10 To Midnight (1983)

3 / 5 Aug '10
Tagline: Back in town... with a vengeance!
Directed by: J. Lee Thompson
Written by: J. Lee Thompson, William Roberts
Actors include: Charles Bronson, Lisa Eilbacher, Andrew Stevens
Genre: Thriller, Drama, Horror, Crime
Length: 101 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
This was cheese supreme, and although I thought the idea of combining a Charles Bronson flick with a serial killer concept was a good one. Everyone seems like they were phoning it in, even Bronson didn't seem like he could care less that he was in the movie. The serial killer at large is kind of amusing because he's a nudie, and watching him run around and kill people who are making out while naked is unusual. Bronson is the cop that is determined to catch the guy, even if it means toying with evidence that could get him deeper into trouble. It's just not exciting and although the killing part is okay the rest of the Police procedural stuff was pretty dull, and there wasn't enough violence to make this a good slasher either. The element of Bronson having a daughter was a bit interesting as of course the killer will want to target her etc. At least the last little bit is somewhat exciting but it definitely needed more punch.

Availability:  On DVD

L'Antichristo (1974) aka The Antichrist aka The Tempter

3 / 5 Aug '10
Tagline: N/A
Directed by: Alberto De Martino
Written by: Gianfranco Clerici, Alberto De Martino
Actors include: Carla Gravina, Mel Ferrer, Arthur Kennedy
Genre: Drama, Horror
Length: 112 minutes
Banned: Finland

Review:
Another Italian clone of The Exorcist, and heck it's not even one of the better imitations. It has some amusing things going on including loads of pea soup vomit, and one heck of a demonic performance from Carla Gravina as Ippolita a crippled Woman. Ippolita is given past life regression and of course discovers that she was a witch who was burned because she took in the devil as her lord. Once again she's tempted with the option as he offers her the ability to walk again. Before you know it she's freaking out, yelling things, using different voices and soon she's trying to bed and destroy Men! Oh and there is a goat scene that must be seen to be believed. The film is overly long and so much of it should have been condensed, and although it's not a happy film, it's not as dark as it should have been. It's not very satisfying on a horror front either, it's not even creepy at all and since it's all rehash it's not like it's surprising either. They did manage to pull a few nifty moments but for the most part it was pretty uninteresting unfortunately.

Availability:  On DVD

The Town That Dreaded Sundown (1976)

3 / 5 Aug '10
Tagline: In 1946 this man killed five people... Today he still lurks the streets of Texarkana, Ark.
Directed by: Charles B. Pierce
Written by: Earl E. Smith
Actors include: Ben Johnson, Andrew Prine, Dawn Wells
Genre: Horror, Drama, Crime
Length: 90 minutes
Banned: nope

Review:
It's rather hard to rate this because the copy I watched was pretty poor, and the dark scenes were barely visible. I did catch what was going on of course, but it's hard to tell if it was just poorly filmed or rather the vhs copy from the '70s that my copy had been ripped from was just old. Oh well, the other thing is that parts of this film are impressive, I mean considering it predates the slasher craze it does have some shocking violence. The scenes that don't involve the creepy hooded killer are so beyond dull and cheesy that it's hard to wait them out. It's yammer yammer yammer, scooby doo music and Police follies which bore me to tears. Also the announcer that tried to make this look like a documentary kept laming things up, just when I'd forget about the stupidity of it it would pop back up and irritate me. I think there is a way this could have been executed like a documentary and it would have been scary (from the reports I read it really did frighten people in it's day), but this was not the way. It was set in the '40s and based upon a real murderer that wasn't caught that wore a hood on his head. The killing are very brutal, the car window and tree scenes must been seen, some violent stuff. It's just the rest is nearly pointless, I get that they wanted us to see what the community was up to but so very much of it was that and so very few were the cool moments. It is worthy of a viewing, but the great parts are really few and far between.

