February Kryptic Army Mission: Evil Ways!

by in Kryptic Army

Road to Hell

“It is a man’s own mind, not his enemy or foe, that lures him to evil ways.”
Buddha

These may have been wise words from a golden statue but this time out, it is actually going to be yours truly that is going to lure you. We will see after your movie choices for this month’s mission if you’ll call me a friend or foe, but I’m willing to take that chance. Are you?

ErrementariWith all the “evils” in the world right now, whether it is the climate change, politicians, or just the idiot ranting at the Wal-Mart, whatever is driving us down that path to hell, I thought it might be a good idea to take the word E-V-I-L and put a positive spin on it. For this month’s mission you need to find two horror films that you have not seen before, that start with two of the letters in the word EVIL. So one title could start with E and the second one with the letter L. Or V and I. To keep it a little challenging, you can’t use the same letter twice, meaning no two movies that start with L. This should give a pretty wide open range for everyone to pick a couple of films that maybe you’ve been meaning to get to.

You have until 11:59pm on Feb. 29th to post your comments on the two movies you’ve selected below here in the comments section. Once you have posted yours, feel free to comment on other postings. February is a short month, so don’t stray too far from the path, otherwise time will run out on you! Good luck in your searching.

34 thoughts on “February Kryptic Army Mission: Evil Ways!”

  2. E V I L horror

    Eat Locals (2017)
    This was such a fun movie! It has a good combo of drama, comedy, and horror to keep the pacing good, the story interesting, and the characters fun.

    The basic idea is the eight vampire overlords meet twice a year, and at the latest gathering, they are forced to get rid of one of their own because he broke the rules – killing children to feed on. That is against part of their moral code. One of the overlords brings in a human so they can turn him, and then he can fill the open slot. While they argue over his appropriateness (who knew vampires would be so picky) a group of military vampire hunters from the Vatican surround the home where the vampires are, and try to take them out.

    While I wanted to know more about each vampire’s background, even the human backstories, I think that would have detracted from the film. It all takes place over six hours, so too much extraneous info would have muddled up the action, I think. But the fact I wanted to know more about the characters means they are worth investing in.

    The one colonel has an alternative (albeit cliche) agenda, but it’s not unbelievable. In fact, all the characters are believable or relatable, which is really hard to do. The acting is top notch; the story never becomes corny or ridiculous; and even if you don’t like vampires, I think you’ll end up rooting for them. This isn’t about humans are good, vampires are bad. There are both elements on each side, so it’s up to you to take the information provided and decide for yourself who’s right and who’s wrong.

    Highly recommend. IMHO, Eat Locals was much better than What We Do In The Shadows. #sorrynotsorry

    Images (1972)
    A schizophrenic house wife kills off the terrorizing apparitions that plague her, not sure if they’re real or in her imagination.

    Um….

    I did read a few reviews on IMDB for this flick (after I watched it) to see if I could find some explanations to the story/ imagery/etc. Basically I discovered 95% of the population LOOOOVES this art house psychological horror from Robert Altman. For those here who don’t know me – which is most of you, I think, since I’m new – I loathe artsy films, particularly in horror.

    But I have to admit that while 2/3 of this movie is artsy, the other 1/3 ain’t half bad. The cinematography is well done, and I imagine it wasn’t difficult with the gorgeous scenery of Ireland. The score was unnerving; less music and more strange noises set the mood for Cathryn’s struggle with reality versus delusion.

    It’s never really stated, that I could hear, that Cathryn is actually schizophrenic. One character uses the term schizo as a generic term for someone who acts like what we now call bipolar; Cathryn herself says she’s sick, recognizing she just needs to concentrate more on showing love for her husband and less with her delusions. That specifically makes me think she’s suffering guilt over a couple of affairs and it’s messing with her mental state, as opposed to having a medically diagnosed mental illness.

    Susanna York’s portrayal of Cathryn is brilliant, and everyone else is a shadow in comparison. She shouldn’t have to carry this film alone, but she does, and it’s just not enough.

    If you like artsy physiological thrillers (I guess it could fall under the horror genre, too), this is your jam. Otherwise…skip.

