buba; Deleted Scenes; Behind-the-Scenes Archive Video Material; Original Storyboards, Trailers, and Limited Edition Slipcase and Booklet. The many interviews, fly-on-the-wall set-ups and insights into the making of this film made the extras almost as compelling as the film.
Verdict: 7 out of 10
(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2019)
Starring: David Howard Thornton, Jenna Kanell, Catherine Corcoran
Directed by Damien Leone
Signature Entertainment
April 2018
Two female friends emerge from a Halloween party into the night. One is a little the worse for wear through drink. After a late-night café encounter with a strangely sinister clown they return to their car. But it refuses to start, so the driver phones her sister who sets off to pick them up. Meanwhile, the drunk girl is caught short and persuades the caretaker of an empty building to allow them in to use the facilities. However, the earlier taunted sinister and sadistic clown shows up and very soon all three girls are fighting for their lives...
This is one of those occasions when a writer/director creates a film which is derisory. Only it isn’t. But it is. It’s not often that this sort of thing happens. So, first the bad stuff. Nearly all of the performances are pretty wooden, apart from the first sister and the clown. To all intents and purposes this project harks back and certainly pays tribute to the 1980s so-called Video Nasties. You would think this would be average fair then; unquestionably it is nothing new in its storyline and format. Hack and Slash: Check. Buckets of gore: Check. Scary clown: Check. Halloween setting: Check.
By no means original, Terrifier does succeed by one major component: David Howard Thornton as Art the Clown. His acting is quite sublime. It’s all those little nuances like simply standing and staring, giving a single little wave, and baring his rotten teeth. The scene in the café is just magical. The clown endures minor taunts knowing the person thinking they are being funny is going to regret it, big time! The presence and antics of this make-up adorned perpetrator is in many ways more effective than the hack and slash scenes which follow. They have the curious effect of making you laugh whilst simultaneously creeping you out. Seriously, if you met this character, you’d run a mile; but then there would be no film… It’s no exaggeration to say this is possibly the creepiest on-screen clown since the great Tim Curry’s Pennywise from It. In the excellent tradition of Jason Voorhees and Michael Myers, David Howard Thornton’s portrayal of Art is silent throughout.
Film fans who prefer everything wrapped-up in a neat little parcel will be frustrated by this film, as we learn nothing about the clown’s origins or motives. Events just sort of happen. Perhaps writer/director Damien Leone is saving the backstory for the sequel. I believe this concept could run to another movie, but I don’t think it has the mileage of a successful franchise. I would have given an average score but for the outstanding acting prowess of Thornton. It’s worth seeing Terrifier just for the clown, and so I’ve added two extra points for him alone.
Don’t bother with the behind-the-scenes extra on the disc. I expected to learn something about the story leading up the film, but it’s just actors pulling faces and doing little dances.
Verdict: 7 out of 10
(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2018)
Starring: Ralph Bates, Martine Beswick, Gerald Sim, Lewis Fander
Directed by Roy Ward Baker
StudioCanal
January 2018
Professor Jekyll is working on a universal antidote to disease. When he tries it on a fly the insect survives longer than its normal lifespan by changing sex to female. This sets him on a new path of research: an elixir of life using female hormones. The first time he tries it on himself he metamorphoses into a completely female version of himself, who he passes off to nosy neighbours as his sister. Jekyll employs the mortuary attendant to pass him recently deceased female bodies, before using the dubious services of body snatchers Burke and Hare. However, when that avenue dries up he is forced to search the foggy streets of Victorian London for live victims. All the while his female form of Mrs Hyde is exerting evil dominance over his natural male form… and she has foul plans...
Dr Jekyll and Sister Hyde (released in the UK in 1972) is loosely based on the Robert Louis Stevenson story The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. The script was written by Brian Clemens of The Avengers fame, a solidly successful scriptwriter. The Avengers connection is made stronger by virtue of Clemens producing the film along with Albert Fennell.
Apparently, the mad idea of a gender change was mooted and by the following week – long before the picture went into production – Hammer already had a promotional artwork film poster ready. Hammer really took to Ralph Bates as a leading man to replace the ageing Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing, and returned to him a few times. Some have described this role as Jekyll being his best, but it doesn’t reach the heights of The Horror of Frankenstein.
Actress Martine Beswick is a perfect counterpart for Bates (she really does look like she is his sister), managing in this instance to out-act Bates due the meatier part. Villains inevitably make for a fuller acting piece. There are tasty little roles here also for Philip Madoc as the mortuary attendant Byker, and Gerald Sim as Professor Robertson.
This is an inventive twist on the established tale. I defy anyone not to chuckle when Jekyll first changes into a woman, notices she has breasts now and has a crafty feel. It’s important to point out, however, that Mrs Hyde isn’t simply Jekyll as a female; she has her own mind and completely different nefarious objectives to Jekyll. In fact, all she can think about is dominating the form so that she never changes back to his male form. Although Beswick reportedly refused a full-frontal nudity scene, there is one filmed from the rear. Hammer was becoming more risqué, and so we also get a mortuary attendant who is quite obviously a necrophiliac. When Jekyll goes there to obtain a female body for his work, Byker claims that one of them is his.
Fundamentally, this film is Jekyll and Hyde, but it also incorporates Jack the Ripper (for the female killings in the London fog), and the graveyard humour of the Burke and Hare double-act. Everything was filmed on studio sets and looks fantastic. All the street vendors and the local Whitechapel pub are in place, the minor characters are stereotypically Victorian urchins or policemen, and the pea-soup foggy streets of London are very atmospheric.
Not the best that Hammer had to offer, but a solid and original twist on an established theme.
Verdict: 7 out of 10
(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2018)
Starring: Denise Gough, Steven Cree, Anastasia Hille, Hannah Rae, Kiera Thompson
Directed by Ruth Platt
Acorn media International
July 2022
Leah (Kiera Thompson) is a little girl who lives with her distant and dismissive mother (Denise Gough) and her distracted priest father (Steven Cree) in a large Victorian vicarage. She feels she is walking on eggshells, and it doesn’t help that she is regularly visited by nightmares. A mysterious young girl knocks on her bedroom window. She is bedraggled, dirty and wears damaged angel wings strapped to her back. She wants to play a game. This is the beginning of a dangerous psychological journey which will uncover the secrets of her family’s aloofness, or destroy their unit forever...
Martyrs Lane is described as both a ghostly gothic fairy tale and a psychological thriller. I’m not sure either of these promotional lines are accurate. It’s not gothic, it’s not a fairy tale, and it’s certainly not a thriller. I would refer to the film as an emotional ghost story wherein the clues have to be pieced together before Leah’s confrontation with her mother and the subsequent reveal. The truth is the viewer will guess pretty early on that her mother has lost a child somewhere along the line. The atmosphere in the house and the fact her mother keeps a lock of hair makes this practically obvious. Admittedly, I initially thought it was Leah’s twin that had perished at birth; that certainly would have explained why Leah was resented so much. The actual outcome would surely have made her mother Sarah more protective of what she had, rather than dismissive. Nevertheless, Families react in different ways to distressing situations and the emotions here are valid and well-handled. I was particularly intrigued by the elder teenaged daughter, who was generally cruel to Leah – at one point purposefully tickling her into an asthma attack – but ultimately watched over her well-being.
Having said that, the film is much more a study of human nature in the face of adversity than it is a ghost story. It’s not giving much away to reveal the girl visiting Leah is the ghost; the story concentrates on the unanswered questions of just who the little girl is and what her connection is to the family in the vicarage. This is intriguingly revealed a little at a time throughout the game. Clues are given for Leah to follow and she keeps her discoveries in a box, so I can understand some people’s connections to Pan’s Labyrinth – although this is a very different film and nowhere near being in the same league. There is no real fear and horror portrayed (Leah readily accepts the existence of the girl in white); with an occasional bloody nose, a nasty wound in her back (real wings growing?) and highlighted veins on the side of her face, the more sinister aspect originates from the girl’s expression, at times looking angry, frustrated or dangerous. In fact, Hannah Rae plays the ghost/angel very well.
Acorn Media International releases this Shudder Original DVD of Martyr’s Lane, by writer/director Ruth Platt. This film is probably a little below par compared to the majority of their output, but I’ve generally been very impressed with the Shudder releases. Extras include Behind-the-Scenes, Photo Gallery, and an Interview with Ruth Platt.
Verdict: 7 out of 10
(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2022)
Starring: Bob Hope, Paulette Goddard
Directed by Elliot Nugent, George Marshall
Eureka Entertainment
December 2022
Eureka Entertainment releases The Cat and The Canary, and The Ghost Breakers as a double bill of horror/mystery comedies featuring Bob Hope and Paulette Goddard. Mounted on a single disc, they are presented as part of the Eureka Classics range and appear for the first time on Blu-ray in the UK – the latter from a new 2K master. The first 2000 copies incorporate a limited-edition o-card slipcase and a collector’s booklet featuring new writing by Craig Ian Mann. Additional disc features include: a commentary on both films by Keven Lyons and Jonathan Rigby; a Kim Newman interview (more of an entertaining talk, really) on the background to the films; The Ghost Breakers 1949 radio adaptation; and trailers. There is also a reversible sleeve with original poster artwork...
In The Cat and the Canary (1939) – directed by Elliot Nugent: An eccentric millionaire has died, and his remaining relatives arrive at his spooky abandoned mansion, deep in the Louisiana bayous (swamps) for a reading of the will. The sole inheritor turns out to be his niece Joyce (Goddard), but it comes with a proviso that she does not go insane within the next 30 days – otherwise another of the relatives, named in a mysterious envelope which goes missing, would gain the fortune. Joyce must spend the night in the mansion, protected by Wally (Hope) who is afraid of his own shadow, surrounded by jealous relatives and a creepy housekeeper. As if that isn’t bad enough, a homicidal maniac has escaped from a nearby sanatorium.
In The Ghost Breakers (1940) – directed by George Marshall: Larry Lawrence (Hope) is wrongly accused of a crime but evades the police by concealing himself in a trunk which gets loaded aboard a steamer ship bound for Cuba. The owner, Mary Carter (Goddard) is on her way to take possession of a curious inheritance – a supposedly haunted castle. In order to make the way safer for Mary, Larry and his valet precede her to the island. Here, they have to contend with a ghost, a zombie, and an earthly foe just as frightening.
As an avid follower of horror in film, TV and literature for many years, I’m generally not an advocate of inherent humour because, almost universally, it fails to work. There are exceptions, of course, such as An American Werewolf in London, and a handful of others. Bob Hope is great; he was even born in the same English town as me! However, his constant quips do come across as a little annoying – particularly in The Cat and the Canary, the better-known of these two flicks. This is because these films spring from a long line of farce which originated primarily in books and on stage. There were subsequent silent movies and then later talkies, such as these two. They were hugely popular in their time, and you can readily see from their format they were designed for the stage. I enjoyed The Ghost Breakers more than its predecessor because it’s less cliched. Willie Best – one of the first well-known African American comedians – is great as Alex, the valet to Larry. But some of the friendly banter lines Hope is given to say to Best do somewhat raise the eyebrows. Oh well, we live in enlightened times.
Verdict: 7 out of 10
(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2022)
Starring: Richard Donner, Linda Blair
Directed by Jay Cheel
Acorn media International
February 2023
Acorn Media International releases Cursed Films Series One. This is a five-part documentary series exploring how certain horror films have become known for being cursed due to subject matter and a number of deaths involving cast or crew. Writer/director Jay Cheel – who contributes an Audio Commentary for each of the parts – explores the individual real-life stories of Poltergeist, The Omen, The Exorcist, The Crow, and The Twilight Zone. This Shudder original series was originally available on the streaming channel and was received with suitable acclaim. Certainly, it is compelling viewing. The episodes include film and behind-the-scenes footage, and several interviews with directors, producers, editors, actors, writers, podcasters, psychologists, academics, historians, fans, critics, and practicing witches. Richard Donner (director of The Omen), Gary Sherman (director of Poltergeist III), and Linda Blair (who played the possessed Regan in The Exorcist) are just some of the names who make an appearance.
All of these films suffered more than their fair share of tragedies; some on set and others connected in some way to the films. There is a handful of people on these documentaries who offer their own evidence for why some of these films are cursed. For example, angering or highlighting the devil’s actions, summoning real demons, or somehow cursing the productions through witchcraft and black magic. However, it has to be said that this is a minority, the majority citing these accidents as desperately unfortunate mistakes and tragic accidents, and the only reason myths and legends of curses have attached themselves to these movies is their connection to the horror genre.
Among the incidents explored are the death of Heather O’Rourke (the little blonde girl) and the use of real human skeletons (a regular practice in films for decades) in Poltergeist; bombings and a real decapitation by glass in The Omen; and a series of accidents which took place in and around the set of The Exorcist. The last two episodes gave me chills, not through any supposed supernatural elements, but the close diagnosis of horrific accidents on-set. The Crow explores the possibility of a curse on the male side of the Lee lineage – Brandon Lee, of course, being the son of Bruce Lee, the circumstances of whose death has been speculated about for years. The fact that Brandon was killed by a bullet which had lodged in the barrel of a gun used on set, makes it all the more chilling… and needless. So, too, in Twilight Zone: The Movie, wherein there is a Vietnam segment with a soldier rescuing two young children from a besieged village. Behind-the-scenes footage is terrifying, as created winds upset the stability of a helicopter, the rotors of which break-off in the water, instantly killing the three.
These documentaries, totalling 150 minutes, are very well put-together and I would recommend them to all true horror fans. It is a requiem to the departed and proves that real life can be as terrifying as fiction.
Verdict: 9 out of 10
(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2023)
Starring: Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi, Charles Laughton
Directed by Various
Eureka Entertainment
October 2022
Eureka Entertainment Classics Range releases Maniacal Mayhem, incorporating three film-length tales of terror from the Universal vault starring Boris Karloff. The films chosen for this collection are The Invisible Ray, Black Friday, and The Strange Door – all are presented on Blu-ray for the first time in the UK. Each is taken from 2K scans of the original film elements. Other prestigious actors featured include Bela Lugosi and Charles Laughton. The first 2000 copies contain a Limited-Edition O-card Slipcase and Booklet with writing on all three films by Andrew Graves, Rich Johnson and Craig Ian Mann...
