Horror Reviews

Starring: Anjelica Lee and Lawrence Chou.  

Directed The Pang Brothers       

Tartan Asia Extreme 

August 2004

Mun, a young woman in Hong Kong, who has been blind since the age of two, undergoes a cornea transplant. After the operation she is told by the doctor it will take some time for her eyes and brain functions to work in tandem, but that her eyes will gradually improve. One night in the hospital she wakes to see a dark shape at the bed of the old woman next to her in the ward. The shape leads the old woman away, and the next morning a nurse announces that she passed away in the night. Later, when she is being driven to her mother's apartment to recouperate, she sees a man standing in the middle of the road. At the apartment building itself a boy asks her for his missing report card; a boy nobody else can see. Many other frightening experiences lead Mun to the edge of insanity, until her eye surgeon, Dr Lo helps her to discover the reason for her sightings...

I recently compiled a list of my top ten films of all time, in an attempt to procure them all on DVD (for anybody who might be remotely interested, I now possess seven of the ten). Receiving this movie to review reminded me just how much I love it. The Eye made quite an unexpected impact on me when it hit selected cinemas in the UK. Due to the fact it wasn't on general release I was obliged to go out of my way to find it, but it was well worth the inconvenience. In my humble opinion The Eye is an unrecognised masterpiece. Watching it again a couple of times since its theatrical release has only confirmed my belief that it deserves many accolades and is certainly justified a position in my personal all-time greats. I now have eleven films in my top ten!

Why is it so good? I hear you ask. Well, although it contains English subtitles they are always clear and too few to distract you from the enjoyment of watching the film. The pacing is spot on; there's no padding here, and the jolts and revelations are evenly spread throughout the running time, keeping you both hooked and spooked. The music score is intelligently utilised, enhancing the emotional ups and downs of plotline events, but never once spoiling the spontaneity of a fright. Aside from the last major scene, The Eye is simply and effectively filmed; indeed, many of the early parts are merely blurred images seen through the eyes of the cornea transplant patient, Mun. But these are genuinely creepy moments, believe me.

For some years now the makers of horror movies have been forced to use other means to produce a reaction from hardened audiences. This is normally achieved with shock tactics, either with increasingly violent gore-fests, or with cop-out loud noises and suddenly slamming doors. The Eye gets back to what horror films should be all about: scaring the hell out of people with a good story, inducing goose pimples and spine tingling. There are some nice set-pieces, such as the figure in the lift and the calligraphy class scare, but set in an unfamiliar culture makes everything seem more startling and real. It's no exaggeration to say this is the creepiest film I have ever seen and, unlike the classic The Exorcist, you enjoy watching it. The front blurb on the original DVD cover makes inevitable comparisons with The Sixth Sense, but although there are minor similarities, I think The Eye is a much better film.

And now the strange bit. This is the second release on DVD for The Eye, but this version is supposed to be the Special Edition. That's where the confusion lies. Granted, this release has improved picture and sound quality (with the option of Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo, Dolby Digital 5.1 EX Surround, and DTS-ES 6.1 Discrete Surround), but the only other extras are trailers. Where are the extras which were on the original release (Making of... Documentary, Pang Brothers Documentary, Promotional Art Gallery, Star and Director Filmographies, Justin Bower Film Notes)?

I have both copies, so it doesn't really matter to me; however, until we are presented with a suitable Blu-ray or 4K release, I suggest that you seek out this version. After all, it's the film itself that's important - and The Pang Brothers' The Eye is worthy of the highest marks. Don't bother with the American remake, like all their other remakes of East Asian supernatural horror movies they are beneath consideration when compared with the originals.               

Verdict: 9 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2004)

Starring:  Pataratida Pacharawirapong, Siwat Chotchaicharin, Pornthip Papanai and Jaran Ngamdee.  

Directed Mark Duffield       

Tartan Asia Extreme 

January 2007

Mak and Nak are a young couple about to be married. They buy the oldest house in their region of Thailand, a seriously run-down property with a reputation for short-term owners. Mak purchases a brooch for his wife, but from that moment - and particularly after the wedding - events seem to conspire against them. Mak is plagued by visions of a terrifying ghost, their house is broken into and the wedding gifts stolen and, when Mak later notices the gifts being sold on the street and gives chase, he is struck by the thieves' car and ends up in a coma. Nak discovers the brooch and when Mak tells her through his coma to find Mae Nak, she learns that their house is on the site of Mae Nak who is a legendary ghost from a hundred years in the past. When people who have done the couple harm begin to die in a particularly gristly fashion, Nak begins to suspect the ghost is protecting them. But what does it want with her? And why is it holding Mak in a coma...?

This is a beautiful tale well told; one of those East Asian supernatural horror films which stand out from the rest in terms of acting and direction. Yes, it has elements of The Ring (particularly when Nak uncovers the buried body), but it's difficult not to find a ghost story from this part of the world which doesn't remind you of what started this captivating sub-genre. The film works on several levels. It's been described as a haunting love story, but I'd venture to suggest it closer resembles a supernatural drama or thriller with comedic elements.

Yes, comedy. How can you fail to be amused when a character is killed in a scene which belongs to Airplane or The Naked Gun? After being terrified by the ghost, he staggers back knocking over a pot of boiling water on to himself. Whilst throwing himself about in agony, he is struck by a vehicle and thrown on to a food stall containing naked flame and set ablaze. The death is so ridiculous, but it works because it is carefully kept separate from the frightening appearance of the ghost. In other words, the apparition has departed before we witness the consequences of its presence. Another amusing moment comes when another character is cut down the middle by a falling sheet of glass (borrowed from the original The Ring, perhaps), and a dog runs off with an arm.

Don't get the wrong impression by thinking this is a spoof or send-up. There are only small moments of humour and these are carefully balanced along with every other emotion we are persuaded to feel. The humour is a release, however, and leaves you less prepared for the next scene. The plot is constantly moving and evolving. The primary characters behave in a believable manner, and when circumstances demand they suddenly act unnaturally the periphery characters react accordingly with shock - something which doesn't happen in too many movies, when they forget how we reflect on each others lives.

Westerner Mark Duffield, who wrote and directed this film, has to be commended for creating both a powerful and emotional tale, especially as he was playing the potentially dangerous game of toying with a famous Thai ghost legend - an undertaking which could so easily have ended in ridicule and disaster.               

Verdict: 9 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2007)

Starring: Haruhiko Kato, Kumiko Aso.  

Directed Kiyoshi Kurosawa        

Optimum Asia 

March 2006

Concerned about the welfare of Taguchi, who has been working alone on a data disc and has been out of touch for a week, Michi calls at her colleague's apartment. While she is collecting the required disc, Taguchi hangs himself in another room. When the disc is played, Michi and others see static film of Taguchi's apartment. He is standing motionless, and the image on his computer shows the same picture. Meanwhile, technophobe Kawashima loads an Internet server disc. Afterward, it shows him a static film of someone sitting in a dark room. The chair moves closer to the screen, and Kawashima loses his nerve and pulls out the plugs. At odd moments, however, his computer continues to dial-up a connection by itself. Finally he seeks help from Harue, an IT teacher. A "forbidden room" sealed with red tape is discovered in Taguchi's old apartment, and there is an encounter with an apparition looking as lifeless as those individuals seen in the static film. All parties are to learn that there are other sealed rooms. The realm of the dead is becoming overcrowded and is beginning to seep into the real world...

Now this is more like it. Pulse is an intelligent, atmospheric and creepy film. It is eerie in the same sense as The Ring; this dates itself after that classic but before The Grudge and Dark Water. Ghost stories are what the Japanese do best at the moment. 

As I've reasoned in previous reviews, although entertaining, many horror films don't have the power to shock or chill anymore. The supernatural is the genre most likely to make the hairs on the back of our neck stand on end. Death is the only certainty in life and something we are all at least a little apprehensive about. Pulse strikes just the right balance of using technology with base instincts, with the emphasis in this case placed on lonely people who are being displaced.

Anyone hoping for Hollywood-style whizzes and bangs should leave this film to the more discerning viewer. Pulse is well-structured, with periodic moments of hair-raising terror for anyone willing to immerse themselves appropriately in the story. The scene in which Junco, a colleague of Taguchi, is backed into a corner in the "forbidden room" is a good set-piece, as is the moment when Kawashima is watching the hooded figure get closer on his monitor and, visibly shaken, he disconnects his computer before the figure can pull off the hood. The "Help ... Help ... Help ..." messages which come through are also quite chilling. Throughout the film you are under the impression these events are just affecting a close-knit handful of people, only to discover later through much devastation it has had considerably wider-reaching implications. The whole of Tokyo, if not the country itself or much of the modern world.

One niggle is I don't think the incidental music score is used to its strengths, although it does prove effective to stop the music entirely when something of major incident takes place. What Pulse does prove is that it's not necessary to throw a fortune at a project to make it outstanding. Not as effective as The Eye (a classic in my humble opinion), but very nearly as good as the original Japanese version of The Ring. A very solid piece of work.               

Verdict: 9 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2006)

Starring: Hugh Jackman, Kate Beckinsale, Richard Roxburgh, David Wenham.    

Directed Stephen Sommers       

Fabulous Films/Fremantle Media 

February 2021

“Why do you torment that thing?”
“It’s what I do.”

Van Helsing is a notorious monster hunter reluctantly dispatched by the Vatican, who don’t approve of his methods. After fighting and destroying the brutal Mr Hyde, he is sent to Transylvania where he struggles to kill one of the demonic brides of Dracula. The local peasants are less than grateful, however, as they know this action will bring down the wrath of the immortal master vampire. Only one young woman is prepared to fight for their safety and freedom – although she and Van Helsing don’t exactly see eye-to-eye.

This is a ‘revamped’ gadget-carrying action hero version of the Dutch vampire hunter from Bram Stoker’s classic gothic horror novel, Dracula. Right from the start, this film is frantically-paced and over-the-top. The special effects – of which there are plenty – are pretty much sound, apart from the Mr Hyde creature who appears somewhat cartoony and ripped from a CGI reimagining of a Disney fairy tale. The movie has two fundamental problems. One is the style or balance of the content, which can’t decide whether it wants to be a gritty action flick or a spoof of gothic horror in general. Consequently, it falls into the abyss between the two and becomes neither one or the other. The other main problem is the accents which, quite frankly, are diabolical. The worst by far is Dracula’s – although Kate Beckinsale’s fake tones are none too special either. In fact, this film is well known among certain circles for its levels of cringe-worthiness. If this had been meant as a comedy from the outset, perhaps these things wouldn’t be so noticeable.

The bottom line is that director Stephen Sommers’ vision for the film didn’t exactly reach fruition, but that’s no reason why you can’t sit back, disengage your brain and enjoy it, all the same. For anyone who likes a family-friendly action/horror movie, this is for you. With Dracula and his demonic brides, Mr Hyde, Frankenstein’s monster and a werewolf, it’s not as if there hasn’t been an attempt to pull out all the stops. There are plenty of stunts, humour (some of which is quirky, some of which is best forgotten), and the inspired character of the out-of-his-depth-but-eminently-useful friar – a sort of Q to Van Helsing’s Bond. The two big names here are Kate Beckinsale of the Underworld films (ironically, grittier and better choreographed films featuring the same genre content as this film), and Hugh Jackman who became much-loved as the no-nonsense Wolverine in Marvel’s X-Men films.

There are decent extras on this Blu-ray released by Fabulous Films: Feature Commentary by Director Stephen Sommers and Editor/Producer Bob Ducsay; Feature Commentary by Richard Roxburgh, Shuler Hensley and Will Kemp; Bloopers; Van Helsing – The Story, The Life, The legend; Track the Adventure; You Are In the  Movie!; Evolution of a Legacy; The Masquerade Ball Scene “Unmasked”; The Art of Van Helsing; and Monster Eggs. Something quite special happens while watching this film. After the initial reaction of the aforementioned moments, you find yourself getting used to and accepting the format – and, dare I say, actually enjoying it.               

Verdict: 6 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2021)

Starring: Rob Stefaniuk, Jessica Pare, Malcolm McDowell, Alice Cooper, Iggy Pop.  

Directed Rob Stefaniuk       

Fabulous Films/Fremantle Media 

April 2015

A band which has been together for around ten years continues to tour in the desperate hope of making it big and getting a record deal. When the singer’s bass player (who is also his ex-girlfriend) wanders off one night with a strangely pale and confident figure, she returns the next day looking impossibly pale and distant herself. At first they believe it to be the result of drugs, but soon learn she is a vampire when she needs to eat. They begin to get noticed for the first time, due to the presence of the ‘cool’ and ‘captivating’ young woman in their midst. The others soon crave this attention themselves, and are turned, but the singer remains somewhat reticent and hatches a plan which might revert the band to their former selves. After all, vampires are monsters…aren’t they...?

It’s difficult to quantify this film, or at least do it the justice it deserves. When a project is written and directed by the same person, the likelihood is the finished item is going to be either brilliant (like most John Carpenter films) or truly awful (like too many to mention). In this case it’s much closer to the former... and he also plays the lead! I think he was very brave to call his movie Suck; he’s just asking for trouble from opinionated critics who won’t even give it proper consideration. But brave is what this is from start to finish.

I’m not normally attracted to (or should that be, sucked-in-by?) vampire scenarios – particularly the now hackneyed teen hunk and girlie premise. However, to describe Suck as different would be a monumental understatement. Individually, the ideas are sound but not exactly original, but put together in the right balance we are left with something I consider quite special. Try to describe this film to somebody and I practically guarantee you’ll flounder or make it sound stupid or inconsequential. But let’s give it a go anyway: Imagine a band road movie, which is a horror, musical, with tongue-in-cheek comedy, stop-motion model work and surreal imagery.

There is a very relevant and special cast on display here. Rock legend Alice Cooper plays a sinister barman who turns out to be much more; Iggy Pop plays an ex-Rocker and current record producer; Henry Rollins plays a rather loud and obnoxious DJ; Moby makes an appearance on stage as the singer of a band supporting a more well-known punk outfit whose audience throws meat in appreciation; and actor Malcolm McDowell of A Clockwork Orange fame plays Eddie Van Helsig – a vampire hunter who is afraid of the dark. If you don’t know who any of these people are you’re probably not going to enjoy what’s on offer here. There are slick visual depictive references to The Beatles’ Abbey Road album, and The Who’s The Kids Are Alright, as well as a brief scene at the Blues-famous (or infamous) Crossroads, accompanied by the Robert Johnson timeless classic song about making a pact with the devil. That actually describes succinctly the sacrifices the band makes to be considered cool and talented.

There is a veritable hatful of great songs in this film. There are the songs written for the fictitious band, The Winners, most of which are seen in an on-stage environment – although there are examples of songs done in an almost Rock musical style, or at least promotional video. On top of that there are loads of great songs played in the relevant genres of Metal, Goth, Rock, Punk and, in one case even Soul. 'I Am the Spider', by Alice Cooper; 'Here Comes the Night', by David Bowie; 'Oh! Sweet Nuthin’', by Loud Reed and The Velvet Underground; 'Success', by Iggy Pop/David Bowie; 'Sympathy For the Devil (Styrofoam Bible Version)'; and 'TV Eye', by The Stooges – to name just a few. Phew! Good stuff.

It was late on a work night when I started to watch Suck; I had all the intention of watching the first ten minutes before going to bed and picking it up the next day. An hour and twenty-odd minutes later the film ended, and I had enjoyed it so much that the first thing I wanted to do was watch the extras. The Making of… documentary has interviews with all the main players, as well as some behind-the-scenes and some stop motion demonstrations. I should just mention the stop motion work, which is quirky and purposefully shaky, periodically depicting the band’s hearse traversing increasingly dark and dangerous territory. It’s used as a sort of metaphor for where the band is mentally at each stage of the film.

Suck is a really pleasant surprise; it’s one of the most unusual and enjoyable films I’ve seen in ages.               

Verdict: 9 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2015)

Starring: Silvia Solar, Pamela Stanford, Olivier Mathot, Antonio Mayans.  

Directed Alain Deruelle       

88 Films

March 2019

A group of small time conmen decide to up their game by kidnapping the little girl of a wealthy businessman. When they realise they have bitten-off more than they can chew, they contact a big-time gangster who tells then to hide out in the Amazon. They manage to negotiate the border but their aid is caught by cannibals. They get to their point of contact at an isolated house, but fall foul of the owner when one of them rapes the man’s wife. The authorities are alerted and the little girl’s parents arrive. A chase ensues… right through the territory of the cannibals...

Again, 88 Films in the UK have cleaned this up very nicely. However,  I have to wonder why they didn’t bother with the opening titles, which are a mess of scratches, streaks, sound marks and blemishes. Sound dubs into English are invariably bad. In this one words are often added when the characters quite obviously don’t open their mouths. The ridiculously squeaky voice of the little girl is undoubtedly supplied by an adult woman trying (and failing) to sound like a young girl. The little girl is totally unfazed by all events, and just accepts any person or situation without question. She is as equally at home with the villains and cannibals as her own parents. Ambient noises sometimes abruptly stop to show stock footage of birds in a tree or a crocodile surfacing.

There is lots of nonsensical wandering around or partying which seeks to cheaply use-up the running time. The cannibals are a curious lot. All shapes and sizes – even a  big-bellied hairy guy who obviously ate all the human pies. Their painted faces are so bright, colourful and varied they look as though they’re warming up for a kid’s party. Perhaps one of them is Ed Gacy. Hierarchy is alive and well in this fake Amazon. When the cannibals have a victim, the body is taken into the leader’s tent where a privileged few get to eat the raw innards – while the rest of the tribe are obliged to partake in a free-for-all ceremonial dance and wait for the leader to emerge with a severed limb. Nevertheless, it seems they have a moral compass and only eat the bad buys.

Extras include a deleted scene and an amusing and informative documentary called That’s Not the Amazon! – The Strange Story of the Eurocine Cannibal Film Cycle. It was a company where directors came and went, and even finished each other’s films.               

Verdict: 4 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2019)

Starring: Benjamin Engell, Troels Lyby, Mille Dinesen. 

Directed Bo Mikkelsen      

Soda Pictures

February 2017

Gustav is a teenage boy who is more than interested when an attractive girl moves into the house opposite with her mother. However, before he gets the chance to properly get to know her a black-clad and masked figures appear on the streets, spraying what appears to be some sort of detergent. Everyone is forced back into their homes at gunpoint, and soon afterward the houses are sealed with heavy plastic sheeting. It seems there has been a contagious outbreak of a virulent virus which is turning people feral. For Gustav, his family and the other local residents it becomes a matter of survival, but not just from the virus itself…

Whenever a virus-related horror film emerges these days you can virtually guarantee it’s going to involve zombies somewhere along the line – even if they are not referred to as such. I’ve seen more zombie films than most people have had hot... brains! Very few movies of this type have inspired me enough in the past to become a fan of this sub-genre. However, every so often one example will catch me by surprise.

Although zombies are the root effect of everyone’s life-threatening upheaval, they are pretty low-key in their presence for much of the story. What really makes this one work so effectively is not so much what is happening to the characters and their until-now mundane lives, but how those characters react to this sudden fight for survival. In reality, people would react in very different ways, depending on their temperament – and that’s exactly what happens here. I suppose Gustav, as the main protagonist, is a realist in that his first thought after the black-clad soldiers with breathing apparatus and automatic weapons appear on his street to threaten the residents to remain in their houses and then proceed to seal-up the residences with heavy black plastic, is to sneak out onto the streets – at risk of his own life – in an attempt to find out what is really happening.

There is a scene wherein we see bodies being scooped-up by front loading shovel vehicles and dumped into containers, which is a little reminiscent of the 1970s film Soylent Green, about over-crowding and based on the book Make Room, Make Room, by Harry Harrison – although in this case it is utilised for the purposes of showing the problem is more widespread than just a handful of houses. I particularly like the manner in which the peril is cranked-up another notch (along with corresponding suspense) every so often. The figures on the street, the spraying, the threat of being shot, mass panic, the very real possibility of starvation… Not to mention the infected. Even the TV news begins as a minor story, before escalating to the point that the signal is lost altogether.

This is a very impressive and edgy debut from Danish director Bo Mikkelsen. It is a zombie film that isn’t about the zombies, which is probably why I enjoyed it so much. Characterisation here is key. The only factor which lets down the DVD release is the absence of any notable extras.               

Verdict: 7 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2017)

Starring: Kaitlyn Lebb, Cassi Thomson, Dejan Loyola, Graham Wardle.

Directed Steven R. Monroe  

Kaleidoscope Home Entertainment

October 2014

Miko uses a college project to take two friends and an associate into the vast woodland at the base of Mount Fuji. The idea is to have her experiences filmed and recorded as she attempts to find the place where her mother committed suicide and, through a prayer-like ritual, to lay her spirit to rest. Miko has been experiencing half-seen dreams involving what happened to her mother ever since she was a small child. The woodland has a notorious reputation for suicides and, almost immediately, she begins to see the often aggressive spirits of some of those who have died in the area. The group is assailed by violent apparitions which separate them in an instant. Miko strives to find the location of a particular tree in a photo she holds, but her memories are catching up with her, and her late mother may not have been the innocent victim she was portrayed as...

Although set in a forest region at the base of Mount Fuji, this is an American film with American central characters (except for Miko, who is supposed to be half Japanese). There are a couple of things which annoy me about Grave Halloween. The most significant of which is the fact an American crew have clearly attempted to make an East Asian supernatural horror film. Let me say, this just doesn’t work. It’s been tried before, and inevitably fails before it gets started. Blackened eyes and a pale face is a naïve copy of those Japanese ghost stories which rose to popularity in the 1990s. The Ghost of Mae Nak had a Western director, but this worked because the whole story, mythos, location and characters were steeped in the relevant culture. His entire cast and crew were East Asian.

There is a plot strand which has been utilised many times in recent years, and that is having a character with suppressed memories. Through flashbacks, tantalising hints emerge which often prove to be something totally different to that which is hinted at by the story. Discovering the truth about her mother doesn’t really affect the structure of the movie that much. Like Agatha Christie’s Ten Little Indians, the other main characters are used as canon-fodder (if you’ll excuse the mixed metaphor). It is not explained how their guide becomes a malevolent spirit so quickly, and begs the question why didn’t Miko’s friends return after being dispatched. Being driven straight back into the woodland is a pointless exercise, as I can’t see this being turned into a franchise. Why can’t any horror films end these days with the key character escaping the peril, or alternatively failing in their enterprise? There is always a hint that all efforts have been in vain, and it will all happen again.

Okay, so I’ve used this film to make a point. It’s not an awful waste of time, by any means. I’ve seen much worse. I’ll agree that it’s difficult to be completely original in the genre of horror these days, but blatantly copying a theme is not going to get you noticed.               

Verdict: 4 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2014)

Starring: Al Culver, Ursula Buchfellner.  

Directed Timo Vuorensola     

101 Films

October 2022

Chase (Imran Adams of Hollyoaks and Ghosts) is a self-confessed geek who takes his beautiful girlfriend Laine (Sydney Craven of EastEnders and A Christmas Carol) on a surprise trip. They both have a secret: she has discovered she is pregnant, and he has a ring ready to propose marriage. For most of the journey, Chase chats excitedly about his favourite subject: the legend of the Creeper, who returns every 23 years to prey for 23 days. He knows everything there is to know about the myth, and is convinced it is real. He even has social media clips reported to be distant glimpses of the humanoid creature. They reach Louisiana and its revealed that Chase has brought them to the notorious Horror Hound festival. Once immersed in the crowds of die-hard horror fans and cosplay, Laine suffers premonitions concerning the town’s past. Winning a competition will lead them into the heart of the lair of the Creeper, who has curious aspirations for Laine...

The opening sequence of the film features an elderly couple falling foul of the Creeper and its truck, in a scene stolen straight out of the first Jeepers Creepers film. This is almost certainly intended as a reminder of the origins of the story, but dissenters will undoubtedly cite this as a blatant rip-off. Nevertheless, the piece is handled well, and it’s a lovely surprise to see Dee Wallace of countless horror and science fiction films still looking good and sounding good. The festival itself is reminiscent of the voodoo carnival scenes witnessed in Adam Green’s excellent Hatchet movie. I suppose, in this day and age it’s almost impossible to make a totally original flick, and so moments of sceptical comparison are inevitable.

I never check out other reviews until I have written my own, and never change my mind. After all, opinions are subjective. The fans and critics almost universally slated Jeepers Creepers: Reborn upon its movie release, classing it as beneath contempt. Compared with the impressive first film by Victor Salva it’s poor, but taken as a stand-alone horror film it’s really not that bad. Two main things let it down: one being that the Creeper has lost all of its mystery because we now know too much about it (it looks like a winged Freddy Krueger who works down the mine) ; and the other being a lot of things seem to happen for the sake of plot convenience rather than through believable character logic. It’s also a bad move (but a good one, no doubt, in terms of budget) to enclose the main characters within one building – the lair of the Creeper. It makes it all too easy for the resident monster, and so the dénouement less convincing.

All said and done, I wasn’t bored by events – even finding the couple of Chase and Laine quite likeable. I’m rather surprised to find no extras on this disc, which is almost unheard of these days, and a point has to be dropped for that alone.               

Verdict: 6 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2022)

Starring: Sarah Michelle Geller, Amber Tamblyn, Jennifer Beals, Edison Chen, Sarah Roemer. 

Directed Takashi Shimizu     

Fabulous Films/Fremantle Media

November 2020

Aubrey Davis visits her, frankly, rude mother who is sick in bed, and is sent from America to Tokyo to trace her missing sister, Karen. Her sibling has been hospitalised after setting light to a house. She soon learns about the dark forces which manifest themselves in the house after an uncontrollable rage unleashed unspeakable acts in the past. Aubrey is joined by a Japanese investigative journalist/photographer; together they attempt to uncover the origins of the curse and its possible connection to a witch who removed the evil from individuals and put it into her daughter...

I reviewed the DVD release of the Americanised version of Takashi Shimizu’s The Grudge back in 2005, when I was only knee-high to a cat spirit ghost boy. Barely three days after the film was released into US cinemas, the go-ahead was given to make a sequel. Of course, the much better Japanese original had already spawned a sequel, but Shimizu – who had made the American remake of The Grudge, too – was determined this time the story would be different. He and his team had several meetings with producers Sam Raimi (of The Evil Dead, and Spider-Man fame), Rob Tapert (Xena: Warrior Princess) and Taka Ichise in order to agree a premise. It took some time, with Shimizu being given the directive that it had to maintain the Japanese ghost atmosphere but be something an American audience could understand. Hmm. The obligation to come to a compromise reflects badly on the finished product. Whereas the remake of The Grudge was slightly sub-standard to the Japanese original, but still a solid and enjoyable movie, this remake of The Grudge 2 is a bit of a mess.

The Grudge was filmed out of sequence in order to reveal little by little what occurred to create the Ju-On or Curse Grudge, when a person dies in a powerful rage and leaves an impression on the house which taints everyone who comes into contact with it. The same attempt is made here, but because there are three storylines in two locations in two time periods, it comes across as a bit of a mess. Additionally, the same scares applied in the first film are rehashed here, removing much of the film’s power of the unknown. Cue pale, dark-haired lady with wide eyes, and almost naked little boy with cat spirit tendencies. Even the set pieces are not nearly so meticulously honed. They are not only overused but a little shoddy in their editing. One particular scene in a film developing darkroom is very well done. Pictures of the front of the house show an indistinct shadow, which seems to move to the forefront of the picture until the dark-haired spirit slowly emerges from a tray of developing fluid.

It’s a shame that the movie doesn’t work as well as it should because most of the character performances are pretty good, particularly Amber Tamblyn who plays Karen’s sister, Aubrey. Sarah Michelle Gellar (of Buffy the Vampire Slayer fame) returns after playing the lead in the first film. The American producers were particularly keen to have her return in some format, as they viewed her as a box office pull. However, she plays a minor role in this one. There has been a number of films in The Grudge franchise, but the only two you need to see are Ju-On: The Grudge, and Ju-On: The Grudge 2 – the Japanese originals with English subtitles (not dubbed).

The Blu-ray HD is clean enough, but could be sharper. It would be interesting to see what a prospective 4-Film set might look like in 4K (particularly the Japanese originals). Extras include: Grudge 2 Storyline Development; East Meets West Featurette; Ready When You Are, Mr Shimizu; Holding a Grudge – Kayako & Toshio Featurette; Deleted Scenes: When Closet Door Opens, Itako’s Film, The Passport, Aubrey’s Dream; Alternate Ending & Epilogue.               

Verdict: 5 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2020)

Starring: Marco Merlo, Fabrizio Merlo. 

