Exploitation Retrospect

Lucio Fulci's THE PSYCHIC (1977)

2009-07-02T13:56:00.002-04:00

After a first half of the week filled with plumbing problems and car troubles I'm happy to say I was finally able to finish Lucio Fulci's THE PSYCHIC (Severin). I only wish I'd had the titular psychic at my disposal so I could have foreseen the rusted fuel filter and blown muffler... not to mention the $ it was gonna cost. Grrrr.

I first saw THE PSYCHIC a few years back at an Exhumed screening and it must not have made much of an impression on me as I remembered next to nothing about the flick (only Jenny Tamburi as Bruna kindled any kind of a spark in my brain).

Made in 1977 it feels like a bit of a transitional flick for director Fulci. He would make 1978's SILVER SADDLE followed by ZOMBIE in 1979, which would set him on the path to the beloved splatter flicks that would endear him to an army of followers.

But THE PSYCHIC seems to represent a bridge between the giallos he'd done in the early part of the 70s (PERVERSION STORY, LIZARD IN A WOMAN'S SKIN, DON'T TORTURE A DUCKLING) and his upcoming horror cycle, with THE PSYCHIC relying a bit more on horror and gore (tame as it may be in comparison to GATES, ZOMBIE, etc.) than I remember his early 70s output so doing.

The story of the flick is a neat little giallo with a supernatural spin as the clairvoyant O'Neill (an interior decorator married to a rich Italian played by Gianni Garko, looking like Pasta Redford) has flashes of a woman's murder. She discovers that the murder took place in her husband's country home and she uncovers a body walled up in the sitting room.

After the husband is arrested for the murder she begins replaying the flashes in her head and with the help of a paranormal pal (Marc Porel) tries to put the pieces together to help prove his innocence and track the real killer.

The film's gory opening – set in 1959 with O'Neill's mother heaving herself off a cliff and bashing her skull in closeup on the way down – and the scene where O'Neill takes a pick axe to the wall certainly reminded this viewer of Fulci's gorier work to come and the great scene in GATES where reporter Christopher George frees a girl trapped in a coffin with a similar implement. Other trademark Fulci flourishes like his overuse of the zoom are on display here as well, but they're not as distracting or cliche as they'd become in a few years.

Other discussions of the film that I've read suggest that O'Neill's performance is somehow one of the movie's strongpoints but I have to disagree. She seems out of place here and does little more than look on with a bewildered, spacey expression, run away (poorly), and engender little in the way of sympathy. As a pal and I briefly discussed on the phone I'd have much rather seen someone like Rosalba Neri or Edwige Fenech in the role, especially after seeing the latter in ALL THE COLORS OF THE DARK where she gives a believable, sympathetic performance of a woman going through similar "am I going crazy" feelings.

If I had a complaint about the flick I'd say that the dubbing, especially on Gabrielle Ferzetti (ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE) is muddled and hard to understand at times. Especially during a key scene towards the end when major plot points are being revealed, I found myself straining to figure out just what the heck he was saying.

In all this is a clever, methodically paced and generally well acted slice of giallo pie from a pre-gore-galore Fulci. Definitely glad I checked this one out again.

Friday Trash Update

2009-06-19T08:08:00.002-04:00

New reviews posted at the ER website this morning including:

Two 1960s Gothics... Severin's excellent new NIGHTMARE CASTLE disc and the Legend House THE TORTURE CHAMBER OF DR. SADISM disc
A double dose of WWII Kinski action... CHURCHILL'S LEOPARDS and SALT IN THE WOUND (aka THE LIBERATORS)
The short flick CANNIBAL FLESH RIOT and the Asian ghost story anthology VISITS
A trip through the peeps of yesteryear with THE JOHN HOLMES COLLECTION
Plus, Tony Marsiglia's SUZIE HEARTLESS, the SIX FEET UNDER-ish JUST BURIED, and Severin's disc for THE HAIRDRESSER'S HUSBAND

EUROCRIME Documentary Trailer

2009-06-18T07:55:00.003-04:00

For me, one of the most entertaining of all Eurotrash genres has to be the Eurocrime movie. Taking their cues from successful American films like the Dirty Harry pictures and THE GODFATHER, Italian producers and directors imported American actors like John Saxon, Fred Williamson, Charles Bronson, Telly Savalas, Chris Mitchum and Henry Silva and created their own over-the-top, violent, frequently stunt-filled epics that rarely fail to entertain.

