The Mafu Cage (1978) aka Deviant aka Don't Ring The Doorbell aka My Sister, My Love aka The Cage

3.5 / 5 Jun '11
Tagline: A Psychological Thriller
Directed by: Karen Arthur
Written by: Don Chastain, Éric Wesphal
Actors include: Lee Grant, Carol Kane, Will Geer
Genre: Drama, Exploitation, Horror
Length: 102 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
This is one odd duck of a film, it's not going to be for everyone but to select few it should be entertaining. The story is originally from a play which is somewhat evident by the claustrophobic feel to the film. The film takes place in a bizarre home where two sisters live together. Ellen (Lee Grant) is the normal sister who vows to look after Cissy (Carol Kane) when their Father dies. Cissy has problems to put it lightly, she was in Africa apparently and is rather "wild" living in their jungle like abode with a pet Monkey called Mafu (who is kept in a cage, hence the title). Cissy is into drawing a picture of Mafu, but when the picture is finished look out! The story has weird themes of incest, mental illness, manipulation and all kinds of good exploitation like stuff. Considering all that is going on it somehow manages to refrain from being too sleazy and although it is a bit slow to start it does keep a decent momentum. It's more like a weird drama rather than an actual horror film but it definitely has elements from the genre. Rather twisted and strange most definitely and it's quite something to see Kane's performance, worth it for fans of weirdness.

Availability:  On DVD

The Love Butcher (1975)

3 / 5 Mar '11
Tagline: He turns a quiet neighborhood into a slaughterhouse.
Directed by: Donald M. Jones, Mikel Angel
Written by: Mikel Angel, James M. Tanenbaum
Actors include: Erik Stern, Kay Neer, Jeremiah Beecher
Genre: Horror, Exploitation
Length: 85 minutes
Banned: Nope






Review:
Considering it's a no budget sleazy slasher it's actually relatively entertaining...or at least the first half was snicker worthy. Definitely the makers of this film loved Psycho and well who doesn't. The plot is about a man who usually goes by Caleb and wears a balding cap and some googly glasses. He's a polite Gardiner who seems to only tend to the gardens of attractive young females. Caleb has a secret in the form of a murderous alter ego brother he dons for some killing action. The murder weapons...gardening tools of course. Be prepared for many scenes of Caleb arguing with a wig that is his brother. Although I did laugh a fair bit it really does peter out towards the middle and ending and turn into something rather dull. That really is a shame because it is a better film than your average cheap slasher, they did put some personality into this. Worth it for exploitation fans but it definitely wears old before it's 85 minute run time.

Availability:  Not on DVD

Scream Bloody Murder (1973) aka The Captive Female

3.5 / 5 Feb '11
Tagline: When You're In Her Business, Sooner Or Later, It Has To Happen!
Directed by: Marc B. Ray
Written by: Larry Alexander, Marc B. Ray
Actors include: Fred Holbert, Leigh Mitchell, Robert Knox
Genre: Horror
Length: 90 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
Certainly not the best low budget '70s slasher film, but it's not without it's charm. This one is about a disturbed boy who runs his Father down with a tractor before having his own hand run over. He loses his hand and how has a hook, is forced to live in the asylum for a while and is a little disturbed shall we say. When he's released things get nasty as he sees Mommy has a new mate and he's not too happy about this. I give this film credit for some ambitious and bloody deaths, sure they look cheap but the effort was there. The hooked killer is pretty hilarious, and does a fairly good job of being a believable given the circumstances. The big problem is that it starts out way stronger than it finishes, it gets quite boring towards the end. Still worth a viewing, it's pretty funny in many ways, definitely a campy exploitation film in many ways. Not a classic, but worth it for fans of this sort of thing.

Availability:  On DVD

I Drink Your Blood (1970) aka Blood Suckers

3.5 / 5 Jan '11
Tagline: N/A
Directed by: David E. Durston
Written by: David E. Durston
Actors include: Bhaskar Roy Chowdhury, Jadin Wong, Rhonda Fultz
Genre: Horror, Exploitation
Length: 83 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
Well this is rather ahead of it's time and were it not for the cheapness, and terrible acting it might have actually been kinda creepy. The plot is about a cult of LSD crazed hippies intent on hiding out in a small town for a bit to lie low from the Cops. They can't stay anonymous for long as they rape a local Girl and her Grandpa comes after them. Grandpa isn't powerful enough and they drug him with LSD, he stumbles home where his Grandson finds out what has happened. The Grandson just happened to find a rabid dog and shoot it earlier that day, so he collects some blood and puts it into meat pies for the hippies. From there we are left with a Night of the Living Dead style film with rabies instead of zombieism (apparently LSD + rabies = murderous rage). It's pretty bloody and yet some of the effects are pathetic of course, there is real animal violence I warn thee but certainly not the worst I've seen. It could have been amazing but as is it's pretty darned amusing and sleazy, fans of campy films should take note.