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    • Hi Peggy! I’m glad you gave IMAGES a shot . I confess that I’m a big fan and I love how Altman plays with your head throughout, never really letting you know what is real and what is all in her head. And yes, York is fantastic in the central role. Have you seen Roman Polanski’s REPULSION or Jose Larraz’s SYMPTOMS? I find there are a number of similarities between those films and IMAGES, but they bump up the horror aspects a bit more, so they might be more to your liking.

      I saw Eat Locals at a film festival years ago and remembered enjoying it quite a bit. Good to know it’s available to the general public – where did you come across it?

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      • I have heard of Repulsion, but not the other. I might give both a try! Eat Locals was on Amazon Prime. A friend of mine recommended it and I’m so glad he did.

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  3. Skipped over the E and V and went straight for the I and L.

    #1 – The Incredible 2-Headed Transplant. Bruce Dern is a mad scientist, who attaches the head of a murdering rapist onto the body of a Lenny type character from Of Mice and Men and Casey Kasem is Bruce Dern’s friend who must stop him. Fun Drive-In romp with a classic cast.

    #2 – The Last Horror Film. Another classic cast of Joe Spinell and Caroline Munro. You can take Joe Spinell out of sleazy 42nd street and put him in Cannes, but you can take the sleaze out of Joe Spinell. This guy always fits the part perfectly. The movie made little sense when it came to the end, but was a fun enough trip getting there.

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    • I’ve always thought the greatest double feature would be the Thing With Two Heads and The Incredible Two-Headed Transplant! A great title for any Turkey Day!

      And I agree 100% with you on Last Horror Film. Such a strange film, but Spinell is so much fun to watch! And from what I remember, that really is Spinell’s mother in there too! Damn… how could would that have been if he was alive long enough to hit some conventions! He would have loved them.

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      • Yes it is really Spinell’s mother in the film and their interaction together is hysterical because it is probably exactly how it was in real life. Spinell left us far too soon, he would have been an icon on the convention circuit for sure.

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  4. E-V-I-L Mission
    Vampire Girl vs Frankenstein Girl (2009) – Be afraid of Valentine chocolates. Be very afraid. OMG, saw this in the original Japanese; no translation necessary. The pre-title sequence alone is more than enough to know whether or not it’s your kind of film. GORE, Japanese girls in school uniforms, craziness, Japanese girls in school uniforms, belly laughs, Japanese girls in school uniforms, several jump scares of note, and a good many unbelievably sly winks to any attentive audience willing to wade through the flying blood. Yeah, I had a blast! Based on the Comic by Shungicu Uchida, the plot defies description, so why bother. I’ll just say it absolutely entertains while it dares you to be shocked, appalled, or offended. Kabuki Dr. Frankenstein? Check! Hunchback? Check! Mad lab hidden beneath a gym locker in the school infirmary? Check! The final battle, atop Tokyo Tower no less, between Vampire Girl (Yukie Kawamura) and Frankenstein Girl (Takumi Saiton) makes ‘Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman’ look like wrist-wrestling between best buds.

    Lemora: A Child’s Tale of the Supernatural (1973) – Pubescent gospel singer Lila Lee (Cheryl ‘Rainbeaux’ Smith), in the care of a lusting preacher, is invited via a letter from an unknown Lemora (Lesley Gilb) to visit her estranged gangster father on his death bed; she must come that night – and alone. There. You are now free to ‘fast forward’ through the first fifteen minutes of lame southern and religious stereotypes to get to the limited reasons to watch this. (You’re welcome.) The remaining seventy minutes is a mixed bag of atmospheric visuals and vampire tropes with passable makeup effects hampered by banal dialogue mouthed by wooden performers. A more thoughtful script, with a backstory giving even a little insight into Lemora, might have left me feeling less like a window-peeping pedophile. Not a total waste of time but, ultimately, too little to recommend. If I’m hankering to see a Rainbeaux, I’ll revisit ‘Laserblast’ or ‘The Incredible Melting Man’ before I’d return to this.

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    • I haven’t seen the Vampire Girl film, though I do remember another Japanese one that was very similar, with plenty of outrageous bloody effects.