Directed Antonio Climati 

88 Films

March 2019

A doctor, journalist and two adventurers form a makeshift expedition to the Amazon to find a missing professor, reportedly with a lost tribe in an area rumoured to be rich in gold. The journey proves to be a complicated one. First they have to steal back their plane and fuel it for the journey, so they agree to hunt monkeys for live sales, until they are kidnapped and tortured using spiders and ants by natives who depend on the monkeys for survival. This is just the beginning of a series of dangerous obstacles which they need to overcome before finally running fowl of ruthless killers determined to get their hands on the gold. Along the way they fight anacondas, save children from being kidnapped and sold for their organs, get bitten by a deadly snake, get captured and escape from villains aplenty, and help tribesmen fight against violent gold hunters...

Evidently, there’s much going on here. The characters are likeable but bland. The journalist girl spends all her time trying to look sultry – to the point it starts to annoy. Of course, it’s a lot about nothing, but it’s a strangely compelling lot about nothing. The real star here is the location. The visuals are stunning. The new 2K restoration by 88 Films in the UK is obviously a big factor in the price of this film. A mediocre dub from Italian to English and sub-standard acting pale into insignificance compared with the environment of the Amazon and its 1001 wonders (no matter where it was filmed). We see crocodiles, anacondas, monkeys, racing frogs, ants, spiders, a leopard, and loads more. The film kind of succeeds on this aspect; it’s worth the viewing time for the spectacle alone.

This is a sequel of sorts to Ruggero Deodato’s notorious Cannibal Holocaust, but ten years later… and nothing like the original. Director Antonio Climati instead takes another stance. In this one, rather than the expected cannibals we get nature itself (including remote tribes) being the force to be reckoned with. It can be dangerous or benign (even helpful) depending on the person’s attitude towards it.

The main extra here is Scenes From Banned Alive (interviews with cannibal film directors Ruggero Deodato, Umberto Lenzi and Sergio Martino).               

Verdict: 5 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2019)

Starring: Al Culver, Ursula Buchfellner.  

Directed Jess Franco    

88 Films

April 2019

A beautiful model is kidnapped and, because a lot of money has been spent on promotion, a Vietnam veteran is hired to get her back – with a large bonus if he manages to do so without having to pay the ransom money. He traces her to a tropical island. However, unbeknown to the potential rescuer and the kidnappers, a tribe exists who worship and revere a living Devil God that eats the flesh and particularly the hearts of sacrifices presented by the fearful tribe. The model has become the next offering, but the war veteran has not only the ruthless and greedy kidnappers to face, but the cannibal god himself. Time is running out…

British distributor 88 Films has taken a number of these types of movies and remastered them from the original film stock. A very nice job they have made of it, too. The resultant HD picture is crisp and bright. It’s a shame the dubbed translation into English sounds so rubbish (that’s a technical term, you know!). It’s far too loud and unrefined, and the less said about the awful, corny and forced dialogue the better. This was one of many things which changed my opinion of this presentation… for the better.

This is one of many projects originating from Spanish writer/director Jess Franco. In fact, opinion seems to be divided about just how many films he was involved in but, if you include those made under a handful of pseudonyms, it’s not far short of 200. He was the forerunner of Sexploitation. Sex and horror is the order of the day. It can work as entertainment or simply be in bad taste. Ironically, it isn’t so much the scenes of cannibalism which offend, but the one rape scene early on – even though nothing is really seen. There is no male genitalia on display, though there is full female nudity in abundance – to the point that the camera lingers on the furry bits as though it is stuck in treacle and can’t move away. It certainly highlights the era in which this was made: 1980 -  the promiscuous 1970s leading into the Video Nasty period of the 1980s.

The opening scenes are split between seeing the topless model being driven around in an open-top car or cavorting on a beach, and the cannibal cult on the island offering a naked young woman to be eaten by their god. Considering this is an isolated island, the tribe is nothing if not culturally diverse. There are all shades of skin colour, which probably says more about lack of cheap and available actors than it does racial equality. Their loin cloths seem to be made from bits of carpet. Women from the tribe dance naked, wiggling their bits in supplication to their living god. One of them goes one step further by writhing in comical sexual ecstasy whenever a sacrifice is offered.

Strange echoed noises are abundant whenever the super-slow Devil God is near. The god sounds like a heavy breather who constantly burps. He has red-painted table tennis balls for eyes, making me wonder if he is related to Caine’s blind Master Po from the old Kung Fu series. Our perfect hero goes up against the god in a physical battle which appears far too casual. This after he has effortlessly climbed an incline which, once the camera has been tilted, turns into a sheer rock-face. Also, I have to ask: don’t they have night time on this island? Everything takes place in bright sunshine.

Look, I could spend all day picking holes in The Devil Hunter but, believe it or not, that’s part of its appeal. At the end of the day you’ve got to forget how out of touch it is with the modern world and appreciate it as Cheesy Sleaze. I found myself chuckling or groaning most of the way through it; enjoying the experience like you would a so-bad-it’s-good 1950s B-Movie. The excellent feature length documentary on Jess Franco is worthy of at least one extra point.               

Verdict: 5 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2019)

Starring: Matt Passmore, Callum Keith Rennie, Cle Bennett, Hannah Emily Anderson, Tobin Bell. 

Directed Michael Spierig, Peter Spirig    

Lionsgate Home Entertainment

February 2018

Five people wake up with their heads encased in heavy steel contraptions and attached to thick chains. Heavy cutting discs spin in the opposite walls, and the chains begin winding in, hauling them towards certain death. A recorded voice tells them they are part of a new ‘game’ in which they must prove their worthiness and confess their past nefarious actions. When a first body is found with a jigsaw puzzle piece wound the police recognise the style of the Jigsaw killer. But John Kramer is dead, isn’t he...?

This is the eighth movie in the Saw franchise which began in 2004. As with Saw 6 and Saw: The Final Chapter, Jigsaw is the absolute last one in the series (except for the next one, of course!). Sometimes you just hate to be proved right; in my review of The Final Chapter I said I wouldn’t be surprised if we haven’t seen the last of the Saw films – and here it is come back to haunt me. It has been called a reinvention of the concept, but in reality it’s just the next episode. Part 7 at least had a form of closure to the entire series, by linking with Saw’s origins. However, aside from the first film, which was inventive and contained genuine motive and reason, all of the sequels have been pretty much set pieces hinged on how nasty the ‘game’ traps can be.

This new beginning makes much of whether this is the real Jigsaw killer (believed dead) or another copycat. I must say, I wasn’t particularly bothered either way. The intention here, I believe, is to create a whodunit, as the finger is plainly thrust in the face of four or five major characters. There is a race for the police to discover the location of the ‘game’ before all of the potential victims meet their deaths. One plot strand follows if not a super-fan, then certainly an individual with an unhealthy fascination, having a warehouse of recovered or assembled items designed by the killer.

I realise there are many Saw fans; However, although there is an attempt to return to the thriller aspect of the first film, the characters in the game (and even some of those outside of it) remain simple cannon fodder. You’re not going to be bored watching this, but it’s not different enough to really pique your interest. Having said that, I’m sure it will be enough to satisfy the franchise’s growing legion of followers.               

Verdict: 6 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2018)

Starring: Daniel O'Reilly, Danielle Harold, Stu Bennet, Vas Balckwood, Stephen Marcus, Steven Berkoff.   

Directed Christian James 

Altitude Film Entertainment

July 2018

When ducker and diver Jimmy Ragsdale gets carted off by the police for making an accidental nuisance of himself in a club, he gets remanded in custody - supposedly just over the weekend – at a notoriously dark prison (‘May God have mercy on your soul!’). He is put in a cell with Victor, a giant Russian who, after an edgy start, instructs him to hit the meanest brute in order to create his status. After making the mistake of hitting the Russian first, he mistakenly hits the wrong person and is thrown into a basement cell with a not-so-mysteriously-hooded figure who tells Jamie a crazy story about vampires and bloodlust running the prison on the eve of the blood moon, when a ceremony will take place. Is he crazy or telling the truth? Well … both, as it turns out...

When I first saw the film title I couldn’t believe how corny it was. Then, when I realised it was set in a prison, I still thought it was corny, but at least I understood the reasoning behind it. This is a home-grown movie directed by Christian James, who directed Freak Out (which I reviewed back in 2006) and Stalled (which is repeated to death on the Horror channel). I expected this film to be silly, and it is in some respects. However, what makes the limited plot work so well is it’s character-driven. I don’t care that the prison governor is an ancient vampire who needs to copulate with the young doctor at the height of the blood moon. What I do care about is the handful of main players and how they interact with each other.

Daniel O’Reilly plays Jimmy as a common but uncertain extrovert, who bumbles along from one mishap or disaster to another. Katie, a pretty and studious blonde – who, coincidentally, also happens to be Jimmy’s ex-girlfriend – is the prison doctor. Stu Bennett is Victor, the Russian fellow inmate. Reeves is the monk-like enigmatic soothsayer wannabe. He tries to be mysterious and all-knowing but constantly shows himself up to be flawed and somewhat accident prone. Shifty is a thickset black gay guy who is in prison because of his unusual weakness. Jimmy: ‘What are you doing here? You don’t seem the type.’ Shifty: ‘I raised funds for Save the Hedgehogs – and kept them.’ Jimmy: ‘What, the funds?’ Shifty: ‘No, the hedgehogs.’

As you might have guessed already, Fanged Up is a humorous romp. Nothing that will leave you helpless and pleading on the floor, but it’s likely to keep you amused. It seems all the main characters are pretending to be something they’re not, just to protect their true self. They are well fleshed-out, without requiring much of a backstory. The moment they are all together and attempting to escape the film comes alive even more, and you’re rather sad when some of them end up being killed. This is a logical progression from Freak Out and Stalled, so I’ll be interested to see what Christian James comes up with next.              

Verdict: 7 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2018)

Starring: David Niven, Teresa Graves.  

Directed Clive Donner   

Fabulous Films/Fremantle Media

August 2017

Count Dracula arranges public visits to his castle in Transylvania, but it’s not because he’s a nice guy. He is searching for a particular blood type which will revive his wife who has slept for fifty years. When a group of attractive young models and their agent arrive for a publicity trip, a sample of their blood is taken overnight. However, Dracula’s manservant accidentally mixes up the blood so that, although his vampire wife is brought back to undeath, the influence of one of the models has turned Vampira black (eh?). She is beautiful and loves her new form, but when she begins to forget her heritage and adopt 1970s jive talk, Dracula takes his wife and manservant to London in order to track down the relevant model with the appropriate blood. He hypnotises the agent to seduce each of the models and obtain new blood samples, but events don’t exactly go to plan...

Gentleman David Niven does for Dracula here what he once did for James Bond: absolutely nothing. He has turned his hand to much better things. This is supposed to be one of those 1970s light-hearted romps in the ‘vein’ of the Carry On films.

It’s certainly good to see Bernard Bresslaw, and a handful of the other usual suspects from this period, including Jennie Linden, Veronica Carlson and the lovely Andrea Allan (Eve). Although it is eminently watchable, it’s not funny (although a couple of moments raise a brief smile of acknowledgement), it’s not edgy, and it’s not titillating. I found myself consuming the film in three separate sittings.

The opening dark scene is extremely grainy, which isn’t very good for a combined DVD and Blu-ray release, but the rest seems to be okay whilst severely lacking the crisp sharpness of other releases predating this one. Furthermore, there are no extras.

The most significant character by far is Maltravers, the manservant (played very ably by Peter Baylis) who has all the best lines of tongue-in-cheek humour, and even gets to turn his hand to various acting contrasts like a true thespian. Early on he dresses and pretends to be Dracula for the guests, before becoming a twisted and mentally-challenged satire of Dracula’s slave assistant (more akin to what has become accepted as Frankenstein’s brainless aid), and then reverting to his excellent portrayal of the manservant – like the modern depiction of Batman’s butler, Alfred (upright, loyal, and with periodic wry observations on events).

Not the best product to emerge from the famous EMI-MGM Studios at Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, I’m sure.

Verdict: 4 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2017)

Starring: Julian West, Maurice Schutz, Rena mandel, Jan Hieronimko. 

Directed Carl Theodor Dreyer

Eureka Entertainment

May 2022

To tie-in with and celebrate the 90th anniversary of one of the earliest surrealistic horror films, Eureka Entertainment releases a 2K restoration of director Carl Theodor Dreyer’s (The Passion of Joan of Arc) Vampyr. The first time on Blu-ray in the UK, it is presented as a part of The Masters of Cinema Series in a Limited Edition set of 3000 copies, featuring a Hardbound Slipcase and 100-page Collector’s Booklet. The restoration comes courtesy of the Danish Film Institute and took nearly a decade to complete, incorporating material from the British Film Institute, the DFI and CNC)...

There is a plethora of extras, including: a restoration of the German version of the film with uncompressed mono soundtrack and optional unrestored audio track; an audio commentary by critic and programmer Tony Rayns, and another by my favourite film director (after John Carpenter) Guillermo del Toro, who is a Vampyr fan; a visual essay on Dreyer’s Vampyr influences; an entertaining new video interview with author and critic Kim Newman on Vampyr’s unique place within vampire cinema; two new video interviews with music and cultural historian David Huckvale on the film’s score and its adaptation of Sheridan Le Fanu; a documentary on the director by Jorgen Roos; two deleted scenes removed by the German censor in 1932; The Baron – a short MoC documentary about Baron Nicholas de Gunzburg; optional English subtitles; and a 100-page book featuring rare production stills, location photography, posters, the 1932 Danish film programme, a 1964 interview with Baron Nicholas de Gunzburg (producer and actor ‘Alan Gray’), an essay by Dreyer on film style, and writing by Tom Milne, Jean and Dale Drum, and film restorer Martin Koerber.

So, we get to enjoy the German, English and Danish versions of this classic surrealistic horror. The tale follows the visit of an occult-obsessed student to a small French village. Right from the start some of the characters pass by like wraiths with no acknowledgment of the presence of our protagonist, who looks for all the world like the photos of weird fiction/cosmic horror writer H.P. Lovecraft. This aids the uneasiness of events, and everything thereafter floats by as if we are witnessing an off-kilter dream. When our hero goes exploring, he passes through buildings and rooms unseen as he hears gathered voices and spies creeping shadows, conspiracies and dark figures. The viewer is so used to this third-party aspect of being removed from events that, when an old man converses with him, it is a shock to the system.

Subsequently, he is very quickly drawn into a family’s events. A young woman is seriously ill in bed; they say she is cursed and will die. As the protagonist attempts to help where he can, the entire family becomes suspicious in his eyes. Both the remote setting and the period in which it was filmed offer the whole a slow-motion effect of creeping malaise and frightening uncertainly. There is a feeling that some of the events could well be in the key character’s head. If you give it a chance, you’ll find it a beguiling and compelling backdrop, which stays purposefully clear of Stoker’s overpowering presence of Dracula and instead builds suspense as a whodunnit. It’s surprisingly effective for its time, and no doubt scared the living daylights out of cinema goers upon its original release. Today, it is the removed aspect of unreality which will unnerve.               

Verdict: 9 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2022)

Starring: Sienna Guillory, Jessica Alexander, Ruby Stokes. 

Directed Ruth Paxton

Second Sight Films

October 2022

Second Sight Films releases a Limited-Edition Blu-ray of Ruth Paxton’s debut film, A Banquet. It is a psychological and emotional pot-boiler which pushes the boundaries of human existence and how we cope with our own and other people’s extreme experiences. Holly (Sienna Guillory of Resident Evil, Luthor and Love Actually) has just lost her husband to advanced cancer. She is distressed and broken but attempts to keep it together for the sake of her two teenage daughters. The eldest, Betsey (Jessica Alexander), attends a party but is thereafter ‘changed’ beyond all recognition. Initially, Holly believes it to be the result of substances she may have taken, but the alteration in character is beyond all recognition. Betsey completely stops eating; the very idea causes her to be physically sick. However, her weight appears to remain constant. She slips into prolonged trances, sleeps for much of the rest of the time and is periodically seen to be conversing with someone or something. These episodes deeply affect the rest of the family, and matters are exacerbated by the strict opinions of Holly’s mother June (Lindsay Duncan). But Betsey has a new secret revelation...
 

This offers a new meaning to the term dysfunctional family. The difference is that these events are real (whether they are believable is another matter). Right from the beginning we are subjected to an extremely disturbing scene wherein Holly’s husband is in the final stages of cancer. He suffers constant sickness, pain and distress, and his eyes are pleading. To be brutally honest, it is difficult to watch. The fact Betsey witnesses her father take his own life is a telling factor, particularly as she attempts to follow suit shortly afterwards. It’s easy to believe that everything which happens to Betsey – her gradual regression – stems from her father’s horrific death, but certain aspects leave it open to impression/interpretation. Firstly, none of these changes take place until she wanders into the woods behind a house party. Is she possessed or psychotic? Or something else. She talks about a new world order, but also stresses everything is for nothing. So, there is plenty of ambiguity – which is something I welcome in a film.
 

Some nice Special Features put the icing on the cake for a very effective and well-paced film exploring a fictional side of mental health. Deformity of the Flesh is an Interview with Director Ruth Paxton. Improvised Exorcism is an Interview with Betsey actress Jessica Alexander.Produced in a Pandemic is an Interview with Leonora Darby. Dark Edgesis an Interview with Cinematographer David Liddell. There is a Glasgow Film Festival Q & A with Ruth Paxton, Jessica Alexander & Sienna Guillory. Family Disorder is the Making of Banquet.               

Verdict: 9 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2022)

Starring: Bruce Campbell, Ossie Davis and Ella Joyce. 

Directed Don Coscarelli (From a Story by Joe R Lansdale.

Anchor Bay Entertainment UK

March 2005

In a gloomy and depressing nursing home for the elderly in East Texas lies Elvis Presley, alive but far from kicking. It seems that years ago, tired of the fame and pace of his life, he traded places with a talented Elvis impersonator. However, when the pretender died, Elvis was left with no career but impersonator. When he gyrated off the stage and broke his hip even that came to an end. Now, years down the line, he is a shadow of his former self, suffering the indignity of having his (possibly cancerous) puss-filled pecker greased by a nurse who talks to him as if to a child and, of course, doesn't believe for one moment he's Elvis. When the death toll in the home rises dramatically, Elvis and his new friend (a black man who is convinced he's JFK) discover that an ancient Egyptian mummy (part of an exhibition lost in transit) is entering at night and sucking the souls out of any available orifice. With only the two men having any knowledge of what's happening it falls on the pair to rise from their beds, prepare an offensive and take on Bubba Ho-Tep in a fight to the death...

It sounds crazy, doesn't it? Well, it is. Bubba Ho-Tep is a load of old nonsense, but it's a very enjoyable load of old nonsense. If you sell this film on the premise of Elvis fighting a mummy, the best you could possibly hope for is a chuckle at the vision it inspires, but I don't think many people would be intrigued enough to check it out. And that would be a crying shame, because this story is much more about the central characters, the mummy merely being the catalyst by which a sad old man becomes the king again. Two old people regain some purpose and dignity in their lives when they and everyone around them believes they are no use to the world and simply waiting to die. For these two men it's time to live again one last time.

So what classification does Bubba Ho-Tep come under? I hear you ask. Is it horror? is it comedy? Yes, it's both of those, but it's fundamentally a feel-good piece; a sort of reverse coming-of-age film. It says to you: "There's life in the old dog yet!" Bruce (The Evil Dead) Campbell's portrayal of the singing legend is uncannily good; there's no hamming-it-up here, and the character is treated with great respect. I'm no fan of Elvis Presley's music, so it's fortunate for me that the low budget didn't allow the use of any of his songs; doubly so, because the music by Brian Tyler which replaces it is nothing short of superb. Seldom does a film score composer manage to accurately capture the mood of each scene, so that you feel like rocking one minute and crying the next.

It's worth mentioning the men behind the film. Firstly, Joe R. Lansdale who wrote the original short story. Having read several of his books, I already had knowledge of his work. His style is a little like that of Richard Laymon. But his most popular books follow the misadventures of two middle-aged men in the deep south, one a gay black man, the other a straight white. I urge anyone to read Mucho Mojo; you'll laugh your socks off. But as for the short story, this is the last one Lansdale expected to be optioned for a film. The other man behind the project is, of course, Don Coscarelli, screenplay writer and director whose other works include the Phantasm films.

Aside from 5.1 and Widescreen, other special features include an entertaining Audio Commentary by Bruce Campbell and Don Coscarelli, an additional commentary by Bruce Campbell in character as Elvis, and an Introduction by Bruce Campbell. The second disc contains a veritable plethora of extras (more even than the region 1 version). Joe R Lansdale reads an extract from the story; there are deleted scenes with optional commentary; the Making of Bubba Ho-Tep featurette, with To Make a Mummy, Fit For a King (costumes), and Rock Like an Egyptian (music) featurettes accompanying it; The King and I (interview with Don Coscarelli), and a question and answer session with him; an Interview with Bruce Campbell; an excellent music video; photo gallery; trailer, TV Spot and Biographies. What more could you ask for? The packaging by Anchor Bay is also great, with a slip cover containing the DVD case with a different cover and an information booklet inside.

If you're expecting CGI think again. This is a low-budget film. The mummy is done for real, and the attacking scarab is a series of models. But don't associate no money with no good, quite often they prove to be better. This film is funny, corny, sad, poignant, and generally over-the-top, and I can't stress enough how you need this in your collection.

In the words of Elvis: "Come and get it, you undead psycho sh*t!"

*2024 Update: There is a recent 4K & Blu-ray Upgraded release of this film, but it is American region-locked. Fingers crossed for a UK release.              

Verdict: 10 out of 10

(Original Review by Ty Power 2005 - Updated 2024).

Starring: Taissa Farmiga, Jonas Bloquet, Vera Farmiga, Demian Bichir, Bonnie Aarons. 

Directed Corin Hardy

Warner Bros. Entertainment

September 2021

It is 1952 at the Abbey of St carta, Romania. Something (possibly a demon) locked behind a door marked God Ends Here possesses a nun. A second nun hangs herself to prevent the same thing happening to her. At The Vatican, Father Burke takes Sister Irene, a novice nun, to Romania to investigate the suicide. ‘Frenchy’ a French/Canadian guide takes them to the abbey which is shunned as evil by the locals. They meet a dark-veiled nun who says she is the Mother Superior. They stay the night, awaiting an audience with her. Burke thinks he sees a boy he performed an exorcism on years ago, but it is a trap and he falls into an open coffin grave which already has a headstone bearing his name. Sister Irene has a nightmare vision of the demon nun. She discovers the grave and digs up the priest. A number of journals are revealed. A duke built the abbey. He practised the dark arts and wrote texts. Hell used him to open a gateway. The church stormed the abbey and an ancient relic containing the blook of Christ was used to seal the gateway. The church took over the building and began a ritual of perpetual praying to keep the evil at bay. For centuries it worked until bombs struck it during the war, re-opening the gateway.
 

The novice Irene is told to leave because she has not taken her vows, but the gates have been closed for the night, so she is locked into a room for her own safety. Father Burke has a curious conversation with the Abbess who is not the Abbess. Irene wakes from a reoccurring dream (“Mary points the way”) to find a praying nun in her room and witness the hanging of her. A number of horrifying set pieces make the trio finally realise they have been plagued by visions created by the demon, and that there are no nuns at the abbey. Irene knows they have to seal the demon in with the Blood of Christ holy relic. A Key is used to uncover a passage filled with crucifixes which is revealed by a statue of Mary pointing the way. They enter a door which says, “God Ends Here” and search for the Gateway. Like fools, they split up. Irene is caught in a pentagram and possessed. The demon nun attacks her and holds her under the water. All seems lost as the holy relic is broken. Can Irene find a way to turn the tables and condemn the demon back to hell?
 

The epilogue of the film cuts to 20 years later and a visible tie-in to The Conjuring films. In fact, anyone who has seen The Conjuring may recall an early scene wherein Annabelle the doll is placed in a locked room full of objects that demons have possessed. In the room we get a fleeting glimpse of The Nun painting which features more heavily in The Conjuring 2. So, this film is effectively the demon Nun’s origin story. The concept and storyline comes from James Wan (who has had a hand in the Insidious films as well as The Conjuring universe) and Gary Dauberman, who wrote the full screenplay for this. The characters are well fleshed-out and likeable, and Bonnie Aarons’ Nun sinister enough to create a chill at each appearance. It has become quite an inspired concept to make something usually benign a figure of terror: Clowns, Autons, Weeping Angels, etc. It works equally well here; however, subsequent reapprances in sequels can tarnish the effect as diminishing returns. Horror often works well in a period setting; the abbey setting helps with this enormously. Another solid feature from Blumhouse.               

Verdict: 8 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2018)

Starring: Teresa Palmer, Steven Cree, Barbara Marten, Tristan Ruggeri.   

Directed Taneli Mustonen 

Acorn Media International

October 2022

A couple have recently buried their young son Nathan, but the bad memories of his death in a car crash remain to the point they need to make a clean break. So, Rachel and Anthony move to Finland with Elliot, their dead son’s twin. Although this is where Anthony grew up, the Pagan community is like another world. After Elliot makes a secret wish in a circle of power, it’s not just the language which isolates Rachel; almost immediately, Elliot’s character changes. He begins acting strangely, and seems to be possessed by the departed Nathan, who resents being left behind in the ground. The Pagan villagers appear to have their own motive, too – to the point where her only ally is an eccentric old woman from Great Britain (of course). Is there a conspiracy among the townsfolk, or is the solution to Rachel’s nightmare much less complex...

I have reviewed a number of Shudder Original horror films, and always find them welcome and fascinating. Most are very good, and those that aren’t invariably become talking points in terms of plot and influences. The entire time I spent watching The Twin I had the most curious sense of déjà vu. Everything seemed so familiar I was convinced I’d seen the film before. I’m still convinced… Either that, or I’ve seen something so similar they have blended into one movie in my mind.  I have no doubt that for anyone who has lost a twin it is a hugely harrowing experience, but for the sake of fictional content this is a scenario which has been played-out so many times it is almost commonplace. I had the distinct impression this film utilised two well-used horror scenarios and forced them together. Sometimes, the setting of a different culture in horror can prove eerie, as it is very different to our own, but in this case – apart from a bit of snow – Finland in the film could have been anywhere, as most of the villagers didn’t speak and those that did spoke perfect English. So, setting this in another country doesn’t have the same cultural shock as, for instance, The Ring or Let the Right One In.

This Acorn Media International Blu-ray release comes with a Making of… featurette. I would have hoped for more extras than this. Finnish director Taneli Mustonen also made Lake Bodom, based on the notorious killings which is said to have inspired Friday the 13th and also the excellent Metal band Children of Bodom.              

Verdict: 5 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2022)

Starring: Joaquin Cosio, Tobin Bell. 

Directed Emilio Portes   

Acorn Media International

September 2021

Acorn Media International releases Belzebuth, one of many Shudder Original horror films. In this Exorcist-like Mexican/English tale of the ultimate battle between good and evil, Special Agent Emmanuel Ritter (played by Joaquin Cosio from Quantum of Solace) suffers the devastating experience of seeing his new-born baby stabbed to death in a frenzied knife attack. There is little respite, however, when he is drawn into investigating a series of attacks on groups of children. The one common factor appears to be the presence of an old priest (played by Tobin Bell from the Saw films), marked with strange symbols, at or near each incident. When he tracks the man down with the help of a representative of The Vatican (Tate Ellington) it is to discover he is harbouring a woman and her son who might just be the Second Coming. So begins a battle with the most dangerous demon of them all...

This is a definite game of two halves. After the initial shock of the baby’s death, the events turn low-key for some time. It’s more of a claustrophobic pot-boiler wherein we are introduced to characters such as Ritter’s police colleague and others which will prove important. Naturally, much is made of Ritter’s character and continued internal mourning to prove he is an honest and essentially good person. Even the incidents involving the deaths of several young children are visited in the aftermath, rather than as they happen. It is only when the ‘crazy’ priest finds him (rather than the other way around) that the importance of a child he is protecting is revealed. Whereas nothing had made much sense up to this point, suddenly the plot is blown wide open. By now we know the characters well – or at least we think we do, and realise this has been happening without our knowledge.

From this moment onwards, everything is eerie, intriguing and frightening. Literally, anything can happen, as the very well-executed scenes of possession involve not just a person but inanimate objects too. It’s also left ambiguous as to what the real motives of the old priest are. Nobody can be trusted, and that means moments of genuine unease are created. It has elements of Terminator 2: Judgment Day about the epilogue. There is only one thing which is unrealistic about the ending: nobody seems to be even the slightest bit sad, upset or in any way regretful that one of the main players in the plot has been killed. Not even the child who is supposed to be – we discover – the third coming of Christ.

Belzebuth evolves into a better film than we realise early on, and incorporates real tension in the latter scenes. But where are the extras? A behind-the-scenes documentary and a commentary should be standard in this day and age.

Verdict: 7 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2021)

Starring: Narges Rashidi, Avin Manshadi, Bobby Naderi, Ray Haratian, Arash Marandi. 