Availability:  Not on DVD

The Addiction (1995)

3 / 5 Aug '10
Tagline: The dark is their sunlight. What makes them different is what keeps them alive.
Directed by: Abel Ferrara
Written by: Nicholas St. John
Actors include: Lili Taylor, Edie Falco, Christopher Walken
Genre: Horror, Drama
Length: 80 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
I really expected something different here, heck I usually like Abel Ferrara films and I love the cast members but this didn't work for me. Why? Because I'm not into philosophy and it really seemed like it was trying to cram it out of every orifice. The plot is about a timid young student called Kathleen (Lili Taylor) who is bitten by a vampire. She then goes through heroin like symptoms craving blood and letting herself and her morals deteriorate taking down everyone around her. It's filmed in black and white rather nicely and it feels gritty, I'll give it that. Also they did a pretty cool vampire party sequence that offered up the much needed horror as most of this is a drama of sorts. I didn't absolutely hate it but I felt it was being pretentious and although the concept was intriguing the execution was too dry and dull. Not my kind of movie but it will definitely appeal to some, and I suppose credit for making an intellectual vampire movie.

Availability:  Not on DVD

Concerto per pistola solista (1970) aka Weekend Murders

3.5 / 5 Aug '10
Tagline: N/A
Directed by: Michele Lupo
Written by: Sergio Donati, Massimo Felisatti
Actors include: Anna Moffo, Ida Galli, Gastone Moschin
Genre: Giallo, Horror, Comedy, Thriller
Length: 98 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
This was kind of a neat little black comedy/giallo offering, rather a strange hybrid but a serviceable one. The characters here are beyond colorful and weird, the story is revolving around a will and of course there is a murderer at large that seems to be bumping off the folks in the family. Georgie is a son who doesn't seem to be all there, he likes to play dead and act death scenes out to freak out his overbearing Mother. There is a local Police man who looks like an idiot but probably isn't as dumb as he looks, also a detective is part of the tribe who seems to actually be the idiot. There are many others too and of course one naturally will try to figure out the plot but I think it's more fun on this one to just ride it out and enjoy it and wait for the cards to be dealt to us. It's not as creative and bloody and far out as some of the other giallo films but it does succeed in being amusing and a little bit different. It's also strange that this is an Italian feature but it was shot in Britain and it feels very British. Not the greatest but recommended for fans of the genre who wouldn't mind a chuckle or two.

Availability:  On DVD

Street Trash (1987)

3 / 5 Aug '10
Tagline: Things in New York are about to go down the toilet...
Directed by:  J. Michael Muro
Written by: Roy Frumkes
Actors include: Mike Lackey, Bill Chepil, Vic Noto
Genre: Horror, Comedy
Length: 102 minutes
Banned: Singapore

Review:
Yawn, well this is a Troma style film in many ways, it's beyond cheap, the acting is abysmal and the affects are very lame but the film is overloaded with them. The plot is about some Viper alcohol that was discovered in a basement, that is being sold for a dollar a bottle. Hobos buy it of course and soon they find themselves melting or exploding oozing different colored goo and making a big mess everywhere. Some of the Hobos that have not ingested the alcohol are of course pitted against the mutants or what have you. There truly isn't much of a plot but be prepared for several pointless and boring scenes to fill the time between the ridiculous effects. I really couldn't wait for it to be over which indicated to me that I really do need more than goo to make a film entertaining. Perhaps when I was a much younger this might have been more appealing, as it was it really was trash, I suppose they can't be sued for false advertising?

Availability:  On DVD

Die Zärtlichkeit der Wölfe (1973) aka The Tenderness Of Wolves

4 / 5 Aug '10
Tagline: The First Gay Vampire Movie
Directed by: Uli Lommel
Written by: Kurt Raab
Actors include: Kurt Raab, Jeff Rodan, Margit Carstensen
Genre: Drama, Horror
Length: 95 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
Although it's not exactly a horror film I still found it to be rather captivating and interesting. This tale is based upon the Vampire of Düsseldorf, the same tale that the film M is based upon. I actually prefered this retelling as it wasn't so police heavy and it was more character driven but I'm in the minority with that belief. Fritz Haarmann (Kurt Raab) is a strange character known for helping out poor boys and giving people meat and whatnot. He's also known by some as a bit of a criminal and a nuisance, but most seem to like him. We know he has a live in male lover, and also that he likes to bring home pretty young men and drink their blood before butchering them and serving them to others. The thing is, the film is never graphic, well okay that's a slight exaggeration, some of the set and genitals are graphic sure but as far as gore and whatnot goes, it's implied. It's all in the dialogue, and Raab's acting that really pull this film from being rather mundane to something quite special and dark. It also has a rather black sense of humor that kept me chuckling even through the horrendous things that seem to be going on in the tale. This won't be for everyone but I really enjoyed it, it is artfully made with a great cast and authentic feeling sets and everything else. Recommended to people who want to see an entirely different side of vampirism and who are looking for more of a drama rather than a horror film.