Check out this awesome trailer for Mike Malloy's upcoming documentary EUROCRIME: THE ITALIAN COP AND GANGSTER FILMS THAT RULED THE 70s. Ignore the "Preview Unavailable" caption and click away!

QUICK TAKE: TAKEN (2009)

2009-06-14T20:30:00.003-04:00

Chris and I rented TAKEN last night and I have to say it's a pretty perfunctory, pedestrian "gotta get the girl back" actioner. Liam (DARKMAN) Neeson is great as the world-weary former special-ops who retires to be close to his daughter, but the flick has zero twists or turns and basically takes us from point A to point B in a pretty straight line. They even intro a bunch of Neeson's former ops buds and blow the opportunity to bring them back into the flick once the daughter is taken.

And, speaking of the daughter, Maggie Grace's performance has to go down in the annals of film history as one of the most deluded takes on a 17-year-old in history. (Grace was born in 1983 making her almost 12 years older than the character she's playing.) Unless I missed something and she's supposed to be a highly function special needs kid, her spasmodic running about, arm flailing and inane giddiness is so far removed from any 14-year-old I've ever met, let alone 17-year-old, that we burst into laughter almost everytime she's on screen.

Frankly, it's pretty much the same flick as Seagal's BELLY OF THE BEAST and though more accomplished it's probably less fun.

CONAN Gets a Director and I Don't Mean O'Brien

2009-06-12T10:45:00.005-04:00

Okay Conan fans. Is this one of those devil you know is better than the devil you don't situations? Rumored CONAN director Brett Ratner is apparently out of the director's chair and has been replaced by Marcus Nispel who helmed the recent TEXAS CHAINSAW and FRIDAY THE 13TH reboots.

I wasn't particularly impressed with his TCM remake and the combination of my frenzied (at the time) schedule and the less-than-stellar word-of-mouth kept me away from theaters when F13 was showing, though I will be checking it out when it hits DVD next week.

In the right hands I think a sword-and-sandal epic like CONAN could be a super fun time at the movies but I'm just wondering if this is the right cat for the gig.

However, as good buddy Neil Vokes pointed out to me elsewhere, Nispel did direct the Vikings vs. Indians flick PATHFINDER and "he's got the cinematic grit and brutality thing going for him".

LateMag Picks Five Spags Not Directed by Leone

2009-06-11T05:46:00.004-04:00

Lists, lists, lists, everybody has lists.

Earlier this week it was Nazi Flicks to See Before BASTERDS, now LateMag has a small (maybe too small) list of Five Spaghetti Westerns Not Directed by Sergio Leone.

You'll get no argument from me that THE GREAT SILENCE is "one of the greatest Spaghetti Westerns ever made". I love the stark, snowy setting, the mute hero, the cool gun, and especially one of Klaus Kinski's best ever performances as the aptly named psychotic bounty hunter Loco. If you're ever gonna be scared by a guy in a frilly girly shawl, this is the guy.

I don't agree with the final pick on the list (the much discussed and in my opinion highly overrated BULLET FOR THE GENERAL) or the author's dismissal of the entertaining BLACK KILLER as "low rent" but I guess we'll just have to wait for my list!

Louis Fowler's DEVASTATOR Tour '09: THG Style

2009-06-10T17:51:00.003-04:00

Ever wonder what it's like to spend a day eating your way around Baltimore with yours truly?

Louis Fowler does a pretty great job of capturing the high and low lights of his all-too-brief visit to Charm City including going to ~~Attman's~~ Lenny's for lunch, a visit to the one and only Atomic Books, and breaking crabcakes at Michael's Steak & Lobster House with yours truly and Smile Hon editor Patrick Tandy (aka The World's Most Prolific Zine Publisher).

As my daughter would say, "Check it!"