Directed Babak Anvari

Second Sight Films

February 2020

This story is set in Tehran (although not filmed there). It’s 1988, and a young woman called Shideh is thrown out of medical school due to her previous politically active history. She returns home, but shortly afterwards her husband is called-up to serve near the front line in the Iran-Iraq war. The war seems to be moving increasingly closer to her tenement building. An apparently mute boy whispers a warning to Shideh’s daughter Dorsa about the Djinn – an evil spirit which brings death and disaster. When a bomb hits the building but doesn’t explode, strange events begin to take place. Dora loses her beloved doll and becomes both ill and psychologically disturbed. Neighbours leave the district in droves, but Shideh is reluctant to go. She has nowhere else, and hopes that her husband will return. It is only when Dora’s behaviour becomes increasingly bizarre that she starts to witness a malevolent spirit which seeks to possess Dora through her doll...

Although this may sound ostensibly like a Chucky or Annabelle story, it couldn’t be further from the truth. This is a taut thriller with a lot of attention to balance and claustrophobia. The authenticity could well hinge on the performance of Narges Rashidi as Shideh, but for me none of it would work without Avin Manshadi’s portrayal of Dorsa. The film has been compared in style to Jennifer Kent’s The Babadook; I think it has a Guillermo Del Toro tribute or influence written all over it. There is the wartime horror/fantasy settling of Pan's Labyrinth, but more closely the unexploding bomb scenario of The Devil’s Backbone, wherein reality is on shaky legs from the start. Look, it’s easy to say the idea has been ripped-off – and Del Toro is a master of this kind of storytelling – however, even Del Toro ripped-off Creature From the Black Lagoon with The Shape of Water, and he won an Oscar for it. They say no idea is completely original.

Director Babak Anvari has been compared with Lynch, Polanski and even Carpenter on the merits of this film. I think it’s a little early to be shouting his name from the rooftops, even though it will be interesting to see what he comes up with next. Under the Shadow is a good, solid horror thriller, but it’s by no means outstanding, no matter what my favourite film critic Doctor Mark Kermode says. The Djinn spirit as a shaped fabric is stylish and at times creepy, the only thing is it has been done countless times before – and is another steal from East Asian ghost films which made such a mark in the late 1990s. I would encourage all young people to try some foreign subtitled movies, such as this. There are some classics. Start with Pan’s Labyrinth; every time I watch it I notice something more.

Special Features include: Two & Two – Babak Avari’s BAFTA Award nominated short film; Interview with the Director; Interview with Narges Rashidi; Interview with Producers Lucan Toh and Oliver Roskill; Interview with Cinematographer Kit Fraser; and an Audio Commentary with Babak Anvari and Jamie Graham.              

Verdict: 7 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2020)

Starring: Steven Brand, Nick Eversman, Tracey Fairaway, Sebastien Roberts, Devon Sorvari.   

Directed Victor Garcia

Lionsgate Home Entertainment

March 2021

American teenagers Steven Craven and Nico Bradley drive to Mexico for a holiday. When their car is stolen it is just the start of a downward spiral. After meeting a prostitute in a club, they take her back to their rented room. They get more than leathered overnight and wake to discover that the prostitute has been brutally murdered. Nico suspiciously wants to keep it quiet, fearing a notoriously tough Mexican prison. But when a vagrant approaches them in a bar and gives them a curious puzzle box, they unwittingly unleash a world of torment heralded by the notorious Pinhead and his Cenobites from hell. A year later, the boys’ parents are having a quiet get-together in memory of their missing sons, when Steven unexpectedly turns-up terrified, exhausted and confused. But is everything as it seems...?

This is the ninth film in the Hellraiser franchise based on British horror writer Clive Barker’s original story. The source, therefore, stems from a wealth of talent. The budget for this one was around $300,000 – and the lack of funds shows. However, it’s not exactly where you would think. What let’s this down more than anything else is the weak writing. There are several events in the plotline which don’t make sense, but the major mess is the confusing manor in which the returning boy turns from being the victim to revealing through his cruelness that he is the other boy in the first one’s body. I’ve found that the Hellraiser scenario often works better if the puzzle box and the Cenobites are kept to a minimum. This is something the movie does get right... to a certain extent – although the box is opened far too easily these days. There is also the nice connection that Steven’s sister is also Nico’s girlfriend, which adds emotional content and conflict.

Now, let’s address the elephant in the room. Stephen Smith Collins is acceptable in the role as Pinhead, but he’s not Doug Bradley who, over a number of sequels as well as the original, made the part his own. It really isn’t the same when, as a fan you have come to recognise his look and characterisation. It’s like making someone other than Robert Englund Freddy Krueger, it just wouldn’t work. It didn’t even work when Child’s Play was reworked with a slightly different look for Chucky.

It is gratifying that low budget horror movies are still being made on a regular basis. Many budding filmmakers use the genre as an entryway into the movie world. So, I wouldn’t write-off a film like this out of hand, because for one thing it’s keeping the Hellraiser franchise alive. However, certain aspects have to be right to help films succeed. Spanish director Victor Garcia has other projects under his belt – including Return to House on Haunted Hill (2007) – so he’s no slouch. Perhaps the Hellraiser franchise has simply become tired. Hellraiser: Revelations is available on Blu-ray and for Digital Download from Lionsgate UK.              

Verdict: 4 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2021)

Starring: Steven Brand, Nick Eversman, Tracey Fairaway, Sebastien Roberts, Devon Sorvari.

Directed Michael O'Shea   

Thunderbird Releasing

August 2017

Milo is a 14 year-old boy who lives with his older brother since his mother took her own life. He is obsessed with vampires, living and breathing films and books. But there is a reason he needs to find out so much about them. An abused, self-harming loner, neighbour Sophie sees Milo as a kindred spirit. Milo seems at times blasé about being with her but, although he likes her, he is reticent to form too much of an attachment. You see, he has a plan...

The arrival of films such as Let the Right One In, and I Am Not a Serial Killer has encouraged filmmakers in recent years to be more inventive with old and often tired concepts. The Transfiguration has gone back to basics but simultaneously brought the vampire sub-genre into a contemporary street-class setting. Of my last batch of review material I purposefully left this one until last, simply because I wasn’t expecting much from it. I’m very pleased to report that my preconception was misplaced.

Milo is so far from being the embodiment of a standard vampire you could argue he isn’t one at all. The inference is he has caught a virus of sorts after tasting his mother’s blood (when he found her dead, having cut her own wrists). So the only established vampire trait he has is the killing and drinking of human blood; no mirrors, crucifixes, garlic, coffin or super-human strength. Although Milo is only a teenager, there is no indication he will live forever. A brief scene with the school councillor tells us he has harmed or killed animals in the past, so this could be interpreted as the early stages of a psychotic killer.

However, the viewer makes a definite sympathetic connection with Milo, due to the fact he obviously doesn’t like what he is, and he is still an underdog in his environment of local gangs and a dead end society. If you described to someone the long silences and sequences in which we see Milo walking along a street, riding on public transport, or simply reading a book, it will sound like the most ridiculously tedious film. But it’s quite the opposite. It works because you become connected to his loneliness (or wish to be alone) and aloofness. I put the film on late at night, fully intending to watch ten minutes or so before I went to bed, but before I knew it the film was over and I’d remained glued until the end. That is surely a sign of something compelling and different.

Eric Ruffin as Milo, and Chloe Levine as Sophie are both excellent. It’s like the camera isn’t there; their performances are so natural. The conclusion to the story is very cleverly thought out. But as the camera lingered on the final frames I thought it would be spoiled. I found myself wincing as I expected a superfluous reference to the stereotypical view of vampirism. This movie, however, proves too mature to fall into that trap. This is another fine writing/directorial debut – this time by Michael O’Shea – which bodes well for the future. I highly recommend The Transfiguration. Check this out; lovers of horror who are looking for something a little different will love it.

Extras include a Filmmakers’ Commentary, an entertaining Making of… documentary, and Deleted and Extended Scenes (introduced with so much enthusiasm it’s like a small child excitedly trying to relay an event and falling all over his words!).

Verdict: 8 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2017)

Starring: Bruce Campbell, Angus Scrimm, Marta Alicia, Elizabeth Kent.   

Directed Steve Barnett   

Eureka Entertainment

February 2021

In a post-apocalyptic world, the city dwellers spend all their time connected – via a neck port – to a framework known as the Infinisynth, where they can experience all of their wildest fantasies. Judy and her mother are two such examples; however, whereas her mother is happy with her lot, Judy is frustrated and longs for the reality of life. The system's operator gives Judy her wish, but it is more than she bargained for when she is immediately attacked on the surface. Rescued by a man called Stover, they are later both assaulted and dragged underground, where they are brutally treated and put to work. But who is the Seer, and what are his plans for Judy...?

There is a Vincent Price soundalike who introduces the Infinisynth environment in this science fiction horror. Gore lovers will lap this up (so to speak!); however, the cannibalistic scavenger Crawlers make this scenario conducive to the plot – so, it isn’t just throwing blood at the screen for the sake of it. The pull for this movie is undoubtedly Bruce Campbell from the Sam Raimi Evil Dead films. In fact, he was about to begin filming the third in the trilogy while promoting this one in 1990 (it was released in the UK in 1991). He was also excellent in the outstanding Bubba Ho-Tep movie, adapted from the Joe R. Lansdale short story. Bruce Campbell is a cult hero of B-movies. Many fans collect his films, which – let’s be honest – range from excellent to barely noteworthy, due mainly to the resources and budget of the relevant flick’s originator. His performances are solid but similar, and we love him for it. Check out his entertaining autobiography, If Chins Could Kill: Confessions of a B-Movie Actor.

There is a nice barbaric form of steampunk going on here, with a conveyor-belt, chopping machine and many channels for directing blood to a bath, wherein it is scooped-up with skulls to drink from (like you do!). The Crawlers are both slaves and masters, and I like the idea of the badly treated workers frantically digging-up and uncovering common items from the past, such as an electric mixer or a child’s doll. All are subservient to the Seer, who is human. Another attraction for the horror fans is the appearance of Angus Scrimm (from the Phantasm franchise) as the Seer. He also plays another role. Although the film is played straight, there are certain darkly humorous moments, such as the Crawler walking along eating a severed hand, and Campbell’s reaction when he is first put to work. For a low-budget B-movie it is quite entertaining.

This is a first-time Blu-ray release in the UK for Mindwarp. It is part of the Eureka Classics range. There is a limited run of 2000 copies which incorporate a Slipcase and Collector’s Booklet featuring a new essay by film scholar and author Craig Ian Mann, and a reprinted article from Gorezone – the sister publication to Fangoria. General extras include reversible artwork, a new feature length audio interview with Tony Timpone – former longtime editor of Fangoria Magazine, Fangoria’s Weekend of Horrors 1990 – footage from the horror convention, with Bruce Campbell and Angus Scrimm.              

Verdict: 7 out of 10

 (Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2021)

Starring: Rose Williams, Emma Rigby. 

Directed Corinna Faith   

Acorn Media Entertainment

September 2021

Acorn International Media in conjunction with Shudder releases the British supernatural horror thriller The Power for the first time on Blu-ray in the UK. It is January 1974, a time of strikes and energy shortages culminating in semi-regular blackouts. Val is a newly-trained young nurse who is assigned to an old hospital in London’s East End. Consequentially, she is bullied and ends up with the ‘dark shift’. During these government pre-announced periods, nearly all of the staff and patients are moved to another area. A small maternity unit and Intensive Care patients that can’t be moved are all that is left. Plunged into darkness, Val immediately begins to experience strange phenomena. The caretaker/orderly is creepy enough, but there is something else going on here – something sinister which is intrinsically linked to the past. With no one willing to believe or help her, Val is truly alone. But there is a worse revelation to come...

The bare bones of this story revolve around a revenge plot from beyond the grave. That makes it sound shallow and far from original. However, it is the explored characterisations and social issues which feed it more substance. Firstly, Val is bullied as the newcomer. The black sister proves stern and unpleasant throughout, except for the moment when Val seeks to escape. You would think this wouldn’t ring true in reality, because undoubtedly she would have suffered racist remarks at some time in her life. But the title of this film refers to more than simply the supernatural presence. It is about everybody’s attempt to gain or force status, and the only way that is possible is down through the ranks rather than up. So, the lower-ranked nurses force their will on the new-starter. That is a fact of life, even though we live in enlightened times. The doctors and surgeons in this context hold the greatest power in the hospital and, as they say, total power corrupts totally.

I must say that I smiled at the sight of a Maternity Ward with three babies, and an Intensive Care with no one of any authority watching the shapes in the beds. The film makes its point, however. You often wonder in some movies why the protagonists don’t leave the building and run a mile when their lives turn into a constant nightmare of supernatural activity and violent or threatening behaviour, but it is established early on in The Power that Val was an orphan brought up by a religious children’s home. This is her only prospect, and if she doesn’t succeed long enough she could end up back on the streets. Of course, as she discovers at the end, that isn’t always the most important priority. The tagline: ‘Fear the darkness inside of you’ is also misleading. It should state: ‘Fear someone else’s darkness in you.’ Rose Williams is pretty good as Val; her innocent persona is so understated that when we get to see something contrary it is much more effective.

In short, it’s an interesting little film which explores the inner psyche as much as the outward plot. Special Features include a Commentary by Corinna Faith and Rose Williams, and a Behind the Scenes Photo Gallery.              

Verdict: 8 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2021)

Starring: Marin Ireland, Michael Abbott Jr., Xander Berkeley.   

Directed Bryan Bertino    

AB2033

July 2021

Even though they are warned not to, Michael and Louise travel to their parents’ remote farmstead when they hear that their father is dying. He lies close to death, constantly in sleep, and with a 24-hour oxygen feed. However, there is more going on in the house than they bargained for. Objects move by themselves, their mother is not herself, uttering cryptic comments, chanting religious mantras, and going about her tasks as if in a daze. When her father appears to her outside the stall where she is taking a shower, Louise believes she is experiencing a waking nightmare. Their father is bedridden, and it is impossible that he would be walking. After their mother hangs herself, Louise and Michael discover her diary wherein she speaks of a demonic presence attempting to possess her husband. But is it mental anguish and grief speaking, or is there substance to her words...?

This is less like a horror and closer to a dark psychological drama. More like a potboiler spiral into depression… and boy, is this film depressing! The mother cuts off her own fingers and subsequently commits suicide, an entire herd of goats is massacred, and there is a scene involving Michael near the end which maintains the grim catalogue of events. There is only one conventional jump scare; the rest is the regular adding of thick layers of gloom and mire. There isn’t even a conclusive ending. I’m not one of those viewers who likes everything tied-up into a neat little package with a bow on the top. I often enjoy an open or ambiguous finish to the proceedings, so that events can be speculated upon. Here though there is no real progression. We discover nothing about the demon – or even if it is a demon. It just trundles on until the end of the running time, with no progression. It isn’t a bad film, it just doesn’t go anywhere.

I should also mention the sound. I have a speaker system designed for 4k, so Blu-ray is normally no problem in terms of properly splitting the sound. However, even though I turn up the voice control much of the dialogue drops into a low mix of indistinguishability. It doesn’t help that the majority of the speech is murmured – particularly those between the siblings when they don’t want their mother to hear.

I think the main problem with this film is the storyline balance. You need light and shade to make each of those work individually, but there is too much hopelessness, no flicker of hope – even if it is quickly extinguished. The characters have to be allowed to breathe, to believe they can make things right. In The Dark and the Wicked they are simply witnesses to uncontrollable events, and the viewer soon grows tired of the spectacle if there is no attempt at triumph over adversity.             

Verdict: 5 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2021)

Starring: Andre Morell, John Phillips, David Buck. 

Directed John Gilling   

StudioCanal

October 2012

An Egyptian pharaoh loses his queen in childbirth but gains a longed-for successor to the throne. Devoted to the child, Kah-to-Bey, he nurtures him toward manhood. However, the pharaoh's younger brother plots against the throne, raising a secret army which then attacks the palace. Although the pharaoh is brutally killed, Kah-to-Bey is saved by his sacred protector. Along with a group of slaves they escape across the desert (which looks surprisingly like a London quarry). The boy falls fatally ill, and the slaves drop like flies through exhaustion and lack of sustenance. Finally, the guardian lays the boy to rest.

Cut to 1920, and an expedition financed by wealthy industrialist Stanley Preston and led by archaeologist Sir Basil Walden to find the lost tomb of Kah-to-Bey. When the expedition becomes lost in the same quarry, Preston is persuaded to embark on a search for them. Walden and his party set up camp to await the passing of a sandstorm. They have run out of water and debate turning back; but the storm uncovers the entrance to the tomb, and Preston catches up with them, so they investigate the tomb together. A modern-day guardian of the tomb appears and threatens them. Undeterred, they uncover the boy's bones and the shroud which covers them, returning to the city with the remains and placing them alongside the already uncovered upright mummy of the original guardian. Much to the disgust of the others, Preston takes all the credit for the find, but becomes increasingly less sure of himself when those who entered the tomb begin to die...
 

Although this example of Hammer horror is played straight, it comes across as quite quirky. There's nothing wrong with that, because it puts a smile on your face rather than making you groan at its shortfalls (let’s face it, there’s only so much you can do with the stalking mummy premise). It's great to see Doctor Who's the Master, Roger Delgado, as Hasmid the modern-day guardian of the tomb. The man may have been as benevolent as a daisy-chain, but on camera he exudes evil. Having said that, in this instance he does ham-it-up a little, skulking in doorways and mumbling fluent gibberish. I began to think he'd been drinking the water.
 

The stereotypical crone fortune teller is also fun, and so it's no surprise to discover they are working together. When Walden is set-up by Preston and committed to a sanatorium, he promptly escapes, only to be offered sanctuary by the crone. Walden says, "Please help me! Let me rest." The fortune teller replies, "Soon you will be dead. Then you can rest." Priceless dialogue. Hasmid utters his gobbledygook and the mummy-guardian of Kah-to-Bey walks in and throttles the poor bloke.
 

There's no Frankenstein's monster-like staggering here; the mummy walks remarkably well for someone who's been standing still for 4,000 years. I'll bet David Blaine couldn't do that one, lying in a box for a month? Pah! That's nothing.
 

There are a couple of nice touches regarding the mummy. The close-up of the cold blue eyes opening for the first time is effective, as is its disintegration at the conclusion. The mummy's own hands crumble the rest of its body like dry plaster, although the camera lingering too long finally reveals that the hands are reaching up through a hole in the floor. Sir Basil Walden suffers rather less than divine retribution for his selfishness, and the hieroglyphics on the shroud reveal the words of death, as well as animation. If these words had been spoken earlier the cast might have saved themselves a lot of trouble.
 

All in all, an average but still enjoyable Hammer outing. I reviewed the first release of this film on DVD in 2003. Again, the very professional reconstruction has left us with a near crystal-clear image, which brings an old film back to life.
 

Although there is a very nice animated menu, the extras are a little thin on the ground, compared with the two other recent hammer releases, Rasputin the Mad Monk, and The Devil Rides Out. There is no commentary, but then there was no stand-out star for The Mummy’s Shroud, more of an ensemble cast, nearly all of which are no longer with us. Perhaps the inclusion of a commentary by a Hammer historian or enthusiast, such as Mark Gatiss, could have been considered. There is a documentary, The Beat Goes On: The Making of The Mummy’s Shroud; and a short piece, Remembering David Buck. Then we get the Trailers and a Stills gallery.              

Verdict: 6 out of 10

 (Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2012)

Starring: Talitha Bateman, Lulu Wilson, Samara Lee, Anthony LaPaglia, Stephanie Sigman.   

Directed David F Sandberg   

Warner Bros. Entertainment

December 2017

A dollmaker and his wife live a simple but idyllic life on a remote farm, before their young daughter is killed in a road accident. They attempt to find a way to bring her back and are soon ‘blessed’ with visitations. The girl pleads to be allowed to return in the doll her father has recently completed for an order. But they soon come to realise it is not their daughter but a demon they have allowed through. They seal the Annabelle doll up in a small room covered in crosses and pages from the Bible. The physically and psychologically injured mother has taken to her bed. As recompense for their mistake the couple allow their house to be used as a temporary haven for young orphan girls hoping to be housed with new families. Two of these girls are such close friends that they want to be placed together as sisters. However, it isn’t long before they encounter a number of visitations and frightening occurrences.
 

The demon has centred on the weakest of the girls, who has polio. The Annabelle doll is discovered, and the dark supernatural events come to a head when one of the girls is almost pulled into a deep well in the grounds of the house. The demon wants the sick girl’s soul, but she is saved when the house goes up in flames. Her friend is taken away by the nun looking after them. The girl with polio can walk now, which should prove that something unnatural has changed her. A couple adopt her. She tells them her name is Annabelle. As a young adult she becomes wayward and leaves, returning sometime later with her cultist boyfriend to kill her adoptive parent.
 

You may remember this from the previous film, Annabelle. So, this works as a prequel, filling in the gap of events between the doll’s construction and the beginning of Annabelle. This is infinitely the better film, with a series of set piece, the best of which is the hide-and-seek game wherein the sick girl’s friend hides in the basement. The Annabelle doll is on a chair at the back, but you can just discern the outline of the demon behind it. Subtleties of light are often very effective. There is nothing that different about this demonic tale (people being dragged or pulled, figures seen running past doorways, a scene featuring a creepy well like The Ring, etc.), but it is very well done, and a worthy addition to The Conjuring series of horror films.              

Verdict: 8 out of 10

(Original Review by Ty Power 2024)

Starring: Matt Smith, Natalie Dormer, Clive Standen, Agyness Deyn, Stanley Tucci.   

Directed Stefan Ruzowitzky    

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

October 2018

The world – or at least America – is in chaos. A viral super-strain has affected an increasing percentage of the population, turning them into unthinking, unfeeling ravenous creatures. Below ground is a large bunker harbouring a combination of civilians, military personnel, and medical/bacterial scientists. The objective is to trace the origin of the outbreak and find ‘patient zero’ from whom they can derive a vaccine cure. Morgan is more than a curiosity; he is the only person known to have been bitten and not turned. His blood is used to experiment with rats and former human studies. His own infected partner is injected on a daily basis. But that isn’t his only ability. He can communicate with the infected. One-by-one the ‘patients’ are brought in and grilled by Morgan. However, it seems the creatures are also looking for Morgan, which seems to suggest intelligence and planning. Then a creature nicknamed ‘The Professor’ is brought in and all hell breaks loose...
 

Former Doctor Who Matt Smith normally has a wonderful, crazy, eccentric exuberance. Great personality, character, and verve. Can you guess where this is going? This appears to be an American movie filmed in part here at Shepperton Studios in Middlesex – with input from the British Film Institute, the British Film Commission and Film London. So… why, oh, why would you cast a very good expressive actor like Matt Smith and force him to talk in a dodgy American accent, complete with a multitude of ‘Goddamns’ ‘assholes’ and other expletives?! It’s tantamount to employing Simon Callow and having him sit, unspeaking, in a box with his back to the camera (not that Callow would accept such a role). Consequentially, Smith is pretty dulled-down. He is simply not allowed to shine at all, and it’s so disappointing.
 

There are some nice moments, one being the naming of the ‘patients’. Morgan has one of them brought in and secured tightly to a metal mounted chair. He selects an old vinyl record and plays it on a turntable, as it commonly disturbs the infected. Thus, we get ‘Joe Cocker’ and ‘Pete Townsend’. Also, the idea of a tracker sewn into the torso of a creature is a good one. It leads to ‘The Professor’ who can reason and debate, and who actually believes his new species to be the highest on the evolutionary ladder. So, Thus Morgan is their patient zero.
 

In many ways Gina (played by Natalie Dormer) is a more believable character than Morgan. However, no matter how much she is attracted to him, why would an intelligent scientist have sex with someone who has been bitten? Even though he’s still human, surely, she would still harbour a fear of the infection being passed on. The film is watchable but won’t win any prizes for excitement or originality. Essentially, it’s one of a million zombie films. The ending has all the infected running after a fleeing motorcycle. You would have to wonder when the riders would have a chance to rest or get fuel – unless they can escape across water to a safe haven. In that sense it’s a thought-provoking conclusion.
 

I still can’t get past what director Stefan Ruzowitzky has done with Matt Smith’s acting skills. It’s as if he was obliged to leave them at the door.             

Verdict: 5 out of 10

 (Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2018)

Starring: Ellen Page, Diego Luna, Nina Dobrev, James Norton, Kiersey Clemons, Kiefer Sutherland.   

Directed Niels Arden Oplev   

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

February 2018

Four promising medical students are drawn into a series of illicit and highly dangerous experiments by another student who is compelled to discover what we see at the point of death. In the basement of the hospital are state-of-the-art facilities, unused and in place in the event of a natural disaster. Thus undisturbed, she instructs them to stop her heart for two minutes before bringing her back. Undergoing an amazing near-death experience, her academic works also improves markedly. All but one of the group of students wants to undergo the procedure. But there are consequences. Their individual guilty pasts suddenly catch up with them and haunt their daily lives...
 

This is a remake of the original 1990 film of the same title, which starred Kiefer Sutherland, Julia Roberts and Kevin Bacon. It was an inventive subject matter refreshingly portrayed. I’ve never liked the idea of remaking a perfectly fine film. What is the point, except to appeal to short-sighted viewers not prepared to explore old films? In this instant I will relent, because the new version does set out to be different with its events, if not the main concept. The story is by Peter Filardi, and screenplay by Ben Ripley (believe it or not!). The idea here is that technological advances have progressed to the point that what happens is much closer to scientific fact, as opposed to the original’s fantasy element.
 

The characters of Courtney (Ellen Page), Marlo (Nina Dobrev), Ray (Diego Luna), Jamie (James Norton), and Sophia (Kiersey Clemons) are all very sound, with perhaps Ellen Page (best known for Juno) shining brightest with her spot on emotional reactions to the highs and various lows of the plot. The thing I like most about this new take on Flatliners is the tightness of the script. Events move on at a rate of knots, and every scene progresses the story. In other words, there is no padding. If you look at the deleted and extended scenes, they slow progression and are mainly very talky. These scenes were cut for good reason. Well done, the director Niels Arden Oplev.
 

The film is produced by Michael Douglas, among others. It’s nice to see him take the time to enthuse about the project on the special features. Another nice touch is that Kiefer Sutherland, who was one of the students in the 1990 version, plays two or three scenes here as a hospital professor.
 

Extras include the aforementioned Deleted and Extended Scenes, and the featurettes: Reviving a Cult Classic, Making the Rounds, Just What the Director Ordered, and The Ultimate Question.             

Verdict: 8 out of 10

 (Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2018)

Starring: Frederick Koehler, Michael Berryman, Sean Patrick Flanery, Dina Meyer, Kim Darby, Brianna Brown.

Directed Andrew Getty 

Screenbound

September 2017

Dennis Peterson is a mentally handicapped teenager. He remembers when the dreams began: a visit to the ghost train. He harassed his mother to go on the ride but then complained when nothing happened. That is when the demon appeared to him and said, "What makes you think the ride is over?" Dennis now lives with his older brother John, who is distracted much of the time by his attention-seeking girlfriend. John is determined to look after his brother (for good reason, it turns out), and so splits his responsibilities. When John buys an antique mirror for Dennis’s room the demon uses it to appear to the boy. It persuades him to do certain unsavoury acts to prove his intelligence; however, these quickly escalate out of control – to the point that Dennis doesn’t know who his friends are anymore and begins to turn on his family...
 

I must begin by congratulating Frederick Koehler on his portrayal of Dennis. It is simply phenomenal, and makes the other pretty solid performances look as if they are simply going through the motions. Just when you think it can’t possibly get any better, an additional version of Dennis is unveiled. This new one manipulates the original innocent party into his heinous crimes.
 

Although not quite to the high standards of Pan’s Labyrinth, this film does similarly immerse you in a number of sequences wherein you have no idea if this is really happening or simply in the key character’s head. Are we in the head of Dennis? I think so, but then something happens which makes you doubt your grasp of the concept. You see, weird things happen to other characters, too. John in particular has a number of rather surreal experiences: the run-in with the tall man (no, not the one from Phantasm), the familiar town where no one recognises him, and particularly the brilliantly conceived human puppet show put on by Dennis.
 

Horror fans will recognise Michael Berryman (The Hills Have Eyes, and many others) as the demon. I think, through fear of being unfairly harsh, the demon could have been half-hidden or just plain used a little less. Once you are used to his features the fear factor of his appearance is much reduced.
 

It’s difficult to know what to say about The Evil Within without giving the game away. It’s enough I think to simply say this film is extremely well-constructed. The pace and progression are spot-on and the visual set pieces masterful. Would it have been as good without Frederick Koehler as Dennis? Probably not, who’s to say? But the fact everyone concerned with this project seems to be at the top of their game means what we are left with is somewhat unique. And very special. This is merely a hint of future possibilities from director Andrew Getty, had he not died tragically.             

Verdict: 9 out of 10

 (Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2017)  

Starring: Jackie Kerin, John Jarratt. 