      But I have seen Lemora and really enjoy it. Yes, I will agree that it isn’t an amazing movie, but I really enjoy the low budget, and how different it is from most films in that tradition.

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  5. This is my first attempt to be a part of the Kryptic Army. Here are the movies I watched and the thoughts I had on them:

    V- Village of the Damned (1960): I have been putting of watching this movie for years; mostly because I already knew the entire story so I figured it was pointless watching it. I am glad this challenge encouraged me to take the plunge. Knowing the story and feeling the paranoia are two different things. Starting from the scenes of the village in a death-like state to the fear of (& fate of) many of the townspeople the sense of dread was palpable. It is not a movie of jump scares or panic. It is a movie of dread and paranoia and it works effectively.

    E- Errementari: The Blacksmith and the Devil: Once I was able to get past what this movie is not and focus on what it is, I really enjoyed it. It is not a horror movie. It is a fairy tale; somewhere along the lines of a Grimm’s fairy tale or the Russian fables of Baba Yaga. The color palate and the scenery are beautiful even when displaying the dilapidated blacksmith’s dwellings or the gate of spikes, crosses and skulls surrounding it. This gives it a very otherworldly feel that enhances the fairy-tale quality. This works especially well as the movie venture into Hell itself. The only part of the movie I felt distracted from the experience was the dubbing. To me, subtitles would have been better, as seeing the mouths slightly out of synch or the rushed and sometimes awkward voices gave an unwanted humorous feel that damaged full immersion into the story and beauty of the movie. Still, it was an enjoyable movie that took me places that a mere horror movie would not have gone. I highly recommend it…as long as you don’t expect a true horror movie.

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    • Welcome to the front lines, Private Dyer! What you said about watching Village because of the Army is one of the reasons I started this. We all have those titles like that. So I’m thrilled that we were able to get to you watch Village, but yes, it is a must and rightfully a classic.

      Errementari is a favorite of mine. Not where you saw it, but when I watched it on Amazon, it had sub-titles, which I agree that bad dubbing would have hurt the viewing. I personally couldn’t praise this movie enough, so I’m glad you gave it a chance.

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  6. Not trying to show off here, but I’ve actually got 3 titles to report on, which really is just a coincidence!

    Eat Local (2017) – When Peggy reported on this one, I had never heard of it before but it sounded right up my alley. I was hoping it would have been funnier than I found it, but still enjoyable to watch. Great cast.

    Lake of the Dead (1958) – Film from Norway that is decent but the ending doesn’t have a good enough of a payoff to make it really good.

    Inn of the Damned (1975) – Just a god awful film from Terry Bourke. Damn near 2 hours of a lot of horse riding, watching stage coaches, and a lot of strange looks from people. Not worth your time.

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  7. I decided that since “evil” is such a short word, that I would make up for botching my January report, by covering films for all 4 letters. Shall we begin…?

    E – is for “The Emperor And The Golem”. 1952 Czechoslovakia
    This movie is a fairly atypical movie for our crowd. First and foremost, it’s a comedy. Thankfully, it is pretty witty, and a lot of fun. The reason we’d have any interest in this movie, is that there is a Golem. Even though it is seen for probably no more than ten minutes of the movie’s 140 minute run time, it is an amazing creation! A huge, hulking thing that puts the other cinematic Golems to shame. I would definitely recommend this movie. Worthy of repeat viewings.

    V – is for “The Vampires Of Coyoacan” (Los Vampiros De Coyoacan). 1974 Mexico
    Lucha Libre! Vampires! Two great tastes that taste great together. Let’s see…we’ve got Superzan, Mil Mascaras and German Robles. As well as, a human vampire with a bat head (make-up ala the Wolfman), and yes, even midget vampires!! We’ve got our intrepid heroes who insist on waiting to battle the vampires until sunset. And, who rush into said battles with nary a cross or stake in hand! Did I mention the midget vampires?? This movie may not be for every taste, but you know who you are. (And I definitely are!). This one will definitely get viewed again!