Nasty Nazis: 15 WWII Flicks to See Before BASTERDS

2009-06-10T09:04:00.002-04:00

Saw the trailer for QT's new flick again the other day and the big screen presentation didn't do anything more to excite me for it. Now comes word that the Weinstein's are pressuring him to cut the flick down to a more fanny-friendly 2-hour running time in advance of its August release Stateside. (Who knows how much truth there is to the rumor.)

In the meantime, FilmJunk posted their list of 15 WWII FLICKS TO CHECK OUT BEFORE BASTERDS and it features some fun Eurotrash including the excellent and entertaining FIVE FOR HELL starring John Garko and Klaus Kinski and currently featured over at Exploitation Retrospect.

I'd probably have put a couple more Klaus flicks on the list ('natch) including CHURCHILL'S LEOPARDS and SALT IN THE WOUND (which actually casts K2 as an American GI anti-hero) but that's just me.

PHANTASM II Finally Coming to DVD in US

2009-06-09T06:08:00.003-04:00

"The ball is back!"

20 years ago those four words heralded the continuation of Don Coscarelli's mind-blowing PHANTASM series and probably could have saved me a lot of time had I paid more attention to my gut.

While walking through Philly with a girl I'd just started dating she started telling me about a movie she and her friend had seen that weekend and called it "the worst movie ever". I'd seen the same movie, with its ponytailed hero, flying orbs, yellow goo and head-scratching logic, and thought it was, uh, like "the best movie ever".

Had I read the obvious signs I could have saved myself about four years of grief and a couple friendships, but let's just say we don't always think with our heads.

Since that time the only way to see PHANTASM II in this country was via the out-of-print VHS release, a grey-market bootleg, an overseas DVD or – like I did this past fall – on the big screen. That will all change this fall with the first official DVD release of the film.

Which means that I'll have little to bitch about once this and Fred Dekker's amazing NIGHT OF THE CREEPS hit video later this year. No word on if the disc will feature anything more than the flick's theatrical cut but that'll be enough for me.

Good News DEATH PROOF Fans... BASTERDS is Reportedly Really Talky

2009-05-21T05:37:00.003-04:00

Initial reports coming out of France suggest that QT's BASTERDS is either "Quentin’s best film since Jackie Brown" or "awful. It is achtung-achtung-ach-mein-Gott atrocious. It isn’t funny; it isn’t exciting; it isn’t a realistic war movie, yet neither is it an entertaining genre spoof or a clever counterfactual wartime yarn".

So which is it? Guess we'll find out but the one thing critics seem in agreement upon is that it's: a) not as violent as expected; and, b) a talky 2 hours and 40 minutes.

Great news if you're a fan of DEATH PROOF.

FANEX at the Senator

2009-04-30T05:36:00.002-04:00

As some of you may know, Baltimore's single-screen movie house The Senator has fallen on hard times and "the end" was supposedly at hand. I'm not sure what's happening at this point... there had been talk of the city taking over the historic theater to avoid the auction block but I'm not sure what the latest is.

The good part about the current problems has been that it has forced the powers that be to re-examine just what the hell they've been doing and for the first time in the eight years I've been here somebody finally got the idea that maybe plunking first-run features in there wasn't the best use of the building.

Anyway, recent weeks have seen a wide range of flicks hit the screen at The Senator and I just found out that our old friends Gary & Sue Svehla of Midnight Marquee and FANEX fame are going to program the schedule the weekend of May 1. Here are some of the highlights...

Friday, 5/1
------------
ALIEN FACTOR @ 7 PM
SUSPIRIA @ 10:30 PM

Saturday, 5/2
--------------
THE INVISIBLE GHOST @ 10:30 AM
BASKET CASE @ 1 PM
FANEX FILES: HAMMER FILMS @ 3 PM
HORROR OF DRACULA @ 5 PM
SUSPIRIA @ 10:30 PM

There are some additional, locally made, low-budget flicks playing as well. For more check out the Midnight Marquee website.

VIGILANTE FORCE: They Called It God's Country... Until All Hell Broke Loose!

2009-04-21T14:40:00.004-04:00

Thanks to Comcast OnDemand I watched about an hour of VIGILANTE FORCE this afternoon. This crazy Gene Corman production from 1976 was written and directed by George Armitage who wrote and directed the excellent MIAMI BLUES.