Directed Tony Williams 

Second Sight Films

March 2019

When her mother dies, Linda Stevens inherits a large house called Montclare, which was turned into a retirement home years before by her mother and her mother’s sister. Now she is in charge of elderly residents and staff, and there is no money. Furthermore, something strange is going on. Someone is moving around the house at night, distant voices are heard, and taps are being left on. At first, she suspects it is one of the residents, like an old war veteran who is starting to lose his faculties. But she hears a ball being bounced, and then a resident tries to take a bath only to find a dead body under the water. History is beginning to repeat itself, and Linda’s own vivid nightmares are a portent of things to come, as a secret at Montclare is unlocked...
 

This is an Australian film which was aided by the New Zealand Film Commission. It was directed by Tony Williams and released in 1982. The film was praised by Quentin Tarantino in the documentary Not Quite Hollywood, and has been likened to Stanley Kubrick’s adaptation of Stephen King’s The Shining. However, the only similarities are the young child in the corridor sequences with the red ball, and the seemingly receding passageways. For a film in which very little of any significance happens for long periods of time, Next of Kin does have the underlying power to keep you interested. I like the ghostly drowning man outside the window; it’s spooky but far too brief and has little justification.
 

There are clichés, too, like suddenly pulling back the closed shower curtail to reveal no one is there. Also, the figure standing outside a building – or a distance away – watching, is overused these days (films such as John Carpenter’s Halloween from 1978 and Poltergeist started the trend), but still manages to heighten the tension. In these films you should never trust any newcomers: in this case, the cat and the new elderly arrival at the home. The ghostly goings on are proved to be somewhat superfluous because the climactic scene involves real people and real conflict.
 

Nevertheless, the loneliness of the key character rings your sympathy bells. She readily hitches-up casually with a man from her past for temporary comfort but is essentially a lone wolf as she reads her mother’s diaries and faces-up to the truth. In this you admire her pluckiness, too. There are some nice moments featuring the old soldier, who stands out in the rain because he’s curious, steps into the fountain because he has found a piece of clothing, and particularly when Linda recruits him to help her take the washing down when it begins to rain and gets in a right old mess (which is both funny and sad). Later, they are folding a large sheet between them, Linda in a gazebo and the old man outside, when it hammers down with rain. He doesn’t react, so she pulls on the sheet which causes him to stumble into the gazebo and under cover.
 

Extras include: two commentaries (one with the director and producer, the other with member of the cast); Return to Montclare (a location visit); deleted scenes and trailers; two Tony Williams short films; bizarrely, the full ballroom dancing footage (when only a brief sequence is shown on a TV in the film); and extended interviews from Not Quite Hollywood.            

Verdict: 7 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2019)  

Starring: Charlotte Vega, David Bradley, Bill Milner, Eugene Simon, Roisin Murphy.   

Directed Brian O’Malley  

Thunderbird Releasing

June 2018

Brother and sister Rachel and Edward are the sole inheritors of a large house with grounds and a lake, after the suicide drowning of their parents in the lake. The house is extremely run-down, but that’s not the worst of their problems. Waters rise and ghosts come for them at night. They realise it is only a matter of time before they must surely succumb to the inevitable. Edward has never left the house, and Rachel ventures only as far as the nearest village for supplies they can barely afford. Here she meets Sean, a soldier home from the Great War. They are instantly attracted to each other. Perhaps he can break the never-ending cycle of her heritage. But will the house allow her to leave...?

After the fantastic Japanese horrors of the 1990s and early 2000s, when subsequent Western productions sought to emulate the style largely without success, there was a general movement back to traditional ghost stories. As with the majority of haunted house chillers this is a slow-burner. However, The Lodgers does combat this inherent failing by having the waters rise through a trap door in the house from the very start. Consequently, when the siblings run to their rooms in terror, the viewer is pulled into the plot immediately. This is essentially a "sins of the father" curse. It is never said outright, but the inference is that the original couple were brother and sister who gave birth to twins (a girl and a boy), and the act was cursed to continue through the ages. Of course, this is not revealed until halfway through the plot – although it does explain why Rachel and Edward are plagued by ghosts that resemble themselves.

There are a couple of unexplained plot holes, or at least loose ends. Why are the forefather ghosts hinting that the siblings should drown themselves in the lake as they did, when there has been no illicit coupling and so no offspring? The other point involves Bermingham, the family solicitor, played by the always welcome David Bradley, who plays the old codger similarly to his recent roles as William Hartnell’s first Doctor Who. When the solicitor turns up uninvited at the house to explain there are no more funds and therefore they will have to sell the house, Rachel gives him an old necklace to sell. However, prior to that scene, Rachel is told at the village there is no more credit, but doesn’t offer the shopkeeper a similar olive branch.

All queries aside, The Lodgers is still a pretty compelling experience and well worth a watch. Director Brian O’Malley creates an almost otherworldly atmosphere. This is fundamentally a character-driven story, as all the best ones are. Extras include: Behind the Scenes, two Deleted Scenes, and a Trailer.            

Verdict: 7 out of 10

 (Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2018)

Starring: Lucas Paul, Dali Rose Tetreault, Ross Paul, Jaime Hill. 

Directed Kyle Edward Ball  

Acorn Media International

July 2023

Acorn Media International releases the Shudder Original supernatural horror film Skinamarink on Blu-ray. It is the writing/directorial debut of Kyle Edward Ball, who utilises strange, mostly low camera angles to create a sense of claustrophobia, oppression, and unreality. Two young siblings, Kevin, and Kaylee wake in the middle of the night to discover their parents have vanished, along with all the doors and windows to the outside. In addition, dimensions change, and items disappear and reappear to a mysterious buzzing sound. The children use pillows and blankets to build a den in the living-room to avoid the terrifying upper rooms and play a video of old cartoons on the TV to create light and a distraction from the fear. When a muffled voice begins to give them instructions, Kaylee makes the mistake of refusing.

This is a movie which is significantly more interesting in retrospect. You can think about or discuss with others the origin of the entity and the possible meaning of certain events. All well and good. However, the director may have possessed a very low budget to play with but Kyle Edward Ball, in striving for atmosphere and fear of the unknown, has actually created a dullness which makes the 100-minute running time feel like twice as long. It’s primarily the cause of the ultra-low lighting which produces a fuzz tantamount to an nth-generation video recording – the purpose, no doubt, to make you look for something in the darkness. We are rewarded in this respect only once. Another factor that makes the film drag is the camera lingering for long seconds on a wall and other uninteresting locations. Lastly, there is nobody to connect with in the film. The children are unseen for the majority of the film; occasionally their legs are shown from a low angle, and only once or twice is Kevin seen briefly. There is very little dialogue: the children don’t sound distressed by anything that happens, and it comes as a relief when the entity finally speaks. You have to appreciate the originality but, as with Paranormal Activity and The Blair Witch Project, the viewer isn’t rewarded for his/her marathon endurance.

Much about Skinamarink is left ambiguous. I positively gravitate towards this at the conclusion of a movie, but only if the rest of the feature makes some kind of sense. Some have suggested that Skinamarink (who is never named) is from a dimension who can control this one; a child finding eternal amusement by using these children as playthings. Others cite a demonic entity manipulating Kevin willingly into the darkness. I prefer the linked theories that, after Kevin falls down the stairs at the beginning, he imagines or dreams the whole thing in an unconscious state; or Kaylee pushes him down the stairs, claiming that Kevin was sleepwalking, and in doing so unwittingly attracts a demonic entity. It would also explain in this scenario why Kaylee is ultimately punished. The ‘572 Days’ pointer could be how long he has been in a coma for. Again, another valid outlook is that his mother has left his father and Kevin is emotionally and psychologically devastated to the point of losing touch with reality and harming himself. I’m certain every viewer will have their own explanation for the film’s situations, but it does prove one thing: as previously mentioned, the retrospective piecing-together of events is much more interesting than actually watching the movie.            

Verdict: 5 out of 10

 (Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2023)  

Starring: Lin Shaye, Leigh Whannell, Stefanie Scott, Angus Sampson, Dermot Mulroney.   

Directed Leigh Whannell 

Entertainmentone

October 2015

Set a few years before the Lambert Hauntings of Insidious 1 & 2.
 

Quinn Brenner travels a long distance to visit Elise for the purposes of contacting her dead mother, Lily. Elise refuses to help, as whenever she uses her gift the same figure comes forward and tries to kill her. Quinn fails an audition at a theatre when she sees a sinister dark figure on the balcony. Outside, she sees the same figure slowly and macabrely waving at her. She is hit by a car and dies for a moment, before a sudden looming face jolts her back to life. Confined to the apartment with two broken legs, she is told by a seemingly crazy old lady that the Man Who Can’t Breathe, who lives in the vents, is standing in her room. Cracks appear in the ceiling, but no one is occupying the apartment above – although there are wet, tarlike bare footprints. Quinn is terrorised by the entity, and her father is forced to plead to Elise for her help. Reluctantly, she agrees and finds herself in the Further, searching for the Man Who Can’t Breathe, only to be attacked and almost strangled by the Bride-in-Black.
 

Quinn’s younger brother finds two ‘Ghosthunters’ on the internet and their father brings in Specs and Tucker to help Elise – who in turn solicits the help of Carl. Quinn is literally possessed and tries to kill herself, but the others manage to bind her. The Man Who Can’t Breathe has attached itself to her because it wants her body. Elise enters the Further again and manages to banish the Bride-in-Black this time. Her dead husband tries to persuade her to kill herself so they can be together; however, Elise realises it is a trick by the Man Who Can’t breathe. After hearing a whispered message from her mother, the physical half of Quinn it has managed to possess rips the breathing mask from the creature’s face, allowing Elise to return with her. But can she be made whole again?
 

Insidious Chapter Three is directed by Leigh Whannell who plays Specs in the movie, and co-produced by James Wan who directed the first movie. ‘The Man Who Can’t Breathe’ is played by Michael Reid Mackay. It’s an inspired choice to make this film a prequel – mainly because it allows the viewer to enjoy the compelling Lin Shaye as Elise Rainier in a more prominent role. She has such a characterful face and, along with Tucker and Specs, commands attention in every inherent scene. Further (no pun intended), the introduction of new characters achieves much in refreshing the franchise. This has more set-piece scares than the last film, even though it has less ghostly spectres. I defy anyone not to jump at the window scene. I also like the added peril of the ghost in black attempting to Kill Elise every time she uses her gift. The Man Who Can’t Breathe at times sounds like Darth Vader from Star Wars but, although well-presented you can’t help wondering why his breathing machine isn’t ripped-off the first time he presents himself as a threat. The final seemingly unconnected epilogue scene appears to exist only to leave the viewer with the feeling that all is not right, and to offer the consideration that another film may be feasible.
 

Extras include: Cherry Glazerr – Tiptoe Through the Tulips; Macabre Creations; Stunts – The Car Crash; Origin Story – Making Chapter 3; Haunted – A Psychic Medium Speaks; and Deleted Scenes.            

Verdict: 8 out of 10

(Original Review by Ty Power 2024)  

Includes: When a Stranger Calls Back (1993).

Starring: Charles Durning, Carol Kane, Colleen Dewhurst, Tony Beckley and Jill Schoelen.   

Directed Fred Walton 

Second Sight

December 2018

Jill Johnson is a babysitter for Dr and Mrs Mandrakis. Early in the evening she receives a distressing call. A voice on the telephone asks, “Have you checked the children?” This is the first of a series of calls which prompt her to call the police. The children are brutally murdered, and the police find the killer still in their room, but Jill survives because she hadn’t gone upstairs and checked on the kids (not likely, is it?). Seven years later the killer escapes from a psychiatric hospital. Charles Clifford is a police detective turned private investigator, hired by the father of the children to find their killer, Curt Duncan. Clifford suspects Duncan has returned to the city he knows. But also living there is Jill Johnson, now with two children of her own...

Fred Walton’s When a Stranger Calls was released in cinemas in 1979, just a year after John Carpenter’s Halloween. Whether they were aware of each other’s existence is in question, but either way you can’t avoid the similarities. The working title for Halloween was The Babysitter Murders, and there had been a real life event wherein a babysitter and the children had been killed by an unknown assailant. Walton and his fellow scriptwriter Steve Feke loosely did that story as a short film called Sitter (included on this disc), in order get backing to turn it into a feature. Carpenter – who had already gone through this process with his first feature, Dark Star – famously went down the route of the faceless psychopath in the darkness, and the rest is history.

I don’t think Stranger possesses the impact it once had; however, it has got certain strengths. Carol Kane goes for an impactful performance as  Jill, which is infinitely better than Lucia  Stralser’s somewhat subdued variation in the aforementioned short, Sitter. It’s not so much a vulnerability, as much more intensive and expression-filled shock/horror. Her reaction to receiving a call from the police, telling her they’ve traced the menacing calls to the house she is in, puts a brief shiver down your spine.

Charles Durning as Clifford the P.I. is solid as you would expect an established actor to be, but the surprise here is Tony Beckley. He plays the killer with a lot of uncertainty. It is said that Beckley lacked confidence in the presence of more well-known performers, and so doubted his ability greatly. This comes through strongly as a  vulnerability which conflicts with his ‘needs’ –  something which is seldom, if ever, seen in the portrayal of a twisted villain. The final scene, wherein he is revealed to be in the bed with  Jill, when she believes it to be her husband, is very well handled for a low budget film. (6)

When a Stranger Calls Back (1993) has a young woman babysitting for a couple, when there is a knock at the door. Someone wants to come in and use the phone to ring the vehicle breakdown service. She takes verbal details and assures him she will ring them. When she discovers the phone is dead, she feels it is safer to pretend she has rung. But that is  just the beginning of her nightmare. Both of the children are missing, and five years later it starts again when she realises someone is getting into her apartment and making subtle changes to unnerve her. When she reports it to the police, they are far from convinced, simply calling the campus psychologist. This turns out to be Jill Johnson, the babysitter from the original film. She in turn calls in the help of her friend Charles Clifford, who had saved her life. He is convinced the girl is genuine and does not have psychological problems – even after she supposedly attempts suicide. Furthermore, he believes the perpetrator to be a ventriloquist; able to throw his voice to sound like he is outside when he is actually inside with the victim. Jill’s life turns full circle after taking an interest, when the unbalanced new killer turns his attention to her...

This is a made for TV sequel to the first film. Again, there is a prolonged babysitting sequence to start the film, but this time around there is significantly more meat on the bones. It begins as a mystery, and we are actually in the last third of the film before the killer is even seen. Less shocks, you might say, but more inventiveness. It may help that we are already familiar with two of the characters, but for me – as scandalous as it might sound – I think this second film is infinitely the better of the two. (7)

Second Sight Films should be commended here for proving that two films  will comfortably fit on one Blu-ray disc, with room to spare for special features. Here we get the short film Sitter – newly  restored; and separate interviews with Fred Walton, Carol Kane, Rutanya Alda, and composer Dana Kaproff. There was a 2006 remake of the first film (Walton wasn’t involved) but, although it did okay at the box office, it’s a bit of a non-entity.           

Verdict: 7 out of 10

 (Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2018)  

Starring: Alec Newman, Luke Goss, Julie Delpy, Nichole Lewis, Donald Sutherland, William Hurt.   

Directed Kevin Connor 

Kaleidoscope Home Entertainment

January 2014

Even as a child Viktor Von Frankenstein had a curious and, some would say, morbid fascination with life and death. As a young man, he leaves home to travel to the city and study science, and specifically chemistry and the human body, under the tutorship of a professor. However, he soon begins to ask some startling questions. Beginning with a dog which has been trampled under a horse and carriage, he soon realises that if he can harness enough electrical energy, he may be able to bring a dead body back to life. He takes to robbing body parts and creates a humanoid creature which even he soon begins to regard as an abomination to nature and God. But the problem is the soulless creature just wants to love and be loved, and he is only met with revulsion and violence by others. When Viktor tries to destroy him, the monster vows to destroy everyone Viktor loves...
 

This retelling of the Frankenstein tale, first released ten years ago [2004], comes in a mini-series format of two discs subtitled 'Night 1' and 'Night 2'. They continue directly on from each other and run to around an hour and twenty-five minutes each. It is probably one of the closest representations of the classic Mary Shelley book I have ever seen. Luckily, there is no attempt to bring it into a contemporary setting, as the story works best within the period it was originally intended. As with all novels around that time it is very formally written, and that comes across into the characters and situations quite heavily, which may tire some viewers. I must say that it is overly long, whilst managing to get across all the intended emotions from the story. It starts with a captain and his crew, from a ship frozen in the ice, witnessing a dog sled chase across the ice. They pick up the injured and exhausted Frankenstein, and the captain is told his complete story, but they don’t bargain on the creature coming aboard the boat.
 

Luke Goss is suitably gentle, sorrowful and revengeful in the role, but I wonder at the reactions his character receives from everyone except a little girl and a blind man, as he really isn’t that ugly. I suppose part of the moral tale here is that like beauty, ugliness is skin deep. The idea of Frankenstein in the book is playing God, and then making amends. Over time, though, it has become more about the innocence of the creature, and society turning its heart black. Even the death scenes in this depiction are not that violent or prolonged, so the sympathy is definitely with the creature rather than its creator.
 

A good, solid retelling, but which somehow lacks any real edginess or tension – even with the addition of acting legend Donald Sutherland.           

Verdict: 6 out of 10

 (Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2014)  

Starring: Linden Porco, Mark Holton.       

Directed Steven Kostanski 

Lionsgate

April 2019

“You’re not dead! Good for you.”
 

A new girl joins a group of Sorority Sisters in returning Alpha Upsilon house to its former glory. This includes solar panels for energy, growing vegetables and drawing from a well they have been told contains ‘bad’ water. The girl’s mother had suffered psychological problems leading up to her death, but the girl has no idea the well harbours the thought to be dead Leprechaun. It seeks to reclaim its gold buried near the house butneeds to embark on a killing spree in order to regain its powers. Can the girls stop it? Especially as there is a new complication...
 

I was led to believe this is a twin release, also including the first film. However, as I failed to receive it, I can only conclude there is a single film release, too. Consequently, I can’t comment except to say this sequel comes 25 years after the original Leprechaun, which emerged in 1993 and again stars Mark Holton in the title role. There are now eight films in this series, but this time around they have taken a leaf out of Halloween’s book by linking the latest film to the first, thereby ignoring all the continuity of the sequels in between.
 

This might be a shrewd plan, but I’m sad to say that all the horror film clichés are in place here: Teens/young adults as victims – check; a character with a history of psychosis – check; shower scene – check; character with film camera – check; weird local – check; and wise-cracking villain – check. There is even an inexplicable friendly ghost, but it’s not Casper. There are no real scares or building of suspense, and there’s no fun. The whole piece is very flat.
 

I’m a keen follower of most horror franchises but, judging by what’s on display here, there is no more mileage in this one. With this type of concept, the psycho killer has to be somewhat likeable, and yet the Leprechaun is not funny in the vein of Chucky and has little or no personality. The Leprechaun wants its gold and that’s it; far from the depth of character you would expect. The creature reforms several times (Michael Myers repeatedly getting up in John Carpenter’s Halloween has a lot to answer for), and the way is left open for another sequel. Heaven forbid.           

Verdict: 3 out of 10

 (Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2019)  

Starring: Emile Hirsch, Andi Matichak, Luke David Blumm.       

Directed Ivan Kavanagh

Acorn Media International

October 2021

 This is the UK Blu-ray debut of the Acorn Media International Shudder Original Exclusive production of Son. Young mum Laura lives with her placid, quiet and loving eight-year-old son David. After a cloudy past, everything seems tranquil and normal – that is until one night she is shocked and horrified to find a number of sinister strangers surrounding his bed. Frantically, she calls the police, who find nothing amiss and no sign of forced entry. Everyone believes she has imagined the whole episode – particularly when it is revealed she escaped from captivity and afterwards spent time in a psychiatric facility. Paul, a police detective, appears to be the only one on-side, her only solace. But is he really her friend? The real question is does the problem lie with Laura or her seemingly innocuous little boy David...?
 

This horror film plays the smart trick of having the key protagonist (and so the viewer) off and running from the opening scene, as she gives birth in her car, obviously desperate to escape the area and a horrific past. When, eight years later everything appears to have calmed down, it is to suddenly spring a shock moment, which to all intents and purposes must be a supernatural apparition. These nice little scenes are always going to create more chills than any blood and gore thrown at the screen. Talking of which… The main revelation is revealed in the promotional blurb, so I feel no remorse in mentioning it here. The benevolent boy needs human flesh to survive and turns cannibalistic to obtain it. Strangely, it is not the sight of the blood-soaked boy or a half-eaten corpse that is the most disturbing aspect of this change. Instead, it is the low guttural obscenities and demands made to his mother through a closed door when she initially decides to deprive him of a new victim. This constant metamorphosis is handled really well, as when it first begins his quick degeneration into agony complete with raw wounds opening up all over his face and body confounds the hospital staff.
 

Another nice touch is that everyone looks suspicious, so even cameo and bit-parts have you unsure as to who might be untrustworthy and who is just curious. I won’t reveal who David’s father turns out to be, but there is a lovely twist at the end which you don’t see coming. The acting on the whole is pretty good, and I’m particularly impressed by Luke David Blumm as David and his enthusiasm for the part (and particularly horror films) on the extras. Combined writer/directors invariably prove to be a revelation or a flop. In this case, it’s far from being a classic, but Ivan Kavanagh has created an enjoyable film with some unexpected turns. Extras consist of short comments about the film by the three main actors, and a few minor deleted scenes.          

Verdict: 8 out of 10

 (Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2021)  

Starring: Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, Lin Shaye, Barbara Hershey, Ty Simpkins.      

Directed James Wan

Entertainmentone

October 2015

At the end of the first film, Josh brought his son back from the Further, where he had inadvertently astral projected into dangerous territory, where dead people and demons with nefarious intentions crave a living vessel. In other words, they long to be alive again. Now, whilst Josh denies what he has become and what he is condemned to do, Renai’s living nightmare continues as she repeated sees a woman around the house. It becomes increasingly more active until it physically attacks her. Josh’s mother, Lorraine, contacts Specs and Tucker who worked with the parapsychologist, Elise, who was killed, supposedly by Josh. They in turn reach out to Carl, an old colleague of hers. He uses dice with letters on to get help from Elise and is appointed to an abandoned hospital where Lorraine used to work. Lorraine had taken the young Josh into the hospital one time, only for him to be attached by an elderly man close to death. Soon afterwards Lorraine saw him again in a lift at the hospital, only to be told that he had died the previous day after throwing himself from the building. The man’s name was Parker Crane.
 

Lorraine, Specs and Tucker find his medical file which leads them to his old house. They see what appears to be a little girl in the bedroom, but it is Crane as a boy but dressed and treated like a girl. “She’ll make me kill you,” she says. The boy Dalton is spoken to by a ghost and realises he is astral projecting again. He jumps back into his body before it can be occupied. Carl believes he is being helped by Elise, but it turns out to be a malevolent force which tries to kill him and Lorraine. They find a painting which matches the ghost terrorising Renai. Carl’s dice spell out MATER MORTIS (Mother of Death – meaning the mother of Parker Crane). Crane had gone after Josh because he wanted his childhood back but, as his body begins to degrade, he is forced to make an attempt on the lives of Josh’s family. Dalton, with the help of Carl and the spirit of Elise, ventures into the Further to bring back his father – the real Josh. But the Bride-in-Black has other plans.
 

This is a direct continuation of the story from the first Insidious film. Parker Crane and his cruel and twisted mother are rather reminiscent of Norman Bates and his controlling mother in Robert Bloch’s Psycho. The boy Dalton is brought much more to the fore, as is Lorraine who has more of a significant role than her daughter Renai. We all knew that Josh wasn’t really Josh at the conclusion of the previous film, so to attempt to portray events as resolved at the beginning of Insidious: Chapter Two is rather strange. Only Renai is in two minds as to whether he’s the same man. I love the scene in the hidden room behind the bookcase, with all the figures covered in sheets. And there is an additional connection to the first film, wherein Josh and Renai from an earlier time are plagued by unknown intruders – namely the present Josh and Carl.
 

As Chapter Two is not only a sequel but a direct continuation of the same story, part of the mystery of the unknown is lost. We already know what can happen in the Further, and what the dead are capable of, so there is a definite sense of diminishing returns here. This obviously creates the need for a backstory for a little originality and new scares. An origin story of sorts, but which is seen in the present. Therefore, the Bride-in-Black is made more prominent and the red-and-black-faced demon from the first film forgotten. Nevertheless, it’s an enjoyable journey for followers of ghost stories and hauntings, made relevant for contemporary times – as opposed to the much-used Victorian gothic style.         

Verdict: 7 out of 10

(Original Review by Ty Power 2024)  

Starring: Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, Lin Shaye, Barbara Hershey, Ty Simpkins.      

Directed James Wan

Entertainmentone

October 2015

Josh and Renai move their family of two young boys and a baby girl into new house. Renai begins to see presences and one of the boys, Dalton, says he doesn’t like his room because of certain experiences. This is all played down, particularly by Josh, until they can’t wake Dalton one morning. They rush him to hospital and are told he is in a coma, but all of his readings are normal. They have no explanation for it. After three months they are obliged to care for the boy at home. The number of frightening and sometimes violent spectral appearances increases. Renai and her mother Lorraine get in a priest, but Josh is sceptical – particularly as he wasn’t consulted. But then Lorraine brings in psychic investigators Specs and Tucker and their boss medium Elise Rainler. She tells the family that Dalton is not in a coma. From a very young age his spirit form has been travelling at night. He has gone further and further afield because he has always believed he was dreaming. But now he has gone too far, and a fire-faced demon has him trapped. The disturbances in the home are due to the dead wanting to claim Dalton’s body because it is empty.
 

Elise tells Josh he is the only one who can find and bring back the boy, because he passed on the ability to his son. When Josh was a child, whenever his mother elaine took his picture there was an old woman in the photo. With each succeeding photo she got closer to Josh. She craved his body, so Lorraine brought in Elise and they stopped the spirit travelling and kept the truth from the boy. Josh is put in a trance and his spirit body finds the red door in the attic of the house, that Dalton had drawn a picture of after a supposed dream. The further is a totally different reality. He finds the boy but is forced to fight the demon. Josh makes his escape with Dalton. However, there is a heavy mist, and he doesn’t know which way to go until he hears Renai’s voice. Unfortunately, many of the dead in that realm follow the voice back too.
 

After a slow start, this becomes a compelling modern ghost story which incorporates both original and traditional aspects. There are some nice set-pieces and claustrophobic, tension-building scenes. Patrick Wilson is convincing as Josh, but the psychic investigators are the only characters with any real personality: Elise being quiet, strange and mysterious, and Specs and Tucker being deadpan and quirky. I liked their on-going light-heated debate about whose expertise was more important. The Lipstick-Face demon (as it is called in the credits) is woefully underutilised. The only real close-up of its red and black face can’t help but make me think of Darth Maul from Star Wars: The Phantom Menace.
 

The script is written by Leigh Whannell, and it’s directed by James Wan who would go on to make this film a franchise, as well as paving the way for The Conjuring film series and the spin-offs The Nun, and Annabelle. A solid, if not spectacular, film of suburban hauntings. Extras include: Horror 101 – The Exclusive Seminar; On Set With Insidious; Insidious Entities; and a Trailer.         

Verdict: 8 out of 10

(Original Review by Ty Power 2024)  

Starring: Barbara Crampton, AJ Bowen, Brea Grant.      

Directed Brad Baruh

StudioCanal

October 2018

There are figures in the woods. Dishevelled robes and frightening half-glimpsed faces appear to serve or seek solace from a curious cone-shaped structure. James and Casey, and teenaged offspring Jessica and Jason – along with Jessica’s friend Becky – travel to a remote cabin in Oregon for a weekend break. A few curious events take place, but it isn’t until James heads outside to look for suitable wood for the fire that the night turns into a nightmare. He finds an unconscious woman in the woods. When she comes around she just wants to get to the cabin, supposedly for warmth. However, the moment she is inside she immediately outstays her welcome, eating and drinking their supplies and generally being rude and obnoxious to the point they throw her out. But she proves to be the catalyst for a series of horrific pre-planned situations. They are linked to the cone structure via a parasitic organism. Jessica strives to survive and do the right thing as her family becomes dangerously influenced. The figures in the woods tell her there is only one way to save her family. But can she trust them...
 

Even now I’m not certain whether this film is devilishly clever with its plot layers, twists and turns and a pervasive scent of ambiguity – or it’s simply attempting to break the world record for tributes and references to a multitude of horror films and TV. Everything from psycho-kills-the-entire-family to Cabin in the Woods via Funny Games is referenced. Even the figures in the woods have a very pagan feel, but with a possible alien reference. I have stated in other reviews that I don’t necessarily enjoy stories which are tied-up into a neat little package. Not only is it demeaning to the viewer, but life isn’t simply black and white. You don’t always get all the answers. Personally, I prefer to be left pondering the details.
 