    I – is for “Inner Ghosts”. 2018 Portugal/Brazil
    For my two cents, this movie was very ambitious, but lacked the script to bring it all together. A doctor is researching a device capable of communicating with the comatose, and those suffering from Alzheimer’s and dementia, by reaching into the brain and tapping into the “soul”. She is also a medium. Will these two worlds collide? When she gets the specs for such a machine from the spirit world – what do you think? The layers piled on during the run time, did not resolve themselves adequately at the conclusion (IMHO). That may have been in part to the decision to have the final minutes of the movie shot in a strobe effect. It made it very hard to grasp just what was taking place at the end (and there was a lot going on!). Lots of interesting ideas, hampered by too many interesting ideas with nowhere to go. I would recommend that you give it a view, however, as your mileage may vary. May consider watching this again down the line.

    L – is for “Lizard Boy”. 2011 USA
    This one turned out to be a real mixed bag. A great premise – genetic scientist creates a hybrid creature – half-human, half transgen reptile. (The transgen reptile being its own Government creation – part komodo dragon, part iguana, part snake). He raises this hybrid as his son. Mayhem ensues. This had some real potential, but was hampered by scenes that may have been intended as comedy that just threw the whole feel of the narrative off the rails. (It didn’t help, that if there was comedy in this movie, it was disguised very well.) The movie never seemed to have a consistency to it, that allowed me to get comfortable with it. I wanted so badly to like this movie, but never got past “Meh”. The lizard boy’s mask (practical) was pretty decent. His tail (CGI) was not. And, do not get me started on the kung fu! I can’t say that I see further viewings of this film in my future.

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    • Well Done, Bob! Well done indeed. Here I was bragging about getting 3 titles and here you’ve beat me! Plus the fact that you covered 3 films that I had never even heard of before! That’s what I love about this!

      I’m real excited to check out that Golem film, since I really enjoy the early foreign titles like that, even though it seems to be more comedy than horror.

      And how can one go wrong with a Mexican wrestling/horror film? Never, I tells you!

      I have put your other two on my lists, especially the Inner Ghosts one.

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  9. I failed to complete January because a title I was waiting on never arrived… But I shouldn’t make excuses.

    E is for Endzeit (or titled Ever After in English for some reason). I don’t feel right judging this film. I don’t think I was in the right mindset for a German zombie movie. So to me it was average. Not great, not terrible. But it could be better than I gave it credit for. I don’t know.

    V is for Velocipastor. Saying this is a good movie would be a lie. It’s technically inept and has a lot of flaws. The pacing is not wonderful, even for a short movie (well under 90 minutes). But I would still recommend it because it is just so much fun. The title sells it, but there plenty of great comedy moments and one liners. It reminded me a lot of the TV show Danger 5, but with the budget of Filthy McNasty. I wish they had given this turd one more round of polish, but oh well.

    Might sneak in I before month’s end with Invisible Man or Illustrated Man… though time is short.

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    • I got to see Endzeit at the Music Box at a midnight show. Not what I was expecting, And I agree with you, Gavin. Not great and not terrible.

      I just don’t know if I could get myself to watch Velocipastor. Nope…I can’t do it.

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  10. Movie 1: “The Lift”

    A Dutch horror film about a killer elevator. I was quite surprised. Either I had had 1 too many while watching this or it actually was a lot better than I initially expected. Especially, since it started off so cheesy with the nudity and unexplained phenomenon. But, as it unraveled, it actually and eventually tied up all the loose ends with a neat bow. I enjoyed it and I would watch it again!

    Movie 2: “Endzeit” (Ever After)

    A German post-zombie apocalyptic horror that played a lot on very artistic shots and intense, isolated loneliness. I loved the pacing of the action and the back stories of the characters. It fed the viewer bits and pieces as characters reflected upon themselves as relating situations emerged, yet it did not narrate or make us sit through long origins in the beginning. I was a little confused by the ambiguity or even the implication of the last minute (and it’s runner zombies [meh]), but all in all; I wanted to see what happens next. I would also revisit this again. Well done!

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  11. Apologies for the late arrival – I was trapped behind enemy lines (aka Real Life Stuff) for most of the month!!