It's a lightning paced proto-ROADHOUSE with Kris Kristofferson as a Nam vet recruited to come home and help "clean up" his old town by brother Jan-Michael Vincent. Little does JMV know that Kristofferson is planning to run out the current thugs... and replace them with his own cronies.

For fans of 70s pulchritude we've got Victoria Principal and Bernadette Peters in nice supporting roles as well as a pre-WKRP Loni Anderson as a casino bimbo named "Peaches" and I don't think it's for her love of fruit. CHARLIE'S ANGELS' Bosley (David Doyle) turns up as a bank executive and we even get BREAKFAST CLUB principal Paul Gleason as a mob enforcer with quite the taste in shirts and neck jewelry.

Some great dialogue, gratuitous Dick Miller, a very Wild West feel to it (the whole thing could be redone as a Western with little change), and enough random acts of violence and mayhem that you're never bored. As far as I know this little gem is unavailable on DVD and is running on Comcast for the next few days, at least here in the Baltimore region.

Can't wait to see how this one turns out!

Happy Seagalday!

2009-04-10T13:29:00.004-04:00

"Anybody who stands in my way it's them or me!"

You'd think he was talking about the Shoney's All-You-Can-Eat Buffet but apparently Big Steve wants his daughter back in JELLY BELLY OF THE BEAST, the pre-TAKEN Thai butt-kicker starring Steve as a "retired" CIA operative whose daughter gets kidnapped by Thai rebels along with a senator's daughter.

While not as instantly forgettable as OUT FOR A KILL – yesterday's excursion into Seagology – it's still one of those overly-plotted foreign co-productions that have been the earmarks of Seagal's post-UNDER SIEGE 2 filmography.

Worse yet, I realized about halfway through that I have seen chunks of this flick, though not enough to feel like I'd truly experienced it.

Anyway, hope everybody has a Happy Seagalday and gets a big, blousy kimono, some incense sticks, black dye for their widows peak, and a case of Steven Seagal Energy Drink (which one of my pals told me earlier today "tastes like carbonated shit").

HATCHET Director's Mock Commercial

2009-04-10T07:33:00.002-04:00

For whatever reason it took me a few years to get around to watching Adam Green's HATCHET, despite a rave review on the ER site from good buddy and recent traveling companion Louis Fowler.

To be honest, I probably avoided it because I'm usually averse to phrases like "old school slasher flick" because that kind of talk makes me think about those wretched SCREAM movies and not, you know, real slasher movies. Coupled with reviews that seemed all over the place and slavish endorsements from the likes of Ain't It Cool News I wasn't sure if I'd love or hate this latest attempt to add a new horror villain to the slasher pantheon.

I finally got around to watching HATCHET a couple weekends ago as the capper to my epic Day of Trash and I could not have misjudged the flick more. Intentionally funny and exceedingly well cast, the flick also piles on the gore and boobs so you're never bored. Plus, my favorite lab assistant from BONES (Joel Moore as the dark and comically death-obsessed Mr. Fisher) turns up as the flick's male lead, a comic and pop culture geek who heads off on an ill-fated swamp tour.

Despite an unsatisfying ending, I'd highly recommend HATCHET to anybody out there looking for a fun, admittedly "old school" horror flick with plenty of nudity and gore. I enjoyed it so much that I recently NetFlixed SPIRAL, another collaboration between Green and Moore, this time with the actor sharing directorial chores. I haven't had a chance to watch it yet and since today is Steven Seagal's birthday BELLY OF THE BEAST takes precedence but I'll get to it soon and report back.

In the meantime, here's a mildly amusing deoderant/body spray commercial from Green that nicely combines lingerie and lightsabers...

Two-Disc Director's Cut of COMBAT SHOCK Headed to DVD

2009-04-09T05:44:00.004-04:00

Lauded by no less an authority than Slimetime and Shock Cinema publisher Steve Puchalski as "one of the great cult films of the 1980s", Buddy Giovinazzo's COMBAT SHOCK (aka AMERICAN NIGHTMARES) is finally coming to DVD in all its ugly, dark, filthy, brutally brilliant glory.