In The Invisible Ray (1936), directed by Lambert Hillyer, obsessed scientist Dr Janos Rukh (Karloff) discovers with a powerful telescope that a meteor from the Andromeda system carrying a strange substance which could contain healing powers struck the Earth countless years ago. He reveals the discovery to his two closest rivals in the field and an expedition to Africa is funded. Rukh recovers the sparking substance, but a sample is stolen by one of his rivals (Lugosi), who soon makes a name for himself curing a number of maladies. Meanwhile, Rukh’s close contact with the material has made his skin luminescent, and anyone who touches him immediately perishes. So, he uses this terrible power to seek revenge on the colleagues who have wronged him.
The Invisible Ray is arguably the best of the bunch here, with more lavish and varied sets (Africa, the Doctor’s observatory and laboratory, etc.) and additional elements to the premise. What is essentially a tale of revenge, washes over you like an amalgamation of Frankenstein, a sci-fi monster B-Movie and confidence trickster. Bela Lugosi is the last of these, his character charming the special substance out of the Doctor’s hands and using it to gain his fame and fortune. I would have the hump too, so I can relate to Rukh. There is a brand-new commentary by horror mainstays author Stephen Jones and author/critic Kim Newman.
In Black Friday (1940), directed by Arthur Lubin, Dr Sovac is a brain surgeon who performs a transplant which has disastrous consequences. When Sovac’s good friend – a kindly old college professor – is caught-up in a gangland shooting, he realises the man will die if he doesn’t perform a part-brain procedure from a well-known gangster called Red, who was nominally injured in the same incident. Initially, it proves to be a resounding success until the professor begins to suffer fatigue, headaches and terrifying nightmares about a gangster. When it is learned that Red hid half a million dollars, Sovac takes him to New York for ‘rest and recuperation’ in order to reassert the gangster’s dominance until he can learn where the money is stashed and use it to fund himself a new laboratory. However, not only is the professor on the point of complete collapse, Red goes after his ex-cohorts for attempting to have him killed.
In various guises, this is a part which Boris Karloff played many times over his career, but they invariably worked well. He had a compelling nature which drew you into his film scenarios. I have no idea how a respected dotty old English professor can periodically change both physical appearance and attire when the other person’s section of brain gains dominance, but it does clearly demonstrate the intended Jekyll and Hyde principle (or should that be principal!) triggered by greed. Bela Lugosi plays one of the gang mobsters (a rather refined one!) that the professor/Red goes after. There is a brand-new audio commentary by Kevin Lyons and film historian Jonathan Rigby.
In The Strange Door (1951), directed by Joseph Pevney, the cruel and sadistic Sire Alain de Maletroit (Charles Laughton) tricks a violent rogue into seeking sanctuary through a door with no handle. His plan is to force the ne’er-do-well to marry his niece, against her wishes. But things don’t go his twisted way when it turns out the rogue has a noble heart and attempts to help the young woman to escape the house. She has no knowledge that her father has been kept an innocent prisoner in his dungeon for 20 years. The father feigns madness but is quite sane and systematically aided by Maletroit’s abused servant (Karloff).
Charles Laughton is perhaps best known for his portrayals in Spartacus, Mutiny on the Bounty, and The Old Dark House. Here he seems to be malicious and spiteful simply because he can be – a sort of bored amusement. Karloff is a lot less present in this movie, but he makes his presence known whenever he appears and is essential to the finale scenes. Indeed, he saves one or all three of the ‘good guys’ on several occasions at the cost of his own peril. An enjoyable taut little thriller. There is a brand-new commentary by horror mainstays author Stephen Jones and author/critic Kim Newman. Also, of interest is ‘The Sire de Maletroit’s Door’ – radio adaptations, Stills Galleries and Trailers.
This is a good follow-up to the Karloff: Universal Terror Blu-ray release, and I hope it will be one of many.
Verdict: 8 out of 10
(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2022)
Starring: Boris Karloff
Directed by Various
Eureka Classics
April 2021
Eureka Entertainment Classics releases Karloff at Columbia, a two-disc collection of the six films he made with the company. This incorporates the four ‘Mad Doctor’ projects, a parody of the ‘Mad Doctor’ scenario, and the 19th Century setting of the opener. This is the first Blu-ray presentation of these movies. There are three films on each disc, plus two audio thrillers starring Boris Karloff on each...
The Black Room (1935 – Directed by Roy William Neill): This is a curse on the family name. When the Baron dies the elder of his twin sons, Gregor, takes over the position, while the younger one, Anton, moves away. But when he returns it is to find the new Baron is a monster, hated by the people, and that women have gone missing. To escape repercussions the Baron hands over the title and position to his benign younger brother, only to kill him in the infamous Black Room and pretend to be him. However, the family curse of the younger brother killing his evil elder will forever find a way to be played-out. This is a nice little suspense thriller which has some similarities to the format of Tower of London, which starred Karloff and Vincent Price. In fact, these two actors were always at the top of their game. Karloff plays both twins, of course, and is mindful enough to occasionally forget himself when he is the older scheming brother playing the dead younger twin – as the latter had a paralysed hand. Ironically, the hero of the piece is a dog. It can sense the difference between the two men, and even sniffs-out the hidden Black Room.
The Man They Could Not Hang (1939 – Directed by Nick Grinde): Karloff plays Dr Savaard who has revolutionised medicine by creating an apparatus which takes over the functions of the body whilst serious surgical work is carried out. For this the subject has to be dead and then brought back to life. He has a voluntary subject candidate, but the man’s fiancé alerts the police who interrupt the procedure. The doctor is accused of murder and, after making his stand in the courtroom, is hanged. However, he has left his body to medical science, who just happens to be his assistant. The doctor is returned to life, and manages to lure all of those who condemned him to his old house, where he intends to kill them one-by-one. This one is highly enjoyable. You can’t take your eyes off the screen for a moment. Karloff’s performance is riveting and compelling in that he is the innocent party here. You can’t help rooting for him, even after he begins knocking-off his enemies. He is given some nice set-pieces to showpiece his acting prowess – particularly when he is obliged to convince others of his rightful motives, such as in the courtroom.
The Man With Nine Lives (1940 – Directed by Nick Grinde): This is a loose sequel (of sorts) to The Man They Could Not Hang. A medical researcher attempts to progress the work of Dr Kravaal who has gone missing. He traces the man, who had been conducting illicit experiments in cryogenics, only to discover him frozen in his own freezer area. He is returned to health by Morgan the researcher but embarks on a regime of revenge by using his betrayers to perfect his lost procedure. Again, it’s Karloff who makes this film well worth watching. He takes centre stage, and you are mesmerised by his captivating performance.
Before I Hang (1940 – Directed by Nick Grinde): Dr Garth is put on death row for releasing a patient from great pain and suffering by euthanising him. Whilst in prison he is permitted to continue his research into the ageing process, developing a serum to reverse it. He uses himself as a Guinea Pig but, although successful, the use of the blood from a crazed killer causes him to temporarily change temperament. A Jekyll and Hyde-type story.
The Devil Commands (1941 – Directed by Edward Dmytryk): Dr Blair conducts experiments proving that every human being has an individual brain pattern, which could eventually be used to read minds. But when his wife dies in a car accident he sees her brain patterns begin to repeat on his chart. He sells-up and moves to a remote house on a clifftop, with a clairvoyant, where he begins to use local subjects in his attempt to return his wife from the dead. This is slightly drawn-out for the subject matter and plot, but Karloff plays the eminently polite but ultimately crazed scientist with ease.
The Boogie Man Will Get You (1942 – Directed by Lew Landers): This is described as a delightful parody of the ‘Mad Doctor’ films, but it somewhat lets the side down. It isn’t slapstick silliness, but it is a tongue-in-cheek frantic run-around. A penniless mad professor has his house bought from him to pay off his debts. He is allowed by the new owner to remain and continue with his experiments into creating a super human. But constant comings and goings, and certain unscrupulous individuals (such as Peter Lorre’s character) continue to complicate matters. The film keeps you focussed, whilst not being of the quality or seriousness of the others.
This is an excellent set, and the perfect way to release these themed Karloff classics to the world. I thoroughly enjoyed watching the movies, and as an added bonus we have the four audio horror/thrillers. The Limited Edition of only 3,000 copies features a slipcase and a very nice Collector’s Booklet.
Verdict: 10 out of 10
(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2021)
Starring: Lon Chaney
Directed by Wallace Worsley
Eureka Entertainment
October 2022
As part of its Masters of Cinema series, Eureka Entertainment releases the 1923 silent movie classic The Hunchback of Notre Dame on Blu-ray (from 4K scans) for the first time in the UK. Everybody, it seems, has an interest in Esmerelda (Patsy Ruth Miller), the gypsy street dancer/performer. Dashing ladies’ man, Captain Phoebus (Norman Kerry) is besotted with her and even arranges a marriage, but Clopin (Ernest Torrence), self-elected leader of the common folk, rallies the people to forcibly return her to the streets. Simultaneously, Clopin plans to take the city of Paris from the rich people. At the yearly Festival of Fools, Kindly Cathedral bellringer, the twisted hunchback Quasimodo is Crowned King of Fools. However, his mascot status is soon destroyed by the evil Frollo (Brandon Hurst) who also lusts after Esmerelda (Brandon Hurst). Set-up, Quasimodo is whipped in the town square. The gypsy dancer takes pity on him, and in return he saves her, seeking sanctuary in the house of God, when Clopin and Frollo come looking for her...
Based on the hugely popular novel Notre-Dame de Paris, published in 1831 by Victor Hugo, this film version was made by Universal as a ‘Super Jewel’ – a lavish production costing more than one million dollars (a fortune back then), and incorporating a huge cast of extras. Lon Chaney – already a respected actor – was thrown into international super-stardom after his quite remarkable acting performance as the disfigured hunchback was revered around the globe. The majority of Universal’s few-hundred-acre site was taken-up by sets for the film, including the quite beautiful full-size recreation of Notre Dame cathedral – complete with a multitude of carved gargoyles and other figures.
It is not by chance this film is still considered a classic. It was one of the first monster movies and takes a similar path to Frankenstein in terms of a sympathetic monster. Lon Chaney later returned to Universal to portray another iconic figure in The Phantom of the Opera. The Hunchback of Notre Dame is a stunning film for its time, with exciting set-pieces. It has an epic grandness to it. So, dispose of those ‘old film’ and ‘subtitles’ blinkers and let yourself in for a treat.
Extras include a brand new Audio Commentary by author Stephen Jones and author/critic Kim Newman (always entertaining, this pair is like a double-act); a brand new Interview with Kim Newman on the many adaptations of Victor Hugo’s novel (more of an enthusiastic lecture – informative and fun); a brand new Interview with film historian Jonathan Rigby (again, a talk which is very different in approach to Newman’s – often appears on extras for Hammer films); and there is a Collector’s Booklet featuring a New Essay by journalist Philip Kemp, illustrated with archival imagery. The first 2000 copies incorporate a Limited-Edition O-Card Slipcase.
Verdict: 10 out of 10
(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2022)
Starring: Conrad Veidt, Alexandra Sorina, Fritz Kortner, Paul Askonas
Directed by Robert Wiene
Eureka Entertainment
June 2021
Loving young wife Yvonne Orlac excitedly awaits the return of her husband, renowned concert pianist Paul Orlac. When the shocking news of a serious train collision reaches her, Yvonne arranges to be driven to the site of the wreckages. She finds her husband with horrific injuries. At the hospital she is informed he must have an operation on his head, but she is just as concerned about his ruined hands and begs the surgeon to help him. A convicted and recently executed murderer has his body intercepted, and the surgeon transplants the killer’s hands onto Paul. When he learns what has taken place, the former pianist becomes paranoid about the possibility of hurting individuals – even his own wife. As they head towards becoming destitute, Yvonne visit’s Paul’s rich and estranged father for help. When she is spurned she appeals to Paul to speak with him. However, when Paul’s father is found murdered, all the evidence points to the pianist. But is he guilty or has he been set-up...?
Eureka Entertainments Masters of Cinema releases The Hands of Orlac, the 1924 silent horror thriller classic directed by Robert Wiene and starring Conrad Veidt (Das Cabinet Des Dr Claigari, The Man Who Laughs, Waxworks). On Blu-ray for the first time in the UK, this influential film presentation is from a restoration by Film Archiv Austria. Extra features include: a new feature length commentary by author Stephen Jones and author/film critic Kim Newman; a new video essay by filmmakers David Cairns and Fiona Watson; a collector’s booklet featuring new writing by Philip Kemp and Tim Lucas; and an alternative presentation of the film (courtesy of the F. W. Murnau Foundation) featuring a different film source and varied takes of certain scenes. This includes a music score by Paul Mercer. There is also a film comparisons feature highlighting the differences between the two versions of the movie.
I had been meaning to add this film to my collection, so it is with delight that I welcome it for review. It’s certainly a silent classic which stands on the shirttails of Nosferatu, Der Golem, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Phantom of the Opera, the aforementioned Das Cabinet Des Dr Caligari, and others – and has been copied in various formats over the years. The style is described as German Expressionism, but the truth of the matter is that in the silent movie era this is how films were made. The absence of speech is countered with additional movement, expression and emotion in a similar way that the artform is projected out to the audience in a theatre. Nevertheless, Conrad Veidt is impressive (and expressive!) in the role. This may not appeal to the younger viewers, but for film collectors this is a must.
Verdict: 8 out of 10
(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2021)
Starring: Ralph Bates, Kate O'Mara, Veronica Carlson, David Prowse.
