Night of the Zombies (1981)

1 / 5 Jun '11
Tagline: The dead are hungry... and they're coming to eat you alive!
Directed by: Joel M. Reed
Written by: Joel M. Reed
Actors include: Jamie Gillis, Samantha Grey, Ryan Hilliard
Genre: Horror
Length: 88 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
Wow what a steaming pile of movie this was, it brought me back to memories of the nearly equally bad and similarly plotted French flick L'Abîme des morts vivants (Oasis of the Zombies). Director Joel M. Reed was responsible for the amusingly sleazy flick Bloodsucking Freaks so I had some high hopes here. It's just one of the most boring and lazily cheap zombie films one could ever come across. Even if you have a plan in place to watch every zombie movie ever, I'd shuffle this one to the bottom of your pile. I think they must have decided that effects are too darned expensive so much of the film is shot in the dark so you can't see much of anything. The zombies when can be seen have white face paint with black around the eyes...very Halloween costumey. The premise is about a group of Investigators who are looking for the missing bodies of Soldiers. They come across rumors of zombies in the area which of course they are quick to dismiss and laugh at. I'm sure you can guess what this means...it's just so frigging dull and dry. The acting is horrid, the plot is weak, there is nothing scary or gory about this whatsoever...what was Joel M. Reed thinking? What were any of them thinking? Even fans of bad movies will be insanely bored...it's not even that good! Avoid, avoid, avoid!!!

Availability:  on VHS only i think

The Keep (1983)

3 / 5 July '10
Tagline: THEY WERE ALL DRAWN TO THE KEEP. The soldiers who brought death. The father and daughter fighting for life. The people who have always feared it. And the one man who knows its secret... THE KEEP Tonight, they will all face the evil.
Directed by: Michael Mann
Written by: F. Paul Wilson, Michael Mann
Actors include: Scott Glenn, Alberta Watson, Ian McKellen
Genre: Horror, War
Length: 96 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
Some good ideas here but heck it was based upon a book, there should have been some. The way this was filmed however is extremely muddled and much of it is quite boring and talky. It doesn't help matters that much of the dialogue is either whispered or the loud ridiculous Tangerine Dream soundtrack obscures the voices and is insanely loud. In other words, it tried to make my eardrums burst and I never took my finger off the volume button the entire film. The actual plot seems to be about a Keep that is a fortress that is guarded and protected, but when Nazis start poking around and they try to steal part of the keep (a nickle piece on the walls) they get a shocking surprise. See it's haunted with some sort of bad demon that infects a Nazi, and a good demon sort of infects a Doctor (Ian McKellen). Of course there is an impending battle between bad and good. It's visually rather interesting though it has too much fog in places, and the effects for the initial bad monster make him look like an angry cloud thing which was awesome! Only thing is as the bad demon kills he turns more into this cartoonish figure that is beyond silly. This really should have been so much better but it's ambitious, creative and something one just doesn't see everyday. It's really begging for a nice remaster, then I'd say go for it!

Availability:  Not On DVD

Scream and Scream Again (1970)

4 / 5 Dec '09
Tagline:  TRIPLE DISTILLED HORROR... as powerful as a vat of boiling ACID!
Directed by: Gordon Hessler
Written by: Peter Saxon, Christopher Wicking
Actors include: Vincent Price, Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing
Genre: Horror, Sci-Fi
Length: 95 minutes
Banned: Finland

Review:
This is a rather strange little film that is confusing for most of the time and unfortunately when it comes together it still feels like it needs to fill some gaps. On the other hand this goes where I dare not think it would and the various plots that it flickers between are all very interesting and horrifying. Though the cast list boasts Peter Cushing (who is only in the film for about ten minutes), and Christopher Lee and Vincent Price (who are both in for a bit more than that but I'm not sure I'd say they were the stars). One part of our story is about a runner who wakes up in a strange hospital in a fog missing a limb! Another involves some sort of strange Nazi like party who seem to be up to no good. Also we have a stranger who picks up girls at bars and kills them, plus he seems to have an unusual strength. Believe it or not those things blend together to give us our plot. Also thrown in are an acid vat, some grossness and blood (yay), and some exciting chase scenes. I actually did quite enjoy this, I just wish it were a little more cohesive...it really could have been amazing instead of just quite good. Still I'd definitely say worth a gander for horror fans, but just be patient with it, you will be rewarded!

Availability:  On DVD as part of a 2fer with The Oblong Box