Availability:  On DVD

The Evil (1978) aka The House Of Evil

2.5 / 5 Aug '10
Tagline: Escape is just a nerve-shredding scream for salvation!
Directed by: Gus Trikonis
Written by: Galen Thompson
Actors include: Richard Crenna, Joanna Pettet, Andrew Prine
Genre: Horror
Length: 84 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
I saw the preview for this before actually watching it so I thought it was going to be quite good. Imagine my surprise when the first 50 minutes has basically nothing happen (unless you consider a statue turning it's head and a blob of white light that appears excitement). The plot is about a group of friends who move into a big 'ole house in order to fix it up. Little do they know that most of them won't ever leave bwahahaha. See the house is inhabited by...oh yes the devil and because of this annoying things keep happening to people. The deaths are pretty lackluster minus the fire suits and it does have one cool scene with a saw. The last little bit of the movie does pick up but it's a case of too little too late. Most of this is as dry as can be and it's all been done before blah blah blah. Not one to rush out and grab unless you intend to see every haunted house movie, but I suppose you could do worse.

Availability:  Not on DVD currently

Looker (1981)

3.5 / 5 Aug '10
Tagline: If Looks Could Kill...
Directed by: Michael Crichton
Written by: Michael Crichton
Actors include: Susan Day, Albert Finney, James Coburn
Genre: Drama, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Length: 93 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
This definitely has some inventive ideas that actually have come to exist, and it's pretty cool in many ways. Plastic surgeon Dr. Larry Roberts (Albert Finney) has had a few weird requests lately, beautiful women wanting several slight surgeries to adjust their appearances. When three of them are potentially suicide victims of course they start investigating Larry. Only thing is, he is oblivious, but he does notice that all of the dead girls belong to a research lab. He also finds out that model Cindy Fairmont (Susan Dey) is in serious danger being the only one left alive. It's got a slight romantic plot there but mostly it's a rather exciting investigation into this research company to find out what really is going on. The big problem is that weren't given an actual reason for killing these girls, sure we find out "what's going on" but it doesn't explain the big questions. From my research I've learned there is a scene in the movie that was cut out that explained some things but why the heck would anyone cut that out of the DVD release? Anyhow I do think it's a pretty neat tale from Crichton and if you've wanted to see Dey naked you'll have another reason to watch.

Availability:  On DVD

The Kindred (1987)

3.5 / 5 Aug '10
Tagline:  Some things are best left unborn.
Directed by: Stephen Carpenter, Jeffrey Obrow
Written by: Stephen Carpenter, Jeffrey Obrow
Actors include: David Allen Brooks, Rod Steiger, Amanda Pays
Genre: Sci-Fi, Horror
Length: 91 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
Though it starts out slower than molasses in January, it really does pick up to be quite the colorful effects movie. Really most of the ideas here were borrowed, it shared a fair bit with Alien, Island of Lost Souls and quite a few more. The plot is about an old Woman who conducted ghastly experiments using her human Son's DNA to create monstrous hybrids. When she dies she asks her Son to destroy her experiments only a pretty girl who happens to be on of his Mom's fan's is trying to save the experiments. The experiments in question are gooey and gross and well it's actually pretty amusingly done actually. They kill which also leads to a fair bit of fun when unsuspecting people are around. Considering how much I disliked it's straight-to-video qualities at first it really did get good about half way in, so keep at it because this has quite a bit to entertain.

