HORROR MOVIE REVIEWS
and "Double Feature"
suggestions
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DOUBLE FEATURE #1
THEME: Doom and Dread...
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The Dunwich Horror (1970) A pretty hokey version of the Lovecraft story. This is what readers in the
1960s must have thought Lovecraft was like. Still, the whole movie makes me want to live in Dunwich in
the 1960s. Corny occultism but fun as hell. Young horror fans raised on the Saw movies will probably
hate this flick.. but those who can appreciate horror movies of all eras, it's worth a look. Have a few
beers first and it'll be even better.
Messiah of Evil (1973) An underrated movie from the people who brought us Howard the Duck.
Fortunately this movie is nothing like that. In fact, this is a particularly creepy little movie that has a great
Lovecraftian feel to it. Unfortunately it’s only available in a crappy pan-and-scan version. Honestly,
though, the scratchy picture actually adds to the experience. It’s like watching it at a drive-in theatre or
something. If you want to see it, you can pick it up in a myriad of public domain movie boxed sets. Oh,
the movie also features Elisha Cook, Jr., that classic movie actor from films like the original House on
Haunted Hill and The Maltese Falcon. Overall this movie has it all: a creepy mood, awesome set-
pieces, and an albino who eats a mouse. Oh, yeah there are some zombies, too. It's a low budget
masterpiece of off-beat horror. This is a true grindhouse film. UPDATED JANUARY 7TH: The company
CODE RED announced they will be released a remastered widescreen DVD of MESSIAH OF EVIL. It's
about time!
DOUBLE FEATURE #2
THEME: Blood and Sleaze (and
elevator murders..)
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The Case of the Bloody Iris (1972) An excellent giallo (Italian thriller). Features an excellent elevator
murder that predates the one in De Palma’s Dressed to Kill (which I’ll get to in a second). This is
probably one of the best examples of the giallo. A great looking movie from start to finish.
Dressed to Kill (1980) Brian DePalma’s Hitchcockian pseudo-giallo. It’s a shame that DePalma doesn’t
admit to being influenced by the giallo genre. It’s obvious by watching this movie that this is the case.
One of the murders is quite similar to one in The Case of the Bloody Iris. Still, Dressed to Kill is an
excellent Hitchcock/Argento homage with razor killings and surprises. I wish DePalma had continued
making psycho-sexual slashers...
DOUBLE FEATURE #3
THEME: Crazy-ass towns you don’t
want to be stuck in
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All Soul’s Day (2005)I think this might have originally aired on the Sci-Fi channel in an edited version.
I have the DVD and it’s one of those movies that I put on every so often. It’s actually a pretty
entertaining horror movie with some good performances considering what it is - a non-theatrical
horror movie. Good for a rainy day and is a good precursor to the next film...
2001 Maniacs (2005) Yes, the remake of the HG Lewis movie. This movie is so slick, funny, violent,
and entertaining that I can’t believe it wasn’t shown in theatres (considering the number of shitty
horror movies that make it in theatres nowadays such as CAPTIVITY and SEE NO EVIL). Robert
Englund is awesome as always, the gore is tasty, and the jokes are funny: “I’d eat the peanuts out of
her shit!” I think there’s a sequel coming so I’m eagerly awaiting it.
DOUBLE FEATURE #4
THEME: Minimalist Horror
in Black and White
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I Bury the Living (1958) I remember seeing this movie as a kid. This isn’t flashy and doesn’t have
any monsters in it.. but it’s unique little tale about a guy who takes a job as a caretaker at a cemetery.
He’s told to keep track of the cemetery plots with thumbtacks on a map and finds out that when he
puts a certain color tack onto a certain plot, that person dies! This isn’t the most exciting movie but it’s
a great example of just how entertaining a low budget B&W movie can be. Great Saturday afternoon
viewing. Directed by B-Movie great Albert Band. (I have a poster of this movie in my bedroom much to
my wife's dismay.)
The Last Man on Earth (1964) Forget the remake with Will Smith. This is the original version with
Vincent Price. The movie takes place in L.A. but it obviously looks like Rome (where it was filmed).
Price is excellent as always and this is one of those movies you never forget. I remember watching this
on T.V. when I was a kid and I remember that I couldn’t stop raving about it for days. One of my all-
time favorite classic horror movies.