    Considering we knocked out 3 of the 4 letters during our recent Share the Scare, it seemed only right that I find a fourth to finish the mission:

    EXPERIMENTS IN TERROR (2003) d. Various (Various) (1st viewing)

    A collection of short horror films, including Outer Space, Ursula, Journey into the Unknown, The Virgin Sacrifice, Tuning the Sleeping Machine, Dawn of an Evil Millennium, and The Haunted Mouth (brought to you by the American Dental Association). (Also on the DVD are trailers for various 1960s and 1970s horror flicks, and a promo video for A Date with Death, featuring subliminal messages. Ooooooh skeeeeery!) Can’t say that I uncovered any must-see gems gems (Dawn of an Evil Millennium was the most energetic and splattery), but all lived up to their “experimental” heading with oodles of unconventional editing, cinematography, visual effects, and sound design, usually to no other effect than being bizarre for bizarre’s sake.

    INN OF THE DAMNED (1975) d. Bourke, Terry (Australia) (1st viewing)

    A certain high-ranking official in the Kryptic Army (*cough*Kitley*cough*) picked up this slice of Ozploitation from Something Weird and was in search of someone to ride shotgun with him, fitting since there are endless shots of horses and carriages traveling to and fro across the Outback, usually without any roads. Despite featuring game performances from Judith Anderson, Alex Cord, and Robert Quilter, combined with a smattering of nudity and lesbianism, it’s ultimately a long, drawn-out tale of a mad couple murdering any unfortunate guests who happen to sign the register. In fact, the most interesting aspect about the film is how meandering the plotline is, involving everything from criminals and bounty hunters to secret mines and disgruntled stepdaughters!

    VENGEANCE OF LADY MORGAN (1965) d. Pupillo, Massimo (Italy) (1st viewing)

    What starts off as a standard if effective tale of a conniving bridesgroom (Paul Muller), along with the help of his servants (Gordon Mitchell, Erika Blanc), trying to drive his new wife (Barbara Nelli) insane turns truly wackadoo courtesy of a third act in which nearly all the main characters are, ahem, not exactly alive anymore. Great atmosphere and juicy performances from all concerned.

    LAKE OF THE DEAD (1958) d. Bergstrom, Kare (Norway) (1st viewing)

    Not-bad Scandinavian thriller, focusing on a group of vacationers who discover that one of their party’s brother – who had gone on ahead to prepare the cabin – is now missing. This obscure offering benefits from the fact that in spite of being a fairly standard mystery set-up, because we don’t know any of these actors, any of them could be either the killer or the next victim!

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      • Oh, I’m not blaming you, per se. I’m just saying I’d never heard of it before and probably would have never heard of it and would have never watched it if you hadn’t brought it into our lives. (On the other hand, Return of the Witch was pretty great, so that more than made up for any damage Bourke and Co. might have inflicted.)

        I actually think Inn of the Damned might not have been quite as laborious with a stronger edit. It just kind of wanders around a lot, even if it does circle back to a logical narrative conclusion.

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  12. Happy Leap Day!

    Long Distance (2005) – I bought this DVD a while back because it was $1 and I am in love with Monica Keena for all times. The basic premise is a recently single woman dials a wrong number and she begins to be harassed by the man who picked up on the other end. Without giving away too much, the calls keep escalating to keep suspense up as the majority of the film takes place in Ms. Keena’s apartment. This was much better than I expected and would recommend for a lazy afternoon watch.

    In the Tall Grass (2019) – This is a made for Netflix film based on the short story by Stephen King and his son, Joe Hill. It is written and directed by Vincenzo Natali of Cube (1997) and Splice (2009) Fame and stars Patrick Wilson. Like my other pick, this one is very light on plot as the basic premise is a brother and his very pregnant sister hear a young boy crying for help in the tall grass (about ten feet high) field next to the road after pulling over so she could throw up. I saw a lot of bad reviews for this, but I enjoyed it and the imagery and feeling of being lost in this field stuck with me afterwards. Definitely a slower burn and longer than it needs to be, but I would recommend it to any fan of King.

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    • I always love when you pick up an unknown title for cheap and it turns out to be entertaining. Those are the best! Though, can’t say I’ve ever heard of Long Distance either, but I do know who Monica Keena is.

      I did see In the Tall Grass and felt pretty much the same way. Not amazing, but definitely worth a watch.