Availability:  Not on DVD

Sugar Cookies (1973)

3 / 5 Aug '10
Tagline: Meet the beautiful people who live... and die in a freaky, try anything world.
Directed By:  Theodore Gershuny
Written by: Theodore Gershuny, Lloyd Kaufmann
Actors include: George Shannon, Mary Woronov, Lynn Lowry
Genre: Exploitation, Drama, Thriller, Horror
Length: 89 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
This is a weird one I'll give it that. In many ways it's a soft-core porn which really put me off I must say. The plot on the other hand is kinda neat, and I like lead actress Mary Woronov, she really makes quite an impression in anything she's cast in. The story is about a pornographer called Max who kills a young model (who was also his lover) and makes it look like a suicide. Soon his assistant Camilla has found a nearly identical looking girl who she grooms to be just like the murdered model. Along the way she has a romantic relationship with this new girl (which chews up way too much time in the movie) under the guise of preparing her for an upcoming film role. The film is at least interesting enough to keep watching and to want to know what's happening, it just could have used a little more "spice" along the way. Not my favorite but it could have been so much worse, at least the cast make this worthwhile though, and heck I'm always up for some exploitation.

Availability:  On DVD

How Awful About Allan (1970)

2 / 5 Aug '10
Tagline: N/A
Directed by: Curtis Harrington
Written by: Henry Farrell
Actors include: Anthony Perkins, Julie Harris, Joan Hackett
Genre: Thriller, Drama, Horror
Length: 73 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
Talk about being underwhelmed, I mean one would think the combination of Curtis Harrington, Aaron Spelling and Anthony Perkins would spell success but instead it spells as boring as hell. Perkins plays Allan, a fellow who feels partially responsible for an accidental fire that kills his Father and scars his Sister. Allan even goes temporarily blind from the incident because of stress I think is the explanation (that makes no sense). Allan is finally released from the asylum to his Sister's care, only she doesn't seem the most happy to have him there. She's just looking for an excuse to get rid of him he figures. Matters aren't made any better by a mysterious boarder who is staying at their place. Allan thinks this boarder is trying to kill him, and seems to appear rather insane. It's a made-for-tv movie and mercifully short but still it felt like nothing ever happened until the very end and by that point I didn't really care. Talk about underwhelming clap trap, it just seemed lazy and uninteresting, it's too bad because I think this could have made for a decent film if some major changes occured.

Availability:  On DVD

Twisted Nerve (1968)

4.5 / 5 Aug '10
Tagline: Cleaver. Cleaver. Chop. Chop. First the mom and then the pop. Then we'll get the pretty girl. We'll get her right between the curl.
Directed by: Roy Boulting
Written by: Roy Boulting, Leo Marks
Actors include: Hayley Mills, Hywel Bennett, Billie Whitelaw
Genre: Thriller, Horror
Length: 118 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
This is one nifty psychological thriller that was instantly entertaining and loveable. Martin Durnley (Hywel Bennett) is a strange young man of 22. His Mother treats him like he's a little boy, and his Step-Father seems to hate his guts and desperately wants him out of the house. Martin's brother is a mongoloid in an institution, and well Martin seems to have an alter ego as a 6 year old named Georgie (which drove our cat Georgie insane). Martin meets a beautiful kindly young librarian named Susan (Hayley Mills) who he becomes obsessed with. When his Father forces him out of the house he goes to live in at the house of Susan under false pretenses. Things seem to get worse because Susan and the others only know Georgie...when Georgie doesn't get what he wants Martin is the one they'll have to deal with. Let's just say Martin isn't the type of person you want to say no to. It actually maintained a really good level of tension and the acting was really impressive too. Definitely one of the better little known thrillers from the '60s, very surprising and cool.

Availability:  On DVD region 2

The New Kids (1985)

4 / 5 Aug '10
Tagline: The kids learned three things about southern hospitality, blood, sweat and terror!
Directed by: Sean S. Cunningham
Written by: Stephen Gyllenhaal, Brian Taggert
Actors include: Shannon Presby, Lori Laughlin, James Spader
Genre: Thriller, Horror
Length: 89 minutes
Banned: Iceland