Released on Prism Entertainment video back in 1987 after a brief theatrical run, COMBAT SHOCK – made for a shockingly low $60,000 budget – blends ERASERHEAD, TAXI DRIVER and THE DEER HUNTER for a grim slice of gutter-level cinema that refuses to flinch.

This July Troma Video is bringing the flick into the 21st century with a two-disc special edition that features both the theatrical and director's cuts (the latter featuring an additional ten minutes of footage) as well as interviews with such fans as John McNaughton, David Gregory, William Lustig, Jorg Buttgereit, and – in his first interview in 20 years – Gore Gazette publisher Rick Sullivan!

Additional bonus features include an interview with the director conducted by Troma's Lloyd Kauffman (last seen working the room at Cinema Wasteland), Giovinazzo shorts, liner notes by Puchalski and much more.

With this and Fred Dekker's NIGHT OF THE CREEPS getting the special edition treatment later this year, 80s trash cinema fans will have plenty to celebrate. Pre-order COMBAT SHOCK at Amazon now.

Check out the trailer for the new release below:

If You Get Correspondence from Me Expect to See a Lot of These

2009-04-09T05:30:00.003-04:00

Been a busy couple weeks here at ER HQ. Between finishing another big client project and spending a weekend with my trash-loving pals at Cinema Wasteland (more details to come) I once again find myself way behind the eight ball trying to catch up with all the news, posts and reviews flooding my in box and brain.

However, I needed to post this info as soon as I got up this morning... check out the press release that turned up in my mailbox yesterday afternoon:

Who's your favorite Simpson?

The post office wants folks to vote early and often for their favorite among the five new stamps honoring the nation's funniest dysfunctional family.

The Simpson stamps will be issued May 7, portraying Homer, his wife, Marge, their son Bart, daughter Lisa and baby Maggie.

The characters, created by cartoonist Matt Groening, have become pop culture icons in 20 years on Fox television.

The 44-cent stamps will go on display at 8 a.m. Thursday at www.usps.com/simpsons and votes can be cast at that site until May 14.

The price of a first-class stamp goes up 2-cents to 44 cents in May.

First it was Universal monsters, then the post office gave us not only DC but also Marvel superheroes. Now they're giving me Simpsons stamps?! Unless there's a Trash Films of the 80s series on the way or a set dedicated to College Radio Icons I may have actually lived to see every stamp issued that I could ever want.

Unless it'd be too much to ask for a second series of Simpsons stamps featuring our favorite side characters. What Simpsons supporting cast members would you want to see gracing your next electric bill?

REVIEW: The Sinful Dwarf (1973)

2009-03-13T08:30:00.003-04:00

When a gimpy, creepy-looking dwarf lures a bra-less waif back to his filthy lair with the promise of “more toyth upschtairs” – and then whacks her over the head with his cane – you can be pretty sure that director Vidal Raski’s notorious 1973 sleazer THE SINFUL DWARF is not going to champion the plight of little people.

In fact, this pre-credit moment with Olaf (former kiddie show host Torben Bille, billed simply as Torben) may be the lightest in this notorious sleazer’s 95-minute running time. Recently unearthed in a janitor’s closet at the Danish Film Institute and foisted upon us by the folks at Severin, DWARF may not be – as the box touts – “the mother of all dwarfsploitation films”, but it’s in the running. (I currently give that title to Baron Corvo’s notorious BEING CAPTURED, which I was introduced to by TOUGH TO KILL scribe David Zuzelo.)

Played agonizingly straight, THE SINFUL DWARF is the flip side of Joel Reed’s BLOODSUCKING FREAKS (aka THE INCREDIBLE TORTURE SHOW). While Reed’s contribution to the evil dwarf genre starring the unforgettable Louis DeJesus as Ralphus cushions the dual blows of crude Grand Guignol splatter and light bondage with a knowing wink and high camp, THE SINFUL DWARF refuses to soften the edges or offer the viewer any (intentional) comic relief.

When a young couple comes calling at the boarding house run by former cabaret performer Lila Lashe (Clara Keller), she initially tells the husband that there are no rooms available. After all, who wants Peter (the vaguely Christian Bale-ish Tony Eades) hanging about while she and her son Olaf are trafficking in young gals?