Directed by Jimmy Sangster
StudioCanal
January 2018
Victor Frankenstein walks out of medical school when he believes he can learn no more… and after getting the Dean’s daughter pregnant. When his father dies, Frankenstein returns to the castle where he creates a laboratory with a fellow student. Victor spends all his time attempting to bring life to dead body parts – punctuated only by bedding the maid. Eventually he is obliged to seek the help of a grave robber. However, his success in creating a living creature is tempered by a systematic down-turn of events. Both his colleague and his lovely maid turn against him, so Frankenstein uses the creature to remove his obstacles. But the creature’s activities attract the interest of the local police...
Hammer was actively looking for young stars to replace its stalwart classic actors such as Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee (how could you ever replace those two gentlemen?). They wanted a reimagining of The Curse of Frankenstein (Hammer’s first proper gothic horror) and approached reliable regular scriptwriter Jimmy Sangster. The man took some tempting back, so they offered him the producing and directing positions, too. Sangster felt that this type of film had run its course; his decision to send the film up and create a black comedy was a curious one, because that’s not exactly what emerged. There are probably only two clear-cut moments of gallows humour: one being when an electrical charge is put through a disembodied arm and it raises two fingers (one finger in the American cut of the film), and the other being when the brain to be used is dropped.
Many people (including Hammer historian Marcus Hearn) dismiss this film as a spoof of sorts, but that’s simply not the case. Purposefully or not, I believe Sangster turned in one of his strongest projects. There is a misunderstanding that the dialogue is dark comedy, but this is by far the best acting role I’ve seen from Ralph Bates. He plays the entire piece straight, which means his portrayal of Frankenstein is self-obsessed and flippant. He cares nothing about the people around him; merely using them as a means to an end: his work. A far cry from Cushing’s misguided formal and gentlemanly scholar. Irony takes its part, of course. Particularly at the conclusion of events when Frankenstein hides his creature in the acid tank to avoid discovery by the authorities, and an annoying little girl pulls the rope which unknowingly tips acid on it.
Aside from Bates, who is refreshingly different as Frankenstein (mainly down to Sangster’s screenplay), we have a gorgeous young Kate O’Mara as the jealous maid/housekeeper, and Dennis Price as the gloriously upper-crust grave robber. The creature is played by none other than Green Cross Code man and Mr Darth Vader – David Prowse. Veronica Carlson, who had been in Dracula Has Risen From The Grave and Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed, is given very little to do in this one aside from follow Victor around like a love sick puppy being repeatedly rejected.
I last reviewed the DVD release of The Horror of Frankenstein in 2004. I was taken with it then and I still love it now. Perhaps I am the dissenter here because, despite those who might tell you differently, there is so much to appreciate in this film. There is no padding and no disrespect for the root subject. It’s just that Frankenstein is so absorbed in his work that nothing else matters – and that come across as a rather fun interpretation. Don’t listen to those other critics; buy yourself a copy of this Doubleplay release. You won’t be disappointed.
Verdict: 9 out of 10
(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2018)
Starring: Valerie Leon, Mark Edwards, James Villiers, Hugh Burden, Aubrey Morris.
Directed by Seth Holt
StudioCanal
October 2017
To coincide with the 60th anniversary of Hammer’s first proper horror film (The Curse of Frankenstein) Studio Canal is releasing DVD/Blu-ray Doubleplay versions of Blood From the Mummy’s Tomb, Demons of the Mind, Fear in the Night, Scars of Dracula, Dr Jekyll and Sister Hyde, To the Devil a Daughter, Straight on Till Morning, and The Horror of Frankenstein...
In Blood From the Mummy’s Tomb, a British expedition discovers the tomb of the evil Queen Tera. At that precise moment Julian Fuchs’s wife gives birth to a daughter the exact image of the mummy. While Tera’s incredibly lifelike preservation remains an enigma for years in the basement of a house in London, Margaret struggles to hold on to her identity. Corbeck, a member of the expedition, uses her for nefarious ambitions of power and, with a ring from the tomb, begins to recover the artefacts which protect the rest of the expedition.
This film from 1971 is the last example of the mummy scenario from Hammer. It is different in that there is no revenge-seeking creature wrapped in bandages. In fact, Tera isn’t a mummy at all; her beautiful, bejewelled body is very human, and is intact aside from missing a hand. The first shot is a close-up of Valerie Leon’s heaving breasts as she dreams a flashback to ancient Egypt… and what is the connecting shot? The evil queen Tera’s breasts. Who can blame Hammer for utilising her assets as she wanders around in a negligee. Actually, Leon is pretty good in the twin role. Rather, it’s the script that suffers. It’s based on Bram (Dracula) Stoker’s story The Jewel of the Seven Stars, but here the suspense isn’t sustained. After a strong start the middle section of the movie drags with dull and over-long scenes wherein the artefacts are recovered at the expense of their keepers.
Like Carter’s real-life expedition, this movie was said to be plagued by a curse. Hammer legend Peter Cushing was cast as Fuchs and had started filming when he pulled out due to his wife’s serious illness. Sadly, she died. Cushing was replaced by Andrew Keir – best known perhaps for his other Hammer roles in Quatermass and the Pit, and Dracula: Prince of Darkness. Other examples of ill fortune included the death of two crew members, including the director Seth Holt himself. Michael Carreras completed the movie, which is undoubtedly why some scenes appear incomplete or simply lack finesse.
It’s great to spot Hugh Burden who plays Geoffrey Dandridge detached from reality and not too dissimilar to his role as Channing in Doctor Who’s ‘Spearhead From Space’. There’s a nice in-joke too, when we see an estate agent sign outside a house. It carries the names of Production Designer Scott MacGregor and Production Supervisor Roy Skeggs.
I last reviewed this film in 2004. As opinions often change, I watched and reviewed this new release before checking-up on what I had written before. Although I’ve written a very different review my outlook remains unchanged. It’s not one of their best, but as time goes on it’s increasingly important to revere the august horror output of Hammer.
Verdict: 5 out of 10
(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2017)
Starring: Christopher Lee, Patrick Troughton, Dennis Waterman, Jenny Hanley, Michael Gwynn, Michael Ripper.
Directed by Roy Ward Baker
StudioCanal
October 2017
Hot on the heels of the recently reviewed Blood from the Mummy’s Tomb comes the re-released Scars of Dracula. This is another in the batch of Blu-ray/DVD Doubleplay horror films on offer courtesy of the vaults of Hammer Films. The other films available are Demons of the Mind, Fear in the Night, Dr Jekyll and Sister Hyde, To the Devil a Daughter, Straight on Till Morning, and The Horror of Frankenstein.
In Scars of Dracula, a young philanderer called Paul falls foul of local authorities and is obliged to seek refuge at the infamous Castle Dracula. When he goes missing, his brother Simon and new wife attempt to seek information from the tiny village tavern. The occupants are afraid of the castle – particularly as they had attempted to burn it to the ground, along with its master. Now the couple arrive at the castle, and Dracula has taken a shine to the young woman… but then so has his manservant.
This doesn’t reach the simple impactful heights of Horror of Dracula (or just Dracula in some regions) but it is a good romp, and certainly the bloodiest of the Hammer Dracula films. Christopher Lee doesn’t really do that much; however, he doesn’t need to, as his presence and character persona is quite powerful.
This is a Who’s Who of interesting actors. Patrick Troughton is fantastic in practically every he’s appeared in, and undoubtedly one of the best Doctors in Doctor Who. Here he plays Clove, the dirty manservant to Dracula; a beaten slave with a heart, especially in regard to Jenny Hanley’s character (an actress who would pop up often around this time). Dennis Waterman plays a bit of a refined toff and consequently shows-up the faults in his early acting. Of course, he would go on to make a name in The Sweeney and Minder as more of a streetwise ruffian. And what can I say about Michael Ripper except it’s a pleasure to see him. He was in more Hammer films than any other actor – usually playing a secondary role. In this one he is the tavern landlord.
These Hammer offerings are a real joy. Scars of Dracula is the last of four loosely-linked films, but rest assured you can quite easily enjoy this as a standalone experience. The period setting of the majority of them means they don’t date to the extent of many other movies.
Verdict: 8 out of 10
(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2017)
Starring: James Mason, Leonard Whiting, David McCallum, Jane Seymour, Nicola Paget, Michael Sarrazin.
Directed by Jack Smight
Fabulous Films/Fremantle Media
February 2023
Set in the 19th century, this is the story of Dr Victor Frankenstein who, after the sudden death of his younger brother, rails at God and reasons that man should be able to conquer death. He leaves his fiancé to study medicine. Whilst doing so, he meets and studies with the outcast and unorthodox Dr Henry Clerval, who is attempting to create new life from recently deceased body parts. They are close to success when Clerval dies. Frankenstein wastes no time in using his mentor’s brain. On the brink of disaster (harnessing the sun for power), Frankenstein brings the patchwork body to life. Handsome and charming enough to be introduced into society, the doctor tells people he is a foreign relative. But when the body begins to atrophy, the creator is distasteful of the creation. He is shunned whenever he comes into human contact, and slowly becomes the monster everyone has made him out to be. But when Dr Polidori threatens Frankenstein into making a beautiful female creature, his original creature is resentful. But even Frankenstein and his pregnant wife’s attempt at escape to a new life is thwarted, when they are hounded by Polidori and the creature...
This adaptation of the Mary Shelley classic novel dates back to 1973 and features more stars than you can shake a stick at. James Mason, John Gielgud, Ralph Richardson, David McCallum, Peter Sallis, Leonard Whiting, Jane Seymour and Tom Baker – to name but a few. Wow, what more could you ask for? Quite often, history has shown us that throwing names at a film doesn’t necessarily make it a classic; in fact, the majority of the time it has the opposite effect. I wouldn’t call this two-part mini-series film a classic, but it is memorable, and in this case it does seem to help having very strong performances. By far the strongest is David McCallum’s Dr Henry Clerval, which is quite simply captivating. You are compelled to watch his every movement. It’s extremely disappointing when he dies. Frankenstein proves to be a poor substitute, and I lost a lot of my initial interest at this point.
Although it might be argued that Dr Victor Frankenstein is the monster for actually defying God and creating an abomination of man – a soulless thing, he is not the villain of the piece. Neither is the new creation, aside from his natural reaction at being shunned the moment his physical features begin to deteriorate. Here, the real evil comes from James Mason’s Dr Polidori, who manipulates Frankenstein into creating a beautiful female, with which he intends to infiltrate royalty and politics to his own ends. He keeps popping up like a bad penny, and it’s difficult to know why nobody just bops him over the head or, in the case of the final scenes, throws him overboard. Frankenstein even intervenes when the creature physically confronts Polidori.
Jane Seymour is the female creature, who would seem to be perfect but for the covered thin scar around her neck. All of the men ply for her attention, but she is somewhat creepy, too, as she mimics all of the actions of Frankenstein’s pregnant wife. One eccentric actor who is woefully underutilised in this film is Tom Baker. He plays the ship’s captain but is rather side-lined by the heavy storm and the creature’s antics in the rigging. This would have been only a year or so before he went on to become a household name in Doctor Who. I wouldn’t say this version has many faults, except perhaps that, again, it is too long. It’s a long time since I first saw this, but it holds up very well over time.
Extras include a Film Introduction from James Mason; Off With Her Head – an Interview with Jane Seymour; Victor’s Story – an Interview with Actor Leonard Whiting; Frankenstein’s Diary – A Conversation with Writer Don Bachardy; and a double-sided Fold-Out Poster of the all-new Graham Humphreys Artwork.
Verdict: 7 out of 10
(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2023)
Starring: David Emge, Ken Foree, Scott Reiniger, Gaylen Ross.
Directed by George A. Romero
Second Sight Films
November 2020
A TV station erupts into violence and chaos when an argument breaks-out live on air about whether the dead, who are rising again, should morally be destroyed or saved. However, the point becomes academic when the police and army raid a troublesome tenement block, only to find it running ‘a-dead’ with zombies. A group of four individuals flee the area in a helicopter, but the problem is widespread. Stephen and Francine are a couple from the TV station, and Peter and Roger are crack marksmen. After collecting fuel from an abandoned pump, they land on the roof of a shopping precinct and section-off a protective area. They create a plan to block-off the outside entrances with trucks, and then pick-off the zombies already inside. That leaves the supplies and amenities of the entire shopping centre open to them. However, matters take a turn for the worse when Stephen is bitten, Francine is discovered to be pregnant, and a very large gang of motorcycle raiders turn up...
Dawn of the Dead from 1978 was written and directed by zombie master George A. Romero (he was also credited as Editor), and is certainly his most successful film after the classic The Night of the Living Dead. In fact, many people actually prefer this one. It’s described as a social satire; I don’t know about the ‘social’ part, but it’s certainly satirical. I’m pretty certain the description comes from the plot reasoning that one of the places that unthinking, instinctive undead will automatically head for is the mall – essentially, because it had been a large part of their life. With that logic you would assume they would all head to their individual homes or places of work. Nevertheless, the film balances a fine line between a life and death serious situation caused by a virus, and a fun-filled comedy of gruesome dark humour. The music announces the mood of any given situation, informing us in no uncertain terms what to expect. The soundtrack is by The Goblins (an electronic throbbing beat) and Italian horror movie director Dario Argento (jaunty pieces of juvenile comedy-by-numbers). Argento was also the script consultant. Tom Savini created the excellent Make-up and Special Effects, which went a long way towards making this epic work so well, with some gristly moments in places and blood aplenty. He was also a stuntman on the film, and as an actor played one of the more prominent motorcycle gang leaders.
Second Sight Films has released two Limited Edition collections of the film. One is a 4K UHD set which contains 3 x 4K discs and 1 x Blu-ray disc of extras (plus 3 x Ltd. Ed. CDs). The other (which I am reviewing here) incorporates 4 x Blu-ray discs, 3 x Audio discs, and Boxset additions. The amount of material included is truly phenomenal, so take a deep breath…
Blu-ray Disc 1 contains the Theatrical Cut of the film (127 mins) from a new 4K scan of the Original Camera Negative, supervised and approved by DoP Michael Gornick. The Audio New Restoration is presented in Mono, Stereo and 5.1. There is a Commentary by George A. Romero, Tom Savini and Christine Forrest; a New Commentary by Travis Crawford; and New optional English Subtitles for the hearing impaired.
