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

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