Tag Archives: Pete Walker

Monster Bash Spring 2025

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A few weeks ago, we made our annual trip to PA for the Monster Bash Conference, which we started attending way back in 2015. I can’t believe it’s been over a decade now, but we still continue to have so much fun there.

One of the reasons is some of the great items we find in the dealer room, most of which aren’t even something we’re looking for, but just happen to come across! For this show, since money has been a little tight as of late, my main goal was to try and not spend much at the show. I guess the key word there is “try”, because by Saturday, that was completely out the window.

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Pete Walker Collection from 88 Films

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If you’re one of those out there that just hadn’t made the deep dive into the films of Pete Walker, then now is your chance. That is, of course, if you have an import Blu-ray player. If you don’t, what is the hold up?

88 Films is goign to release a deluxe edtion of Walker’s films in The Flesh & Blood Show set, featuring 7 of Walker’s titles. They include Die Screaming, Marianne (1971), The Flesh and Blood Show (1972), House of Whipcord (1974), Frightmare (1974), House of Mortal Sin (1976) Schizo (1977) and The Comeback (1978). They haven’t released any price or any details of the extras, but they do say these will all be “presented in new HD remasters, and featuring a scary array of exclusive extras, including brand-new interviews with Walker himself.” This set is to be released in September.

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Movie Review: Frightmare

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(1974)
Directed by Pete Walker
Starring Sheila Keith, Rupert Davies, Deborah Fairfax, Kim Butcher, Paul Greenwood,
Fiona Curzon, John Yule, Andrew Sachs

Pete Walker is a director that more horror fans need to know about. He only made a handful of films in the ‘70s that really could be considered horror, but he made tales that not only didn’t pull any punches, but they also usually made you feel like you just got kicked in nuts. Walker had said that he wanted people leaving theater “thinking, yet frustrated.” And he did just that.

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Book Review: Grande Dame Guignol Cinema

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GGrande Dame Guignol Cinemarande Dame Guignol Cinema
Published by McFarland, 2009. 340 pages.
By Peter Shelley

Kudos to author Shelley for coming up with a great idea, highlighting some classics in horror cinema that some of them I feel tend to be left behind. Shelley writes in the preface, “for me the sign of good writing about films is that it compels one to see the movie under discussion. I hope my book does this for my readers.” Not only do I completely agree with that statement, but there are more than a few titles discussed in this book are now on my Need-to-Watch-AGAIN list.

Shelley does a great job in his introduction explaining the title of the book, and clearly defining what he means by it. This is a good way to stop people from asking “why did you leave this movie out?” … granted that will still probably happen. But at least going in, we are well aware of his point and what he is trying to accomplish with this book. With each title, he gives us a little background on the actress who is filling the role of the book’s title, and why they fit so well here. Once again, any book that sheds a little light on some horror history, I’m all for, and Shelley does an admirable job here.

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Horror History: Sheila Keith

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Sheila KeithSheila Keith
Born June 9th, 1920 – Died Oct. 14th, 2004

If you’ve seen more than a couple Pete Walker films, then you probably know who Sheila Keith is, or at least have seen her. And you’ve seen her work in his films, then you are definitely going to remember her! Keith was this wonderful older lady who seemed to excel in playing twisted and demented characters, even if she looked like your friendly old grandmother. While she did work a lot in other smaller roles and in a few TV series, it is her work with Walker that us deviant horror fans remember and love her for.

In Walker’s Frightmare aka Cover Up (1974), which happens to be my favorite role of hers, where she plays a cannibalistic matriarch, with such zest and conviction, that she is one of the scariest women you’d ever want to come across. She also appeared in Walker’s House of Whipcord (1974), The Confessional aka House of Mortal Sin (1976), The Comeback (1978), and House of Long Shadows (1983), where she worked alongside the likes of Carradine, Cushing, Lee, and Price!

Keith’s performances were always so strong and powerful that it amazes me that she did not get a ton of work in other movies. Maybe it was because Walker’s films didn’t receive a lot of critical acclaim.

Book Review: The British Horror Film

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British Horror FilmThe British Horror Film: From the Silent to the Multiplex
Published by Fonthill Media, 2017. 222 pages
By Ian Fryer

I’m a sucker for any books on British horror films, especially when they are going to cover Hammer. But then there are still so many other great pictures and talented filmmakers that came out of the UK, so there is much more of a history than just Hammer. Whether it is a good thing or not, but Fryer spends more of the time covering the famous Studio that Dripped Blood. So it’s a toss-up to find that a complaint or not, because they were such a dominating force in that country’s horror film output.

He does do a decent job covering other entries, such as Amicus, Tony Tenser, Pete Walker and the likes, so it’s not just Hammer. Even when we get to the modern day, he mentions quite a few of the people making a name for the genre, like Neil Marshall, Christopher Smith, and Ben Wheatley.

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