Review:
Teehee, well this starts out like an insanely cheap teeny bopper flick it morphs into one heck of a bizarre and satisfying revenge flick so stick with it. Brother Charlie (Eddie Jones) and Sister Abby (Lori Laughlin yes Rebecca from Full House) are orphaned and they end up living at their Uncle's house. Uncle and wife are working on making a little theme park about Christmas, and together they all restore the park. It's not all happy though because Abby is one heck of a pretty girl and the local thugs have noticed. When she refuses each and every one of them a date, war is on and it's really not pretty (it actually goes a lot further than I thought it would dare). There are knives being pulled, they keep trying to light Abby on fire and ultimately a huge showdown occurs at the theme park (which involves many deaths with the rides which is awesome). It's got a lot more to offer than one might think, but you really wouldn't know it was from the same guy who directed Friday the 13th. Also be prepared to laugh hysterically at James Spader who plays one of the main thugs and looks like an albino, and has a terrible accent.

Availability:  On DVD

Android (1982)

3.5 / 5 Aug '10
Tagline: On a remote space laboratory, Android Model MAX 404 has learnt how to live...and learnt how to kill!
Directed by: Aaron Lipstadt
Written by: James Reigle, Don Keith Opper
Actors include: Klaus Kinski, Brie Howard, Norbert Weisser
Genre: Sci-Fi
Length: 80 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
This is a rather unusual and cheap sci-fi film, but on the other hand it's rather effective and well acted, plus the plot is an intriguing one. Klaus Kinski plays Dr. Daniel a Scientist on a research station who is completely alone...except for Max. Together they carry out research about Androids (who were banned several years ago for rape and various other problems that existed). Max is clumsy and awkward, weird, horny and lonely too. He watches sexual training videos for fun! When three space refugees land on their ship Max is eager to make nice with the girl. He's not the only one who has the hots for her though, Dr. Daniel has an eye for her too. It's a very strange film that leaves you kind of guessing where it's going but in a way I liked that about it. It's not going to be for everyone but I think it was a memorable little oddball sci-fi flick that should appeal to some.

Availability:  On DVD

Cry Of The Banshee (1970)

3 / 5 Aug '10
Tagline: N/A
Directed by: Gordon Hessler
Written by: Tim Kelly
Actors include: Vincent Price, Elisabeth Bergner, Essy Persson
Genre: Horror
Length: 91 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
I suppose this is very much in the style of the Hammer period pieces, only it seems to contain more nudity and be rather derivative of several better movies. It also doesn't have the personality or the ability to make entertaining dialogue unfortunately. Vincent Price plays Lord Whitman, a fellow who enjoys killing many witches, which ticks off the lead witch Oona. Oona decides to take matters into her own hands by summoning a banshee to get revenge on Lord Whitman. It's really a hodgepodge of witchcraft, masque of red death, voodoo and another surprise that I somehow didn't see coming. Still it really didn't offer anything that several similar movies had to offer and although it's reasonably easy to sit through it felt like it was missing something. You might want to watch this if you've seen all the other Hammer knock-offs first but I wouldn't say one should rush out and grab this.

Availability:  On DVD

Passi Di Danza Su Una Lama Di Rasoio (1973) aka Death Carries A Cane

2 / 5 Aug '10
Tagline: N/A
Directed by: Maurizio Pradeaux
Written by: Alfonso Balcázar, Arpad DiRiso
Actors include: Robert Hoffmann, Nieves Navarro, George Martin
Genre: Giallo, Horror, Thriller
Length: 84 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
Well, this one started out a lot stronger than it finished but it never really made a good impression I'm afraid. It's ridiculous and with the dubbing the first bit feels like a comedy and really I did laugh a fair bit until it got excruciatingly dull. Oh sure there were many pointless song and dance numbers and it did have a fair bit of nudity and the typical giallo trappings but nothing to make it remarkable in any way. The plot is about a woman who witnesses a murder, the other people who witness the murder end up razored and caned to death...could she be next? They certainly didn't have special effects despite trying to do series of flashes of things that could add up to someone being murdered. It also wasn't satisfying in the least in the conclusion, it really felt like a pale imitation of better films. The story suffered, the music was dreck and it wasn't really worth bothering with despite the awesome title.

