Movie Review: Return of the Killer Shrews

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Return of the Killer Shrews (2012)
Directed by Steve Latshaw
Starring James Best, John Schneider, Bruce Davison, Jennifer Lyons, Jason Shane Scott, Rick Hurst, Sean Flynn

It is a well known fact that I am not the biggest fan of newer low budget films. They tend not to be too creative in using their small budget. But over the last couple of years, I have seen a few movies that were really giving me hope for these types of films. Titles like Dead Weight, Found, The Invoking (formally known as Sader Ridge), and the more recent Resolution, really have shown me that there are still talented people out there that are concerned about a good story, quality acting, and using the money they have to the fullest extent, turning out really decent movies. And when the money is not there, creative imagination comes into play to make the most of it.

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Book Review: A Vault of Horror

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vaultbookA Vault of Horror: A Book of Great (and Not So Great) British Horror Movies from  1956-1974
By Keith Topping
Published by Telos Publishing Ltd., 2004.  427 pages.

Okay….do we really need another book on British horror films?  Damn Skippy we do!  Especially when they are laid out like this one.

We are always a sucker for trivial information about our favorite films and this book gives us that and so much more. Each film reviewed is in different categories. We have the basic cast & crew info, plot/synopsis, and even tag lines and famous quotes. But then we also have different categories like “Nudity, Violence and Sadomasochism” or “Outrageous Methods of Dispatch“, or “You May Remember Me From…” There is also quotes from actual reviews of the film, as well as the authors own thoughts.

But the tons of extra trivia within these pages here are what makes this book a joy to read. No matter how much you know about these films, there is going to be something in here that you didn’t know. It also helps you connect certain actors or filmmakers with other films, giving you other titles to add to your “to-watch” list.

We had a lot of fun reading through this book and is a great one to go back to for research, or just an occasional time-killer. Topping has done an excellent job putting this volume together and is a must for every library. Highly recommended.

Movie Review: Harpoon – Whale Watching Massacre

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Harpoon: Whale Watching Massacre (2009)
Directed by Júlíus Kemp
Starring Gunnar Hansen, Pihla Viitala, Nae, Terence Anderson, Aymen Hamdouchi, Carlos Takeshi, Miwa Yanagizawa, Halldóra Geirharðsdóttir, Guðlaug Ólafsdóttir, Snorri Engilbertsson, Ragnhildur Steinunn Jónsdóttir, Helgi Björnsson, Guðrún Gísladóttir

When I first was told about this movie, that it was a slasher film that takes place on a whaling boat in Iceland, and that it was the “best Icelandic slasher movie on a boat ever made”, it kind of gets one’s attention, even as absurd as it might sound. I mean, even the title alone tells you what it is. But you know, it really is the best Icelandic slasher movie on a boat ever made!

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Horror History: Victor Israel

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victorisraelVictor Israel
Born June 13th, 1929 – Died Sept. 19th, 2009

If you’ve watched any Spanish horror films of the ’70s, then I’m pretty sure you’ve seen Victor Israel before. This guy is like the Spanish version of England’s Michael Ripper. Making well over 150 films, he usually was cast as little bit parts, but was always so recognizable, that it would always make you think “hey…I’ve seen that guy before”. He played in several different genres, like appearing alongside Lee Van Cleef in Sergio Leone’s The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly (1966). Of course, for us, it was the countless horror movies that he appeared in that had us remembering that face of his. With his pudgy appearance, balding, and strange eyes, he was always easy to spot. It is actors like this, that never make it as a top-billing star, but are the ones that fill out the colorful pallet of the movie, making it so much more interesting to watch. I know that is definitely the case for me when it comes to horror films.

Some of his most noteworthy appearances were in films like The House that Screamed (1969), Graveyard of Horror (1971), Paul Naschy’s Night of the Howling Beast (1975), and of course as the baggage clerk in Horror Express (1972). He even appeared in Bruno Mattei’s Hell of the Living Dead (1980).

Book Review: A Year of Fear

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yearfearA Year of Fear: A Day-by-Day Guide to 366 Horror Films
By Bryan Senn
Published by  McFarland, 2007.  560 pages.

There are a ton of movie guides out there for us fans to choose from. Some are great, some are not. Some have the same old comments on the same old movies. But what author Senn has done with this book is a pretty unique angle and very entertaining as well. He reviews 366 films, one for each day of the year. But there is more than just that concept, for each movie has some sort of tie-in with that particular day. For example, Feb. 4th is Torture Abolition Day, so the movie is Torture Ship (1939), April 26th is National Bird Day so the movie is The Giant Claw (1957), and so on. Sure, some title might be a bit of a stretch, but it still a great idea and very entertaining angle.