Blu-ray Disc 2 contains the Extended (‘Cannes’) Cut (137 mins) from a 4K scan of the Theatrical Cut Original Camera Negative and a 4K scan of the Extended Cut Colour Reversal Internegative. There is a DTS-HD Master Audio; a Commentary by Producer Richard P. Rubinstein; and the English Subtitles for the hearing impaired.
Blu-ray Disc 3 contains the Argento Cut (120 mins) from a 4K scan of the Interpositive by Michele De Angelis at Backlight Digital, Rome. There is an Audio DT-HD Master for Mono, Stereo and 5.1; a Commentary by Ken Foree (Peter), Scott Reiniger (Roger), Gaylen Ross (Francine), and David Emge (Stephen); and the New English Subtitles for the hearing impaired.
Blu-ray Disc 4 contains a number of Special Features: A New Feature – Zombies and Bikers; New Feature – Memories of Monroeville: A Tour of the Mall; New Feature – Raising the Dead: The Production Logistics; New Feature – The FX of Dawn, with Tom Savini; New Feature – Dummies! Dummies! An Interview with Richard France; New Feature – The Lost Romero Dawn Interview (previously unreleased); Super 8 Mail Footage by zombie extra Ralph Langer (with optional commentary); Document of the Dead: The Original Cut; Document of the Dead: The Definitive Cut (with optional commentary); The Dead Will Walk 2014 Documentary; Trailers, TV and Radio Spots.
Audio Disc 1 contains the Goblin Soundtrack (17 tracks). Audio Discs 2 and 3 contain Parts 1 & 2 of Dawn of the Dead: A De Wolfe Library Compilation.
The Packaging contains: a Rigid Box with Lid featuring the Original Artwork; Two Inner Digipaks; Dissecting the Dead – a 160 Page Hardback Book featuring 17 new essays, archive article and George A. Romero interview, plus original marketing, artwork and merchandise images and behind-the-scenes stills; Dawn of the Dead: The Novelisation book by George A. Romero and Susanna Sparrow (with exclusive artwork).
Wow! I have watched this movie a handful of times over the years. Personally, I believe it is overly long for the plot, but if you haven’t seen it I would suggest it is definitely worth a look. You’ll be amazed at the amount of extras, the majority of which had to be adorned with various make-up and clothing. The extras on Blu-ray disc 4 add up to a total running time of around 7 hours and 30 minutes. This seems to suggest that the trio of film versions would have fitted comfortably onto two discs rather than three. That aside, for any collector of Romero zombie films, or for individual fans of this one, a collection such of this will be revered. It is a suitable tribute to a sadly departed talent.
Verdict: 8 out of 10
(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2020
Starring: Essie Davis, Noah Wiseman, Hayley McElhinney, Daniel Henshall, Barbara West, Ben Winspear.
Directed by Jennifer Kent
Second Sight Films
June 2021
Amelia struggles to raise her psychologically disturbed son, Samuel. Her husband was killed in a car accident driving her to the hospital to give birth to Samuel. Now, a few years later, Samuel is at school, but his behavioural problems are increasingly more unpredictable. But it isn’t only Samuel who is suffering; Amelia is living on the edge of her nerves, with next to no sleep and constant disruptive daytime events. She has no family to fall back on, and her best friend has distanced herself for the safety of her own children. When Samuel notices a creepy new pop-up book on his shelf called The Babadook it becomes the catalyst for all of his thoughts and actions. He tells his mother that the shadowy figure wants to kill them, but is this statement a result of Samuel’s fevered imagination or is there substance to his words...?
On the face of it, this is just another ghost story wherein a child sees and experiences things which the adult/s cannot perceive (at least until the plot allows them to!). However, there is significantly more going on here than meets the eye. This film is much more about the exploration of Amelia’s state of mind than it is a straight horror film. The dark, spindly gentleman-like figure is very well conceived and intelligently kept on the edge of darkness. The fact that the character is straight out of a pop-up book (or has been re-represented in one) causes you to make an association with something which you might expect from a Tim Burton film. So, the power of the Babadook is maintained by not being fully realised, although ultimately the strength and effectiveness of the creature depends upon the stableness or otherwise of the two main characters.
Essie Davis is quite remarkable in the role of Amelia. Her performance is a rollercoaster ride of grief, tiredness, psychological strain, frustration, anger and love. It is completely believable to the point the viewer is dragged into her downward spiralling distress. It’s indelibly marked on her features, subtly different in each scene as a result of escalating events. It is a case of witnessing Amelia’s weakening mind and her final proved resilience and resolve, with the Babadook merely being the trigger which forces her to thrust out a metaphorical hand and mentally exclaim, “Enough! No more! I’m stronger than this.” It is a pivotal moment and turns this mythological menace into more of a tentative and subdued presence.
Second Sight Films presents a Limited Edition 4K and Blu-ray release with cover artwork by Peter Diamond, a 150-page hardback book, and collector’s art cards. There is an audio commentary, no less than eight interviews with cast and crew, a short film called Monster, a behind-the-scenes making of…, special effects, stunts, the house, and creating the pop-up book. If your preference is for psychological horror, rather than blood and guts, then you’re in for a treat.
Verdict: 8 out of 10
(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2021)
Starring: Peter Cushing, Brit Ekland, Robert Powell, Herbert Lom, Barry Morse, Patrick Magee.
Directed by Roy Ward Baker
Second Sight Films
July 2019
Second Sight Films releases the Amicus portmanteau classic from 1972, Asylum, written by Psycho author Robert Bloch – a prolific writer of short stories – and directed by Roy Ward Baker. This Limited Edition Blu-ray release includes a rigid slipcase featuring new artwork by Graham Humphreys, a 40-page booklet with new essays by Allan Bryce, Jon Towlson and Kat Ellinger, a reversible sleeve featuring new and old artwork, and a host of disc special features.
Doctor Martin (Robert Powell) arrives for a job at an asylum for the incurably insane. He sees Doctor Rutherford and, as a test, is set the task of discovering which inmate used to run the establishment. To do this he is shown systematically into four locked rooms, by Rutherford’s assistant, to hear how each patient came to be there.
In 'Frozen Fear', a man plots to murder his wealthy wife so he can be with his lover. However, she has been learning voodoo practices from a shaman and is wearing a talisman when she is killed, cut into separate pieces and put in a freezer in the cellar. When he checks the freezer later, he is attacked by the limbs which are scattered throughout the cellar and moving towards him. When his lover, Bonnie (Barbara Parkins) – the patient of the asylum – arrives, she herself is attacked by the body pieces and cannot escape the cellar. When an arm grips her from above, she attempts to free herself with an axe, thereby hideously scaring her own face.
This is a standard tale of lust and revenge, but it’s well-told. It is weakened by only one aspect which can hardly fail to reduce you to hysterics. It’s not the fact that the body parts of the wife move by themselves – and a head somehow manages to get from the bottom to the top of the stairs that will make you laugh, it’s the fact that each body part is carefully and meticulously wrapped-up in brown parcel paper and tied with string very attractively. What was he going to do, post them?!
In 'The Weird Tailor', an elderly shop owner cannot afford to pay his rent, so he is delighted when a gentleman (Peter Cushing) arrives with the request for a special suit. It is a strange fabric and there are very specific instructions. When it is finished the tailor delivers it to the man’s house, only to discover the gentleman is himself destitute. The suit is meant for the gentleman’s son who is dead and in a coffin. An extremely rare book has the ritual to bring him back using the suit. The tailor is forced to stop this by killing the gentleman. He returns to the shop with the book and the suit, but his wife puts the suit on a shop mannikin, inadvertently bringing it to life. In the original Robert Bloch short story, more is made of the mannikin that his wife talks to when she is increasingly left alone. This gives added resonance to her displaying the suit on her ‘friend’.
In 'Lucy Comes to Stay', Charlotte Rampling plays Barbara, a periodic asylum patient who is brought back to her brother’s house, along with a new housekeeper who is primarily there to ‘look after’ her. Her mischievous friend Lucy (Britt Ekland) arrives, upsetting Barbara’s mental balance. Barbara is persuaded by Lucy to escape the confines of the house one night, but she soon discovers that Lucy has killed the brother and the housekeeper. The only thing is, no one has heard of or seen Lucy. This one works well as a psychological piece. There were talks about making this the first segment, because there is little horror content and putting it at the start of the film would allow the tension and horror to be progressively racked-up. But it was decided a more visual horror tale should pique the audience attention.
In 'Mannikins of Horror', Herbert Lom plays Dr Byron, a gifted surgeon who constructs a collection of mini-automatons with the likenesses of people who have wronged him in the past. His masterpiece, however, is one with his own features and bodily organs. He uses the power of his mind to transfer his essence into it, with the sole intention of killing Doctor Rutherford and taking his place. You would not expect Herbert Lom to be in a horror film, but it works very well. There is a climatic scene to tie it all together, as the automaton dispatches Rutherford, and the visiting Doctor Martin discovers who used to run the asylum. I won’t give that information away.
This is a veritable who’s who of big names. Aside from the aforementioned Peter Cushing (who brought life to everything he was in – and I don’t just mean Frankenstein!), Charlotte Rampling, Britt Ekland, Herbert Lom, Robert Powell and Barbara Parkins, there is Patrick Magee, Barry Morse, Sylvia Syms, Richard Todd, and the wonderful Geoffrey Bayldon. I should also mention Douglas Gamley, who composed and conducted the suitably dark and atmospheric music.
There is a nice little collection of special features on the disc, including: an Audio Commentary with Roy Ward Baker and camera operator Neil Binney; a 1972 On Set BBC Report with interviews with Producer Milton Subotsky, Roy Ward Baker, Charlotte Rampling, James Villiers, Megs Jenkins, Art Director Tony Curtis and Production Manager Teresa Bolland; Screenwriter David J. Schow on Writer Robert Bloch (this is the most informative extra – it’s only 20 minutes but the sheer amount of interesting data relayed is truly staggering); Inside The Fear Factory is about the Amicus company; Fiona Subotsky Remembers Milton Subotsky, and there is a Theatrical Trailer.
Verdict: 9 out of 10
(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2019)
Starring: Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, Denholm Elliott, Ingrid Pitt, Nyree Dawn Porter, Jon Pertwee.
Directed by Peter Duffell
Second Sight Films
July 2019
Second Sight Films releases the Amicus portmanteau classic from 1970, The House That Dripped Blood, written by Psycho author Robert Bloch – a prolific writer of short stories – and debut directed by Peter Duffell. This Limited Edition Blu-ray Edition includes a rigid slipcase featuring new artwork by Graham Humphreys, a 40-page booklet with new essays by Allan Bryce, Jon Towlson and Kat Ellinger, and a reversible poster featuring new and original artwork. Police Detective Holloway (John Bennett) is called in from Scotland Yard by a local police sergeant to investigate the grisly events that have taken place at a mansion house available for rent. One by one, the tales are relayed to the dismissive Holloway...
In Method for Murder, Denholm Elliot plays Charles, a horror writer who finds the house the ideal seclusion to write his next book. He creates a twisted killer called Dominic, seeing the man so vividly in his mind’s eye that he sketches his likeness. But when he begins to see the man in reality in and around the house, his wife suggests he see a psychiatrist. The idea is to send Charles mad and have him committed. However, his wife’s lover – who has made himself up to resemble the sketch depiction – has mentally taken on the role of the mad killer. He murders not only the psychiatrist, but Charles too, before returning to strangle Charles’s wife.
In Waxworks, Peter Cushing plays Phillip, who rents the house to relax, read and listen to music. When he pays a visit to the nearest town he finds a waxwork lookalike of his lost love. Rogers is an old rival in love to her and, when he sees the waxwork, he can’t stop going back. The woman was murdered by her husband who turns out to be the proprietor. Both Phillip and Rogers come to a grisly end as exhibits. A nice build-up of suspense, but with a somewhat rushed cop-out ending.
In Sweets to the Sweet, the Christopher Lee character brings his young daughter Jane to the house. He hires Mrs Norton, a private teacher for her (played by Nyree Dawn Porter). The girl’s father is very strict and doesn’t allow her toys, but Jane is brought out of her shell a little by the teacher, who also tells her to respect fire rather than fear it. The girl’s father, it turns out, is afraid of his daughter as he was her mother. She is a witch and finds books in the study to brush-up on the craft. She fashions a doll from candle wax and torments her father by sticking it with a pin. He suffers great pain, but the doctor can find nothing wrong. When he finally reveals Jane’s nature to Mrs Norton, the little girl is one step ahead and throws the wax doll into the fire.
In Curse of the Bloodsuckers, Jon Pertwee plays horror film star Paul Henderson. He despises the cheapness of the sets and props of the vampire film he is working on (“Frankenstein, Phantom of the Opera, Dracula… Bela Lugosi, of course, not the new fellow.”). He finds a much more authentic cloak at the Hartmann Theatrical Costumers. It is heavier, with red lining. Von Hartmann (played by Catweazle, the wonderful Geoffrey Bayldon) seems glad to be rid of the thing. Henderson soon realises he can’t be seen in a mirror when he puts it on. He also grows fangs and rises up into the air. But when he inadvertently really bites his co-star Carla (played by Ingrid Pitt), he locks the thing in a closet. However, he hasn’t counted on Carla’s interest in the cloak.
The Scotland Yard detective finally visits the house – at night, no less – and gets the trouble he has invited. In the basement he finds a coffin and is attacked by the Pertwee Henderson vampire. He manages to stake it, but then is assaulted by the beautiful Pitt Carla vampire. It is a truly hammy ending to what is a fun and enjoyable – if pretty much horror-by-numbers affair. The first segment is probably the best and least corny of the four, but even the climax of that one is rushed.