But when the boozy, scarred Lila gets a gander at Peter’s wife Mary (Anne Sparrow in her lone film credit according to IMDB) her story changes and the couple is soon being given a jaw-dropping tour from Olaf that leaves them speechless as they try to “set up home” in the gross-looking, grease-caked room. And, as any viewer of exploitation cinema is well aware, most of these boarding houses come equipped with convenient peep holes so the Olafs of the world can eavesdrop on the love-making of couples like Peter and Mary.

Speaking of Mary, it’s a shame that Sparrow doesn’t have a lengthy, sexploitation-filled filmography to explore ala Christina Lindberg. First glimpsed in a frumpy dress and overcoat ensemble that hides her considerable charms, Sparrow’s um, unveiling, is just one of the flick’s spectacular selling points. Decked out in a pair of form-fitting jeans and a shape-hugging stretch sweater Sparrow looks like the gal the word “curvy” was invented for. Unfortunately, her acting consists entirely of opening her eyes wide and looking on in apparent disbelief. Oh, and showing her boobs.

But back to DWARF where we learn that Lila and Olaf are keeping a bevy of busty gals drugged-up in an attic cell so that men can have sex with the barely resistant victims. And what sex it is! Raski fills the frame with lots of close-ups of gyrating butts, clenched fingers and toes, and mountains of 70s Euroboosh, creating some of the most spectacularly unpleasant on-screen sex I’ve ever witnessed. (I’ve heard that a hardcore version of DWARF’s sexcapades exists so we’ll have to wait and see if an even more complete version turns up down the line.)

Peter, a struggling writer, is frequently out trying to land jobs which leaves poor Mary home alone to deal with Lila and her boozy pal shouting and singing show tunes, not to mention the muffled cries from the sex-slaves who are hooked on heroin brought in by a drug dealer named Santa Claus. Convinced there’s something sinister afoot in the dark, depressing, greasy, gross rooming house, Mary creeps about hoping to prove to the increasingly-frustrated Peter that she’s not crazy.

Written by William Mayo from a story by Harlan Asquith, THE SINFUL DWARF would probably be a mere footnote in Eurosleaze history were it not for the demented performance from Torben Bille as Olaf. Widely – and accurately described – as resembling Jack Black after a run-in with a trash compactor, he lurches about in a cloud of sweat and spittle, uncomfortably leering at the attic-ful of chained beauties, peering down the pants of toy store dollies, and choking out his lines in a raspy approximation of English that is sure to make your skin crawl.

I can’t imagine THE SINFUL DWARF becoming a repeat favorite like BLOODSUCKING FREAKS, but it’s a classic example of out there exploitation cinema that must be seen to be believed.

THE SINFUL DWARF is available for pre-order at Amazon.com.

It's Sexploitation Friday at Exploitation Retrospect!

2009-03-13T07:53:00.004-04:00

It would stand to reason that since today is one of this year's three – count 'em three! – Friday the 13ths that I would take this opportunity to prattle on about how much I love FRIDAY THE 13TH PART IV: THE FINAL CHAPTER (sic) or wax nostalgic about the first two seasons of FRIDAY THE 13TH: THE TV SERIES (both available on DVD – or as my daughter calls them – "DB").

But here at Exploitation Retrospect we didn't last two plus decades and record more than 1 million visits to the site by doing things that "stand to reason". Plus, with another F13 headed our way in November I can shelve these ideas till then!

Instead, what we're offering up today is a little something to get you in the mood for the weekend with your significant other... yep, it's Sexploitation Friday at ER! Frankly, now that I think about it, I'm not sure how many of the flicks discussed in today's bevy of new reviews will get you in the mood. My own contribution to the mix – 1973's notorious Eurosleazer THE SINFUL DWARF – only got me in the mood for a cleansing shower and maybe a visit with the parish priest. (I'll post the full SINFUL DWARF review here shortly for those of you too lazy to click over to the website.)

Also in store for our readers thanks to the efforts and eyeballs of our tireless contributors...

So swing on over to the Exploitation Retrospect website and celebrate Sexploitation Friday in style!