Availability:  On DVD

The Plumber (1979) aka The Mad Plumber

4 / 5 Aug '10
Tagline: The Australian New Wave Has Come
Directed by: Peter Weir
Written by: Peter Weir
Actors include: Judy Morris, Ivar Kants, Robert Coleby
Genre: Thriller, Horror
Length: 77 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
So it would appear that The Cable Guy was entirely ripped off from this one. The big difference being that Jim Carrey in his film was just obnoxious, the plumber in this film was disturbing. A couple are adjusting to their relatively new apartment and their new situation (the wife has decided to stay home and study for a bit while the husband works). When the wife is home alone she gets a knock on her door from the plumber, he just needs to check her pipes you see. Next thing you know he's claiming the pipes are rotted and need to be replaced. Before long he's mentally tormenting her in her own home and the bathroom has turned into total destruction. He's writing song lyrics in her shower and performing in her bathroom, watching her change and various other creepy things. Just watching him interact with her is extremely uncomfortable. It's actually a relatively well made film and it was really short (77 minutes) but originally it was shot for tv. Still it packs quite a punch, and well it would make most people think before answering the door to a plumber!

Availability:  On DVD as a bonus when you buy:

Faceless (1987)

4 / 5 Aug '10
Tagline: Come Face To Face With Evil
Directed by: Jesus Franco
Written by: Rene Chateau
Actors include: Helmut Berger, Brigitte Lahaie, Telly Savalas
Genre: Horror
Length: 98 minutes
Banned: Canada

Review:
Well this is a pretty darned entertaining Eurosleaze take on the story Les yeux sans visage [Eyes Without a Face], and really it's probably the best Jesús Franco film I've seen. It's from the late '80s so expect lots of colors, cheesy music and so forth but really they did do a relatively good job of making this straightforward. The plot is about a plastic surgeon who improperly fixed a Woman's face, so she throws acid on the face of his sister, horribly disfiguring her. He feels guilt and wants to give her back her face so along with his creepy Nurse Nathalie (Brigitte Lahaie they kidnap models with the intent of performing a face transplant. It's as gory as heck and actually pretty darned hilarious too, really they did a good job with the effects and everything considering it was likely straight-to-video. It also does have a bunch of people you are likely to recognize in the cast including Anton Diffring and Telly Savalas as an added bonus as well. Recommended for those who like gruesome trash, although it's certainly not the classic the film it's aping is, it's still worthwhile.

Availability:  On DVD

Lemora (1973) aka Lemora: A Child's Tale Of The Supernatural

3.5 / 5 Aug '10
Tagline: Run, little girl! Innocence is in peril tonight!
Directed by: Richard Blackburn
Written by: Richard Blackburn, Robert Fern
Actors include: Lesley Taplin, Cheryl Smith, William Whitton
Genre: Horror, Thriller
Length: 85 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
A very unusual take on the Dracula concept, but it really isn't for kids I guess (like the title might dictate). In many ways it is a nightmarish fairy tale, a beautiful young innocent named Lila Lee has the voice of an angel. She has been raised by the church because her Parents are well evil I suppose. Lila Lee receives a message from Lemora (her Mom) which states that her Father is unwell and they've found Christ and that she is to come to them. Well she sneaks out on a trek, but it's in the middle of an extremely dangerous area. Zombie like people who live in the woods attack and not only that but witchcraft and vampirism seem to run rampant too. She gets to Lemora's and of course things aren't quite what they seem, her Father can't be found and to say Lemora is creepy would be an understatement. It's not a bloody massacre of a movie but rather a horrific situation that works particularly well because Lila Lee just seems so gosh darned innocent.The imagery is quite interesting and grotesque in some way, it's pretty visually interesting. It's also such a different take on this concept that I think fans will really enjoy this.