Extras include: Two Audio Commentaries (one with the Director and horror historian Jonathan Rigby, the other with author Troy Howarth); Interview with Second Assistant Director Mike Higgins; A Rated Horror Film – a featurette containing interviews with the director and actors Geoffrey Bayldon, Ingrid Pitt, and Chloe Franks; there are also trailers and a stills gallery. There are several other great portmanteau horror films from Amicus and Hammer; hopefully, we’ll see new releases on Blu-ray for all of them. And what about a boxset?
Verdict: 8 out of 10
(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2019)
Starring: Peter Cushing, Shane Briant, David Prowse, Madaline Smith, John Stratton.
Directed by Terence Fisher
Second Sight Films
August 2022
Young Doctor Simon Helder acquires the writings of notorious surgeon Baron Frankenstein and emulates his studies. After being ratted-on by a graverobber, Helder is committed to an insane asylum, the same one in which Frankenstein apparently died after being discovered performing gristly experiments on stolen corpses. However, after a misunderstanding with the facility’s director, he is placed with the mysterious Doctor Victor. It isn’t long before Helder realises Frankenstein is alive and well and continuing with his outlawed unorthodox experiments...
Frankenstein and the Monster From Hell holds a special place in my memory, not the least of reasons being I used to follow a local band years ago called Baron Victor and the Monsters From Hell. This film was shot in 1972 but not released until two years later. By then it was said that Hammer Films had run its course, and the signs were there to see: This was the last of eight outings for the Frankenstein character, and the seventh with Peter Cushing in the pivotal role. Cushing had starred in many horror movies for Hammer but, not only was he ageing with the unfulfilled idea he would be replaced by Shane Briant – as Ralph Bates was being shaped to replace Christopher Lee – also Cushing’s wife had recently died and it was felt he had become more reclusive. The horror became a little more graphic during this time, some critics even venturing as far as to opine the standard had dropped and could not compete with the new movie blockbusters. This must surely mean Frankenstein and the Monster From Hell is a derisory affair and not worth the viewing time… Right?
Not a bit of it. The accusation couldn’t be further from the truth. The creature in the film is shown in the form of a beastly neanderthal who had been one of the asylum’s patients but with the brain of a professor. It was played by Dave Prowse (Darth Vader/The Green Cross Code Man), the only actor to have played the creature more than once in the eight films. He apparently struck up quite a friendship with Peter Cushing, and both would appear in Star Wars just a few years later. As for Cushing, although he had recently lost his rock in life, his performance – as always – was meticulous and exquisite. It would have been impossible to replace the sheer presence and acting prowess of Cushing and Lee. It was a common opinion of fellow actors that Cushing was always a calm, friendly and accommodating gentleman. Briant is solid in the film, but a valid replacement for Cushing? I don’t think so.
This was Hammer mainstay director Terrence Fisher’s final film for the company. He had suffered recent car accidents and ill health, though this outing was far from going through the motions. It is handled with aplomb. His decision to set the film in the Regency period is inspired; it really works, bringing the costumes and settings alive. This film is also strident with colourful actors and both interesting and quirky characters. Aside from the aforementioned Cushing and Prowse, there is Patrick Troughton as the Bodysnatcher, the lovely Madeline Smith as Sarah the mute aid to Frankenstein, John Stratton as the Asylum Director, Charles Lloyd-Pack as Professor Durendel, and Sydney Bromley as Muller who thinks he is God.
The Special Edition release of this Blu-ray comes with a Rigid Slipcase and New Artwork by Graham Humpreys. There is a Soft Cover Book with New Essays by Kat Ellinger, Lindsay Hallam Kevin Lyons, plus Production Stills. There are Four Collectors’ Art Cards; a New Audio Commentary by Film Academic Kat Ellinger; an Archive Audio Commentary by Shane Briant, Madeline Smith and film historian Marcus Hearn; An Appreciation of Frankenstein and the Monster From Hell by David Huckdale; The Music of Frankenstein and the Monster From Hell; Taking Over the Asylum; Charming Evil: Terence Fisher at Hammer; a Stills Gallery; and a Choice of Aspect Ratios for the film.
For anyone into Hammer Horror – and there are a lot of us! – this release is virtually indispensable. It has been lovingly assembled, the new artwork is fantastic and there are plenty of extras with which to relive the era. Enjoy.
Verdict: 9 out of 10
(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2022)
Starring: Jonathan French, Leila Sykes, Ben Caplan, Conor Dwane.
Directed by Damian McCarty
Acorn media International
February 2022
Isaac is an out of work man who struggles to recall a traumatic moment in his recent past. His shady friend/landlord Barret offers a lifeline to get him on his feet financially. The job is to babysit Barret’s adult niece Olga for a few days. If it isn’t enough of a condition that the old house wherein Olga resides is on an otherwise uninhabited small island – frightening for a man who can’t swim – but the real caveat is that he must be locked into a chained harness restricting his movement to certain rooms to protect the psychologically disturbed Olga, who is plagued by a gruesome past. An edgy game of cat and mouse takes place between the two, with Isaac attempting to turn the tables. But everyone has a past. Who is the real innocent? And what part does Barret play in it all...?
It's not surprising that the cover of this release sells the product on the creepy-looking hare. Do you remember those wind-up monkeys which beat on a drum? This is the same sort of thing but with a hare looking like a cross between the humanoid one in Donnie Darko and the old moth-eaten but, frankly, terrifying Hartley Hare from children’s TV's Pipkins from way back. It is truly the most effective asset to the film, utilised as a trigger of psychic activity. So, yes, there is a hint of ghostly presence, but it plays a small part compared with the mainstay psychological horror. I’m not certain that Caveat squeezes the required tension out of a potentially claustrophobic situation; however, it does surprise you with unexpected edgy moments. One such example is when Isaac escapes into the boarded area in the basement. Olga is on the other side and he needs to keep quiet, but that is when he sees the body next to him which appears to have moved every time he looks at it. His reaction is both humorous and chilling.
Caveat is the latest in a number of mostly impressive horror releases from Shudder. It should be applauded for being original in its format and compelling viewing. The story really ramps-up when the amnesiac Isaac begins to recall his mind-blocked past. This is when we ultimately learn more about the characters, and we discover that one is innocent, one guilty, and one guilty through innocence. I won’t spoil it by saying which is which. I would say this is well worth watching – even though I have questions about the ending. I look forward to reviewing more Shudder Original releases.
Special Features include a Director’s Commentary (Damian McCarthy), a Producer’s Commentary and Storyboards.
Verdict: 8 out of 10
(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2022)
Starring: Vincent Price, Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, John Carradine.
Directed by Pete Walker
Fabulous Films Ltd/Fremantle Media
March 2022
A young American novelist is in England to promote his latest book. At the launch, his publisher challenges him to write a bestselling novel in twenty-four hours. A long-abandoned mansion house deep in the countryside is recommended to create the appropriate atmosphere to write a spooky tale. No sooner has he taken position in front of his typewriter in an upstairs room than he becomes aware of a presence in the house. A strict elderly couple purport to be the caretakers, and furthermore they are expecting guests. One by one, three spine-chilling, menacing and somewhat daunting figures arrive. Immediately, their imposing characters clash. But is there more going on than meets the eye? All but one appear to know each other, and the other is not what he seems. But just who or what has been sealed behind a heavily locked door for decades...?
This fun horror flick from 1983, helmed by horror/exploitation director Pete Walker, is based on the Earl Derr Biggers 1913 novel Seven Keys to Baldpate. The film is doubtless much better known for its prestigious cast than the script – although it can be said that all of the actors are given opportunity to shine, and the plot seems to motor along to its major twist of a conclusion. The film company wanted to go all-out by securing the screen talents of Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi. When Walker pointed out they were dead, interest moved to the next era: namely that of Hammer and Amicus Films. It’s a momentous occasion, as this is the first and last time we get to enjoy the magnificent splendour of four icons of horror on the same bill. Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee had already worked together on many films and were close friends. Vincent Price and John Carradine had likewise worked together. The consensus of opinion is they all got on like a house on fire – even though they were all very different people, and there was some tongue-in-cheek one-upmanship behind the scenes.
It’s probably not giving too much away after this amount of years to reveal that the main characters make-up the Grisbane family, the original owners of the house. Cushing, described by the whole crew as a lovely man and a kind soul, plays Sebastian with a speech impediment to enhance the character’s nervous quality. Price, who put everyone at their ease, and was considered to be a very intelligent and knowledgeable man, plays his brother Lionel, a very grand and articulate character – the centre of attention, you might say. Carradine was said to be elderly and not entirely well at the time. During a panning shot he was seen to be asleep, but as the camera reached him he lifted his head and spoke his lines with suitable aplomb. I consider his performance to be very fine, playing the father Lord Grisbane with a quiet authority. Lee was always a dark and imposing figure; like Roger Delgado, he produced chills just by looking at him. He obviously played on this a great deal but, nevertheless, was a formal gentleman from a bygone age. Here he plays the manor’s new owner Corrigan (and something else) with a certain impatience and irritability. It’s easy to see why when the audience discovers more about the character.
Another big name to grace the cast is Richard Todd, who plays the jovial publisher Sam Allyson. Sheila Keith, who plays Victoria Grisbane the mother, was well-known to Pete Walker, having been cast in the roles of various bizarre and sadistic characters in a handful of his previous films – including House of Whipcord, Frightmare, and House of Mortal Sin. Her turn on the piano in this one is priceless – being one-third beautiful, two-thirds hilarious. Perhaps more known to American audiences was Desi Arnaz – from I Love Lucy, with ex-wife Lucille Ball. Here he is pretty solid as Kenneth Magee the writer. Considering he is the key character, it’s curious he seems to take most weird situations in his stride – particularly bearing in mind the denouement. In particular, Vincent Price - convincing in every portrayal I’ve seen – is given some wonderfully extravagant lines. It’s as if the scriptwriter was pushing to find his limits, only to discover the great man didn’t have any when it came to acting ability.
The director once did the film a huge injustice by describing House of the Long Shadows as “… not as bad as I thought.” If you take the film in the intended spirit – grandiose, fun, and quirky – it’s extremely rewarding. And let’s not forget this is a piece of history. Extras include an Audio Commentary by Pete Walker and Derek Pykett; Pete Walker’s House of Horror; House of the Long Shadows…Revisited (an in-depth return to the location with extensive interviews); Photo Gallery, Trailer; and a Double-Sided Poster of the New Graham Humphreys Artwork.
Verdict: 9 out of 10
(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2022)
Starring: David Arquette, Adrienne Barbeau, Tobin Bell, Jeffrey Combs, Big Boi, Kid Cudi, Bruce Davison.
Directed by Greg Nicotero
Acorn Media
September 2023
Acorn Media International releases Season 1 of the Shudder Original series, Creepshow. This is an updated version of the 1982 horror anthology film and its two sequels by George Romero and author Stephen King, this time with new tales from notable names in the industry. Showrunner Greg Nicotero (Executive Producer of The Walking Dead) has split this series into six episodes, with two segments per episode – so, that’s twelve scary stories in total. They are presented across two Blu-ray discs, with an impressive overall running time of 265 minutes. Of course, the legacy of Creepshow extends much further back than the 1980s films; its origins are in the E.C. horror comics of the 1950s. Accordingly, we have the resident Ghoul introducing the segments with no more than an evil chuckle and a pointed indication of animated representations of these aforementioned comics. We see the adverts for monster masks and other items for sale, before the aspect moves to the comicbook introduction of the story in question. One frame becomes live and, abruptly, we are plunged into the live action tale.
Episode one begins with Gray Matter. A group of locals take refuge in a tiny shop from a storm. A boy arrives to buy a crate of beer for his dad who, he tells them, has changed. He is frightened and doesn’t want to return. Whilst the chief of police and Doc walk to the man’s house, we hear the backstory as told to the shopkeeper (Adrienne Barbeau, of John Carpenter’s The Fog, and Escape From New York). The visitors soon realise the beer has turned the boy’s father into a monster of a different kind. The House of the Head is one of the best stories in this collection. It’s a masterclass of how to be sinister on a moderate budget. A young girl has a one-of-a-kind dollhouse. The family of figures inside are haunted by a monstrous decapitated doll’s head. The figures move whenever the girl isn’t looking – even if she glances away for a moment. Horrific events escalate to the point the girl feels forced to intervene.
Bad Wolf Down has WW2 soldiers trapped inside an abandoned police station by Nazis. Their only salvation rests on the forgotten prisoner in the cells. Inspired by Dog Soldiers, perhaps. In The Finger, a lonely man collects random objects. This includes a severed finger which grows into a lizard creature that needs to be fed human parts. In All Hallows Eve, five trick or treat kids call themselves the Golden Dragons. Each year they kill a member of a family, but they are ghosts and this is their final victim: perpetrators of a Halloween prank which went devastatingly wrong. The Man in the Suitcase has a student discover a man squeezed impossibly into a suitcase. Whenever the man is caused pain, gold coins are produced, tempting the student into violent torture. But the man will have his revenge.
In The Companion (by Joe R. Lansdale – check out Bubba Ho-Tep, a boy is chased to a farm by his violent, bullying brother. Here he finds a hideous scarecrow which comes to life. We see the farmer’s backstory with the scarecrow and, in the present, the boy utilises it to attack his brother. In Lydia Layne’s Better Half, a woman corporate boss passes over her girlfriend for promotion and is killed by her in retribution. She attempts to smuggle the body out but gets trapped in the lift. The body then comes back to life. In Night of the Paw (based on The Monkey’s Paw), a woman suffers a car accident and finds herself in a funeral home. The mortician has a monkey’s paw which allows three wishes. She misuses the paw to bring her murdered husband back but brings alive all the dead bodies as zombies. In Times is Tough in Musky Holler, a ruthless businessman uses the zombie apocalypse to become mayor and drive out all of the honest politicians and policemen with twisted torture games. However, the tables are turned as retribution is sought.