Coffee and Olef

2009-03-12T05:54:00.002-04:00

I have grave concerns about a day that starts at 5 AM with coffee and the conclusion of THE SINFUL DWARF. Wrapping my head around this one now... review and ER update to come tomorrow.

Happy 191st Birthday Frankenstein

2009-03-11T07:53:00.005-04:00

I'm happy to be back among the functioning members of society. My annual big client project has finally returned from the printer so I can actually breathe a little easier and return to a somewhat normal schedule that allows time for the occasional movie, comic, TV show, sporting event and blog post.

But first, I just wanted to pop in and wish Mary Shelley's FRANKENSTEIN a happy 191st birthday! Shelley's work is widely regarded as the first science-fiction novel and the events (fictionalized though they may be) surrounding its creation and inspiration can be seen in the film GOTHIC.

As a kid I was always a sucker for the Universal series of Frankenstein flicks, with SON OF FRANKENSTEIN, GHOST OF FRANKENSTEIN and ABBOTT & COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN probably ranking as my favorites. For whatever reason it wasn't until a few years ago that I took the time to sit down and watch Hammer's take on the tale and I'm glad I did.

Unlike the Universal flicks which put their focus squarely on the iconic monster, Hammer's approach to the series viewed Dr. Frankenstein – played with fiendish charm by Peter Cushing – as the monster. And what a monster he was, especially in FRANKENSTEIN MUST BE DESTROYED, the series highlight as far as this viewer is concerned.

You can check out my article on the Hammer Frankenstein cycle here as well as a more recent review of the Universal-pandering EVIL OF FRANKENSTEIN.

For an example of things you never thought you'd see a Frankenstein monster doing (NOT work safe) check out our pal Curt's excellent blog The Groovy Age of Horror for his discussion of his site's origins and his interest in fumetti.

Be Back Soon...

2009-02-14T08:24:00.002-05:00

Just a quick post to apologize for my recent absence.

It's a busy time of year for me from a work standpoint and I've been spending pretty much every available office hour knee-deep in client projects.

Things should improve a bit in the next week or so and I'll be back posting away.

In the meantime, I did get a chance to check out Sergio Martino's crazy 1972 satanic giallo ALL THE COLORS OF THE DARK starring Edwige Fenech, George Hilton, Ivan Rassimov and Julian Ugarte. Definitely worth your time if you're into weird and wild 70s cinema.

THE THING Remake, er, Prequel News and Awesome Video

2009-02-01T08:46:00.006-05:00

I've been trying to ignore the news that plans for a prequel to John Carpenter's THE THING are apparently full speed ahead. At least the folks behind it have the good sense not to try and simply remake one of the single greatest pieces of sci-fi/horror cinema.

Instead, they're angling to tell the story of what happened that made those Norwegian dudes get in their chopper and chase The Thing Pooch across Antarctica, though I'm alarmed by reports that director Matthijs Van Hejningen is pushing to make one of the leads the brother of Macready (Kurt Russell's character). It would have to be an older brother because once Mama and Papa Macready had a kid as cool as RJ they'd know it was time to stop. Why tamper with perfection?

Don't have the time to revel in the greatness of Carpenter's THE THING (itself a remake of a 1950s Howard Hawks thriller based on the story "Who Goes There?")? Check out this clip featuring the awesome music of Zombie Zombie and a streamlined version of the Carpenter classic. Thanks to ER co-founder Lou Goncey for the tip.

WARRIORS Gets Graphically Remastered

2009-01-28T12:18:00.005-05:00

When I look back on the cable flicks of the 1980s that forever altered my cinematic landscape I can pinpoint several landmarks, even almost 30 years later. It didn't matter if I saw them once or I saw them a hundred times, they were flicks that broadened my horizon and let me see past the safe, largely parentally-approved choices that I was familiar with to that point.

The warped DEATH GAME (1977) – in which hitchhikers Sondra Locke and Colleen Camp invade the home of Seymour Cassel with disastrous results – brought sex, nudity, crazy violence and a "what the f**k?!" attitude right into my suburban living room in the middle of the afternoon. Clearly, this new "cable" invention was going to offer more than I was seeing on the handful of over-the-air channels I was accustomed to.