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  13. Let Us Prey (2014)-The plot is kind of predictable, but that didn’t turn me away. This movie isn’t really scary, but it definitely hooks you in. I enjoyed the characters, the acting, and the special effects. It kind of reminded me of a cross between The Prophecy and Assault on Precinct 13. Overall, I really liked this movie, and I would probably add it to the collection of movies to own.

    Vampire Circus (1972)-I honestly have not watched a whole lot of Hammer films, but I loved this movie. It was a pleasant surprise. The costumes and scenery were well done. The story was awesome. I really enjoyed how the vampires in the circus turned into different animals. There wasn’t a single thing that I did not like about this one.

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    • I think Let Us Prey really helps by having Liam Cunningham in there. He is always o fun to watch.

      I’m not only thrilled to see a Hammer title in there, I’m even more so that you enjoyed it! Hopefully you’ll continue down a little further in Hammer’s filmography. Maybe check out Twins of Evil…

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  14. Sliding in *just* under the wire with this one!

    So, I went nuts on this project and wrote a hugely long thing for my “I” entry, so I will just copy and paste part of it, and then link to the post I put up on my blog/site about it.

    First, E is for (like several others) Errementari, The Blacksmith and the Devil.

    This is a film that takes you to hell and back. I have no other language for it… the film just stopped me in my tracks and really turned over this complex bit of mythology in front of me in a way I found breathtaking. If you find the soaring of angels and the despotic madness of demons fascinating like I do, I’d say give it a go. This might have done that better than anything I’ve ever seen.

    The I is for Bruno Mattei’s Island of the Living Dead.

    The producers of Italian genre cinema are often accused of stealing from successful movie trends from around the world, especially from America. Fulci hopped on the bandwagon started by Romero, Leone did the same thing with John Ford. And then there’s the late career work of Bruno Mattei who was just breathtaking in his thievery. Other films from this period of his career are talked about as (Name of a Film) crossed with (Name of a Different Film) because of the sheer audacity of their weird mish-mashing. Want to see Cannibal Holocaust (Lite) mixed with Predator? In the Land of the Cannibals (2003) is for you. But if you want to see something that stays mostly inside the horror genre for the mixtape it crafts, Island of the Living Dead is the one.

    But it’s not The One. If you only know one Bruno Mattei film, I hope it’s the 1981 nunsploitation classic The Other Hell, because that one has a weirdness and a menace that mixes into a potion that I find irresistible in good horror. Importantly, though it was one of many in its subgenre, that film was its own animal, and there are no other films exactly like it. Island of the Living Dead, however is such a patchwork pastiche of a film that sometimes you can see through the stitches holding it together and on to the great big nothing that is behind it. But sometimes you want something that has no pretense, and my friend; Island of the Living Dead is completely pretense-free. This isn’t smart horror, this is fun horror and if you approach it as such, and recognize that it’s derivative as hell, you might have a good time with it. Let’s dig in.

    So, there are these treasure hunters and they’re idiots. How they managed to ever get themselves together, get everyone on a boat, and find some treasure under the sea became ever more incredible to me as I watched this thing. That they could tie their shoes and feed themselves was pretty astonishing, to tell the truth. Anyway, they go out and royally screw up a treasure hunt, and then unsurprisingly, they find themselves on an island crawling with… zombies, I guess? I mean, most of the zombies are zombies. Some of them are probably also vampires and/or demons and/or whatever the zombie merman version of a starfish is, but they all come from the genus zombie… or is that zombus? Taxonomy isn’t my strong suit. But the important thing is some of them have two fangs, and some have mouthfuls of filthy, hungry razor teeth, and a single one of them inexplicably grows a floppy little hand back after its arm is lost. So here’s a thing that happened: at one point, I paused the film so I could say the following out loud to the screen:

    “Remember when that zombie grew a new arm and then no other zombie did anything like that again? “

    Read the rest of this if you want at Channel 31:

    ISLAND OF THE LIVING DEAD

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    • Always glad to hear someone else discover Errementari. I’m right there with you and just love this film.

      And I always love to see someone singing the praises for Bruno Mattei

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