That is just what this film does to you. Because there is no explanation as to the origins of the horror, and very little is understood or played-out in a completely linear fashion – it’s only logical to make your own assumptions. In reality, who knows what it’s all about. At the beginning a child is taken by the figures in the woods on behalf of the parasitic cone structure. Presumably, she becomes the annoying woman who causes all the axe frenzy madness. I assume the figures are previous women who have been taken for this role, as the entire plot seems to hinge around getting history to repeat itself. Has the mother been sent mad, or are the family really possessed by a dangerous organism? The end even has the parasite-carrying survivor going out into the world and taking a position of power, which is straight out of Robert Heinlein’s The Puppet Masters.
 

It does have some unusual nice moments, one of which is the television – connected to nothing but the cone structure – playing scenes which are yet to come.
 

Dead Night stars Barbara Crampton. I wonder if she knows whether she appeared in a visionary new concept or a celluloid mess. I certainly don’t know, but I’m willing to give it the benefit of the doubt.        

Verdict: 7 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2018)  

Starring: Charlie Ruggles, Bela Lugosi, Dick Foran

Directed by A. Edward Sutherland, Ford Beebe & Others

Eureka Entertainment

April 2023

Eureka Entertainment releases, for the first time on Blu-ray in the UK, Creeping Horror – incorporating the four tales of terror: Murders in the Zoo, Night Monster, Horror Island, and House of Horrors. They star such luminaries of the time as Lionel Atwill, Bela ‘Dracula’ Lugosi, and Rondo Hatton. This Eureka Classics set has a Limited Edition Slipcase and a Collector’s Booklet featuring new writing by Craig Ian Mann and Jon Towlson. The discs are rendered in 1080p high definition and include the additional features of a brand-new commentary on Night Monsters and House of Horrors, with author Stephen Jones and entertaining author/critic Kim Newman; a brand new commentary on Murders in the Zoo and Horror Island, with Kevin Lyones and film historian Jonathan Rigby; stills galleries; and a trailer for two of the films.

In Murders in the Zoo (1933) – directed by A. Edward Sutherland, Doctor Gorman (Atwill) is a millionaire hunter of dangerous animals who is bringing them back to the US in order to open an exotic new zoo. His neglected beautiful young wife entertains other men to alleviate the boredom so, when a fundraising gala is announced to promote the zoo, Gorman seizes the opportunity to use the animals to kill his rivals. A reptile expert sees through the man’s scheme to use the poison from a deadly mamba, but can he survive when Gorman’s attention turns to him? Randolph Scott’s character is somewhat naïve for a scientist, and Atwill reveals his guilt to the police by running away, but the film proves to be an enjoyable romp.

In Night Monster (1942) – directed by Ford Beebe, Kurt Ingston is a rich recluse living in a run-down mansion in the swamps. He invites the doctors who had previously saved his life but left him crippled and, one by one, they are killed by a mysterious creature which doesn’t stick around to be seen. Also present is a creepy mystic, a former friend of Ingson and another doctor unlucky enough to break down in her car near the house. You would have to be two pork pies short of a picnic not to realise who the killer is. It’s a nice run-around though, and the scenes wherein the frogs suddenly stop croaking prior to a door opening in the mansion’s grounds when the creature is near are suitably creepy. The rubber monster feet seen at the climax of the film is one reveal too far, however!

In Horror Island (1941) – directed by George Waggner, a down-on-his-luck local businessman learns that he now owns Sir Henry Morgan’s Island and the supposedly haunted castle. When he is offered $20,000 for the castle, he instead sets-up a boat trip for paying customers to visit the ‘haunted castle’ to enable him to check out the location himself. When there is the rumour of hidden pirate treasure it becomes apparent the other paying customers aren’t there by chance. I liked this one a lot; in some respects, it’s a variation on The Old Dark House scenario, with a little early Raiders of the Lost Ark thrown in. The film is based on ‘Terror of the South Seas’ by Alex Gottlieb.

In House of Horrors (1946) – directed by Jean Yarbrough, an under-appreciated sculptor misses out on a lucrative sale when the buyer shows up with a cruel and sadistic critic. Soon after, the sculptor saves a man from drowning, who turns out to be a notorious monstrous and disfigured criminal. It doesn’t take the cheated sculptor long to use the criminal to kills the critics who denounced him. You kind of feel sorry for the sculptor – and the criminal, to a certain extent, because the film is set from their point of view. It’s the pushy, scheming journalist that you half-wish gets her just desserts.

I love these old horror/thriller film collections from Universal and others. Long may they continue. Other sets which are available include the Boris Karloff collections, and the Inner Sanctum Mysteries.   

Verdict: 8 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2023) 

Starring: Verona Blue, Ally Loannides, Steven Ogg

Directed by Flying Lotus, Maggie Levin & Others

Acorn media International

March 2023

Acorn Media International releases the Shudder Original release V/H/S/99 on Blu-ray. This is the fifth instalment of the franchise and incorporates five gristly horror tales presented in a found footage format – this time linked by the year 1999. It’s a brutal rendering of social isolation, analogue technology and disturbing home videos – exploring the dark side of 1990s nostalgia. V/H/S/99 is Shudder’s most streamed film ever.

In Maggie Levin’s ‘Shredding’ a local band wishes to film themselves playing in the venue of their heroes. The only trouble is the building is abandoned and considered to be haunted, after the place caught fire and their heroes were trampled by the fleeing crowd and succumbed to the flames. They all lark about, aside from one member who feels it is disrespectful. They will come to regret their nostalgia trip when the spirit ghouls of the dead band return to claim new bodies. In Joannes Roberts’s ‘Suicide Bid’ the concept of college hazing is explored. An initiation involves a girl having to be buried alive for a certain amount of time, as a local legend said had happened years ago – wherein the body had disappeared. This time the arrival of the police and the onset of a storm delay a rescue until the next day. But reprisals from beyond the grave are unforgiving.

The third segment – by record producer, DJ, filmmaker and rapper, Flying Lotus (along with Zoe Cooper) – is a dark comedy about a TV kids’ gameshow which goes hideously wrong when a family’s little girl is seriously injured. In retribution, the family kidnap, ridicule and torture the host, whose only option is to take the family to Ozzy’s Dungeon, where any one-wish can be granted. But the girl’s wish is not what anyone expected in their wildest nightmares. In ‘The Gawkers’ – written and directed by Tyler MacIntyre and Chris Lee Hill – a group of teenage boys spy on a good-looking neighbour, but when they install a camera in her house they get more than they bargained for in terms of monstrous retribution. We conclude with ‘To Hell and Back’ – in which two individuals are hired to film an occult ritual summoning and take more of a part than they would ever have wished.

What begins as quirky and inventive, with fuzzy and jumping video tape images and previous generation recordings coming and going, quite quickly becomes tedious and annoying. All of these segments are concepts we’ve seen before on numerous occasions. The first is probably the most bloodthirsty but also the most dull, and it’s filmed so dark you can hardly make anything out. The idea of a kids’ TV show with a dark background was suitably explored in the Monsters anthology episode, 'Holly’s House', but Ozzy’s Dungeon is also below par. The others are solid tales, with perhaps the last two being most striking. It’s amazing what some movie magic will achieve, when you subsequently view the average behind-the-scenes footage. I very much like short tales with a linking theme; this one is a game of two halves. ‘To Hell and Back’ utilises clever camerawork and quick cuts to reveal (but not linger on) some intriguing nightmare creatures.  

Verdict: 7 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2023) 

Starring: Tony Todd, Kelly Rowan, Timothy Carhart, Veronica Cartwright.    

Directed Iain Ross-McNamee   

88 Films

March 2019

Annie visits her brother Ethan, who is accused of murdering their father and a writer on the myth of the Candyman. When she goes to her old family home,she finds paintings and a shrine to the myth. Annie is a school teacher to young children. In order to prove to them the Candyman doesn’t exist, she speaks his name into a mirror five times. The monster appears to her later but, rather than kill her with its hook, it despatches her partner and attempts to obligate her to its requirements. Instead, she looks into his background and discovers not only a history of pain but a secret family connection...
 

Candyman is a Clive Barker creation. I got into his stuff as early as the original publications of The Books of Blood long-short stories and followed his early releases with much enthusiasm. This includes Hellraiser and, although Candyman isn’t as popular a character as Pinhead, it has become one of the many lesser horror franchises. The crux of the matter for me is that, much that I like Tony Todd as an actor (I have much admiration for fanboy director Adam Green for bringing together his horror heroes Kane Hodder, Robert Englund and Tony Todd in Hatchet), the character just isn’t that scary. He’s simply not on the same level as Jason Voorhees, Michael Myers and Chucky, because rather than inventive kills he’s a one-trick pony. He has to be summoned and then just sticks his hook though the victim, which becomes a tired format very quickly.
 

There has been this tendency for a number of years now for a first horror sequel to tell a detailed backstory for the killer/monster/creature, thereby unwittingly destroying any mystery or power that it holds. Therefore, an already restricted protagonist becomes further hindered by a newly created persona. It’s rather like the honesty of Superman telling the world he is all-powerful unless a lump of green Kryptonite is waved in front of him. It removes the possibility of any future unknown reveal. In the same manner, mention of the mirror containing the Candyman’s soul – the only thing that can kill him – seems really contrived. It’s shoehorned in with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer. Similarly, the situations and dialogue are somewhat stilted. The scenes don’t seem to flow, and in that sense you get the impression it could have been edited more tightly.
 

Ironically, this not a bad film, it’s just a very ordinary one. I haven’t watched it for a number of years, but discovered my opinion has not changed at all. Extras include: a Limited-Edition Collectors’ booklet, an Interview with Tony Todd, an Interview with Veronica Cartwright, and a Trailer. The 5.1 and LPCM Stereo optional sounds are good, and the 1080p HD Blu-ray picture is nice and sharp.        

Verdict: 6 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2019) 

Starring: Neil Morrissey, Katie Goldfinch, Florence Cady.    

Directed Iain Ross-McNamee   

Screenbound Entertainment

February 2019

In 1649, an associate of Matthew Hopkins, Witchfinder General, breaks an old necromancer’s caldron in two and hangs the man for witchcraft. Cut to 2017, and young assistant curator Isabelle is sent by the museum, for whom she works, to check on a claim that a Shropshire house has discovered half of the caldron (the museum already possesses one half). She is welcomed by Karl and Evelyn and strange daughter Scarlet. Pretty soon Isabelle begins to suspect the house harbours a deadly secret...
 

The backstory of when the first half of the caldron is uncovered is acted-out very convincingly, along with the revelation that a dark queen was put in the container along with the blood of her victims and, in a magical ceremony, brought back… changed. Her name on the caldron has been carefully scratched-out. The diarist fled the house, leaving a warning. So, who is the dark queen, the obvious vampire of the piece? The mother or the daughter? Or neither? When Isabelle fully reveals the second half of the antique, Karl insists it cannot be removed from the house. He instructs that the first half should be sent down to the house (a recipe for disaster, I would have thought!). The two halves match, as expected, but now a dark figure is seen in the house, and Isabelle has seen too much… Karl, his wife and daughter believe they are promised immortality, but these things never pan out.
 

After watching so many dark, grainy and atmospheric horror thrillers from America and elsewhere, it’s a pleasant surprise to view a home-grown crisp-clear sunny disposition film like this. The vampire title initially put me off; there are so many dull vampire films out there and I suspected this one wouldn’t be any different. I’m pleased to be proved wrong. This one is more like a ghost story, with a mansion house setting, noises, rumours and a half-glimpsed figure. Many of the mood pieces, chases and atmosphere takes place during the daylight hours, which is really refreshing and offers no respite with the dawn. Overall, it is beautifully filmed, but it does have its faults. Some of the dialogue is stilted and unnatural, any flames are cartoonish CGI, and there’s a yokel (a la Friday the 13th) who says, “Bad things happen to people who go there.”
 

Isabelle is assigned a room in a part of the house which doesn’t have electricity and given a torch! This is a rather contrived manner of creating atmosphere where there would perhaps be none. Isabelle also falls for the oldest trick in the book with a drugged drink, when she suspects Karl is up to something. I would say, however, that the good points outweigh the bad. Brian Croucher is very good as Ezekiel the necromancer in the black and white filmed opener. Neil Morrissey is convincing as the gardener, too, although he is woefully underutilised. The shaking camera techniques and quick cuts emphasise the general feeling of unease, as does the atmospheric and enhancing soundtrack by Michelle Bee.

It’s far from perfect, but Crucible of the Vampire does focus on the characters and how they relate to events, rather than focussing on the ‘monster’ of the piece – which is how it should be. It’s an entertaining film to watch, and a promising progression by co-writer and director Iain Ross-McNamee.       

Verdict: 7 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2019) 

Starring: Luke McKenzie, Shantae Barnes-Cowan, Jack Ryan.    

Directed Kiah Roache-Turner   

101 Films

May 2022

Hard-edged ex-soldier Rhys spends his days tracking and capturing survivors of the apocalypse in a zombie-infested wasteland, to pass to a surgeon who hopes to find a cure for the plague. But over time he discovers more about just what goes on behind the heavy security doors, and his morals do not allow him to continue the task. Instead, he reluctantly joins forces with a brother and sister duo, Barry and Brooke, in order to infiltrate the stronghold and extricate the one person who could be the answer to ending the apocalypse...
 

101 Films releases Wyrmwood: Apocalypse, the sequel to Wyrmwood: Road of the Dead, on Blu-ray. This is an Australian post zombie apocalypse movie dubbed ‘Ozploitation’ due to the splatter, gore and body horror. As with its predecessor, it is helmed by brothers Kiah and Tristan Roache-Turner. What we get is a full-on frenzied action romp. I’m not normally enamoured with these zombie-blood-and-guts-for-the-sake-of-it and very-little-plot movies, but this one is somewhat grounded by the tough ex-soldier Rhys. We see this character’s daily routine: the protective camp he has erected, with bright lights, high fences and trigger points – and he is made more sympathetic with his need for pills to stave-off the zombie virus. He is very much a Mad Max tribute; no-nonsense action, using full-blown zombies as fuel, but with heart and a moral compass.
 

As somewhat of a horror aficionado I welcome all sub-genres. With zombies it’s difficult not to group all the films together and tar them with the same brush. I would say that since George A. Romero’s classic Night of the Living Dead only a small number of subsequent movies have made their mark by doing something different or innovative with the concept. With this one, it is not the zombies so much which are different; it’s the backdrop to the plague. There is a mad scientist, a conduit of sorts to the zombies, and anti-viral pills – the source of which is a revelation borrowed from Harry Harrison’s Make Room, Make Room book that was filmed as Soylent Green. In other words, there’s sufficient to keep you interested, and Rhys is an identifiable character rather than a cipher, so you can’t help caring about his welfare.      

Verdict: 7 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2022) 

Starring: Julie Benz, Fionnula Flanagan, Danielle Harris.   

Directed Andrew C. Erin  

Thunderbird Releasing

October 2017

Every day Jackie Sullivan relives the nightmare of her alcoholism and that fateful day she drove resulting in an accident which killed her young daughter. Now, after successfully undergoing a rehabilitation scheme she is given an apartment in a turn-of-the-century gothic complex to help put her life back on track. Coincidentally, she is given the same room as a friend who seems to have gone missing without a trace. The house rules are she can stay as long as she likes, with the proviso she doesn’t go back to her old ways. But Havenhurst possesses its own secrets; so when other residents go missing after sounds of a struggle and terrified screaming, Jackie realises the only way to get to the bottom of these macabre events is to purposely fall off the bandwagon and fall foul of the mysterious landlady...
 

It’s no surprise that this film comes from the producers of the Saw franchise. We have what at first appears to be a supernatural mystery, but very quickly turns into a torture porn movie. In fact, the hidden doorways, covered pit areas, chutes and moving walls reminded me a little of the Stephen Laws book, Daemonic. The family connection to an older evil serves as no more than a standard contrived reason for an otherwise motiveless chain of events. I did like the figure which was always cleverly kept slightly out of focus – hence the original assumption of ghostly goings on. Another nice touch is the little girl who would seem to be the vulnerable character to be protected but is as inquisitive as they come. The fact that the expression on her face doesn’t change for the entire movie could be interpreted as bad acting, but the denouement gives a reason for this which partly answers the question.
 

There are so many other plot strands lining-up in a failed attempt to be logical. Primarily, the attitude of the police in actually walking away like nothing has happened. They know that at least two women have gone missing from the building, one of which has just rang from there for emergency help. The investigating officer is given proof the dimensions of rooms are changing, and he’s called at least twice to the complex. It just doesn’t ring true. And all for a ‘press the reset button’ ending. This is not a bad film, per se. However, it’s a prime example of set pieces being considered more important than a believable plot.      

Verdict: 5 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2017) 

Starring: William Peter Blatty, William Friedkin, Dan Perri, Rich Cline, Dr Sarah Crowther, Professor Chris McGlothlin and Nat Segaloff.   

Directed Robin Bextor 

Reel 2 Reel Films

December 2023

Reel 2 Reel Films releases The Exorcist Untold: The Story Behind the Classic Horror Movie, by Robin Bextor. This being a documentary celebrating 50 years since the groundbreaking film depicting the demonic possession of a 12-year-old girl, and the church’s attempt to cast it out. This study of the film and the story leading up to its creation explores all aspects, with part-interviews, clips and comments from industry experts, film historians and designers – including Dan Perri, Rich Cline, Dr Sarah Crowther, Professor Chris McGlothlin and Nat Segaloff. More importantly, there are archive clips of novel and scriptwriter William Peter Blatty (and later interview sequences with his wife Julie Blatty), and seldom seen footage of the director William Friedkin (To Live and Die in LA, Sorcerer, Cruising, Killer Joe, Rules of Engagement, 12 Angry Men), who had then just recently been presented with a film award for The French Connection...
 

The Exorcist Untold begins by showing footage of the original film’s release in the US, with cinema sell-outs, queues around the block, and hysteria regarding its content (fainting, sickness and general distaste – whilst hailing the documentary-like feel of the movie as an immediate masterpiece), with an explanation of a general mood swing of the American population from the comfortable setting of peace and free love to a general darkness created by post-Vietnam War, the seriousness of world events, rebellion and a stark change in culture). As an example, William Peter Blatty made a good career writing popular comedy films starring some big names of the time, but suddenly found himself out of work when the 1970s hit.
 

The most interesting part of this slightly structurally disorganised documentary is the story of how Blatty struggled to get The Exorcist novel published, and when he did it took a chance appearance on a chat show to take it to number one on the bestseller list. Other highlights include behind-the-scenes footage of Friedkin on set, and the unveiling of a plague for the now (in)famous steps in the film. The downside is that most people who know and love the movie will already know the majority of what is explained in this documentary, and the others will not care that much. Certainly not enough to purchase a DVD. This will no doubt enjoy more of an audience on terrestrial TV late on a Friday or Saturday night.     

Verdict: 6 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2024) 

Starring: Patrick Stewart, Neve Campbell    

Directed Sydney Macartney 

Second Sight

October 2017

An American physicist secures work in England and so brings his family to the 17th Century Canterville stately home which he has been able to rent at a surprisingly considerate fee. It comes with a resident butler (Donald Sinden) and housekeeper (Joan Sims) – as well as a resident ghost! His teenage daughter Ginny Otis and her two younger brothers both see the frightening ghost early on, but he steadfastly refuses to believe in such things. When Ginny meets a young nobleman from the neighbouring country estate, he confirms the well-known existence of the spectre who is Sir Simon de Canterville (Patrick Steward). She seeks an explanation for the presence and soon learns that his curse to haunt the halls of the house stems from a fateful decision he made hundreds of years ago and the death of his beloved wife. Can the man be forgiven and set free...?
 

The Canterville Ghost was written by classic author and master of wicked wit Oscar Wilde. Of course, this adaptation from 1996 is not exactly the same but, nevertheless, it’s very entertaining. Very much a family film, it can be enjoyed on many levels, and cleverly avoids slipping into the sickly-sweet bracket (the reason why I avoid most of the Christmas TV movies). A young Neve Campbell (Scream) is pretty compelling, and there is a host of Carry On-type household names such as the aforementioned Sinden and Sims, as well as Leslie Phillips. However, the show belongs to Patrick Stewart. As the ghost he’s mock-scary, sad, humble and emotes practically every expression in the book. It’s inspired casting, because as the required thespian he’s like Simon Callow the Next Generation! Even though Sir Simon the ghost talks of meeting Shakespeare, to all intents and purposes Stewart plays him as the Bard and it works remarkably well. I wonder what the film would have been without him; somehow lacking, I’m sure.
 

Extras include: A new Interview with the Director Syd Macartney, and a new Interview with Producer Robert Benedetti. Something from Patrick Stewart would have been nice, but you can’t have everything. It’s certainly worth a look. Make it so.    

Verdict: 7 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2017) 

Starring: Ethan Embry, James Remar, King Bach, Jonathan Schaech, Reed Scott, Michael Rooker, Mark Hamill.  

Directed Various 

Acorn International

September 2023

Acorn Media International releases Season 3 of the Shudder Original series, Creepshow. This is an updated version of the 1982 horror anthology film and its two sequels by George Romero and author Stephen King, this time with new tales from notable names in the industry. Showrunner Greg Nicotero  (Executive Producer of The Walking Dead) has split this series into 6 episodes, with 2 segments per episode – so, that’s 12 scary stories in total. They are presented across two Blu-ray discs, with an impressive overall running time. Of course, the legacy of Creepshow extends much further back than the 1980s films; its origins are in the E.C. horror comics of the 1950’s. Accordingly, we have the resident Ghoul introducing the segments with no more than an evil chuckle and a pointed indication of animated representations of these aforementioned comics. We see the adverts of monster masks and other items for sale, before the aspect moves to the comicbook introduction of the story in question. One frame becomes live and, abruptly, we are plunged into the live action tale.

We begin with 'Mums', in which a farm boy’s mother is killed by his violent, gun-loving father. She is buried in the garden but mutates into a man-eating plant. In 'Queen Bee', three fans of a famous pop star break into a hospital to see the idol give birth but get more than they bargained for. One of the stand-out segments here is 'Skeletons in the Closet', in which a film fanatic opens an exhibit of ultra rare props. When he is blackmailed by a rival collector, the proprietor wreaks a terrifying vengeance. There are multiple references to classic films here – even the original Creepshow skeleton Creep. In 'Familiar', a trainee lawyer visits a fortune teller where a familiar attaches itself to him and fools the man with deadly consequences. In 'The Last Tsuburaya', an unseen priceless painting is sold to a mega-rich collector, after which an ancient demon is released. In 'Okay, I’ll Bite', a model prisoner who loves spiders is cheated out of his parole by corrupt prison officials and retribution ensues. In 'Stranger Sings', a man thinks he has found his soulmate, but has instead found a dangerous mythical siren who demands he carry out an operation. 'Meter Reader' is set within a dystopian future wherein a man is immune to a devastating contagion of possession and has the task of fighting the afflicted. But his own strict rules of safety threaten his life and that of his family.

In 'Time Out', a young man in law school uses an unusual piece of furniture left to him by his grandfather to cheat time. Once inside, time stands still. He uses this for years to quickly climb the corporate lady, only to discover time will catch up with him in the end. In the animated tale 'The Things in Oakwood’s Past', a woman discovers the town’s dark past of disappearing people is related to a chest. Old writings seem to suggest the chest can save the populace, but should it be opened? In 'Drug Traffic', a bus containing US citizens reaches the Canadian border. A security officer ignores the filming and reporting of political issues, instead focussing on a woman and her very sick daughter. The woman is found to be carrying drugs; However, removing access to the drugs for the daughter triggers a terrifying metamorphosis. In 'A Dead Girl Named Sue', a police chief seeks to prevent a revenge mob from killing the son of the mayor who is a sociopathic murderer and rapist. He believes in a lawful process until he has a personal reason to change his mind. The killer is brought to the local jail for personal justice. This will make more sense in a horror context if I explain it is filmed in black and white and takes place within the classic zombie film Night of the Living Dead.

If I’m honest, I’d say this bunch of tales isn’t quite up to the uniformly high standard of Seasons 1 & 2. Perhaps I’ve become acclimatised to the format and have viewed too many in a short period of time. Don’t let my minor quibbles put you off though; this is a very competent anthology show. Season 4 has aired in the US… and long may it continue.     

Verdict: 7 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2023) 

Starring: Stephen Geoffreys, Jim Metzler, Maria Rubell, Pat O'Bryan, Sandy Dennis.

Directed Robert Englund 

Eureka Entertainment

October 2020

Hoax is a socially inept and nerdy high school kid who is kept younger than his age by his religious and overly oppressive mother. His hero is his cool and good-looking cousin Spike, who has a leather jacket, a Harley Davison motorcycle, and who gets the girls. Constantly beaten-up, terrorised, and belittled, Hoax longs for his life to change. After spying on Spike with a girl, Hoax discovers a card for phoneline ‘horrorscope’ readings. 976-Evil gives him pointers on how to get on in life, but he gives no consideration as to from where the advice originates. A demonic force gradually begins to take over his life. But will he reject or embrace it...?
 

This is one of only two movies directed by Freddy Krueger himself: Robert Englund. The first thing that’s apparent is its deep-rooted connection to the 1980s. The hair, the clothes and the attitudes essentially mean it doesn’t stand the test of time too much. Nevertheless, putting that to one side, it is a film worth checking out. Stephen Geoffreys was very young when he played Hoax. By all accounts, he was quiet and pretty much kept himself to himself. It’s not surprising that he’s a breath of fresh air when you consider he worked on the superior Fright Night (1985) – playing the lead character’s best friend, the hilarious Evil Ed. And, like Fright Night, this film is billed as a horror comedy, when it so clearly isn’t. The effects very much aid this project, being subtle or full-on as required. They were competently created by Kevin Yagher, who had worked with Robert Englund on A Nightmare on Elm Streetand was juggling with the first ‘Chucky’ Child’s Play while working on this one, too. The make-up effects by Howard Berger (The Walking Dead) – at Englund’s behest – were subtly increased on the protagonist, displaying his gradual possession by the demonic presence.
 

There is the added sub-plot of Marty investigating the strange goings-on to the point of tracing the call centre for 976-Evil, only to discover it is no longer operated and somehow automated. Although Spike is the cool guy, he is essentially ‘good’ – and although he is told to take what is his, he resists by putting back the leather gloves he has lifted. It is this action which makes the demon change its attention to Hoax. Thus, it attempts to kill Spike with a wayward car, and it is Marty who saves his life. Marty brings another character to the house at the climax of the film, only to nearly get her killed. The partly superfluous character of Marty uncovers some unanswered questions relating to the origin of the demon through the phone line. If you are offered an origin, it’s only natural to want a whole explanation. Better, therefore, if that side of things remained a mystery. There was a 1992 sequel to this film. However, it was a minor slasher pic with no attempt to tackle the aforementioned unanswered questions.
 

This Eureka Video Classics release is the film’s first appearance on Blu-ray in the UK. I would say that the picture is clear but lacks the crisp quality of some similar 2K or 4K releases (this is a 1080p presentation). Extras include an Audio Commentary by director Robert Englund and set decorate Nancy Booth Englund; there is an Extended Home Video Version of the film (from its first release in that format); a New Interview with producer Lisa M. Hansen; a New Interview with special make-up effects artist Howard Berger; and an entertaining New Interview with special effects technician Kevin Yagher. There is a Limited Edition First Print Run of 2000 copies, which contains a Slipcase and a Collector’s Booklet featuring new writing on the film by Craig Ian Mann. I received a download of the booklet and found it fairly comprehensive, with plenty of colour photos.      

Verdict: 6 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2020) 

Starring: Aya Cash, Josh Ruben, Rebecca Drysdale, Chris Redd.    

Directed Josh Ruben 

Acorn Media International

August 2021

Fred is an inspiring horror writer who rents a remote cabin in the woods to offer himself space after a turbulent relationship break, and to write the epic werewolf story he has in his head. While attempting to get some exercise outside, he meets a young woman, Fanny, who turns out to be a best-selling horror writer staying at another cabin. He is caught between wanting to get to know her for their common interest and hating her for her abrupt, abrasive and conceited manner. When darkness falls and a storm knocks out the power, Fanny arrives at his cabin challenging Fred to Scare her because she is bored. He attempts to tell her about his werewolf story, but it is only when she encourages him to fully act it out that the night takes on a life of its own. They exchange stories which seem increasingly more real, until the pizza man turns up and joins in, creating friction and competition with Fred which turns fiction to devastating reality...
 

This film is billed as a scary comedy or a comedy horror; either way, the opening scenes are somewhat silly. It’s easy to write-off the film as derisory when it suddenly begins to intrigue. The two main characters are well fleshed-out and very different, and the stories told create creaks from the timbers and shadows on the walls as tension builds. It is not particularly thrilling, as horror films go, but it does hold your attention.
 