Joe Sarno's LAURA'S TOYS (1975) was a memorably sleazy Eurotrash softcore sex romp of epic, earth-shattering proportions. Years later I still consider it the reason I have no particular affinity for hardcore porn. The flick's girl-next-door stars packed more erotic punch than any adult film goddess. Okay, except maybe for Seka.

The first two installments of the FRIDAY THE 13TH series were my introduction to the slasher/splatter genre that I love so much to this day, Werner Herzog's NOSFERATU: PHANTOM DER NACHT exposed me to the great Klaus Kinski (and we all know how that obsession turned out), and Albert Pyun's brilliant sword-and-sandal barbarian actioner THE SWORD AND THE SORCERER may have been my first guilty pleasure.

But I still can recall sitting and watching Walter Hill's THE WARRIORS with rapt attention. Over and over. The flick took my growing love of action films and mashed it up with the comic theatrics of bands like KISS (it's hard to look at The Baseball Furies and not see that band's influence) to produce a highly entertaining and action-packed pop culture epic.

Today, lines like "Can you dig it?!" and the mockingly brilliant "Waaaarrrrrriiiorsss, come out to pla-ay!" (uttered by David Patrick Kelly as he clinks his beer bottle-clad fingers together) have become etched in our collective pop culture psyche.

I've always thought the concept of THE WARRIORS could have been stretched beyond its cinematic outing and I know there was a video game a couple years back that gave Swan and Co. further adventures. Like THEY LIVE, I thought it was a film that could have easily translated to the small screen, giving us weekly fixes as the gang got into further dust-ups and adventures.

While it's not a weekly TV show, I am kinda tickled that THE WARRIORS is getting a "comic book remastering" as the flick celebrates its 30th anniversary. The book will debut at New York Comic-Con next week and while the initial storyline will be an adaptation of the original film, writer David Atchison says that plans are in place to publish further adventures of the gang. The comic arrives in stores on February 18 and you can check out a preview here.

Can I openly petition for a WARRIORS/EXTERMINATOR crossover in which Swan and his crew have to team up with flame-thrower-wielding vigilante John Eastland to take down a mob sleaze running a white slave trade that preys on teens?

"If youre lyin', I'll be back."

K2 Co-Star Ernie Borgnine Honored on TCM

2009-01-26T10:21:00.001-05:00

Turner Classic Movies will be honoring legendary actor Ernest Borgnine tonight, January 26, with an exclusive episode of 'Private Screenings' hosted by Robert Osborne. They'll also be screening some Borgnine flicks, though I'm guessing two of my favorites – CODENAME: WILDGEESE co-starring Klaus Kinski and the awesome Eurotrash actioner THE LAST MATCH – will not be included on the list.

Borgnine – who made headlines a few months back by suggesting frequent masturbation was the secret to his vitality at the ripe young age of 91 – has so far been immune to my request for an interview for the Kinski book, or at least his people have been. I can't imagine a guy who would dish about his solo sex habits on national TV would be embarrassed about his days as a Eurotrash stalwart rubbing elbows with K2 and Henry Silva.

Download ROIR's So Indie It Hurts: Volume 1 for FREE

2009-01-20T07:47:00.003-05:00

As a college radio DJ I hated them but as a music fan I always dug the cassette-only releases from the folks at ROIR Records. Forget production values, overdubs, and in some cases even studio time. The label specialized in raw, low-fi nuggets of rock and roll history, occasionally captured live, like the Dictators release 'Fuck 'Em If They Can't Take a Joke' which showacased tracks from the band's original studio LPs.

The label's roster reads like a who's who of punk and pre-punk history including the Fleshtones, MC5, Johnny Thunders, Bad Brains, the aforementioned Dictators and many more.

If you're curious and can deal with sound quality and performances that one Amazon reviewer described as "37 minutes of ... electro-shock-induced screams for mercy" you can download Volume One of 'So Indie It Hurts' for free.

Frankly, I think the title is a misnomer since most (if not all) of this material comes from an age when the term "indie" wasn't even used to describe bands like the Fleshtones, Bush Tetras or Dickies but who am I to argue with free music?