Availability:  On DVD

Female Trouble (1974)

5 / 5
Tagline:  Divine Returns! with the whole "Pink Flamingos" gang in John Waters' Female Trouble
Directed by:  John Waters
Written by:  John Waters
Actors include:  Divine, Mary Vivian Pearce, Mink Stole
Genre:  Comedy, Exploitation, Crime, Horror
Length:  89 minutes
Banned:  Nope

Review:
This is my all time favorite John Waters film and in fact in the commentary he says this is his favorite too.  The whole thing is extremely over the top so if you have a problem with ridiculousness turn away.  Divine plays Dawn Davenport (and actually gets screwed by himself in the role of Earl Peterson), a girl who doesn't get cha cha heels for Christmas.  She has fit and takes off where she gets impregnated by Earl.  Her daughter Taffy (Mink Stole in her most hilarious role) is neglected and is most certainly retarded (if you ask Dawn) and in an act of rebellion she tries to stop her mother for once and for all.  Stop Dawn from what?  Well on the road she was noticed by two beauty "consultants" shall we say (David Lochary and Mary Vivian Pearce).  They have her shooting eyeliner (beauty treatments) and since they believe crime is beauty they have her doing nasty things while they take pictures.  The climax is too much (in a good way), and I pretty much laugh from the second this starts to the end.  Heck even the title makes me laugh!  It's naughty, gross, perverse but most of all highly entertaining.  This is a must for fans of this sort of sleaze.

Availability:  On DVD

Sweet Kill (1973) aka The Arousers aka A Kiss From Eddie

2.5 / 5 Nov '10
Tagline: N/A
Directed by: Curtis Hanson
Written by: Curtis Hanson
Actors include: Tab Hunter, Cherie Latimer, Nadyne Turney
Genre: Horror, Exploitation
Length: 85 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
Such a lackluster exploitation flick, especially considering the topic, I'm not even sure how they made it so boring. Former teen heartthrob Tab Hunter plays creepy murderer Eddie Collins, and to see him in a role like this is a tiny bit entertaining but not enough to compensate for the plot. Eddie kills, gets erect, then kills, then gets erect....yeah you get the picture, nothing really special thrown in and the kills aren't even that great. I at least appreciate that they tried to make this a character study but they should have tried a little harder to make him intriguing even if in a bad way. It's insanely cheap, there are way too many uninteresting sex scenes and it was really missing that flavor that makes for great exploitation. It truly is hard to believe how mundane this really was, I had rather high hopes and usually I enjoy sleaze like this but I'd say that most would benefit from passing on this one.

Availability:  Not on DVD

In A Glass Cage (1987) aka Tras El Cristal

4.5 / 5 Nov '10
Tagline: N/A
Directed by: Agustí Villaronga
Written by: Agustí Villaronga
Actors include: Günter Meisner, David Sust, Marisa Paredes
Genre: Horror, Drama, War, Thriller
Length: 105 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
Egads, this must have been the feel bad movie of the year. That being said, it's really an amazing picture about the atrocities of war and their lasting effects even after and it's told in a different way then I've ever seen before. It's so bleak and difficult to watch in places, this one will test and disturb, I doubt I'll ever forget it. The story is about a former Nazi/pedophile named Klaus who tormented little boys but is now clinging to life at home in an iron lung. His wife seems harsh and awful as well, and their poor little girl Rena lives with them too. A young Man called Angelo shows up at their house wanting to take care of Klaus but something isn't quite right with this arrangement. It's brutal, violent, explicit, humorless and in no way should this be watched by everyone. Still it's an impressively made and acted film that leaves one hell of an impression and does more than makes it's point. It's rare to see such a combination of exploitation/drama and horror but this is effective and worthwhile to the right viewer.

Availability:  On DVD

Julie Darling (1983) aka Daughter Of Death

5 / 5 Oct '10
Tagline: she's sweet, sixteen, and she simply loves her daddy..... she'll slaughter you if you love him too.
Directed by: Paul Nicholas, Maurice Smith
Written by: Paul Nicholas
Actors include: Anthony Franciosa, Sybil Danning, Isabelle Mejias
Genre: Horror, Exploitation
Length: 90 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
Probably one of the absolute best Canuxploitation films I've seen...even if they are trying to pretend it's an American film pasting flags everywhere (yet they left in a shot of the CN Tower). At any rate this has everything going for it, particularly actress Isabelle Mejias in the role of Julie. Julie is a teenager living with her Father (who she's madly disturbingly in love with), and her awful Mother whom she hates. When the grocery boy gets fresh with Ma, and murders her, Julie has the ability to stop it but chooses to do nothing. When Dad remarries let's just say that trouble starts up again in extremely entertaining ways. It does have a fair amount of nudity and so forth in it, it's a sleazy movie...but the best possible kind. It's made with dark humor, clever plot turns and the dialogue is pretty wicked too. It was extremely entertaining (though very cheap not that it mattered), and one of the best girl gone evil movies I've ever seen. It's hard to come by (I looked for a copy for many years before someone kindly uploaded it for me) but it's well worth the hunt and the wait, most definitely a hidden horror gem worthy of discovery.