The ending is another matter, though. Many writers and filmmakers don’t know how to satisfactorily finish a story. It’s often an anti-climax, and that proves to be the case here. Not particularly a bad conclusion; however, it does resort to a hackneyed idea and somewhat loses the power it has built. Protagonist turned antagonist has been done before. Cocaine and beer may make someone behave differently, but it would be unlikely to turn them into a crazed killed in an instant. Fred’s backstory of constant harassment, frustration and underachievement is essentially a good one for narrative purposes, so it would perhaps have been significantly more effective had he ‘acted-out’ the crazed killer in an attempt to genuinely scare Fanny and win the competition – only to have her kill him in defence.
 

Additionally, the epilogue doesn’t make sense. Without giving it away, let me just say that a cab driver would not become a bestselling author overnight – even if she did have notes on what happened that night. And she wouldn’t have all the intrinsic details. As far as the humour goes, it doesn’t really work when it’s forced. The deadpan reaction to certain odd events is much more funny. It sounds like I’ve pulled this offering apart, but the truth is that Scare Me is a solid release by first-time writer/director and key character protagonist actor, Josh Ruben.

Extras include a Director and Cinematographer Commentary, very brief Outtakes, and quick questions answered (literally only seconds) by Josh Ruben and Fanny actress Aya Cash. The Blu-ray is released by Acorn Media International in conjunction with Shudder, after its success on the streaming service. This is certainly the best ‘tales around the campfire’-type story I have seen since the opening of John Carpenter’s The Fog, and the Monsters anthology episode 'The Match Game'.      

Verdict: 7 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2021) 

Starring: Kevin Corrigan, Lucy Davis and Barry Bostwick.  

Directed Jack Perez 

Koch Media

October 2012

Ken Boyd has just returned to his home town after time spent in a psychiatric hospital, addressing problems stemming from his constant torment by the college basketball team. A recluse, a loner, and a closet horror artist, he spends his days working at the ice-cream parlour and suffering verbal abuse in the evenings from his long-suffering and unsympathetic mother. Further confusion and awkwardness sets in when he finds himself the attention of a beautiful young woman, and a daughter he never knew he had. But he hasn’t forgotten his ill-treatment at college, and pretty soon the bodies begin to stack  up...

It’s an extremely refreshing viewing experience to be surprised by a film. Having never come across this one  before, the title had me believe it might be another sordid fictionalised biopic of a serial killer, or at best a horror-comedy, which seldom works as well as it should. However, even when you do realise the premise of the story, the seemingly standard offering gets lifted by a number ingredients. This is a movie which is much more than the sum of its  parts. It cleverly transcends several genres; incorporating, and so potentially appealing to, followers of horror (particularly slasher movies), murder mystery/police procedurals, dark comedy, emotional family tales, and the feel-good factor.

An extra added advantage seen here in all its glory is the obvious chemistry between the actors, allowing the characters to really flesh-out in a relatively short space of time. Kevin Corrigan, who plays the key character of Ken Boyd, brilliantly keeps his part introverted and yet darkly comedic. Lucy Davis plays wannabe girlfriend Stephanie with a skittishness which means she has experienced problems of her own. Barry Bostwick’s portrayal of the sheriff is initially tiresomely lightweight and distracted, but we discover he has layers. He has the backbone to stand up to politicians, and he surprises everyone - even his deputy - by getting to the heart of the matter.

The film is given an emotional poignancy with the sub-plot of Ken’s newly discovered daughter. He has no idea how to react to her; there is a wall he has built around himself, and he isn’t sure he wants to live in the real world any more than going through the motions. Of course, he isn’t used to nice things happening to him, and has difficulties making the adjustments.

Of course, a large percentage of viewers are going to predict the outcome as easily as if it were displayed in subtitles, but that in no way detracts from what is essentially a hugely enjoyable film. I will say I was disappointed with the lack of extras considering this is in Blu-ray format. The Making of... is a scant few minutes long, and there is only a (albeit entertaining) Commentary to accompany it.

On a final note: John Landis was once connected with this movie, but moved on to another project. Director Jack Perez asked if he could still use his name as Executive Producer. Landis agreed and was very  pleased with the outcome. Well, why wouldn’t he be?     

Verdict: 8 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2012) 

Starring: Boris Karloff  

Directed Various

Eureka Entertainment

July 2022

Eureka Classics releases the two-disc Universal Terror Blu-ray set, incorporating three Boris Karloff films: Night Key (directed by Lloyd Corrigan – 1937 B/W), The Climax (directed by George Waggner – 1944 Colour), and The Black Castle (directed by Nathan H. Juran – 1952 B/W). This is the first retail release for Night Key and The Climax, and the first outing for all three on Blu-ray in the UK. The first print run of 2000 copies include a limited-edition O-card slipcase and a collector’s booklet featuring new writing by Karloff expert Stephen Jacobs (author of Boris Karloff: More Than a Monster). All three films are 1080p 2K scans of the originals. Extras include: Brand new audio commentary tracks on Night Key and The Climax by Kevin Lyons and Jonathan Rigby; a brand-new audio commentary track on The Black Castle by author Stephen Jones and author/critic Kim Newman (Newman is invariable entertaining, like chatting to a mate down the pub!). There are also Stills Galleries and Trailers.

In Night Key, Boris Karloff plays the inventor of a highly elaborate security system which has been utilised by the police for some years with great success. When the alarm of any premises is silently triggered, a light flashes in police HQ. The number of the light is cross-referenced to an address and a police unit dispatched. However, the inventor believes it is now outdated. He has been working for many years on a radical new system which he attempts to sell once more to the police. Afraid that their expensive system will become useless in light of the new invention, the police take it on but decide to shelve it. The old inventor is horrified he has been duped. To him it is not the money that’s important but the fruition of all his hard work. In order to stress how outmoded the existing system is, he adapts the new one to emit a bridging electrical pulse matching that of the alarm systems and demonstrates he can break into protected establishments. However, a local crime boss and his gang kidnap him and hold his daughter to force him to break into places they can rob. Can this seemingly doddery old scientist turn the table on his captors and free his daughter before it’s too late?

This three-film set is marketed as horror (or, at least, terror); in actuality it is a crime/thriller with a sprinkling of science fiction. Notable for its format which became prevalent during the era of 1950s B-movies, it originates the central cast of the professor, his beautiful daughter, her love interest (in this case a police officer), and the villain – who in this case in just as much the police chief as the crime boss. Although far from edgy, it is imminently watchable. Karloff is convincing in his earnestness, tinged with angst or guilt as he is in many of his offerings. This one is like a Fu Manchu plot without the hammy elements.

In The Climax, Karloff portrays the physician of a theatre opera house. He had fallen in love with the star singer and become so besotted with her that her singing came between them. She subsequently went missing without a trace (but we all suspect what happened to her, don’t we viewers?). Now, ten years later a new young singer has arrived on the scene with a voice which matches the lost star, and the same musical is revived. The physician is devastated to hear the singing of his lost love and goes to extreme lengths to prevent her singing again – including hypnotism, association, and sheer force of will. But he hasn’t counted on the intervention of the woman’s betrothed and the young king.

This one is a difficult one to quantify. It is at times a suspense thriller, a horror, and even a musical. In essence, it follows similar lines to a Phantom of the Opera scenario. There are long, drawn-out stage sequences wherein we are obliged to endure high-pitched shrieking, which is supposed to be one of the greatest voices in the world. This is tempered by the entertaining excitement and eagerness of her fiancé, Franz Munzer, played engagingly by Turhan Bey. A very young Scotty Beckett also puts in a good turn as The King, who amusingly momentarily forgets his etiquette when watching the new starlet sing. It would have been nice to have seen what happens off-film before the beginning, and there would have been the running time available if not for the over-long stage scenes. Karloff’s presence has a calm intensity to the point much is made of his stare, in the same manner as Bela Lugosi’s is lit in a couple of shots during 1931’s Dracula. The dénouement is somewhat reminiscent of House of Wax.

In The Black Castle, a young nobleman knight-of-the-realm travels incognito, under invitation, to Count Karl von Bruno, seeking information on two comrades who he believes have been killed at the Count’s hand. They soon diplomatically butt heads when it is discovered the Count is a cruel and sadistic master, least not to his beautiful, arranged marriage wife. When our hero attempts to spirit her away, they are both imprisoned in the castle’s dungeon. They find help from the most unlikely source when the Count’s doctor offers them a potion which fakes death. This way they can escape the castle. But can the doctor be trusted?

The Black Castle is by far the most entertaining of the three films presented on offer here. Richard Greene takes centre stage as the swashbuckling hero, and Karloff shares the billing with fellow horror star Lon Chaney Jr. as the Count’s gruesome mute dogsbody. Karloff himself is the Count’s doctor, who remains pretty much in the background until the final quarter. Then his presence shines, giving the character an ambiguous quality. The difference is our hero and heroine are offered no choice but to trust him. The castle secret passages, traps and a deadly pool of crocodiles crank up the horror aspect. This is a movie that is wildly underrated in many reviews. Whilst not a strong as the Karloff at Columbia set which I reviewed in April 2021, Universal Terror remains of great interest. All of these gems from the classic horror stars deserve to be treasured.     

Verdict: 8 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2022) 

Starring: Angela Bettis, Brent Roam and Juliet Landau. 

Directed Toby Hooper

Anchor Bay Entertainment UK

April 2005

Nell Barrow, a young woman, rents an apartment with her husband in the Lusman complex, a 1940's building under renovation. The walls are thin and she hears many strange noises. After a call to the police proves to be a false alarm, she is seen as a busybody by the landlord. But the truth is she is worried. Two woman from other apartments have gone missing; unbeknown to her violently murdered by a madman using hardware tools. With help she discovers that the same apartment number is missing on each floor, meaning there is a large area the others are not seeing. The building's blueprints show a number of mystic symbols which create a spell which keeps the killer there, in a grim representation of life.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre inspired a lot of horror films, one of which was the original Toolbox Murders. So it seems rather strange that Tobe Hooper should be remaking a movie which was influenced by his own Chainsaw masterpiece.

Watching the additional features, it seems the idea here was to reinvent the horror genre, the effect of which had become muted by real-life tragedies in the news. However, in my opinion it's not enough simply to depict a series of violent and gristly scenes. We have to care about the characters, and the plot has to move us along. These killings are well choreographed using old-school techniques, and you have to commend Hooper and his team for avoiding the easy trap of CGI to cut corners, but there's simply not enough of any significance going on the rest of the time.

In many ways this film also carries a baggage of clichés which quite frankly are unacceptable in this day and age. Potential baddies queue-up for recognition: a biker, a creepy handyman, an argumentative caretaker and a long-term resident living in the past. Many classic mystery writers have said that it's against the rules and certainly a cheat to have the killer be somebody not seen as an ordinary character during the plot. I'm not sure any writer should adhere to rules, but in this case it does treat the watching audience with a modicum of scepticism.

No shame is displayed in using a Jason Vorhees-like killer. Inexplicably, Nell goes back to the apartment alone when it's all over, instead of travelling to the hospital with her husband. She knows the killer is missing, so shouldn't be surprised when he smashes through the window to attack her (a trademark of the Vorhees character). And like the final scene of John Carpenter's Halloween, the killer is shot repeatedly, falls from a window and is missing when they look. Killers just never stay dead these days; Michael Myers has a lot to answer for.

This two-disc set is nicely packaged in a slip cover. Extras include: Widescreen, 5.1; a commentary by Tobe Hooper and the two writers; a commentary by the producers; a theatrical trailer; biographies and film notes. Disc two contains: EPK (a short behind-the scenes); a stills gallery; and a feature-length documentary called The American Nightmare. This last extra is extremely good, exploring the connection between fictional film horror and real-life horror depicted by the news (much of it soul-destroying). Some classic horror films are discussed by such luminaries as Tobe Hooper, John Landis, David Cronenberg, John Carpenter and Wes Craven. This feature alone is worth an extra point.

The Toolbox Murders in no way progresses the genre to the next level, as some might have you believe, but it is an above average horror/thriller flick.     

Verdict: 7 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2005) 

Starring: Jason Clarke, Amy Seimetz, John Lithgow.  

Directed Kevin Kolsch & Dennis Widmyer 

Paramount Pictures

August 2019

A doctor and his family move from the hustle and bustle of Boston to rural Maine, where they buy a house near a small road, with multiple acres of woods at the rear. There is a pet cemetery in the woods and local kids with animal masks make a solemn ritual of laying their pets to rest. When Church, the Creed family cat, is killed on the road it seems like the obvious choice. However, an old local man tells the doctor about a place in the woods beyond the cemetery, and a man-made barrier where, if buried, the cat will return to life. But it returns feral and spiteful. When their young daughter is hit and killed by a speeding truck on her birthday, the mother takes the little boy to her mother’s house for a break. That night the father digs up her body and takes her to where the cat was buried… but can he handle the consequences, as the family will never be the same again...

This is a remake of the original 1989 film, based on the Stephen King novel. There are differences though, which is part of the reason why it spent so long in the planning and pre-production stages. Directors Kevin Kolsch and Dennis Widmyer wanted Jason Clarke to play the father from the start, but realised, quite rightly, that the success or failure of the movie depended on how convincing the young daughter was. The bottom line is that Jete Laurence is pretty convincing as Ellie. The quality of John Lithgow shows through though as the old man. The only plot device which doesn’t actually make sense is when Lithgow’s character tells the father he can bring the cat back – even though he knows it is wrong and has had a very bad experience himself in the past.

The main changes from the 1989 film are changing the dead offspring from a boy to a girl and setting the climactic scene in and around the cemetery rather than the house. The book, certainly from an emotional angle, is one of King’s darkest tales. I don’t think you could lighten this up if you tried. A BBC dramatisation for radio – although well done – was one of the most depressing things I’ve ever listened to. I must say, I don’t like the ending of this film, which I won’t give away. An alternative ending is only slightly better. However, when you have so much suspense and peril in the build-up, the conclusion is invariably a disappointment. Also, the dead student’s ghost is woefully underused. I should also mention there is a throwaway line when someone points out that Cemetery is spelt wrong on the sign!

Technology is so much more advanced these days, but it doesn’t necessarily make this a better adaptation than its predecessor. In fact, personally, I found the special features to be just as interesting as the film, particularly a four-chapter documentary which explores different aspects of the behind-the-scenes. The extras amount to 90 minutes, and include deleted and extended scenes, the haunting visions of three characters, The Tale of Timmy Baterman, and the aforementioned alternate ending. These gain this release an extra point.     

Verdict: 7 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2019) 

Starring: Emily Bergl, Jason London, Dylan Bruno, J Smith-Cameron, Amy Irving.  

Directed Katt Shea

88 Films

March 2019

Rachel is a teenager either ignored or bullied by the in-crowds at school. She lives with uncaring foster parents after her mother was committed to Arkham Asylum (a nice reference to the works of H.P. Lovecraft) when she was a small child. A group of American football jocks play a ‘game’ whereby they keep running scores on their sexual conquests with the girls. Jesse wants nothing to do with this. When he takes an interest in Rachel over one of the in-girls this riles the jocks and the ‘clicky’ cheerleaders. The couple get together when Jesse helps Rachel get her dog to the emergency vets after it is run over. The others decide to ruin this attraction by setting-up an elaborate trap of embarrassment and lies at a party after the big game. But they hadn’t bargained for Rachel’s deadly secret. She is the half-sister of Carrie White, and also has extraordinary powers of telekinesis that emerge at times of pain, stress or anger. Something tells me the party won’t end well...

This is a very nice 1080p HD Blu-ray presentation, by British distributor 88 Films of the 1999 film The Rage – a sequel of sorts to the 1976 Brian DePalma adaptation of the Stephen King novel Carrie.

The original made quite an impact on the mainstream and horror film circuits. This film was a long time coming, arriving 23 years after the original. However, rather than a rehash – as many sequels are – it manages to both update and flesh-out the old concept by telling an original and then-contemporary story, whilst maintaining links to the backstory which are tenuous and so unobtrusive.

Emily Bergl is very good as the isolated and outcast teenager. You believe her situation and her initial acceptance of always being on the fringes. When her only friend commits suicide after being sexually disrespected by one of jocks, this proves to be a catalyst for the involuntary development of her abilities.

The plot seems simple but is told very well at the hands of director Katt Shea, best known for Poison Ivy. Opinion seems to be divided on this film, but I think it makes an impact. If you care about the characters, it’s doing the right thing, and the sign of a good film can be how quickly the running time passes you by. The epilogue has a nice shock sequence, changed from a cut scene. The film also has a very nice and varied soundtrack; one minute Metal, the next Sixties-sounding keyboards, and a little bit of Acid-Bath-Hippy-Hop-in-the Garage for the hipster scenes.

Extras include: Deleted scenes, an rather nonsensical Alternate Ending, two Audio Commentaries, and a Limited Edition Collectors’ Booklet.     

Verdict: 8 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2019) 

Starring: Ralph Bates, Barbara Jefford, Suzanna Leigh. 

Directed Jimmy Sangster

StudioCanal

August 2019

Not far from the notorious Karnstein Castle, a young woman has gone missing. She is one of many whose blood is used to return the beautiful but evil Carmilla to life. Horror fiction author, Richard Lestrange, arrives at a nearby inn, looking for lodgings while he carries out his research in the area. The locals tell him of the vampires that emerge from the castle every 40 years. Curious, he visits Karnstein, but it is the nearby Finishing School for young women that intrigues him more. He falls in love with a stunning blonde called Mircalla and takes the place of another teacher as a means to be close to her. He will soon learn the truth, but will it change his view of her...?

This movie – beautifully remastered for Blu-ray – is the latest in a string of Hammer classics to receive a new lease of life… and they’ve never looked better. The picture is crystal clear and returns us to those halcyon days when horror was more about style than gore-for-effect. This one was directed by prolific Hammer scriptwriter, Jimmy “Do you want it Tuesday, or do you want it good?” Sangster, who wrote the screenplay for Dracula (1958) among many others. There are a lot of good-looking young women here, most of which feel a need to show their ‘assets’ whenever they get the opportunity. The sexual aspect of the film is to demonstrate the allure of a vampire and the power they have over mortals, although Michael Johnson’s character only has to profess his love for Yutte Stensgaard’s voluptuous vampire for her to practically fall at his feet (and more!).

The film was released in 1970 when Hammer was said to be suffering a slump. American backers had pulled out, and the long-time executive producer left. Their answer was to tap into the sexual revolution. The restraint on sexual content – and particularly how it is used with horror – was relaxed; Hammer wanted to be among the first to push the boundaries. This also resulted in The Vampire Lovers, Twins of Evil, and Countess Dracula. Of course, this path doesn’t stop Lust For a Vampire being an entertaining film. It’s simply that many felt Hammer had reduced its proud name to simple titillation for the masses. And what is that dream sequence and ‘Strange Love’ song supposed to achieve? Hammer were soon back on track during the 1970s.

Whilst far from being the best film in Hammer’s formidable arsenal, it does pack its own passive punch. Ralph Bates was taken on to replace the ageing Christopher Lee but was never in the same league. Nevertheless, his portrayal here of the school master who is desperate to be Mircalla’s disciple, is impressive. Curious then, that he later revealed his dislike for the part.

Again, the Special Features boost the score for this release. We have an informative Featurette called Strange Love: Hammer in 1970; Script to Screen: To Love a Vampire (the original intended title for the film); Judy Matheson Interview (one of the lovely young women); and a Stills Gallery.     

Verdict: 8 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2019) 

Starring: Elisabeth Shue and Terence Stamp. 

Directed Richard Franklin

StudioCanal

February 2021

Jane is an American zoology student who takes a job at the English isolated cliff-top house of leading anthropologist Doctor Steven Phillip. His work explores the link between apes and man, and involves three subjects: Voodoo, a violent and unruly female; Imp, a friendly and child-like chimp; and Link, a circus-trained ape who is dressed and utilised as a servant companion. After an incident in the lab, Dr Phillip goes missing and Jane is obliged to look after the apes alone. A subtle change in the hierarchy means she effectively becomes trapped in the house as one of the apes displays psychotic tendencies...

Director Richard Franklin had been attempting to get this movie made since 1980 or 1981. He soon realised that men in ape suits wouldn’t work for this project, as it relies on a number of close-ups. It proved a revelation turning to expert animal trainer Ray Berwick, who did not receive a single complaint of animal cruelty when the film was released – due to his exemplary handling of the apes. Link was initially going to be more of a factual concept. Scientific research into violence amongst chimpanzees countered the earlier long-time theory that man is the only species who makes war upon itself. Franklin chose to make the picture in England, his only gripe on the extras interview being an exaggerated comment about everything stopping for tea breaks.

Two aspects combine creatively to make this work. One is the, frankly, truly amazing animal training techniques of Berwick, and the other is the clever filming and editing which ensures we see significantly more than is actually going on. To use a football analogy, this is a game of two halves. It’s true to say that for the first half of the film very little happens. This is setting the scene and building-up to the suspense thriller which follows. The large house on the coast used as the location means there is plenty of space to play with and, more importantly, isolation. A basement that not only houses the main gas supply but which leads out to the rocks at sea level, therefore allowing a temporary means of escape, is believable in this context. Although not fully explained, I liked the addition of wild dogs on the Moor, making it impossible to seek help without a vehicle.

The primary cast are pretty solid in their performances, which was not always the case in 1980s horror flicks. Terence Stamp (Perhaps most fondly remembered for General Zod in Superman II) does a Janet Leigh and goes missing halfway through the running time as Dr Phillip. The mainstay in this – aside from the apes themselves – is Elisabeth Shue, who plays the student Jane. She is undoubtedly best known for her role alongside Ralph Macchio in The Karate Kid. She is very good in this movie. There are some interesting cameos, too. Geoffrey Beevers has appeared on television and on stage numerous times, but is remembered by SF enthusiasts for his role as The Master in The Keeper of Traken, alongside Tom Baker in Doctor Who. His real life wife Caroline John (sadly deceased) is also in the movie. She was in Doctor Who many years before, alongside John Pertwee’s Doctor. The unmistakable Kevin Lloyd from The Bill also makes an appearance.

The Blu-ray has a 4K restoration as well as the following extras: An Audio Commentary by Film Historian Lee Gambin and Film Critic Jarret Gahan; An Interview with Film Programmer and Horror Expert Anna Bogutskaya; Deleted Workprint Scenes; An Interview with Director Richard Franklin (Audio Only); and the UK Theatrical Teaser Trailer. I couldn’t sign-off without mentioning the soundtrack by Jerry Goldsmith, and in particular the main Link theme. It’s jaunty to the point of being ridiculous… until it is played again at the end of the film. Due to the direction the film takes, the jaunty theme suddenly takes on sinister connotations. There is a demo of the theme on the extra features. Well worth a watch.    

Verdict: 7 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2021) 

Starring: Tae-woong Eom, Yoon Jae-Moon and Josiah D. Lee. 

Directed Shin Jeong-won

Optimum Home Entertainment

March 2010

A policeman from Seoul, Korea is transferred to a small community in the hills. The town is proudly crime-free, but expecting an excruciatingly slow pace, he is surprised to find a young and conceited detective investigating the circumstances leading up to the discovery of some mutilated bodies. Partway into a murder investigation it becomes apparent that they are looking for a large and savage animal. The detective hires a well known hunter trained in Finland, but when faced with a huge boar he turns out to be somewhat less than a hero. The boar is killed and publicly shown to much media acclaim. However, an old and grizzled local hunter convinces the newly arrived policeman that the boar responsible is significantly larger, and he is proved correct when it attacks the packed town hall during a celebration, looking for its mate. The policeman and the hunter set up an expedition to track down the monster, but they discover that conventional bullets simply bounce from its ultra-thick hide...

The promotional blurb from Optimum Home Entertainment cites The Host as an influence in the new wave of Asian (and in particular, Korean) monster movies. I remember seeing The Host at a cinema in the Trocadero Piccadilly Circus and not quite knowing what to make of it. It was certainly more of a monster movie in the traditional Godzilla respect.

Chaw follows a natural animal's (albeit a gargantuan one) exploits, and so has a closer connection to something like Razorback.  It's intelligently directed in the early scenes, wherein only tantalisingly brief glimpses are shown, but it also holds-up when seen in its entirety for the first time when breaking through the wall into the town hall. Subsequent appearances when charging or chasing are well-rendered in CGI.

The characters are well-defined; I particularly liked the inclusion of the policeman's mother, who clearly suffers with mental problems and proves increasingly unpredictable. On top of that the woman next door is deranged, looking after a doll like a baby and neglecting the little boy in her charge. The police captain is lazy and weak-stomached, the detective is vain, and the elderly hunter dark and resentful. Only the newly arrived policeman appears in any way normal. But such is life, and it does work well.

The humour is another matter; when subtly applied and kept dry it succeeds in spades, but a little too often it reduces itself to the school playground, becoming very childish and slapstick. So the tone switches constantly from suspenseful to lightly comedic without ever getting the balance quite right. Nevertheless, it's an enjoyable evening's viewing.    

Verdict: 7 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2010) 

Starring: Travis Aaron Wade, Tina Huang and Howard Johnson Jr. 

Directed James Isaac 

G2 Pictures

October 2009

John is a city boy who as a youngster had spent time on his uncle's ranch, but he is certainly no stranger to hunting. Now his uncle is dead, and he returns with three friends with the idea of checking out the property and getting in some wild pig hunting. Unfortunately for his friends, John's girlfriend Brook tags along. When they stop at an isolated gas station store they are told the local legend about The Ripper, a huge three thousand pound black boar which has killed many animals and a handful of people. Of course, John's friends consider this a tall tale at best - especially considering they are very soon met with a new problem. Confronted by the Tibb Brothers, local past compatriots turned violent enemies, who insist on accompanying the group, matters are made even worse when the group fall out over cannabis plants found growing on John's uncle's land. Pretty soon one of the brothers is dead, and all hell suddenly breaks loose as the surviving brother and his redneck family and friends seek bloody vengeance. A nearby hippy commune seems a possible place of refuge, but is it really the haven it promises to be...? 

I had already seen trailers for this movie on previous DVDs for review, and I wasn't impressed. But prepared to be proved wrong in my preconceptions, I sat down with my impatient head on. It all seems so stereotypical at the beginning, with the cool and perfect hero, the Lara Croft-like girlfriend, and the immature teenage friend, very much in the vein of the characters in some of the Friday 13th films or The Texas Chainsaw Massacre boy in the wheelchair. Then there are the inevitable rednecks. So, there is the expected nod to Deliverance and others of its ilk. On face value you would think Pig Hunt and Dying Breed to be virtually identical films, because they share so many ingredients.

However, Pig Hunt possesses significantly more depth than the aforementioned example. There's so much peril here that you don't get a chance to tire of any one danger. Whether by accident or design, the conflict is piled on in layers, exactly as it should be in any story of triumph over adversity. There is internal and external argument, the life or death threat of the locals, and of course The Ripper itself, which plays a much more prominent role than the Tasmanian Tiger in Dying Breed.  I particularly liked the concept of the hippy commune and the origins of its members. A much better film than I expected, although I'm disappointed at the lack of extras; there's only a trailer here.     

Verdict: 7 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2009) 

Starring: Terri Dwyer, Gareth Lawrence, Linny Bushey. 

Directed Andrew Jones

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

October 2017

Sue Sharp is staying at a cabin in the remote and peaceful region of Keddie when – over the period of one night – hell comes calling. She and her daughter are terrified by the appearance of an intruder in a skull mask. Initially, they fight him off, but he is soon joined by another figure in a frightening clown mask and a third in a pale female ghost mask. Whilst trying to escape Sue hides her two very young sons and their slightly older friend under a bed. Her elder son has been out and returns with a friend, unaware of the situation. His friend is quickly dispatched, leaving the others to be mentally tortured and physically attacked by a hammer...

There has been a number of films said to be based on real life events; some true and filmed with dramatic licence and others apocryphal at least. For example, it is said that Friday the 13th was based on events which took place in Sweden. There is a metal music band called Children of Bodom. Bodom is where it happened and the children in question are the lakeside campers killed, apparently, by a figure from the wilderness.

In the case of Cabin 28 this is one of America’s most notorious unsolved crimes. The bodies of the mother and elder son are discovered, but the daughter is missing. By only showing two or three characters before the night of the attack the inference is that they are responsible. Certainly, they are the ones shown being interviewed by the deputy. An on-screen update at the end states these characters left the town and were never heard of again. In recent years it would seem new evidence has come to light in the form of the daughter’s skull being discovered. The investigation is on-going.

After seeing the cover picture I’m sure I can be forgiven for thinking this to be an enjoyable fantasy violence slasher film – particularly in view of the very effective creepy clown mask. Instead, what I got was something closer to the style of The Last House on the Left, or more accurately Funny Games. This one is played completely straight, trying to re-enact much of what is only guesswork. Would it have been in bad taste to give this scenario more dramatic licence? Perhaps, but as a result of expanding the story at all we have been offered something which is somewhere in the middle: It doesn’t instruct, and it doesn’t entertain.    