But it is more than just picking movies to coincide with a particular holiday or date, Senn actually has very good reviews of the films, giving plenty of information about it and/or the people that made them. The titles range from the classics to the very best of the cheese and schlock, but are all reviewed with a positive light, even if the movie is admittedly terrible. Senn may point that out, but never comes across as all out negative.

This is simply a fun book. It’s a great one to go through to make your own checklist, since quite a few of these titles in here I would consider “must-see” films, but also gives a pretty cool angle if you’re trying to decide what movie to watch some evening.  Just look up today’s date, and there you go!

Mystery Photo 2-27

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Welcome to Monday. For those that grew up in the ’70s, there were a ton of memorable TV movies that stuck with us over the years. One of those films was from our last photo, the 1974 made-for-TV movie Killdozer! How could a title like that not be just amazing? Well, I’m sure there are more than a few that could argue that, but I still happen to have a soft spot for this one and just love it. Congrats going out to Hoby Abernathy and William Wilson for sending in the correct answer. Well done!

Okay, let us get to this week’s pictorial quiz. Might be a pretty easy one to others, but maybe not to all. If you don’t know it, you could always wish for the answer, but as the saying goes, because what you wish for.

As always, please remember not to post your answers here to give everyone a chance at the photo. Good Luck!

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That Time Coffin Joe Was On Jon Stewart…

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coffin-joeFor those (hopefully) few out there that don’t know who Coffin Joe is, he is a Brazilian filmmaker by the name of José Mojica Marins that created a on-screen persona of a twisted madman named Zé do Caixão, or better known as Coffin Joe, which he played himself. The first Coffin Joe movie was At Midnight I’ll Possess Your Soul (1964), which caused quite controversy when it came out. Being in a country that was predominately populated with very strict religious people, creating a character who blasphemed frequently, not to mention doing terrible things to women and making men fear for their lives, didn’t set too well with most of them. But he continued.

Three years later, he made the second Coffin Joe film, This Night I’ll Possess Your Corpse, which continued the story from the first film, which is basically his character trying to find the right women to bear his child. Then, some 41 years later, Marins was back for the third film in the Coffin Joe trilogy, called The Embodiment of Evil (2008), which shows that Marins had lost nothing in those four decades when it came to showing how evil Coffin Joe is. Highly recommend these three films.

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Movie Review: Hardware

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hardware

Hardware (1990)
Directed by Richard Stanley
Starring Dylan McDermott, Stacey Travis, John Lynch, William Hootkins

“No Flesh Shall Be Spared.” – Mark 13

“The worst possible drug trip.” That is how director Richard Stanley described his first movie. For me, I tend to use the description of “visually stunning” when I start any discussion of Stanley’s debut. Each time I watch this film, I come across something new or totally different that I hadn’t noticed before. Stanley’s look of the future is very bleak and dismal, but probably a good warning for one that is not too far off.

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Horror History: Allison Hayes

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allisonhayes2Allison Hayes
Born March 6th, 1930 – Died Feb. 27th, 1977

Allison Hayes appeared on quite a few television shows and movies, mainly B-movies, in her short career, but never seemed be able to break into the big time. But because of the films that she did make, cult horror fans have always remembered here. With films like Roger Corman’s The Undead (1957) or The Hypnotic Eye (1960), or probably her most famous, Attack of the 50-Foot Woman (1958), she has made a definitely impact on the horror genre. One that will never be forgotten.

Unfortunately, her life was much more dramatic than the movies she appeared in. The last decade of her life, she was battling severe health issues, even having to walk with a cane. The pain was so bad, there were times that she had even thought of taking her own life. It didn’t help that the doctors didn’t seem to take her symptoms seriously. But after some of her own research, she discovered that the calcium supplements that she had been taken for some time, contained high levels of lead, which was causing her to suffer from lead poisoning. She was later diagnosed with leukemia. But before passing away, she had mounted a campaign to have the FDA ban the import and sale of this supplement that she had been taking, and eventually won in 1976. There are many reasons to remember Allison Hayes. So please do.

Soundtrack Review: Stray Bullets

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Stray Bullets
Released by Lakeshore Records, 2017
16 Tracks with a Total Running Time of 33 min.
Music by Jack Fessenden

Being a huge fan of Larry Fessenden, when I saw the name on this score, it had me immediately interested, since I assumed it was a relative of Larry’s. As it turns out, Jack is Larry’s 16-year old son, who has written, directed, co-produced, and edited his first feature film, as well as composing the music as well! Sounds to me that the father has definitely past on his creative talents to his son. I’ve only seen the trailer, but it really looks like an interesting story and the fact that it coming from a 16-year old kid, is even more amazing. But enough of that….let’s get to the score.

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