DOUBLE FEATURE #5
THEME: Insanity / People as meat
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Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) Okay, so every horror fan has seen this, I know. But I think
this is a great precursor to the next film. Both movies make you feel dirty but each one has its own
look. Now I won't go into an indepth review of TCM because if you're reading this, you've no doubt
seen it. Anyway, it's a tense masterpiece of low-budget horror that destroys its imitators.
Eaten Alive (1977) This is a movie that the casual horror fan will probably say they’ve never heard
of before. That’s a shame because in some ways I think this is more entertaining than TCM. And
more INSANE. The lighting and most of the sets are dreamlike. However, the only thing holding this
one back is the terrible sets that are used for the brothel scenes. They literally look like they
grabbed them from a high school play (I’m pretty sure there were reshoots but maybe it was just
lack of funds). Regardless, the rest of it is mesmerizing and spooky. One cool thing to note is that
some of the lighting in the motel scenes is reminiscent of Mario Bava’s Blood and Black Lace. I do
believe that it was totally unintentional, though. Finally, if you want to hear Robert Englund telling a
girl that his name is Buck (you know the rest) and people eaten by an alligator…this is for you.
DOUBLE FEATURE #6
THEME: Sleaze and Slashings...
NYC STYLE!
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New York Ripper (1982) Lucio Fulci’s gruesome exercise in brutality and misogyny. This isn’t
your typical giallo. It’s more in the vein of a slasher film, one in which the killer talks in a Donald
Duck voice while slitting women wide open. This is a movie that will make you feel dirty. It will
also make you want to go back to the golden age of Times Square. You know, when it was full
of sex, sleaze, and danger. The explanation for the killer’s Donald Duck voice is actually not as
far fetched as you’d think plus it is also not as corny as you’d expect. Seeing a woman cut
open while we are watching in the POV of a quacking killer is pretty creepy. Fun obscure fact:
Italy-based power electronics artist Atrax Morgue recorded an album called New York Ripper
based on this movie as well as the artist's sordid trip to NYC. He recently committed suicide but
if you are interested in checking out harsh music from a truly disturbed individual, check him
out. I corresponded with him on and off since 1998 and I must say he was the only guy who
really scared me.
Cruising (1980) Al Pacino’s finest moment is finally on DVD. Of course, we won’t ever get to
see the director’s cut but we can make due with this. This is chock full of sleaze and sex that is
probably more shocking than what's in New York Ripper because it's more realistic (Let's face
it, Fulci wasn't really into realism.) It explores the subculture of homosexual S&M in a way that
no other mainstream film has ever done before (i.e. fisting). The killer is scary as hell and
seems like he stepped out of a giallo. The first murder is especially disturbing with short
scenes of anal sex edited in between the stabbing. Pause your DVD and you’ll see. This film
has it all: murder, sleaze, corrupt cops, and Al Pacino. After this and New York Ripper, you’ll
need a shower or two.
DOUBLE FEATURE #7
THEME: Corrupt Cops
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Corrupt (1983) aka Order of Death aka Copkiller. An enjoyable little giallo that features
Keitel opposite Johnny Rotten of the Sex Pistols. Rotten actually does a great job in the film
much to my surprise. Anyway, this is a twisted cat-and-mouse came between Harvey and
Johnny. Meanwhile, there’s a murderer on the loose. Is it Keitel? Is it Rotten? Or someone else
entirely? I recommend this movie highly but unfortunately it’s only available in public domain
versions in crappy pan and scan. This is one film that deserves to be released by Blue
Underground or any of the other great companies that put out rare films. Note: This movie was
based on the book The Order of Death by Hugh Fleetwood. It, too, is excellent and it pretty
much exactly like the movie. Another note: The power electronics/noise project Atrax Morgue
that I previously mentioned released a tribute album to this film called Catch My Agony which
was released in a big rat trap.
Bad Lieutenant (1992) This movie is more serious and more depressing than Corrupt. It
might have something to do with Harvey’s full frontal nudity. Still, this is a powerful movie with
Keitel has a disgusting corrupt cop who may or may not get redemption. The church scene is
unforgettable (the band Scorn samples some of it on one of their good mid-90s albums). The
whole thing is pretty much a downer but worth seeing.