Availability:  On DVD

Schoolgirls In Chains (1973) aka Abducted

2.5 / 5 Oct '10
Tagline: See It At Your Own Risk!
Directed by: Donald M. Jones
Written by: Donald M. Jones
Actors include: Gary Kent, John Parker, Stafford Morgan
Genre: Horror, Exploitation
Length: 86 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
Meh, I kind of thought this would be better than it was, it's certainly a low budget exploitation film but it's not really as sleazy as I had anticipated. Two redneck moron brothers kidnap young ladies under the supervision of crazy Ma and keep them prisoner in the basement. They play games with the women that often lead to rape and torture etc and yes parts are a bit graphic but it all seemed so laughably poorly acted that it was hard to care or sympathize with anyone. It was dull enough that I felt like I was locked in their basement dying to get out. This is filled with misogyny and various things to offend various people but really it's nothing I haven't seen before more effectively made. There are a few things I suppose that were unique to this film like topless leap frog, and a needle in the rump of one of the girls, but if you like seeing women mistreated Bloodsucking Freaks is a far more entertaining venture.

Availability:  On DVD

Assault! Jack The Ripper (1976) aka Bôkô Kirisaki Jakku

3.5 / 5 Oct '10
Tagline: N/A
Directed by: Yasuharu Hasebe
Written by: Yasuharu Hasebe
Actors include: Yôko Azusa, Yutaka Hayashi, Tamaki Katsura
Genre: Horror, Exploitation, Adult
Length: 72 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
Well this definitely borders on being pornography which is not my thing but the demented plot made up for it for me. The story is about two people who work at the same restaurant together. As they are driving home together they come across a woman who they sort of accidentally end up killing and they find it makes for awesome sex together. So together they go out and kill people (by slicing them from the groin upwards) just to have great sex. When the Male starts going out for kills without the Female (who is a butter face) some jealousy is involved and things kind of get even insane from there. It's very graphic and rewarding in a sadistic horror sense, it also does seem to have a bit of a sense of humor which I think helped the movie as well. Definitely an exploitation film that won't be for everyone, but it's pretty entertaining in a sick way for those of us who aren't offended by much.

Availability:  On DVD

The Psychopath (1975)

3.5 / 5  Sept '10
Tagline: He's Judge... Jury... Executioner
Directed by: Larry G. Brown
Written by: Larry G. Brown, Walter Dallenbach
Actors include: Tom Basham, Gene Carlson, Gretchen Kanne
Genre: Horror, Thriller
Length: 84 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
This is the kind of film that rarely turns up, it's truly absurd and seems to fail on every level it's trying to achieve but it has tons of camp value. It's a PG film, but surprisingly violent considering though you don't see anything, it's just implied. The plot is about a children's host and puppeteer called Mr. Rabbey who looks like a pedophile but is actually some sort of defender of children. Mr. Rabbey is actually rather slow and creepy and a treat to watch, they don't make psychos like this very often. He really hates child abuse, he hangs out in the playground and hospital to observe abused children and watch parents be cruel to their kids. I hate to say the abuse is funny but in this case it kind of is, it's over the top and it's stereotypical to say the least. Anyhow Rabbey comes to their houses later and kills the Parents who are offenders...one of them he kills by snapping a towel and then running them over with a lawnmower (I'm not kidding...though you don't see the lawnmower bit). Something to see for fans of weirdo '70s films for sure, cheaper than cheap and obviously influenced by Herschell Gordon Lewis what with the ridiculous close-ups of people's eyes, drummer for a soundtrack and general cheapness. It's not the greatest film ever and some gore would have helped it out but it still makes it's point...I think.