In Skincrawlers (by Joe Hill), a miraculous weight loss procedure is unveiled. One man holds back, undecided, but is later selected to promote the transformation on live TV. However, before it begins, there is a solar eclipse which triggers a complete structural breakdown of those who have undergone the procedure – revealing carnivorous leeches and a larger version of the creature that the reluctant man is forced to fight for survival. In By the Silver Water of Lake Champlain, a teenager attempts to continue her father’s work when he was killed proving the existence of a mythical lake beast nicknamed Champ. She endures regular abuse from her sadistic stepfather but has the last laugh when the creature arrives at a critical moment.
Creepshow is a great return to anthology shows of old. The constant connection to the ghoul Creep and the animated comics keep you invested. It’s an eclectic mix well worth checking out and will instantly appeal to horror fans.
Verdict: 8 out of 10
(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2023)
Starring: Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, Yvonne Furneaux.
Directed by Terence Fisher
Second Sight Films
August 2022
The hidden tomb of the Egyptian Princess Ananka is discovered by John Banning, his father and his uncle. However, John cannot enter the tomb because of his injured leg. His father suffers a seizure inside and blabbers insanely about a mummy and the theft of the Scroll of Life. His father is eventually institutionalised, but even here he is not safe because an Egyptian who had warned them not to enter the tomb has animated Kharis, protector and ultimately avenger of the tomb's desecrators...
This 1959 film was Hammer's third major monster movie, after The Curse of Frankenstein and the excellent Horror of Dracula. At only 60 minutes, this example must have been the shortest of their releases. That's not necessarily a bad thing; the script is short and to the point, and even caters for a flashback to the princess's pilgrimage, death and laying to rest. Some, however, may argue this particular scene is a little long, as it utilises a large percentage of the over-all running time.
Christopher Lee (who else?) is seen as Kharis performing the rituals and sealing the tomb. It transpires that Kharis was in love with Ananka and secretly desecrates the tomb himself in an attempt to revive her using the Scroll of Life. For the crime he is bandaged-up and stuffed in a cupboard for all eternity, guarding her resting place and ready to punish other desecrators.
Lee is simply superb as the mummy of the title, emerging spectacularly from a bog after an accident in transportation, and staggering/lurching menacingly but unsteadily, obviously not used to this walking lark. His performance as the Mummy is very convincing, considering he never utters a single word (a little difficult, I should imagine, having had his tongue cut out). A marvellous acting performance, displaying certain emotions with only his eyes.
The scene where he breaks into a cell in the sanatorium from outside has the appearance of being well-choreographed. It's quick and brutal. The camera stops short of showing the mummy exit by getting a leg-up the wall to the high window, which would have been so humorous I'd have paid good money to see it. I think this is the most convincing look and portrayal I've seen of a cinematic mummy. The Mummy/Mummy Returns and the Tom Cruise Version of more recent years have no style in comparison. The gothic period setting additionally aids the overall impression.
Peter Cushing was the consummate professional in every part he played for Hammer films and beyond. Although he pretty much has the central protagonist role here, the short running time and the fifteen-minute flashback means that Lee steals much of the limelight – both as the mummy and the priest in love with Ananka. The wonderful Michael Ripper is always worth a mention. He appeared in more films for Hammer than any other actor: in excess of 30! His bit parts are always a delight to behold. In this one he plays a poacher.
As I’ve watched this film several times over the years, reviewed the DVD release way back in 2004 and the previous Blu-ray in 2013, let’s concentrate on the special features. The 2-DVD 1-Blu-ray format of last time is dispensed with in favour of a single Blu-ray Special Edition from Second Sight Films. There is a Rigid Slipcase depicting New Artwork by Graham Humphreys, a Soft Cover Book with New Essays, and Five Collector’s Art Cards. Again, the movie is available in the aspect ratios of 1:66:1 and 1:37:1. There is New Audio Commentary by film academic Kelly Robinson, and a previously available commentary by Marcus Hearn and Jonathan Rigby, who are Hammer experts/historians.
Unwrapping the Mummy – The Making of a Hammer Classic, is an entertaining previously available documentary, as is The Hammer Rep Company (which describes the bit players who returned time and again), and the excellent The House of Horror: Memories of Bray, another documentary following the rise and fall of Bray Studios (this is the extras highlight for me; 45 minutes, and the family atmosphere just shines through). The World of Hammer Episode included last time around is dropped in favour of the new mini documentary The Music of The Mummy. There is a Stills Gallery and the Original Promo Reel. Lastly, there is An Appreciation of The Mummy by David Huckvale.
You could pick holes in this like any movie: Why does John Banning repeatedly place himself in harm’s way? Why do the characters continue shooting at the mummy when they immediately recognise it is having no effect? If Banning’s wife is the image of Ananka whom Kharis secretly loved, why does he not whisk her off from the start, rather than waste time killing the desecrators of the tomb? But these are trivial matters. The truth is The Mummy is one of Hammer’s better projects. It is beautifully filmed, with sumptuous sets and bold, lavish colours – to the extent of lighting scenes to depict atmosphere (greens within the tomb and red water reflecting death, for example). So, there is plenty to please the enthusiast. In fact, this should take pride in any horror or mainstream film collection.
Verdict: 10 out of 10
(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2022)
Starring: Simon Baker, Dennis Hopper, Asia Argento, Robert Joy.
Directed by George A Romero
Fabulous Films Ltd/Fremantle Media
February 2021
In a society where zombies comprise the vast majority of the population, the high echelons of wealthy but mostly decadent unaffected people live in a walled city – and in particular one vast skyscraper. Those with no money or belongings live in squalor at street level. Riley (Simon Baker) and his crew operate the heavily armoured and weaponised Dead Reckoning vehicle. They cross the water which protects the city into the dangerous chaotic environment of the undead, to collect supplies for Kaufman (Dennis Hopper), but also – unbeknown to him – those in need on the streets. However, the zombies have evolved. The normal diversionary tactics don’t work anymore, and - lead by a large individual nicknamed ‘Big Daddy’ – they have devised the simplest means of crossing the water and entering the city...
With Night of the Living Dead (1968), George A. Romero not only unknowingly made an all-time cult classic horror film but also set the template for a multitude of zombie films to follow. Land of the Dead (2005) was the fourth of Romero’s six ‘Dead’ movies, following Dawn of the Dead (1978) and Day of the Dead (1985). He would go on to make Diary of the Dead (2007) and Survival of the Dead (2009). Whereas Night of the Living Dead reportedly cost $114,000 Land of the Dead was his largest budget studio-backed film, coming in at just short of $19 million. It became one of Romero’s biggest box office successes, and he jokingly stated that Dennis Hopper’s cigar budget came to more than that of the first ‘Dead’ movie. Romero, a renowned amiable chap, was so impressed by the pastiche zombie comedy Shaun of the Dead, that he gave actor/co-writer Simon Pegg and actor/director/co-writer Edgar Wright cameo parts in Land of the Dead as zombies chained-up in a night club for the well-to-do to have their pictures taken with. I love the fact that Romero turned down the offer to direct The Walking Dead TV series, correctly citing the show as a soap opera with zombies.
I was a keen follower of The Mentalist TV series, so it’s nice to see Simon Baker as the main protagonist in quite a different role. There is something to be said about each of the Dead Reckoning crew. John Leguizamo plays Cholo suitably self-centredly, Pedro Miguel Arce is great as the strong man soldier of little words, and the tough Slack is played by Asia Argento – Italian horror director Dario’s daughter. The film is mainly constructed for real, with actors, make-up, and animatronics. CGI was only used for the skyscraper and backgrounds for zombie crowd scenes. It’s also worth mentioning that effects wizard and actor Tom Savini has a cameo in the film as the same zombie character he played in Dawn of the Dead.
There is a veritable cornucopia of special features on this Fabulous Films two-disc Blu-ray set. So, here we go (deep breath): Disc 1/ The Theatrical Version of the film; Cholo’s Reckoning – An Interview with actor John Leguizamo; Charlie’s Story – An Interview with actor Robert Joy; The Pillsbury Actor – An Interview with Pedro Miguel Arce; Four of the Apocalypse – An Interview with actors Eugene Clark, Jennifer Baxter, Boyd Banks and Jasmin Geljo; Theatrical Trailer; Dream of the Dead Documentary (an independent behind-the-scenes production); Dream of the Dead with Audio Commentary by director Roy Frumkes; and Deleted Scenes from Dream of the Dead.
Disc 2/ Unrated Version of the Feature; Feature Commentary with director George A. Romero, producer Peter Grunwald and editor Michael Doherty; Feature Commentary with zombie performers Matt Blazi, Glena Chao, Michael Felsher and Rob Mayr; When Shaun Met George (the travelling and on-set experiences of Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright as zombies in the film); Bringing the Dead to Life (an entertaining exploration of the make-up, effects and animatronics); Scenes of Carnage; Zombie Effects: From Green Screen to Finished Scene; Scream Tests: Zombie Casting Call; Bringing the Storyboards to Life; Undead Again: The Making of Land of the Dead; A Day with the Living Dead; Reversible Sleeve cover with All New Artwork by Graham Humphreys.
Aside from my appreciation of the ground-breaking The Night of the Living Dead, I’m not a big lover of zombie films simply because they nearly all follow the same dull premise. Of course, there will always be exceptions, such as 28 Days Later, 30 Days of Night, and a handful of others. George A. Romero’s ‘Dead’ films are always worth watching, as there is more action, better characterisation and attention to detail. They are visceral but always have a strong direction. There’s an original slant in each one – a sort of evolution or progression – and a gritty realism. In other words, you care about what’s going on. Like the recent Dawn of the Dead set, Romero fans will treasure this new Blu-ray release. These are proving to be a fitting tribute to the zombie master. Hopefully, his other ‘Dead’ films will receive the same loving treatment.
Verdict: 9 out of 10
(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2021)
Starring: Vincent Price, Hazel Court, Jane Asher.
Directed by Roger Corman
Studio canal
January 2021
The cruel and decadent Prince Prospero (Vincent Price) returns to his castle through a peasant village. They tell him an old Grandmother (Sarah Brackett) met a holy man who explained that their release from tyranny is at hand. Prospero decides to have some sport with the people and orders the village burnt to the ground. He also kidnaps the beautiful Francesca (Jane Asher) whose unyielding faith fascinates him. But the old woman had the Red Death, and the disease ravages the land. The nobles the prince has invited to the castle are effectively trapped under the ‘protection’ of Prospero. The evil man is selfish beyond comparison, and in league with dark forces. Even his current consort Juliana (Hazel Court) fears for her position with the presence of young Francesca. But who or what is the curious figure in forbidden red (John Westbrook) amidst the colourful costumes of the masque ball? Prospero believes it serves his master; however, death has no master...
The Masque of the Red Death is based on the short story by classic horror legend Edgar Allan Poe. In this remarkable film adaptation from 1964, director and co-producer Roger Corman incorporates another Poe short, utilising the story of Hop-Frog to create another plot strand and shocking false denouement during the masque ball. This is very well realised. Corman himself was a regular presence during the 1950s with Science Fiction Monster B-Movies such as Attack of the Crab Monsters, It Conquered the World, Day the World Ended, War of the Satellites, and many others. A higher level was attained from 1960 when Corman persuaded AIP to lavish more money on what would be the first of his Poe adaptations, The House of Usher (from Fall of the House of Usher), in colour with higher production values. On the success of this he was asked to do a sequel, and so followed Usher with other quality Poe stories such as The Pit and the Pendulum (which he had to beef-up, as only the final scene was Poe), Tales of Terror (two Poe classics), and The Raven.
Corman had used Vincent Price (House on Haunted Hill, House of Wax, Witchfinder General, The Abominable Dr Phibes, and many more) as the main protagonist in all of these features. He recognised a talent well before the man became more of a horror star. It has been said that Price’s strongest role is as Prospero in The Masque of the Red Death; however, I have to say I’ve viewed a number of his movies and never seen him give less than a hundred percent. I do agree that the best films in this Corman/Poe run is this one and The Tomb of Ligeia, which followed. Masque was always a good film, but I have to say that after this 4K restoration by Martin Scorsese’s Film Foundation and The Academy (with funding from the Hobson/Lucas Family Foundation) – it has never looked more stunningly compelling. Nicolas Roeg’s cinematography is more than remarkable. The rich and vibrant colours explode from the screen, and are particularly effective in the different hued rooms, the robes of the death-bringers and, of course, the masque ball itself. This is a film which gets on with telling the story and is all the stronger for it.
On this Blu-ray set, released by Studio Canal, there are two versions of the film on offer: the Theatrical Cut, and the Restored Extended Cut. The latter reinstates a number of censored scenes which were cut from the original film – including Juliana’s nightmarish dream sequence. The attractive packaging includes a 20-page booklet with a new essay from the Academy’s film preservationist, Tessa Idlewine, and 4 art cards from the restoration. Special Features include an Audio Commentary with Kim Newman and Sean Hogan; Colour and Censorship in The Masque of the Red Death: Interview with Professor Keith Johnston; and a Behind the Scenes Stills Gallery. There is also a lengthy and highly interesting feature, Roger Corman: In Conversation with (film critic and author) Kim Newman at the BFI. It’s interesting and somewhat amusing to note the differences in temperament between the two. Newman excitable and expressive, and Corman relaxed and composed.
This review might be emerging slightly later than I would have wished, but it’s important to offer due reverence to what’s on offer. A detailed review is always going to be more informative than the scant few sentences given by some periodicals. There is much to appreciate here; the film itself is stylish and crisp. Whether you are a classic horror fan or a mainstream film collector, you could do worse than to add this to your collection.
“And darkness and decay and the Red Death held illimitable dominion over all.” - Edgar Allan Poe.
Verdict: 10 out of 10
(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2021)
Starring: Lonnie Chavis, Ezra Dewey, Kristin Bauer van Straten, Micah Hauptman & Scott Michael Foster.
Directed by David Charbonier & Justin Powell
Acorn Media International
May 2022
Two twelve-year-old boys are abducted on their way home from school and driven to an isolated house in an unknown location. While Kevin is shackled in a locked upstairs room whilst unconscious, Bobby wakes up within the confines of a car boot. Finally managing to kick his way, free he hears the cry of his best friend, who is undoubtedly incarcerated and in unknown peril in the house. He weighs going for help with the possibility of returning too late, before surreptitiously entering the house and watching events. As he moves around the house, he discovers there is a dangerous man and woman present with an unknown but violent agenda. Bobby will do anything to rescue his friend, but will it be enough...?