Availability:  On DVD

eXistenZ (1999)

2.5 / 5 Aug '10
Tagline: Play it. Live it. Kill for it.
Directed by: David Cronenberg
Written by: David Cronenberg
Actors include: Jennifer Jason Leigh, Jude Law, Ian Holm
Genre: Sci-Fi
Length: 97 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
Well I like David Cronenberg films, and I like Jennifer Jason Leigh as an actress so combining the two should be excellent right? Well the answer is yes for most people but I actually hated this. I found myself rolling my eyes through most of it and laughing at the technology and imagined advancements for the future. Leigh plays Allegra Gellar, a person who takes part in a new game along with a test group of others. Of course the line is blurred between reality and the game, and it's seemingly dangerous. There are also little reptile creatures with multiple heads everywhere and strange little computer animated effects that were silly. I guess this idea is fine, but the execution was sheerly silly, but perhaps it's because this is now 2010 and the technology from the '90s is a bit behind? I think it's more than that, I just never really got into this and I kept looking at the time because I really wanted it to be over. Take someone else's opinion because I think giving it 2.5 stars is generous but I think I'm in the minority here.

Availability:  On DVD

The Psychic Killer (1975)

3 / 5 July '10
Tagline: First it drives you mad, then it kills and kills and kills!
Directed by: Ray Danton
Written by: Greydon Clark, Mikel Angel
Actors include: Paul Burke, Jim Hutton, Julie Adams
Genre: Horror, Thriller
Length: 89 minutes
Banned: Iceland

Review:
Oh dear, this is quite a film I suppose. It reminds me of Patrick I guess, only this film uses some sort of astral projection in order to get revenge. Arnold Masters is in a mental hospital for a crime he didn't commit. He makes friends with another in the hospital who gives him his magical charm when executed which teaches Arnold astral projection revenge. See Arnold is very mad at the people who killed his Mother and the Men who set him up to make him look guilty. One by one they die off in amusing ways (I give credit there, they did try with the deaths), but it's baffling the cops. See they are tailing Arnold and watching him go into trances while the murders happen, but will they be able to solve the puzzle before Arnold goes too far? It's rather slow and dry for the most part but it never really got to the level of being boring. The amusing deaths and strange story aren't exactly a must see but some will find this entertaining.

Availability:  On DVD

Lady In A Cage (1964)

4 / 5 July '10
Tagline: Do not see "Lady in a Cage" alone!
Directed by: Walter Grauman
Written by: Luther Davis
Actors include: Olivia de Havilland, James Caan, Ann Sothern
Genre: Thriller, Horror
Length: 94 minutes
Banned: Finland

Review:
Mrs. Hilyard (Olivia de Havilland) needs to have her hip replaced, in the meantime she has to use a cage-like elevator to get between floors in her house. Her Son has left her alone for a few days, so when something in her elevator malfunctions and she's trapped in there she's panicked. The elevator has a buzzer for help that rings a bell outside, instead of attracting help she attracts the attention of a bum who wants to rob her. Of course she's trapped so she can do nothing, but when more bad people that are more dangerous invade her house things go from bad to worse. Suddenly there are bodies, and total destruction and nobody will help. In a way it feels like a message to the audience that society sucks and won't help a suffering injured Woman, we'd rather rob her instead. Still it's rather shocking honestly and it goes further than I had expected. A rather cool concept with an intriguing execution and a wonderful leading lady...what more could one want?

Availability:  On DVD

Alien Prey (1978) aka Prey

3 / 5 July '10
Tagline: His savage hunger makes us all... Alien Prey
Directed by: Norman J. Warren
Written by: Quinn Donoghue, Max Cuff
Actors include: Barry Stokes, Sally Faulkner, Glory Annen
Genre: Sci-Fi, Horror, Exploitation
Length: 85 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
Well this is one of the stranger things I've come across (thanks to the recommendation of cosmicnoiree) though not a "successful" movie there is still something for weird film lovers to observe here. The plot (though barely explained) is about some alien creature crashing down and invading a feller's body. This feller ends up stumbling onto the doorstep of a Lesbian couple who are going through a tough time. See one of them wants to leave and experience the world (and possibly some Men instead) yet the other is desperate to hold on to her and not let her leave. They welcome this weird alien fellow into their home (for some unknown reason) and they end up dressing him up and treating him almost like some sort of toy. The thing is, the angry Lesbian has been up to her own "dangerous" activities and the roaming Lesbian doesn't quite know what do to...will she run off with the alien? It's all very absurd and pointless, I'm sure that's why many hate this. Still I couldn't help but watch and I wasn't exactly bored, a few odd developments kept this slightly above average I think.

Availability:  on DVD