Verdict: 4 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2017) 

Starring: Emily Goss, Taylor Bottles, Cathy Barnett, Jim Korinke. 

Directed Aaron Keeling, Austin Keeling 

Second Sight

February 2016

Jennifer Branagan’s husband relocates them to her childhood home state of Kansas, after she has suffered an unexpected mental breakdown. She is seven months pregnant, and Luke believes it is the ideal place to have their baby. But her opinionated and overbearing mother, Meredith, immediately tries to take control of her life. Furthermore, the house they have rented harbours a dark and violent force which only she experiences. Is she suffering another serious relapse, or is the house really haunted? Her constant fear and unease is only exacerbated by the way people behave around her. Feeling a stranger in a location where she should be at ease, Jennifer begins to reach out for help. But are the locals wary of her or the house...?

I need to dissect this movie into beginning, middle and end to fully appraise its potential effect on the viewer. The first third is quite slow and predictable, with stereotypical characters and situations. There is the humourless and abrupt landlord who is never seen again after the first few minutes, the reluctant and vulnerable wife, the practically emotionless husband, and the mother who always knows best. I really thought this was going to be a copy of Rosemary’s Baby - particularly during the party sequences when Jennifer keeps seeing individuals staring seriously and intently at her when everything else is going on normally around her. This is very effective, and a little unnerving. Another thing which reminded me of that film was the way characters keep putting a hand possessively on the mound of her pregnancy.

The second third teeters on the fence between supernatural and psychological horror, in that it is ambiguous for a long time whether the events which happen to her in the house are real or figments of a very traumatised mind. This premise is helped along by the fact nobody else witnesses the violence she endures from the house. There is a nicely played chilling moment when her friend’s little boy repeatedly says, “Hello,” and gives a distracted wave to something behind Jennifer. Something which can’t be seen. Although the entity’s attacks on our pregnant protagonist take place in different parts of the house, many of them seem to emanate from a cupboard in the bedroom. A bedroom which she inexplicably continues to sleep in. The force is usually shapeless, but two or three times moves like a distended dark shadow across the walls of the basement to the stuttering guttural sound which has been utilised in Japanese horror films like The Grudge.

The pretty solid middle section of the film is majorly let down by the complete mess which makes up the last third. There are so many unanswered questions and inexplicable actions that it’s hard to know exactly where to begin. Having taken the shape of Luke on a handful of occasions to scare or attack Jennifer, the only time Luke himself is attacked by the entity is off-screen. She returns home to find his dead body in the garden. Why does the house wait this long to act? And why isn’t Jennifer accused of killing him? Also, there’s no explanation for the haunting, as even research by Jennifer reveals no unsavoury past. After the baby is born, she leaves it in the hallway to check upstairs. Is she mad? Perhaps so, but it’s never revealed if she is still suffering anxiety – only that her unbalanced mind may have stirred-up a dormant energy in the house. The biggest factor for me was that no event or action seems to cause any consequence. Instead, the end plays-out like a series of unconnected set-pieces.

A promising film spoilt by shoddy continuity and editing. No extras.    

Verdict: 6 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2016) 

Starring: Sarah Davenport, Andrew Divoff, Darby Walker. 

Directed Michael G. Kehoe 

Thunderbird Releasing

October 2018

A Nazi who had close connections with Hitler has settled in America, married, and has a teenage daughter. He is already very strict, but the arrival of an Iron Cross has fatal repercussions for the whole family. The cross is a religious artefact taken by the Germans during the French occupation. It was said to have the power to imbue the possessor with luck and good fortune. However, a consequence of this is that everything negative has been
soaked-up by the cross. It is sealed-up in the wall of the basement but immediately begins to affect the family. The man drowns his daughter when she asserts her independence and, as a result, her mother kills the Nazi. Fast forward to the present: four teenage girls and a younger girl are staying at the house for the weekend, but a malevolent presence remains – as does the Iron Cross...

The interesting part of this story, and all of the intrigue, is immediately lost the moment we move to the present day. It basically reverts to an amalgamation of teen horror and haunted house scenario. The teen characters are pretty bland, and the little girl initially points towards the Poltergeist connection with the dead, but just as quickly forgets about it. The ghost of the murdered girl manifests itself gradually, which I always believe is an unrealistic situation. If a vengeful spirit was going to be violent it would be so from the start. What we get is a number of cheap camera tricks leading up to a Japanese-style full ghost apparition, complete with black tendrils seeping into the walls and ceiling. We then learn she just wants her body to be found – which not only defies the logic of what has gone before but, again, ‘borrows’ from countless other films.

The ghost of the Nazi father, in his heavy weeding gear, is only seen once as the movie concludes. It’s as if director Michael G. Kehoe is hoping to kick start a franchise. The film doesn’t seem to flow in a logical linear fashion, and I wonder if the script could have been improved by a couple more drafts. Probably not. They should probably have had a couple of draughts down the pub instead. There’s simply not enough content or originality. The Iron Cross remains in the wall, and the Nazi only makes his post death appearance when the story is done. It’s as if part of the tale has been saved for a sequel. As every writer worth his salt will tell you: put all of your eggs in one basket. If the first script or book doesn’t work, you won’t get the opportunity to do a sequel.     

Verdict: 4 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2018) 

Starring: Scarlett Alice Johnson, Jack Gordon, Michael Jibson, Elen Rhys, Joshua Richards, Millie Midwinter. 

Directed Chris Crow

Trinty Film

October 2017

Four young adults win an all-expenses paid V.I.P. trip to New York in a private jet, courtesy of the social network site All2gethr.com. Soon after taking off and getting acquainted a voice welcomes them and begins round one of a game. This asks them pointed questions regarding their personal lives. But it doesn’t end there. The voice begins to make demands, setting them against one another, and showing footage of their loved ones in captivity. Then they discover the aircraft isn’t heading to New York at all...

I reviewed the initial release of this film on DVD back in 2011. Purposely, I’ve avoided re-reading that review; I want to know if my opinion has changed at all with this remastered release. Certainly, as time has passed the subject matter has become much more relevant, with fears of identity theft, on-line fraud, and any number of other unsavoury on-line crimes. Social networking has always been a two-edged sword. Making and meeting friends is countered by the fact that many people play-out their life on-line for all the world to see, making it easy for the more unscrupulous among us to use their information for nefarious ends. I can’t recall many movies from the era of Panic Button’s origin which showed the dark side of the internet. Killer Net and FearDotCom spring to mind. Of course, Hostel III and many others have since used scenarios which have dangerous – even fatal – events being enacted for the entertainment of a select, paying, perverted secret society, etc.

We should always encourage home grown talent, and this is one of those periodic films which has endeared me to it more through the extras than the feature itself. There is an audio commentary with writers Frazer Lee, John Shackleton and David Shillitoe; a Guerrilla Filmmakers Masterclass; and the hugely enjoyable/informative Flight School – How to Get a Film off the Ground. Thrown in as well are a Gag Reel, Outtakes and Deleted Scenes, and a ‘Making of’ Gallery.

The early scenes are fun, whilst instilling that early doubt. We already know from the opening that the mother of one of the key players has been killed by intruders, so I believe the early ambiguity of events would have been improved by excluding this opening. I like the way the characters are friendly but tentative with each other. One of the group is so annoying you can’t help considering him a **** (insert your own expletive) after only twenty minutes, and this proves good characterisation and acting. The tension is systematically cranked-up through the first round of questions. Once we get to the disembodied voice’s demands to the individuals, all of the cards have been pretty much laid on the table and the taut power of the plot rushes away, leaving you uncaring about the conclusion.

Having just looked at my old review of Panic Button; although I have made some new observations this time around, it would seem my overall opinion is unchanged.    

Verdict: 6 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2017) 

Starring: Uma Thurman, Annasophia Robb, Isabelle Fuhrman, Victoria Moroles, Noah Silver. 

Directed by Rodrigo Cortes 

Lionsgate

October 2018

Wayward teenager Kit Gordy is taken to the Blackwood Boarding School, a huge mansion hidden at the edge of a forest and miles from anywhere. Joining her are four other troublesome individuals: Izzy, Veronica, Ashley and Sierra. Their first experience of something not quite right is the fact they are the only students. Madame Duret is the strict and uncompromising principal. Kit experiences some strange phenomena; a dark figure and a violent spirit. All too soon the girls acquire amazing talents in a particular artistic area. One becomes an accomplished painter – and begins signing her work with the initials of a famous artist. One becomes expert in formulaic equations, even though she barely passed algebra. As for Kit, she is suddenly able to play a complicated and vigorous concerto, when she hasn’t played basic piano since she was nine years-old. Kit is determined to discover the mystery of the house, what the disturbances are all about, and what is behind the off-limits door...

Down a Dark Hall is based on the book by Lois Duncan. I enjoy a good ghost story, but they are by their own definition slow-burners. This film gets around that problem by creating instant conflict; Kit’s conflict with her mum, her school principal, the curiously 19th century Madame Duret, and the four other girls – particularly Veronica. The pace is kept at a constant or increased by the appearance of a ghost or two. I particularly like the dark, just distinguishable figure at the end of the corridor, and the dark shape that quickly backs into a corner and disappears. This has much more effect than the multitude of ghosts seen later in the movie. I don’t know why some filmmakers believe that more of something is necessarily better.

I love the idea of Kit and the other students being vessels for dead artistes who believe their work to be unfinished. It’s also nice to see Uma Thurman in an older role, which proves she will have no problems in that area. Duret’s second-in-command, who acts as housekeeper, nurse and bodyguard, is under-used when a plot point is set-up regarding her reasons for staying being forgotten – or at least not being progressed. It is understandably taken over by the prominence of Kit’s dead father guiding her.

Whatever I feel about a couple of loose ends not being properly tied-up, this is an enjoyable romp. It’s half classic haunted house territory, half Harry Potter – and I don’t even like the Harry Potter stuff. Often, the sign of a good film is you don’t notice the running time passing you by. This is one such example. However, I am disappointed by the absence of disc extras.

Verdict: 8 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2018) 

Starring: Katherine Barrell, Tim Rozon, Sai Bennett, Luke Newton, Craig Stein, Greg Kriek, Joe Pantoliano. 

Directed by Darrell Roodt 

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

September 2018

A group of specialist eco-warriors who expose corrupt companies to the public accept one last job. There is supposedly a covert facility on an island in Lake Placid. It is sealed-off after an accident which made it highly radioactive. But a clean-up was never arranged, and when they arrive by boat no trace of radiation is detected. So what is the big secret? They find a wrecked camp, blood and then a body. A large footprint points to a reptile. This is a huge crocodile 50 feet in length. It destroys their boat, and abruptly they are marooned on the island, fighting for survival as the croc hunts them down...

This is the fifth film in the Lake Placid franchise (the previous instalment in 2012 was subtitled The Final Chapter!), which this time seeks to explain the origins of a hybrid species with the mixed DNA of a prehistoric and contemporary crocodile. The building and tunnels where all this took place is abandoned by all but one person. So, there’s a little material for a subsequent sequel (heaven forbid!). It’s easy to call the characters ciphers; after all, there’s an Alpha male, a no-nonsense girl, her younger sister afraid of her own shadow, an electronics geek, and a guy who is pretty hyper – moaning and complaining about every little thing. He can’t utter a sentence without using the BS expletive. However, some of these individuals are skilled in their respective fields for a reason. This is what they do, only not on this scale. It is sad though that they simply become cannon fodder, so to speak.

The crocodile itself is essentially kept to quick cuts and moody appearances in tunnels. You might think this is clever and heightens the atmosphere. Here though it’s not so much to protect the reveal as to hide the shortcomings. The rendering of the monster croc is cheap to the point of looking cartoony. The CGI you see on TV shows and advertisements as standard is that much better. Also, I’m not certain the bucket on a mini digger would be heavy enough – if dropped on its back – to immobilise a 50 foot giant armour-plated relic from prehistoric times.

I hate to say it, but I can only see Lake Placid: Legacy finding a home on daytime TV. Perhaps the Horror channel for Saturday afternoon viewing. There are no extras; I don’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing.     

Verdict: 4 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2018) 

Starring: Judy Geeson, Joan Collins and Peter Cushing.

Directed Jimmy Sangster

StudioCanal

October 2017

In this, one of a number of Hammer Films being re-released in Doubleplay editions to celebrate 60 years of Hammer Horror, a young woman who has suffered a nervous breakdown and has been undergoing psychological counseling meets and marries a man who has secured a live-in job at a remote boys school. Having been attacked by an intruder with a prosthetic arm at her previous home, she is far from stable, but when her new husband is regularly sent away on errands by the headmaster she is left to her own devices. Attacked again, she suspects the creepy but gentlemanly headmaster, but is he the real enemy...?

It turns out the school suffered a serious fire in the past and was closed. The headmaster bought the building and restored it to its  former glory, and now carries on as if nothing happened – except there are no children. He has electrical switches which activate recordings of the children in lessons or in the dining hall. Just that idea is bizarre. Peter Cushing, however, plays the part with formal aplomb (he really was an outstanding actor). He only makes a handful of appearances here, but it’s enough to make his mark. In fact, I believe he only filmed for two or three days.

Joan Collins is suitably snooty as the headmaster’s wife, Ralph Bates is solid enough, and Judy Gleeson spends the whole thing looking stunned and confused – which works well as the fragile victim of the piece. The final moment of the film confirms this is just the right characterisation.

Fear in the Night from 1972 works really well as a suspense thriller rather than out-and out horror. It is one of only a small number of Hammer movies with a then-contemporary rather than period setting. It is undoubtedly the Jimmy Sangster show, as the regular writer turned in the screenplay as well as both producing and directing. It was his final contribution. Check out his great autobiography Do You Want It Good Or Tuesday? He connects the scenes in this film using linking dialogue – even halfway through a sentence – and in one case with a kiss. This gives the false impression of a fast-moving plot. It’s a neat trick.

I first reviewed this movie in 2006 but, as it was part of The Ultimate Hammer Collection Box Set (over 20 films), space and time prevented more than two or three lines. So it’s definitely nice to get this opportunity to review this one in its own right. There’s a short documentary wherein Hammer historians talk about the movie. I’m sure there was a Jimmy Sangster commentary on the disc included with the Collection Box Set, but for some reason it’s not included here.    

Verdict: 7 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2017) 

Starring: Gillian Hills, Robert Hardy, Patrick Magee, Michael Hordern and Shane Briant.

Directed by Peter Sykes

StudioCanal

October 2017

Bavaria is the setting for this period piece of madness and incest. Baron Zorn fears his family line of insanity and in-breeding has affected his own offspring. Elizabeth and Emil are kept docile by blood-letting and locked-up in separate rooms. Zorn himself is being treated by the frankly untrustworthy psychiatrist Professor Falkenberg. The truth will finally be revealed, but not before more people die...

By the early 1970s some people felt that Hammer Horror had run its  course – particularly in terms of quality and originality. In reality, the company was as prolific as it had been since The Curse of Frankenstein in the late 1950s. However, what we started to see was a very mixed bag. The Horror of Frankenstein, The Devil Rides Out, Dracula AD 1972,  and others (including the Hammer House of Horror TV series) proved they were still able to produce the goods. There was a return though to psychological thriller scripts, in some circumstances thinly  disguised (or certainly marketed) as horror.

Demons of the Mind (1972) is an odd one. Because the events are non-linear the viewer has no inkling as to what is happening on the screen. Of course, there’s a backstory, but for the majority of the film it seems that a series of hysteria-related set pieces are paraded before us. No one appears to act with any kind of logic or reason. It’s as if the cast was pushed in front of the camera and told to run around like their tail was on fire. Either that or told to go glassy-eyed and pretend they were somewhere else. With Robert Hardy and Patrick Magee as the stars you expect a little more; however, in any situation like this it’s down to the material they are given to work with.

I realise this all stems from the madness of one character, but I don’t think this concept has much mileage. Eking it out over 89 minutes is excruciating. Perhaps if the scenes had been tightened and scripted differently it may have allowed the viewer to engage more sympathetically with the story. I suppose Hammer should be commended for trying something different. Certainly, there’s plenty of graphic violence (including a close-up throat-cutting, a frantic stabbing of keys through a throat, and the impaling of a flaming cross through a torso – to name but a few), which is tempered occasionally by some titillation (I have to say Virginia Wetherell was quite a picture). When presented to EMI they had no idea how to react to it. It couldn’t really be classified under any distinct sub-genre and so EMI didn’t know how to market the thing. In the end it was put out as a support to another movie.

I agree with EMI. It’s a bit of a mess.    

Verdict: 4 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2017) 

Starring: Rita Tushingham, Shane Briant and James Bolam.

Directed by Peter Collinson

StudioCanal

January 2018

Brenda is a naïve young woman who tells her mother she is pregnant and wants to find the father. In fact, she wants to go to London to find her Prince Charming and have a child with him. Securing a job in a boutique, another girl offers her a room at her place. But when Brenda is betrayed, she walks the streets where she meets a wealthy young man with a dog. Thinking all her prayers have been answered she stays with him, only to discover the man Peter is seriously unhinged, with psychotic tendencies...

Straight On Till Morning is another in the collection of Doubleplay releases from Hammer Films via StudioCanal. In the early 1970s Hammer wanted to go in a new direction, returning in part to  their psychological thrillers of the 1950s. This was marketed as a double bill with the similar format Fear in the Night. Straight On Till Morning is quite a departure from their standard horror theme. Hammer’s attempt to be gritty and realistic in the urban hardship of late '60s Liverpool (this was originally screened in 1972) comes over like an amalgamation of Cathy Come Home and Peeping Tom.

Creating a groovy and happening London full with beautiful women and promiscuity makes it all the more surreal when the serpent is revealed in paradise. Rita Tushingham handles the role of the innocent ‘Plain  Jane’ very commendably. Shane Briant is infinitely superior in this than the mess that was Demons of the Mind – although he regularly sinks into a trance-like state in both films. As for the very popular James Bolam, he’s woefully underutilised.

This film is directed purposefully off-kilter by Peter Collinson of The Italian Job fame (one of my all-time favourites) by way of shooting through scenery and other objects. However, the choice of music is not good; Roland Shaw’s horrible jazzy music played throughout drives you to distraction.

The ending is left ambiguous as, after Peter mentally tortures Brenda by playing her recordings of him killing his dog and the friend who had betrayed her, he is seen alone and slowly rocking himself. Is Brenda dead? We’ll never know. A bold new approach from Hammer with a  shocking plot theme for the time, but which only succeeds in part.    

Verdict: 6 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2018) 

Starring: Kevin Dillon, Ted Raimi, Ali Larter, C Thomas Howell, Iman Benson, Josh McDermitt, Ashley Laurence, Keith David.

Directed by Various

Acorn Media International

September 2023

Acorn Media International releases Season 2 of the Shudder Original series, Creepshow. This is an updated version of the 1982 horror anthology film and its two sequels by George Romero and author Stephen King, this time with new tales from notable names in the industry. Showrunner Greg Nicotero  (Executive Producer of The Walking Dead) has split this series into five separate episodes, with nine scary stories in total. There are also another three seasonal specials. The collection is presented across two Blu-ray discs, with an impressive overall running time of 322 minutes. Of course, the legacy of Creepshow extends much further back than the 1980s films; its origins are in the E.C. horror comics of the 1950’s. Accordingly, we have the resident Ghoul introducing the segments with no more than an evil chuckle and a pointed indication of animated representations of these aforementioned comics. We see the pages of the comic books in question, before the aspect moves to the introduction of the story in question. One frame becomes live and, abruptly, we are plunged into the live action tale.

We begin with Model Kid (by Stephen King) in which a 12-year-old boy is bullied by his uncle when the man moves in and takes over after the boy’s mother has died of cancer. The violence becomes more extreme when the uncle loses his job and takes it out on the boy and his cherished collection of monster models. The ghost of the boy’s mother urges him to order a model called The Victim, which is then used as a voodoo doll to issue the retribution that his uncle deserves. In Public Television of the Dead, when a TV show called The Love of Painting is cancelled, Ted Raimi is invited onto an opposing show with the Necronomicon (The Book of the Dead – as a tribute to the eldritch tales of H.P. Lovecraft and The Evil Dead films directed by Ted’s brother Sam Raimi). When the book is opened an evil entity is released, killing the studio staff. It is left to the presenter of The Love of Painting to fight the good fight. In Dead and Breakfast (wasn’t there a humorous horror film of the same name?), the grandchildren of serial killer “Old Lady Spinster” inherit her house and open it as a public haunted house. However, when a know-it-all live streamer arrives to review the place she discovers the killer’s missing victims, with devastating consequences.

In Pesticide, a self-important exterminator is approached by a businessman to clear a group of homeless people from an abandoned warehouse he wants to renovate. After refusing, he accepts a lot of money, and poisons their stew while they are asleep. But his conscience becomes his greatest enemy when he it set upon by the most terrifying and realistic nightmares. In The Right Snuff, two astronauts are testing an anti-gravity machine. An object almost collides with them, but it turns out to be first contact with an alien race. Conflict and jealousy between the two men threatens the entire future of mankind. In Sibling Rivalry, a high school girl is convinced her brother is trying to kill her, but the school psychologist believes it is attention seeking. Her brother later attacks her with an axe because he knows she has become a vampire. In, Pipe Screams, a plumber is called to an old building to pinpoint a problem with the pipes. When he identifies a drain clog it turns out to be sentient and hungry.
 

In Within the Walls of Madness, (as a nod to the great H.P. Lovecraft, and John Carpenter’s The Thing) a graduate student in a research facility in Antarctica is accused of killing a fellow student. However, Dr Trollenberg (a nice reference to The Crawling Eye 1950s B-Movie), has summoned the Old Ones through a portal and the Cthulhu-like creature killed the student’s associate. The normal season concludes with Night of the Living Late Show, in which a man invents a state-of-the-art fully immersive virtual reality machine which places you within an existing old movie. His favourite is Horror Express (Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee), and he continually returns to the action – neglecting his young wife – to the point that he lusts after the heroine. Retribution of the most horrific kind will seek him out. This is undoubtedly the best short of season 2, along with Public Television of the Dead.

On this collection there is the added bonus of some seasonal specials. Survivor Type (narrated by Kiefer Sutherland) is an animated body horror about a man washed-up on a deserted island, who has to cut off his own body parts to survive. But where will it end? Twittering From the Circus of the Dead (by Joe Hill) is another animation wherein a family stops to visit a spooky circus – only to becomes volunteers in a real-life horror show. Shapeshifters Anonymous is a Christmas 2020 special, in which a man visits a special self-help group because he suspects he might be killing people as a werewolf. It turns out they are all were-creatures – including the quiet member, who is really an ancient creature created by God. But so, by all accounts, is Kris Kringle, but he turned to Satan. There follows a truly remarkable battle between the group and Kris Kringle’s army of evil Santas. I love Christmas horror films, and this short is excellent, gory and funny. This is another enjoyable set, with more horror than you can shake a stick at!    

Verdict: 9 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2023) 

Starring: Richard Widmark, Christopher Lee, Honor Blackman, Denholm Elliott, Natassia Kinski, Anthony Valentine.

Directed by Peter Sykes

StudioCanal

January 2018

Henry Beddows approaches John Verney, a man with knowledge of the occult, to intercept and protect his daughter Catherine. She has been raised by a satanic cult called Children of the Lord. The leader is an excommunicated priest who is determined to get her back. It seems she is an integral part of a black magic ceremony involving a demonic baby...

This is one of a number of Hammer horror film releases which has been cleaned-up and presented as Doubleplay discs by StudioCanal.

To the Devil a Daughter (1976) is seen by many as the end of an era, and in many ways it was. However, no one can claim there was any slump in quality. This was the second Hammer adaptation of a Dennis Wheatley novel, who was the foremost writer of occult fiction. I’ve always thought this film plays second fiddle to the superior The Devil Rides Out … and I still believe that. Having viewed To the Devil a Daughter a handful of times over the years (I last reviewed the DVD in 2004) I undoubtedly enjoyed it infinitely more this time. Whether it is due to a retrospective appreciation of a classic or simply because I’ve just reviewed the relative mess that is Demons of the Mind and sought something better is debatable. Whilst being based on Wheatley’s novel this film is far from being a close representation. Wheatley was displeased with the result, calling it disgusting. He was incensed enough to prevent any more of his novels being adapted to screenplay.

To my mind this is an extreme view. To the Devil a Daughter is a decent enough movie to cause no detriment to the reputation of the book. Furthermore, the cast is a veritable who’s who of class actors. Richard Widmark plays the main protagonist John Verney. Admittedly, he’s been better – probably due to the fact he considered he was belittling himself with this British and German co-production – but he does enough to carry if off. Denholm Elliott (Beddows) plays the character who gets in too deep and is caught between fear and doing the right thing. He really convinces as the terrified father. Honor (The Avengers) Blackman and Anthony (Raffles) Valentine play Verney’s agent and partner. The couple are close friends of the author, and the charismatic connection brings the film momentarily out of the darkness.

So, it’s all the more shocking when the mentally controlled Catherine stabs the agent in the neck. Nastassja Kinski plays Catherine, the daughter of Henry Beddows (Elliott), a nun raised by the Children of the Lord, a church formed by an excommunicated priest. And talk of the devil: Hammer stalwart Christopher Lee returns in one of his finest roles. It was a very clever and successful decision to cast Lee against type in The Devil Rides Out. However, he returns here as the anticipated bad guy in perhaps his most powerful portrayal since Horror of Dracula, and Rasputin the Mad Monk. Derek Francis plays the bishop to which Verney goes for information, and there’s an early appearance by Frances de la Tour as a Salvation Army officer.

Even Christopher Lee it seems wasn’t enamoured with the demon baby, believing it shouldn’t have been seen at all on screen. But it does work really well. The final scene in the blood circle – although rushed and all too easily overcome – does include Catherine on a stone altar pushing a clawed red demon baby into herself. The censors passed the film uncut. Bear in mind this was only two years after the 1974 UK release of The Exorcist. Black magic was selling. Both Hammer and Wheatley lost out by not settling their differences and adapting more of his books to film.    

Verdict: 8 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2018) 

Starring: Bela Lugosi, John Carradine, George Zucco.

Directed by William Beaudine 

Media Enterprises

June 2019

Film screenwriter Ralph Dawson is asked by his boss for another manuscript, but he’s about to get married and due some leave. A friend of his wife-to-be is lured off the road by a bogus detour sign and kidnapped by the henchmen of Doctor Richard Marlowe. The doctor’s wife has been dead for a number of years and seeks to revive her by transferring the essence of a live woman into her using the power of Voodoo. There have been several failures; these women remain hypnotised and captive. Dawson and his fiancé try to find their friend with the help of the local sheriff but she, too, is captured. This time the subject could prove compatible for Marlowe, so the race is on to find Dawson’s betrothed before the ceremony can be completed...

This is the Voodoo Man’s debut release on Blu-ray and DVD. It’s always great to get the chance to enjoy these old films. This one from 1943 was penned by Robert Charles but is said to be heavily borrowed from Andrew Colvin’s Tiger Man, which the film company purchased earlier the same year. It’s very much a product of its time; horror and thrillers from the 1930s and 1940s seemed to follow a similar pattern, so it’s easy to realise how they evolved into the sci-fi monster B-movies in the 1950s. The filming schedule was very tight, taking place over only seven days. In the same manner, the plot is played-out very concisely. There is no padding here, as the running time is only 62 minutes.

Of course, the main draw is Bela Lugosi in the role of Doctor Marlowe. He certainly made an impressive impact in Universal’s Dracula, but also every part thereafter was a re-enactment of that character. Here, he has the power of hypnotism over people – particularly the women victims. Close-ups of his eyes mirror that moment in Dracula. He may be called Voodoo Man, but in actuality it is another man performing the ceremonies, waving his arms about in every relevant scene and chanting a string of nonsense. Outside of his own house, Lugosi’s Marlowe is the perfect charming gentleman, although he does give away so many clues that you would have to be a complete fool not to suspect him from the beginning. The film also stars John Carradine and George Zucco. There is something about this era – also repeated for a time in some 1970s movies – which obviously felt obliged to incorporate a silly or mentally challenged character as light relief. This materialises as a slow-on-the-uptake sheriff, a lazy and complaining deputy, and two Igor-like dogsbodies to Marlowe.

I like the way this ends-up being a film within a film, when Dawson presents his new screenplay (what we have just witnessed) to his boss and suggests the actor Bela Lugosi for the lead. The picture quality on this old film is simply amazing. I do think the initial RRP is far too high for what amounts to an hour-long film with no special features, but the price will drop. I recommend that vintage film collectors wait awhile before adding this to their viewing library. It’s not a classic, by any means, but it’s worth a look.     

Verdict: 5 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2019) 

Starring: Boris Karloff, Melvyn Douglas, Charles Laughton, Gloria Stuart, Raymond Massey. 