There are a number of ways in which you can describe this film. A game of cat and mouse, perhaps. It’s certainly a horror, which it is primarily promoted as; but I would classify it as more of a thriller in the same manner that Psycho straddles the two. I thought this was going to be a very slow burner, and it is to a point. But it’s worth sticking with as The Boy Behind the Door is very well structured by debut writing/directing duo David Charbonier and Justin Powell. There is a smooth choreography of the players and the house itself, which almost comes across as a character in itself with hidden secrets. The analogy of a little bit of the rope being played-out at a time comes to mind. In other words, there is always something intriguing happening, and the tension is ramped-up in stages.
Lonnie Chavis definitely requires a special mention here, as he carries the majority of the film single-handedly. The story is from Bobby’s perspective and, unlike many young characters in horror movies, is intelligent and level-headed. It is a refreshing angle. That’s not to say he doesn’t have his breakdown moment, which is significantly more natural than constantly going to pieces like in some flicks. The fact he constantly has something to do or to react to is down to the taut writing and direction, but just as much down to the actor. He acts his way through this one with aplomb – totally reeling the audience in and putting them on edge from the start – and so, correspondingly, deserves many plaudits. This may be a name to look out for in the near future.
It's great to receive another Shudder original horror Blu-ray for review from Acorn Media International; the majority of which have been excellent entertainment. Yes, there are some unanswered questions, but on this occasion, it is kind of the point. Abductees wouldn’t necessarily know the reasoning behind their captors, or indeed have the whole story. The inference, however, is that it is for the entertainment of a hidden audience – as payment changes hand early on and there are cameras in a handful of locations within the house. Either way, it is a clever, nail-biting idea to have pre-teenage boys as the protagonists.
Verdict: 9 out of 10
(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2022)
Starring: Stefanie Scott, Isabelle, Fuhrman, Judith Roberts, Rory Culkin
Directed by Edoardo Vitaletti
Acorn Media International
September 2022
Set in 1843 at Southold, New York, a young woman has been raised in a repressively religious and eerily claustrophobic household. She finds brief happiness in the arms of the family maid, Eleanor. However, when her actions are witnessed by family members who are convinced they are acting on God’s behalf, she is severely punished – along with Eleanor – over lengthy periods of time. These cruel acts are universally orchestrated by a wicked grandmother dressed in black. Desperation forces the two young women to take matters into their own hands with devastating effects, as the arrival of a stranger severely complicates the situation. But does the grandmother represent God or something entirely more evil...?
Acorn Media International releases the Shudder Original DVD release of The Last Thing Mary Saw. It features Isabelle Fuhrman (a horror regular) of Orphan, Rory Culkin of Signs, Stephanie Scott of Insidious 3, and Judith Roberts of Orange is the New Black and You Were Never Really Here. The film premiered at the 2021 Fantasia International Film Festival.
The opening sees Mary, with her eyes put out and a cloth tied around her eyes, standing in front of a handful of men who question her and demand she recite holy scriptures. A rifle is pointed at her the entire time, as if the men are afraid of her. We are then thrown into the backstory of how Mary reached this point. It’s a slow burner and I’m not certain the balance is quite right, but it does have its set-piece moments. I won’t give anything away, though there is a death which should have been heart-breaking to one character and is virtually shrugged-off in one minute. The grandmother is a powerful figure; commanding, without having to do very much. A sort of demonic matriarch.
It's necessary to pick the plot out from the discarded bones, to realise what has actually been witnessed. This is not to say it is without merit, merely that some scenes are rather slow and tedious and others compelling. Only afterwards is it understood these scenes are actually required to complete the whole. The lovely Isabelle Fuhrman injects more character into the maid Eleanor than most of the rest of the cast put together – even though she says very little. So, it’s a mixed bag. But a bag worth opening and taking a peek inside.
Verdict: 7 out of 10
(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2022)
Starring: Maxi Ghione, Norberto Gonzalo, Elvira Onetto, George L. Lewis.
Directed by Demian Rugna
Acorn media International
September 2021
Acorn Media International in association with Shudder releases Terrified for the first time on Blu-ray in the UK. When a man’s wife is killed in the shower by an unknown force repeatedly impacting her head on the walls, he is arrested. However, three elderly experts in the field of paranormal psychology believe his story and want to know more. Apparently, this is far from being an isolated incident. At least four houses are affected on a suburban street in Buenos Aires. Another man is terrorised by a tall and gaunt ghoul, and a woman has her dead little boy return from the grave. A police detective with a respiratory nervous disorder is landed with the case and tries to liaise with the experts. But what connects these incidents, and is it really a sensible plan to split up and monitor each house separately? The dark spirits dislike being disturbed and turn increasingly violent...
This film has some very nice set-pieces, but I’m not sure that writer/director Demian Rugna has mapped-out the scenario so that it ultimately has meaning and effect. Is this a bad thing? Not necessarily; however, it may leave certain viewers cheated that they haven’t got the whole story. Some people expect an explanation for everything (a neatly tied little package); I’m not one of them. For anyone who remembers Gu-On: The Grudge, this also has a somewhat non-linear structure of storytelling – only not from each character’s point of view. Consequently, the scenes with the ghoul – particularly those shown when the victim plays back camcorder footage of what happens when he is asleep – are suitable freaky. The dead boy, caked in black earth from the grave, sits at the breakfast table with milk and cereal, but it is the uncertainty of whether he is dead or alive which makes this so creepy. Obviously, he must have moved at some point, to have clawed his way out of the grave and returned home. And so, when we see the slightest move, it has significantly more effect. All the eggs are placed in one basket, and we end up with a film of diminishing returns.
The consequence of this is the early reveals allow us to mentally categorise the spirits and any subsequent identification of them proves to be a little disappointing (perhaps a gradual uncovering would have been ultimately more effective). Very little is done with the parapsychologists, either. We simply wait for them to be attacked. It’s a waste of potentially good characters. The movie somewhat peters out, with an unresolved conclusion. In reality, inconsistent events happen without us ever realising their full background, motive or conclusion – but in fiction you have to supply at least some of the answers. It didn’t stop me enjoying the film, however. Although it has become common in supernatural and psychological horrors to have a leading character with a crippling weakness of some kind, in the case of the police detective it works pretty well as there is an internal battle with his conscience. All he wants to do is leave but he doesn’t. And when his debilitating condition renders him unconscious, we witness his off-kilter and eerie point of view from the floor when he wakes.
I have enjoyed immensely the devouring of these on-the-whole very solid Acorn/Shudder horror pictures from around the world. Long may they continue. I hope I receive more for review and that the quality is maintained. Something makes me want to watch this one again.
Verdict: 7 out of 10
(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2021)
Starring: Marilyn Burns, Paul A. Partain, Edwin Neal, Jim Siedow and Gunnar Hansen.
Directed by Tobe Hooper
Second Sight Films
April 2023
A group of teenagers on a road trip pick-up a hitchhiker who turns out to be more than a little unhinged. After throwing him out, they pull into a tiny filling station only to be told there is no fuel. Further down the road their van cuts out, so while Sally and her invalid brother Franklin wait by the vehicle, the others go in search for some fuel or a telephone. Calling at an isolated house they have an abrupt and fatal meeting with a brutal thickset man wearing a mask of human skin. As night falls Sally and Franklin go in search of their missing friends. What they discover is an insane family of cannibalistic individuals - among them the chainsaw-wielding Leatherface...
I'm certain that most long-time horror fans will have Tobe Hooper's The Texas Chainsaw Massacre high on their list of classic films. Undoubtedly, it can be included with Nosferatu, Night of the Living Dead, Halloween, and Psycho as an original example which began a trend. This was a teen horror flick before the term was even invented, but with a big difference. Said to be based loosely on American real life serial killer Ed Gein (as was Psycho), it explores madness in the absence of law, through the eyes of protagonist/victim Sally. The main perpetrator, who is of course Leatherface, comes across as being meticulously designed and choreographed, right down to his jerky, puppet like movements and childlike behaviour. The first scene in which he appears must have been very shocking to mid-seventies cinemagoers. When the door slides open and Leatherface kills the male teen with a single hammer blow, it induces a little laughter in this enlightened age - not because it is silly, but fundamentally because it's so abrupt. This is refreshing when most examples of the horror genre since have drawn out set pieces to the point of tediousness. Another example is when the other girl springs out of the freezer like a jack-in-a-box and Leatherface pushes her back in.
The moments involving the ultimate dysfunctional family are purposefully off-kilter, with a seriously psychotic dinner and extreme close-ups, particularly of Sally's eyes as she risks descending into madness. The edginess continues right to the final credits. It gets in, tells the story and gets out again, which is one of the reasons why it's so enduring.
I reviewed the Second Sight 3-Disc Seriously Ultimate Edition Steelbook version of this film back in 2008. My view during the intervening years has not changed: the film remains a horror classic, probably the first to use the Scooby-Doo kids ‘gang’ format. This new 4K (Dolby Vision) and 2 x Blu-ray boxset comes complete in a rigid box featuring the original artwork, 6 x collectors’ art cards illustrated by Adam Stothard, and a 190-page hardback book containing multiple new essays and new illustrations. There is a new audio commentary by Amanda Reyes and Bill Ackerman, and a rather good new feature-length documentary called The Legacy of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. There is a plethora of other extras (more than you can swing a chainsaw at!), most of which appeared on the previously-mentioned 3 x DVD release – including the very entertaining The Shocking Truth Documentary, wherein Gunnar Hansen (Leatherface himself) speaks out.
As I only received the two Blu-ray discs for review, I can only comment on the 4K scan Blu-ray edition of the film (which is excellent, sharpening the images to make them even more bizarre and edgy), rather than the true 4K format. Perhaps the promotional people didn’t think I would have a 4K player and sound system. If you don’t have this film in your collection, or if your old DVD (or VHS!) needs updating, there can be no better time to add it.
Verdict: 9 out of 10
(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2023)
Starring: Benicio del Toro, Anthony Hopkins, Emily Blunt and Hugo Weaving.
Directed by Joe Johnston
Fabulous Films Ltd/Fremantle Media
October 2022
Fabulous Films and Fremantle Media release the 2010 Universal film The Wolfman – starring Anthony Hopkins, Benicio Del Toro, Emily Blunt and Hugo Weaving – on 2-Disc Blu-ray and 2-film format. One disc contains the Theatrical Version, plus some nice extra features, and the other incorporates an Extended Cut, with 17 minutes of additional footage. Lawrence Talbot is a Victorian thespian who returns to his family home at the request of his missing brother’s fiancé, Gwen Conliffe. The relationship with his father is strained at best. Lawrence soon learns that a beast has been savagely killing the villagers, and that a Scotland Yard inspector called Aberline has arrived in the area to investigate. But whilst checking out a local gypsy camp, Lawrence is himself attacked, and from that moment his destiny changes forever...
Why is it that most zombie films are quite dull, whereas there are so many quality werewolf movies? There is something very pagan about its setting and claustrophobic style. The Victorian scenes of London are stunning whilst remaining subtle. Horror has always worked well in a period setting, and I can’t over-express just how good this looks. Of course, it helps when you have locations including Chatsworth House in Derbyshire, Castle Combe in Wiltshire, the National Trust village of Lacock in Wiltshire, Stowe House in Buckinghamshire, Foggintor Quarry on Dartmoor, and the Old Royal Navy College, Greenwich. So, lots of location scenes, but the interiors are just as impressive and include an incredible wolf fight, we learn from the extras is conducted on wires.
Let’s talk a little bit about the wolfman – or wolfmen – as it turns-out. The authentic-sounding growls of the werewolves are performed by no other than Frank Welker, the long-time voice of Fred and Scooby-Doo! The wolfman make-up is extremely impressive, so it will be no surprise when I reveal the fact Rick Baker created the look – modernising the original Lon Chaney Jr design. There is nothing to laugh at here. Baker is one of the best in the business and positively gravitated towards the project when he heard about it. No wonder he was aggrieved when CGI was used to show the transformation from man to beast. Baker had the sense not to include contact lenses in his wolves, thereby allowing the human element of the actors’ eyes to shine through and make the whole thing even more authentic.
Around the time I was writing this review, this 2010 version of The Wolfman was shown on the Legend channel. I must say, it looked dark and grainy and didn’t pique my interest at all. So, I would strongly suggest that you pick up this restored Blu-ray version, which is crystal clear and looks amazing. I can’t sign-off without mentioning the great Art Malik, who plays the manservant of the Anthony Hopkins character. What an underrated actor.
Extras include: Alternative Endings; Deleted and Extended Scenes; Featurettes; Return of The Wolfman; The Beast maker; Transformation Secrets; and The Wolfman Unleashed.
Verdict: 10 out of 10
(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2022)
Starring: George C. Scott, Trish Van Devere, Melvyn Douglas, John Colicos, Jean Marsh.
Directed by Peter Medak
Second Sight Films
June 2023
When he loses his wife and young daughter in an horrific road accident, composer John Russell moves from the big city and rents an old mansion house via the Historic Society. The seclusion he seeks to work on his new music piece is immediately interrupted by strange noises which soon escalate to manifestations. With the help of a historian, he seeks to uncover the violent history of the house and a conspiracy which reaches as high as political office. A hidden room is discovered at the top of the house. But what happened there, and who is calling out for justice from beyond the grave...?
Haunted house scenarios are notoriously slow burners with an even slower reveal. The Changeling hits the ground running by showing a happy family on a Winter break, and abruptly pulls the rug from under it by having the wife and daughter killed in an accident. This loss is portrayed as being the link to supernatural goings on in the mansion house. Someone from beyond is reaching out to John.