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

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

Goodbye Gemini (1970) aka Twinsanity

3.5 / 5 July '10
Tagline: In the age of Aquarius the twins Julian & Jackie share everything - Love, men and murder!
Directed by: Alan Gibson
Written by: Jenni Hall, Edmund Ward
Actors include: Judy Geeson, Martin Potter, Michael Redgrave
Genre: Horror, Exploitation
Length: 89 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
This is a weird exploitation flick that reminded me a bit of Mumsy, Nanny, Sonny and Girly [Girly] only it's not quite as good. The story revolves around unusually (disturbingly) close twins Jacki & Julian who have moved into house in London England. They seem to go in for the swingin' scene and go to parties, but they make a scene as they are a little too infatuated with one another. Jacki carries around a teddy bear and the two play games as though they were children. They sort of have their own little fantasy world where intruders are not welcome...okay so that's more of Julian's style than Jacki's but still. They make friends with a gambler named Clive and that's where things seem to take a turn for the worst. He has some debts that need paying so he tries to blackmail Julian and let's just say it's not a good idea to mess with these two. It's very strange all around and not exactly a bloody horror film or anything, but it certainly works and was entertaining.

Availability:  On DVD

Girly (1970) aka Mumsy, Nanny, Sonny And Girly

4 / 5 July '10
Tagline: Everyone is dying to meet girly.....
Directed by: Freddie Francis
Written by: Brian Comport
Actors include: Vanessa Howard, Michael Bryant, Ursula Howells
Genre: Horror, Exploitation
Length: 101 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
This is the sort of film that one doesn't forget...how could you? It's one of the strangest things I've ever seen and oddly it doesn't really have any explanation for it either. The story is about Mumsy (the Mum of course), Nanny (the caretaker) and children Sonny and Girly (both of which are probably in their early '20s). It's pretty weird watching adult pretend they are kids and giggle and chase one another about...but it's even weirder when you learn what's going on. See their job is to lure back new "friends" who must play the "game" or be killed. What is this game? Well it's that they each must be in character and play for a certain amount of time a day and they have to follow rules and can't leave and whatnot. Why all of this is taking place is beyond me but it's quite a bizarre film that kept my attention most definitely. Recommended for those who like strange '70s cinema, you won't see another like this.

Availability:  On DVD

Welcome To Arrow Beach (1974) aka Tender Flesh aka Cold Storage aka And No One Would Believe Her

3.5 / 5 July '10
Tagline: Nice place to visit...no place to live!
Directed by: Laurence Harvey
Written by: Walllace C. Bennett
Actors include: Laurence Harvey, Joanna Pettet, Stuart Whitman
Genre: Exploitation, Horror
Length: 99 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
This is sort of an exploitation film I suppose, it's very '70s and riddled with bad music but it's still entertaining. A wandering hippy girl ends up on Arrow Beach and is taken in by a kindly Vietnam war Veteran named Larry. Larry lives with his sister Grace (whom he's maybe a little too close to) in a house above the beach and it seems like life is pretty decent. The thing that seems to be bothering Larry is the meat situation, he had to commit cannibalism in the war and he's never really given it up since. His source for getting meat? Why it's picking up young girls and slaughtering them of course, but will our hitchhiker find out before she becomes dinner?the meat situation, he had to commit cannibalism in the war and he's never really given it up since. His source for getting meat? Why it's picking up young girls and slaughtering them of course, but will our hitchhiker find out before she becomes dinner? It's not gory in a horror sense really, it's more of a slow moving weirdo drama I guess with bad things happening. It's a different take on this sort of thing, and a bizarre movie in many ways. Unfortunately a nice edit of the film doesn't exist and the director/lead actor died shortly after sadly but I'd still suggest trying to find it for those who like the strange.

Availability:  Not Available On DVD

The Centerfold Girls (1974)

3.5 / 5 Jan '10
Tagline: The most beautiful girls in the world ... some are for loving ... some are for killing!
Directed by: John Peyser
Written by: Arthur Marks, Bob Peete
Actors include: Jamie Lyn Bauer, Aldo Ray, Dennis Olivieri
Genre: Thriller, Horror
Length: 91 minutes
Banned: Iceland

Review:
Hmm this was a hard one to rate because stylistically it's very unusual exploitation. It's sort of a grouping of stories that are unrelated only tied together by the fact the girls are to be murdered by a calendar killer. We know who our killer is and why he's killing right away (so I'm not spoiling anything). He's angry because these Women posed for a nudie magazine, so he claims he wants to help them, then kills the heck out of them. The amusing bit is that we follow around the girls mostly, the first one takes up much of the movie and well let's just say she was doomed. Nurse Jackie is going to apply for a job so she decides to stay at her Aunt's house with a Girl she picked up hitchhiking. Little did she know that the Girl has some seriously evil friends who are about to show up. There are others of course, and a bunch of nudity if that be your thing. It's a very sleazy and mean spirited flick but I kind of like that about it, that and the unusual way this film folds out. I was sort of irritated at first (you'll see what I mean) but really when I think about it, quite intriguing. Something to see if you like sleaze but don't expect a masterpiece.

Availability:  On DVD