The techniques used are simple but effective. John finds himself composing new music, only to find the hidden room and a music box which plays the same tune. The children’s ball appears in several set pieces, appearing from nowhere to drop down the stairs. John even takes the ball out and drops it from a bridge into water, only to return to the house and see it bounce down the stairs yet again. Lights swinging, unexplained sounds, and a voice that only reveals itself on tape are the other occurrences on the road to the spectacular finale of fire running down the banister and engulfing the house. Undoubtedly, the most scary moment is when the empty wheelchair chases the historian along the upper level at breakneck speed – part of which is cleverly filmed from the point of view of the chair.
John Russell is played realistically by George C. Scott. The character is not easily spooked. He is quite reserved and methodical about what is going on under his roof, but that doesn’t prevent him from being quietly creeped-out by something unexpected. It is so refreshing as, proceeding this film in 1979, protagonists were standardly screaming hysterical wrecks. Scott’s wife Trish Van Devere is also well-cast as the historian who, throughout these events, remains purely a helping colleague, rather than falling into the clichéd love interest.
Peter Medak’s film was a ground-breaking ghost story for its time, setting some of the tropes for films that followed. For example, the well which has to be dredged to find a body has been copied countless times since – most notably in the Japanese classic The Ring. Without giving too much away, The Changeling’s back story actually makes sense (unlike many other supernatural tales) and has far-reaching consequences. The whole story is mapped-out carefully, so it’s not by chance it’s considered a classic. I often wonder what would happen had films like this continued beyond the known conclusion. In this one the old mansion goes up in flames, so John would probably be charged with arson. They would learn about the fate of his family and conclude he had gone mad and commit him to an asylum!
This release is a must have for lovers of ghost stories or horror in general. It’s pitched just right, with the pacing, emotion, and mood spot-on – a haunting masterclass. I reviewed the 2018 restoration piece; this new release comes in three formats. There is a Limited Edition 4K & Blu-ray Box Set, a Standard Edition 4K, and a Standard Edition Blu-ray. The Limited Edition packaging contains a 108-page book incorporating several new essays and an archive interview with Peter Medak, an original soundtrack CD (the music is fantastic and sets the mood) and five collector’s art cards. Other disc extras on all versions include an audio commentary by Peter Medak and producer Joel B. Michaels; Mick Garris (director of several Stephen King Projects, as well as Masters of Horror) on The Changeling; Interview with Art Director Reuben Freed; Interview with Music Arranger Kenneth Wannberg; The Psychotronic Tourist (a dull journey around the locations); and The House on Cheesman Park: The Haunting True Story of The Changeling (by far the most interesting and entertaining piece, told with enthusiastic eccentricity). There are also two audio commentaries, an interview with the director at the Morbido Fest 2018, and Medak on his early years in swinging London.
Verdict: 9 out of 10
(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2023)
Starring: Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, Donald Sutherland, Roy Castle, Max Adrian, Ann bell, Peter Madden.
Directed by Freddie Francis
Fabulous Films Ltd/Fremantle Media
December 2022
Fabulous Films Ltd / Fremantle Media Enterprises releases the 1965 Amicus film Dr. Terror’s House of Horrors on Blu-ray. It stars Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, Donald Sutherland, Roy Castle, Alan Freeman, Neil McCallum, Peter Madden, Ann Bell and Ursula Howells. The set includes All New Interviews with Kenny Lynch, Ann Bell and Jeremy Kemp, House of Cards documentary, Gallery of Images (courtesy of Stephen Jones), Original Theatrical Trailer, a Double-Sided Foldout Graham Humphreys Artwork Poster, and a 12-Sided Film Guide Booklet. Five men – strangers to each other – make themselves comfortable in a train carriage for an unknown journey. Before it leaves the station, there is a late arrival. A strange old man called Dr Shreck (the name was taken from Max Shreck, who played Nosferatu in 1922) takes his place among them. He appears to be a mystic, of sorts, and with an ancient deck of Tarot cards proceeds to reveal the dark fate of each of the men. It is a future they will come to wish had not been revealed...
Amicus made 16 horror films between 1965 and 1977, 7 of them being portmanteau movies (separate tales linked by a premise or theme). The first of these was Dr. Terror’s House of Horrors, and whilst not being the best of this run, the release proved very popular to cinema-goers who hadn’t seen a film of this structure since the excellent Dead of Night in 1945. Hammer Films realised for the first time that they had competition, and were put out by the title, thereafter proclaiming on promotional posters that Hammer is the true House of Horror. In fact, the central set is within a cramped train carriage, adding to the claustrophobic atmosphere. There is no House of Horrors, aside from those houses seen in the segments when the characters’ stories are told.
There is a strong cast, with Christopher Lee shown as having star billing, the aforementioned names following and Peter Cushing’s name and character name appearing last. Many have seen this as a turning of the tides; Lee coming out from under Cushing’s shadow to snatch top billing, but this is merely an assumption. Always steadfastly reliable, Cushing’s performance was as good as any had been before, and was possibly Amicus’s way of leaving the best until last. The five futures entail an architect returning to his ancestral home to discover there is a werewolf at large; a man-eating vine takes over a house with a family within, in a Day of the Triffids-type tale; an art critic is terrorised by the disembodied hand of an artist he ridiculed (a la The Beast With Five Fingers); a doctor becomes convinced his beautiful new wife is a vampire; and a musician steals voodoo ritual music for his jazz band, with disastrous consequences. The musician was played with almost frantic positivity by Roy Castle (who remembers Record Breakers?), who took over the role at the last moment from Acker Bilk who suffered a heart attack. The jazz performance was by the Tubby Hayes Quintet with Kenny Lynch. Castle actually released the track as a 7” single at the time.
I have seen this movie a number of times over the years, and I can say it has lost none of its charm. The picture is crisp and the characters compelling – even if the subject matter was already established horror tropes (werewolves, vampires, zombies, etc.).
Verdict: 8 out of 10
(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2022)
Starring: Michelle Krusiec, Madelyn Grace, Ken Kirby, Ellen Wroe.
Directed by Abel Vang & Burlee Vang
Acorn Media International
September 2022
Claire (Michelle Krusiec) is a child care social worker. She is also clairvoyant and has been plagued by spirits from a young age. So, when she is handed a new child protection case involving a young girl called Sophie who has scratches and bruises Claire suspects the situation is not what it seems. There is a sinister force in the house, and she begins to see spirits and witness violent events from the past. However, Claire has her own problems. She is estranged from her husband and wracked with guilt after she failed to collect their young son from school, resulting in his abduction and death. Every night she is visited both in dreams and reality by her mutilated boy and other frightening events to the point she is forced to sleep in a cupboard. Can she learn to listen to the dead and help not only Sophie but her own situation...?
Acorn Media International releases the Shudder Original DVD release of They Live in the Grey, a paranormal horror/thriller written and directed by The Vang Brothers (not to be mistaken for The Pang Brothers, who made the excellent original version of The Eye. It also features Ken Kirby and Ellen Wroe as Sophie’s parents Giles and Audrey. The film is very much not what it seems, and borrows from The Sixth Sense and other sources to employ clever twists at the end. As a part of the build-up to that point convincing emotion is employed as Claire effectively pushes everyone in her life away, because she can’t live with what she believes she is responsible for.
Consequently, the viewer is drawn into Claire’s downward spiralling life. She is constantly living on the edge, and even her separated husband is at his wits end attempting to break down the wall she has created around her. In realty, if somebody experienced what this character does on a daily bases they would probably be living in a padded cell by now. It does, however, have the effectiveness of cranking-up the tension. This film is all about the ending and once you witness it, what has gone before is appreciated significantly more. I certainly upped my rating based on the effect the conclusion has. At times, it is felt that Claire lives in her own little world, sometimes going through the motions and at others subjected to events which are left ambiguous as to whether they are real or a figment of her fevered imagination. Check this one out.
Verdict: 8 out of 10
(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2022)
Starring: Derek Mio, Kiki Sukezane, Christina Rodlo.
Directed by Lily Mariye
Acorn media International
May 2022
Chester is a young man who lives with his Japanese family on the peaceful Terminal Island, near Los Angeles, USA. His father is a fisherman, but Chester strives for something more. When he falls in love with Luz, a Spanish-American student, events take an upward slant. However, the entire family’s world comes crashing down when the Japanese bomb Pearl Harbour. Along with every other Japanese immigrant, the family is uprooted and shipped to an internment camp – Luz needlessly volunteering to accompany them. Seeing themselves as American citizens, they are suddenly feared and distrusted. But fear works both ways. A series of mysterious deaths plague the camp; there is not only the soldiers to fear, but it seems an ancient Japanese spirit of possession has followed them. Chester appears to be the catalyst, and will slowly uncover a personal past which will stun and chill him to the core. Against a backdrop of war and uncertainly, Chester must confront the demon spirit in order to protect his family and everyone around him...
Acorn Media International releases The Terror: Infamy on Blu-ray. It’s important that potential purchasers are not put off by seeing ‘The Complete Second Season’ on the cover. This is a stand-alone series – so we don’t come in halfway through the story. The Terror (effectively the first series) was a completely different tale, based on the excellent internationally acclaimed book by Dan Simmons. It was a fictionalised account of Captain Sir John Franklin’s lost expedition to the Arctic, set between 1845 and 1848.The success of that spawned Infamy which, as I have intimated, is set during World War 2. It is a ten-part series over two discs (five on each).
Co-creators Max Borenstein (Godzilla) and Alexander Woo (True Blood) have produced a compelling exploration of mythical and man-made monstrosity. Period-set horror generally works very well. Choosing a time of emotional upheaval and turmoil doubles its effectiveness, and certainly gives the actors a lot more to work with. There would have been no questions to the director here about what their motivation is! Generally, I am not entertained by war stories, but that is probably because most are about the event rather than the people. Essentially, this is a story about inner-strength, resolve and belief in the face of extreme adversity. As a horror fan, the supernatural element is a bonus for me, and adds extra intrigue.
It’s lovely to see George Takei (Sulu from the original Star Trek series) playing a pivotal role both in front and behind the camera. He was a historical consultant on the series, as he himself had spent time in an internment camp as a child. In conclusion, I can thoroughly recommend this release. The latest news appears to be that series three has been put on hold. That’s a shame, because I’m certain there are many more historical tales to tell.
Verdict: 9 out of 10
(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2022)
With acting dignitaries such as Vincent Price, Boris Karloff and Basil Rathbone on parade here you would be forgiven for thinking Tower of London is a horror film in the vein of Edgar Allan Poe’s The Pit and the Pendulum. Rathbone is of course best known for his portrayal of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s super sleuth Sherlock Holmes in a number of films (I have the box set of these and for me he was the ultimate Holmes, with only Peter Cushing coming anywhere close).
However, this black and white movie dating back to 1939 is a purely historical piece dramatising the much despised ascension of Richard III to the throne. This was a blood thirsty time of scheming and treachery which makes contemporary manic machinations seem like a paltry skip through the daisies. Richard is sixth in line to the throne, but he has strong and lamentable ambitions to be king. He has a little cupboard wherein figures of those who stand in his way lead up to the current king. The film – with the help of a little poetic licence – depicts how Richard ruthlessly planned and killed them one-by-one, including the king’s brother the Duke of Clarence (featuring a very young-looking Price) and his two young sons.
Boris Karloff plays the executioner Mord, confidant to Richard and the product of his murderous hand. In true Karloff style he has a bald head, grand bushy eyebrows and a club foot. He does much of Richard’s bidding, but a nice moment in which he appears to suffer a conflict of conscience regarding killing the boys is wasted in the blink of an eye. Rathbone is suitably nasty, manipulating everyone around him. The battle scenes are well-handled by showing great numbers rushing in to confront each other, and then concentrating close-ups on individual skirmishes.
The story was plotted by the history researching Robert N. Lee, who is the brother of the director Rowland V. Lee. The film is well-constructed and tells its tale well, but I did rather feel like I was having a history lesson rather than enjoying an entertaining fictional movie.
Robert Dominici is a piano virtuoso who, at a young age, is diagnosed with a very rare rapid ageing disease. Within a year he degenerates from a good-looking and musically skilled thirty- year-old with the world at his feet to a slow and sick deranged man of eighty. When he kills to cover his secret, Police Inspector Datti is assigned to investigate. But it proves more difficult than he first thought, because witnesses give completely different descriptions after each incident. As time goes by Dominici becomes increasingly unbalanced and phones the inspector to taunt him. Then he learns that a woman is pregnant with his child, and he is suddenly determined to kill the unborn baby to prevent it suffering his own devastating fate...
Off Balance, aka Phantom of Death, is an early release in the Shameless Screen Entertainment collection, which aims to release a number of violent horror or exploitation films, many of which will not have been seen in the UK before. This film's claim to fame (or should that be infamy?) is that it was helmed by Cannibal Holocaust director Ruggero Deodato. That knowledge doesn't help the first fifteen minutes which is an absolute agony to endure. An overlong mimed piano piece precedes some forced acting and non-linear set pieces which cause you to lose interest before the film has really got going. The curious thing is that I changed my opinion of this movie several times in its duration, but it did gradually grow on me to a certain extent.
I'm not a fan of exploitation or gore-fest movies which have no agenda other than to shock and disgust, I consider them in bad taste. I'm not averse to violent horror, as long as what takes place is conducive to the plot, rather than a series of tedious set-pieces. The Shameless releases are marketed as depraved, vile, disturbing, etc. In this case I was delighted to discover that Phantom doesn't fall into this category. Granted, there are violent murders, but they are over in scant seconds with a small splash of theatre blood and positively no glorification in the acts. This makes you concentrate more on the plot and particularly the characters, which is as it should be.
Donald Pleasence reprises his role of Loomis from John Carpenter's Halloween in all but name, and Michael York appears to grow into his role as he goes along, as if the older his character appears the meatier his acting part should become. When Robert finds out about his rapid-ageing disease, we find out that the film isn't quite linear in its plot. The short scene in which he visits the house of someone with a more advanced stage of the rare disease is the most meaningful of the entire film - and it doesn't last more than a few seconds.
In conclusion, a better film than I was expecting, and worth a look if you can stay awake through the opening scenes.
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