Directed by James Whale

Eureka Entertainment

May 2018

Eureka! Entertainment releases the 1930s film classic The Old Dark House on dual format Blu-ray/DVD as part of The Masters of Cinema series. A group of travellers run into trouble whilst driving through a remote region of Wales. Flash floods and hill-slides culminate in their obligation to take refuge in a spooky old mansion owned by an elderly brother and sister (the Femms), who really don’t want them there. Morgan, the creepy mute butler, is unstable enough but the upper levels harbour family secrets: A gloriously mad old woman on her death bed, and a mysterious presence behind a heavily bolted door...

This is the original version of the film based upon the book by J. B. Priestly. Not to be confused with the Columbia Pictures remake a decade or two later. When the rights expired 15 years after this was made, the film fell into obscurity and has only recently undergone a long overdue restoration. I must say it looks pretty good. Of course, the big selling points are screen legend Boris Karloff and Charles Laughton of Mutiny on the Bounty and Spartacus. However, the movie has a lot going for it in other areas. Director James Whale was no slouch, having turned-out the Universal Films classics Frankenstein, The Bride of Frankenstein, and The Invisible Man. Here he makes the best use of light and shadow since the silent movie Nosferatu in the 1920s.

The Old Dark House has a mainly British cast, with great character actors. There is a definite class distinction in play here, designed to make the two later newcomers to the house clash initially with those already present. Unlike many modern-day films, there are distinct and very separate personalities which makes the exchanges feel more natural. The Femm sister looks like an old Romany-type, and she’s hard of hearing, short, untrusting and bad-tempered. Her brother is quiet and refined (looking more like a butler himself) and is scared of his own shadow. Morgan the butler is a scarred and leering sinister presence, and when drunk is threatening and aggressive. It helps that he’s mute and murmurs a few unintelligible guttural sounds now and then. He’s certainly more of a menace than what is locked behind that door. Of the visitors, there is the well-to-do young married couple (the blonde woman of which Morgan leers at every opportunity he gets!). The man with them quickly falls for the dark-haired working-class showgirl, and they even promise marriage within a relatively short space of time.

The wizened old woman in the bed is priceless. She at first seems quite sane and then shrieks and cackles like a lunatic. We really don’t see enough of her (although we continue to hear her periodically). This brings me to the dark humour, which is ever-present, but cleverly only materialises through the character exchanges and idiosyncrasies. This is notoriously a difficult balance to get right in horror. The Old Dark House succeeds by making you smile at the quirks or outright madness of the building’s occupants. It’s worth mentioning the model work at the beginning of the film, featuring the car struggling through floods of water, sliding on mud and just missing being trashed by a hill slide. It is very well done for the time.

Extras include two commentaries, including one by critics Kim Newman and Stephen Jones; Curtis Harrington saves The Old Dark House (about tracking-down the film when it was thought to be lost); and Daughter of Frankenstein: A Conversation with Sara Karloff. This is the most entertaining feature. Sara talks about her father’s career, including the fact that he had made 80 films before the fame of Frankenstein arrived. He wasn’t even invited to the premiere. I didn’t receive a copy of the artwork by Graham Humphreys (shame on you), but I’ve seen the concept, and it looks fantastic.

This film has often been cited as the best horror film of all time. Certainly, it set the rules for what followed. In fact, The Rocky Horror Show wouldn’t have required too much rewriting from The Old Dark House’s screenplay. It’s mad, its zany, it’s funny, it’s creepy … The Addams Family. So, you can see how this little 1930s film influenced many films and TV serials which followed. It’s great but far from being the best horror film of all time.   

Verdict: 7 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2018) 

Starring: Dee Wallace, Patrick Macnee, Dennis Dugan, Christopher Stone, Belinda Balaski 

Directed by Joe Dante

StudioCanal

October 2017

Karen White is a news reader and investigative journalist. She is contacted by a serial killer known as Eddie, who wants to meet her. Led by telephone calls to the red light district she enters a sex shop’s pornographic film booth (like you do). Even though she carries a wire trace fitted by her TV crew the connection is lost, and the hunt is on to find her before it’s too late. Karen has witnessed something so terrifying that her mind has blocked it out. It doesn’t stop her having regular nightmares. A doctor psychiatrist recommends she take a break at a small rural community. However, the coastal location isn’t as idyllic as it seems. As if losing her partner to the local man-eater (in both senses of the word) isn’t bad enough, it seems the community harbours a sinister secret. It is a secret which they will protect from outsiders at all cost...

I last reviewed the Special Edition DVD of this film back in 2004, and the bottom line was I was far from impressed. I considered The Howling only an average example of this horror sub-genre. I actually remember enjoying the documentary more than the feature itself.

So, with this newly remastered DVD, have I changed my mind… and, more importantly, has it stood the test of time? Well, that’s not an easy one to answer in a single sentence. The film’s imagery is very firmly fixed in the 1980s, which does age the product significantly. I will admit there are some impressive sequences, but the one major factor which lets it down is the pace. Any tension which has been built leaks away pretty quickly. The screw should be tightened progressively through the plot; instead, loose editing has overly long or nonsense scenes which might be described as light-hearted but are quite simply not. An American Werewolf in London managed to get the balance just right, whereas The Howling just shouldn’t have bothered. This is not necessarily a reflection on Director Joe Dante, it’s just a different type of film which could have gained a lot by tightening-up the script and playing it straight.

The likes of Patrick MacNee, Slim Pickens and John Carradine would certainly have been audience draws at the time of the film’s release, and Dee Wallace seemed to be in every genre film (E.T., Cujo, Critters, The Hills Have Eyes, etc.). However, it’s Rob Bottin’s werewolf effects which steal the show in the aforementioned outstanding scenes. One such example is when Karen’s friend is attacked in the doctor’s office by a tall, suitably imposing and very impressive werewolf. Juxtapose this with when Karen herself is attacked at the same location by Eddie who takes so long to change into a werewolf that she has ample time to clear up the mess and add a fresh coat of paint to the walls and ceiling. It still makes me laugh now. Karen just stands there and stares at him; she even manages to look bored at one moment. These very differently handled scenes just don’t sit well with each other.

Supposed to shock and sadden, I suppose, the climatic piece is simply ridiculous. Karen’s ‘cute’ werewolf simply reminds me of Bungle out of Rainbow. In retrospect, perhaps that’s infinitely more frightening! I therefore have mixed feelings about The Howling and what it could have been, so my verdict remains unchanged. As in most cases, I preferred the original book (in fact, I read the three).

An hour of extras include: Howlings Eternal, with Producer Steven A Lane; Cut to Shreds, with Editor Mark Goldblatt; Interview with Co-writer Terence Winkless; Horror’s Hallowed Grounds – A Look at the Film’s Locations; Interview with Stop-Motion Animator David Allen; and an Audio Commentary with Author Gary Brandner.   

Verdict: 6 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2017) 

Starring: Timothy Hutton, Amy Madigan, Julie Harris, Michael Rooker

Directed by George A Romero

Eureka Entertainment

October 2019

A writer and lecturer authors respected books under his own name of Thad Beaumont (which nobody buys), and brutal horror thrillers under the pseudonym of George Stark (which are very successful). When someone discovers they are one and the same person and tries to blackmail him, Thad decides to come clean and reveal all in a publicity stunt wherein a mock gravestone for George Stark is placed on the family burial plot. But Stark won’t go easily. As a child Thad had suffered debilitating headaches. It turns out the remains of a twin foetus was attached to his brain. It was cut out and buried in the family plot. The twin – or the dark half of Thad Beaumont – takes on the form of a heartless killer from the Stark books, and is killing everyone that is close to Thad. There has to be a reckoning, as only one of them can survive The Sparrows Are Flying Again...

Film company Orion suffered monetary problems at the time of The Dark Half’s release, resulting in around seven movies not seeing the light of day for two years. Bird effects put the movie quite a bit behind schedule. The sparrows were obviously added to create more of a visual horror impact – doubly important for the film version. Real birds were brought in, but obviously could not be controlled, so mechanical birds and birds-on-sticks were utilised to create the desired effect. In close shots it works surprisingly well, and is a little lacking in other areas. Intelligently, large wheels of cut-out bird shapes were used with a light source to throw out shadows of countless birds. When they take Stark apart and drag his remains into the night sky towards a glowing fog, it defies explanation.

So, The Dark Half is a film which succeeds and fails in equal measures. The early parts are gripping: the young writer collapsing with head pain, and the eye opening in the brain during his operation (suitably gruesome). In fact, the young Thad – to all intents and purposes, the young Stephen King – is so watchable it made me long for the story to be told with him. The twin babies of Thad and his wife are amazing; the most continuously curious and happy ones I can remember.

George A. Romero will forever be known for the original zombie classic Night of the Living Dead, but he nurtured many other films. He does his best with this one, but the material itself means certain sections of the movie are non-sustaining. The figure of George Stark is rather stereotyped as a bad guy with a cut throat razor. It takes only a minute to get a grip on the characterisation before you begin suffering diminishing returns. In other words, he’s dull. I do like the idea that King used a real life experience and exaggerated it to see how far it would go. Many great ideas evolve from the smallest grain of a concept.

This duel format Blu-ray and DVD release is well deserving of an extra point for the excellent special features. There is an Audio Commentary with director George A. Romero (sadly no longer with us); a Making-of Documentary / Retrospective with Romero, Make-up Special Effects with Everett Burrell and John Vulich, Visual Effects Supervisor Keven Kutchaver, Actor Robert Joy, and Editor Pasquale Buba; Deleted Scenes; Behind-the-Scenes Archive Video Material; Original Storyboards, Trailers, and Limited Edition Slipcase and Booklet. The many interviews, fly-on-the-wall set-ups and insights into the making of this film made the extras almost as compelling as the film.

Verdict: 7 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2019) 

Starring: David Howard Thornton, Jenna Kanell, Catherine Corcoran 

Directed by Damien Leone

Signature Entertainment

April 2018

Two female friends emerge from a Halloween party into the night. One is a little the worse for wear through drink. After a late-night café encounter with a strangely sinister clown they return to their car. But it refuses to start, so the driver phones her sister who sets off to pick them up. Meanwhile, the drunk girl is caught short and persuades the caretaker of an empty building to allow them in to use the facilities. However, the earlier taunted sinister and sadistic clown shows up and very soon all three girls are fighting for their lives...

This is one of those occasions when a writer/director creates a film which is derisory. Only it isn’t. But it is. It’s not often that this sort of thing happens. So, first the bad stuff. Nearly all of the performances are pretty wooden, apart from the first sister and the clown. To all intents and purposes this project harks back and certainly pays tribute to the 1980s so-called Video Nasties. You would think this would be average fair then; unquestionably it is nothing new in its storyline and format. Hack and Slash: Check. Buckets of gore: Check. Scary clown: Check. Halloween setting: Check.

By no means original, Terrifier does succeed by one major component: David Howard Thornton as Art the Clown. His acting is quite sublime. It’s all those little nuances like simply standing and staring, giving a single little wave, and baring his rotten teeth. The scene in the café is just magical. The clown endures minor taunts knowing the person thinking they are being funny is going to regret it, big time! The presence and antics of this make-up adorned perpetrator is in many ways more effective than the hack and slash scenes which follow. They have the curious effect of making you laugh whilst simultaneously creeping you out. Seriously, if you met this character, you’d run a mile; but then there would be no film… It’s no exaggeration to say this is possibly the creepiest on-screen clown since the great Tim Curry’s Pennywise from It. In the excellent tradition of Jason Voorhees and Michael Myers, David Howard Thornton’s portrayal of Art is silent throughout.

Film fans who prefer everything wrapped-up in a neat little parcel will be frustrated by this film, as we learn nothing about the clown’s origins or motives. Events just sort of happen. Perhaps writer/director Damien Leone is saving the backstory for the sequel. I believe this concept could run to another movie, but I don’t think it has the mileage of a successful franchise. I would have given an average score but for the outstanding acting prowess of Thornton. It’s worth seeing Terrifier just for the clown, and so I’ve added two extra points for him alone.

Don’t bother with the behind-the-scenes extra on the disc. I expected to learn something about the story leading up the film, but it’s just actors pulling faces and doing little dances.

Verdict: 7 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2018) 

Starring: Ralph Bates, Martine Beswick, Gerald Sim, Lewis Fander

Directed by Roy Ward Baker

StudioCanal

January 2018

Professor Jekyll is working on a universal antidote to disease. When he tries it on a fly the insect survives longer than its normal lifespan by changing sex to female. This sets him on a new path of research: an elixir of life using female hormones. The first time he tries it on himself he metamorphoses into a completely female version of himself, who he passes off to nosy neighbours as his sister. Jekyll employs the mortuary attendant to pass him recently deceased female bodies, before using the dubious services of body snatchers Burke and Hare. However, when that avenue dries up he is forced to search the foggy streets of Victorian London for live victims. All the while his female form of Mrs Hyde is exerting evil dominance over his natural male form… and she has foul plans...

Dr Jekyll and Sister Hyde (released in the UK in 1972) is loosely based on the Robert Louis Stevenson story The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. The script was written by Brian Clemens of The Avengers fame, a solidly successful scriptwriter. The Avengers connection is made stronger by virtue of Clemens producing the film along with Albert Fennell.

Apparently, the mad idea of a gender change was mooted and by the following week – long before the picture went into production – Hammer already had a promotional artwork film poster ready. Hammer really took to Ralph Bates as a leading man to replace the ageing Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing, and returned to him a few times. Some have described this role as Jekyll being his best, but it doesn’t reach the heights of The Horror of Frankenstein.

Actress Martine Beswick is a perfect counterpart for Bates (she really does look like she is his sister), managing in this instance to out-act Bates due the meatier part. Villains inevitably make for a fuller acting piece. There are tasty little roles here also for Philip Madoc as the mortuary attendant Byker, and Gerald Sim as Professor Robertson.

This is an inventive twist on the established tale. I defy anyone not to chuckle when Jekyll first changes into a woman, notices she has breasts now and has a crafty feel. It’s important to point out, however, that Mrs Hyde isn’t simply Jekyll as a female; she has her own mind and completely different nefarious objectives to Jekyll. In fact, all she can think about is dominating the form so that she never changes back to his male form. Although Beswick reportedly refused a full-frontal nudity scene, there is one filmed from the rear. Hammer was becoming more risqué, and so we also get a mortuary attendant who is quite obviously a necrophiliac. When Jekyll goes there to obtain a female body for his work, Byker claims that one of them is his.

Fundamentally, this film is Jekyll and Hyde, but it also incorporates Jack the Ripper (for the female killings in the London fog), and the graveyard humour of the Burke and Hare double-act. Everything was filmed on studio sets and looks fantastic. All the street vendors and the local Whitechapel pub are in place, the minor characters are stereotypically Victorian urchins or policemen, and the pea-soup foggy streets of London are very atmospheric.

Not the best that Hammer had to offer, but a solid and original twist on an established theme.  

Verdict: 7 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2018) 

Starring: Denise Gough, Steven Cree, Anastasia Hille, Hannah Rae, Kiera Thompson

Directed by Ruth Platt 

Acorn media International

July 2022

Leah (Kiera Thompson) is a little girl who lives with her distant and dismissive mother (Denise Gough) and her distracted priest father (Steven Cree) in a large Victorian vicarage. She feels she is walking on eggshells, and it doesn’t help that she is regularly visited by nightmares. A mysterious young girl knocks on her bedroom window. She is bedraggled, dirty and wears damaged angel wings strapped to her back. She wants to play a game. This is the beginning of a dangerous psychological journey which will uncover the secrets of her family’s aloofness, or destroy their unit forever...

Martyrs Lane is described as both a ghostly gothic fairy tale and a psychological thriller. I’m not sure either of these promotional lines are accurate. It’s not gothic, it’s not a fairy tale, and it’s certainly not a thriller. I would refer to the film as an emotional ghost story wherein the clues have to be pieced together before Leah’s confrontation with her mother and the subsequent reveal. The truth is the viewer will guess pretty early on that her mother has lost a child somewhere along the line. The atmosphere in the house and the fact her mother keeps a lock of hair makes this practically obvious. Admittedly, I initially thought it was Leah’s twin that had perished at birth; that certainly would have explained why Leah was resented so much. The actual outcome would surely have made her mother Sarah more protective of what she had, rather than dismissive. Nevertheless, Families react in different ways to distressing situations and the emotions here are valid and well-handled. I was particularly intrigued by the elder teenaged daughter, who was generally cruel to Leah – at one point purposefully tickling her into an asthma attack – but ultimately watched over her well-being.

Having said that, the film is much more a study of human nature in the face of adversity than it is a ghost story. It’s not giving much away to reveal the girl visiting Leah is the ghost; the story concentrates on the unanswered questions of just who the little girl is and what her connection is to the family in the vicarage. This is intriguingly revealed a little at a time throughout the game. Clues are given for Leah to follow and she keeps her discoveries in a box, so I can understand some people’s connections to Pan’s Labyrinth – although this is a very different film and nowhere near being in the same league. There is no real fear and horror portrayed (Leah readily accepts the existence of the girl in white); with an occasional bloody nose, a nasty wound in her back (real wings growing?) and highlighted veins on the side of her face, the more sinister aspect originates from the girl’s expression, at times looking angry, frustrated or dangerous. In fact, Hannah Rae plays the ghost/angel very well.

Acorn Media International releases this Shudder Original DVD of Martyr’s Lane, by writer/director Ruth Platt. This film is probably a little below par compared to the majority of their output, but I’ve generally been very impressed with the Shudder releases. Extras include Behind-the-Scenes, Photo Gallery, and an Interview with Ruth Platt.    

Verdict: 7 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2022) 

Starring: Bob Hope, Paulette Goddard

Directed by Elliot Nugent, George Marshall

Eureka Entertainment

December 2022

Eureka Entertainment releases The Cat and The Canary, and The Ghost Breakers as a double bill of horror/mystery comedies featuring Bob Hope and Paulette Goddard. Mounted on a single disc, they are presented as part of the Eureka Classics range and appear for the first time on Blu-ray in the UK – the latter from a new 2K master. The first 2000 copies incorporate a limited-edition o-card slipcase and a collector’s booklet featuring new writing by Craig Ian Mann. Additional disc features include: a commentary on both films by Keven Lyons and Jonathan Rigby; a Kim Newman interview (more of an entertaining talk, really) on the background to the films; The Ghost Breakers 1949 radio adaptation; and trailers. There is also a reversible sleeve with original poster artwork...

In The Cat and the Canary (1939) – directed by Elliot Nugent: An eccentric millionaire has died, and his remaining relatives arrive at his spooky abandoned mansion, deep in the Louisiana bayous (swamps) for a reading of the will. The sole inheritor turns out to be his niece Joyce (Goddard), but it comes with a proviso that she does not go insane within the next 30 days – otherwise another of the relatives, named in a mysterious envelope which goes missing, would gain the fortune. Joyce must spend the night in the mansion, protected by Wally (Hope) who is afraid of his own shadow, surrounded by jealous relatives and a creepy housekeeper. As if that isn’t bad enough, a homicidal maniac has escaped from a nearby sanatorium.

In The Ghost Breakers (1940) – directed by George Marshall: Larry Lawrence (Hope) is wrongly accused of a crime but evades the police by concealing himself in a trunk which gets loaded aboard a steamer ship bound for Cuba. The owner, Mary Carter (Goddard) is on her way to take possession of a curious inheritance – a supposedly haunted castle. In order to make the way safer for Mary, Larry and his valet precede her to the island. Here, they have to contend with a ghost, a zombie, and an earthly foe just as frightening.

As an avid follower of horror in film, TV and literature for many years, I’m generally not an advocate of inherent humour because, almost universally, it fails to work. There are exceptions, of course, such as An American Werewolf in London, and a handful of others. Bob Hope is great; he was even born in the same English town as me! However, his constant quips do come across as a little annoying – particularly in The Cat and the Canary, the better-known of these two flicks. This is because these films spring from a long line of farce which originated primarily in books and on stage. There were subsequent silent movies and then later talkies, such as these two. They were hugely popular in their time, and you can readily see from their format they were designed for the stage. I enjoyed The Ghost Breakers more than its predecessor because it’s less cliched. Willie Best – one of the first well-known African American comedians – is great as Alex, the valet to Larry. But some of the friendly banter lines Hope is given to say to Best do somewhat raise the eyebrows. Oh well, we live in enlightened times.  

Verdict: 7 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2022) 

Starring: Richard Donner, Linda Blair

Directed by Jay Cheel

Acorn media International

February 2023

Acorn Media International releases Cursed Films Series One. This is a five-part documentary series exploring how certain horror films have become known for being cursed due to subject matter and a number of deaths involving cast or crew. Writer/director Jay Cheel – who contributes an Audio Commentary for each of the parts – explores the individual real-life stories of Poltergeist, The Omen, The Exorcist, The Crow, and The Twilight Zone. This Shudder original series was originally available on the streaming channel and was received with suitable acclaim. Certainly, it is compelling viewing. The episodes include film and behind-the-scenes footage, and several interviews with directors, producers, editors, actors, writers, podcasters, psychologists, academics, historians, fans, critics, and practicing witches. Richard Donner (director of The Omen), Gary Sherman (director of Poltergeist III), and Linda Blair (who played the possessed Regan in The Exorcist) are just some of the names who make an appearance.

All of these films suffered more than their fair share of tragedies; some on set and others connected in some way to the films. There is a handful of people on these documentaries who offer their own evidence for why some of these films are cursed. For example, angering or highlighting the devil’s actions, summoning real demons, or somehow cursing the productions through witchcraft and black magic. However, it has to be said that this is a minority, the majority citing these accidents as desperately unfortunate mistakes and tragic accidents, and the only reason myths and legends of curses have attached themselves to these movies is their connection to the horror genre.

Among the incidents explored are the death of Heather O’Rourke (the little blonde girl) and the use of real human skeletons (a regular practice in films for decades) in Poltergeist; bombings and a real decapitation by glass in The Omen; and a series of accidents which took place in and around the set of The Exorcist. The last two episodes gave me chills, not through any supposed supernatural elements, but the close diagnosis of horrific accidents on-set. The Crow explores the possibility of a curse on the male side of the Lee lineage – Brandon Lee, of course, being the son of Bruce Lee, the circumstances of whose death has been speculated about for years. The fact that Brandon was killed by a bullet which had lodged in the barrel of a gun used on set, makes it all the more chilling… and needless. So, too, in Twilight Zone: The Movie, wherein there is a Vietnam segment with a soldier rescuing two young children from a besieged village. Behind-the-scenes footage is terrifying, as created winds upset the stability of a helicopter, the rotors of which break-off in the water, instantly killing the three.

These documentaries, totalling 150 minutes, are very well put-together and I would recommend them to all true horror fans. It is a requiem to the departed and proves that real life can be as terrifying as fiction.  

Verdict: 9 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2023) 

Starring: Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi, Charles Laughton

Directed by Various

Eureka Entertainment

October 2022

Eureka Entertainment Classics Range releases Maniacal Mayhem, incorporating three film-length tales of terror from the Universal vault starring Boris Karloff. The films chosen for this collection are The Invisible Ray, Black Friday, and The Strange Door – all are presented on Blu-ray for the first time in the UK. Each is taken from 2K scans of the original film elements. Other prestigious actors featured include Bela Lugosi and Charles Laughton. The first 2000 copies contain a Limited-Edition O-card Slipcase and Booklet with writing on all three films by Andrew Graves, Rich Johnson and Craig Ian Mann...

In The Invisible Ray (1936), directed by Lambert Hillyer, obsessed scientist Dr Janos Rukh (Karloff) discovers with a powerful telescope that a meteor from the Andromeda system carrying a strange substance which could contain healing powers struck the Earth countless years ago. He reveals the discovery to his two closest rivals in the field and an expedition to Africa is funded. Rukh recovers the sparking substance, but a sample is stolen by one of his rivals (Lugosi), who soon makes a name for himself curing a number of maladies. Meanwhile, Rukh’s close contact with the material has made his skin luminescent, and anyone who touches him immediately perishes. So, he uses this terrible power to seek revenge on the colleagues who have wronged him.

The Invisible Ray is arguably the best of the bunch here, with more lavish and varied sets (Africa, the Doctor’s observatory and laboratory, etc.) and additional elements to the premise. What is essentially a tale of revenge, washes over you like an amalgamation of Frankenstein, a sci-fi monster B-Movie and confidence trickster. Bela Lugosi is the last of these, his character charming the special substance out of the Doctor’s hands and using it to gain his fame and fortune. I would have the hump too, so I can relate to Rukh. There is a brand-new commentary by horror mainstays author Stephen Jones and author/critic Kim Newman.

In Black Friday (1940), directed by Arthur Lubin, Dr Sovac is a brain surgeon who performs a transplant which has disastrous consequences. When Sovac’s good friend – a kindly old college professor – is caught-up in a gangland shooting, he realises the man will die if he doesn’t perform a part-brain procedure from a well-known gangster called Red, who was nominally injured in the same incident. Initially, it proves to be a resounding success until the professor begins to suffer fatigue, headaches and terrifying nightmares about a gangster. When it is learned that Red hid half a million dollars, Sovac takes him to New York for ‘rest and recuperation’ in order to reassert the gangster’s dominance until he can learn where the money is stashed and use it to fund himself a new laboratory. However, not only is the professor on the point of complete collapse, Red goes after his ex-cohorts for attempting to have him killed.

In various guises, this is a part which Boris Karloff played many times over his career, but they invariably worked well. He had a compelling nature which drew you into his film scenarios. I have no idea how a respected dotty old English professor can periodically change both physical appearance and attire when the other person’s section of brain gains dominance, but it does clearly demonstrate the intended Jekyll and Hyde principle (or should that be principal!) triggered by greed. Bela Lugosi plays one of the gang mobsters (a rather refined one!) that the professor/Red goes after. There is a brand-new audio commentary by Kevin Lyons and film historian Jonathan Rigby.

In The Strange Door (1951), directed by Joseph Pevney, the cruel and sadistic Sire Alain de Maletroit (Charles Laughton) tricks a violent rogue into seeking sanctuary through a door with no handle. His plan is to force the ne’er-do-well to marry his niece, against her wishes. But things don’t go his twisted way when it turns out the rogue has a noble heart and attempts to help the young woman to escape the house. She has no knowledge that her father has been kept an innocent prisoner in his dungeon for 20 years. The father feigns madness but is quite sane and systematically aided by Maletroit’s abused servant (Karloff).

Charles Laughton is perhaps best known for his portrayals in Spartacus, Mutiny on the Bounty, and The Old Dark House. Here he seems to be malicious and spiteful simply because he can be – a sort of bored amusement. Karloff is a lot less present in this movie, but he makes his presence known whenever he appears and is essential to the finale scenes. Indeed, he saves one or all three of the ‘good guys’ on several occasions at the cost of his own peril. An enjoyable taut little thriller. There is a brand-new commentary by horror mainstays author Stephen Jones and author/critic Kim Newman. Also, of interest is ‘The Sire de Maletroit’s Door’ – radio adaptations, Stills Galleries and Trailers.

This is a good follow-up to the Karloff: Universal Terror Blu-ray release, and I hope it will be one of many.

Verdict: 8 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2022) 

Starring: Boris Karloff

Directed by Various

Eureka Classics

April 2021

Eureka Entertainment Classics releases Karloff at Columbia, a two-disc collection of the six films he made with the company. This incorporates the four ‘Mad Doctor’ projects, a parody of the ‘Mad Doctor’ scenario, and the 19th Century setting of the opener. This is the first Blu-ray presentation of these movies. There are three films on each disc, plus two audio thrillers starring Boris Karloff on each...

The Black Room (1935 – Directed by Roy William Neill): This is a curse on the family name. When the Baron dies the elder of his twin sons, Gregor, takes over the position, while the younger one, Anton, moves away. But when he returns it is to find the new Baron is a monster, hated by the people, and that women have gone missing. To escape repercussions the Baron hands over the title and position to his benign younger brother, only to kill him in the infamous Black Room and pretend to be him. However, the family curse of the younger brother killing his evil elder will forever find a way to be played-out. This is a nice little suspense thriller which has some similarities to the format of Tower of London, which starred Karloff and Vincent Price. In fact, these two actors were always at the top of their game. Karloff plays both twins, of course, and is mindful enough to occasionally forget himself when he is the older scheming brother playing the dead younger twin – as the latter had a paralysed hand. Ironically, the hero of the piece is a dog. It can sense the difference between the two men, and even sniffs-out the hidden Black Room.

The Man They Could Not Hang (1939 – Directed by Nick Grinde): Karloff plays Dr Savaard who has revolutionised medicine by creating an apparatus which takes over the functions of the body whilst serious surgical work is carried out. For this the subject has to be dead and then brought back to life. He has a voluntary subject candidate, but the man’s fiancé alerts the police who interrupt the procedure. The doctor is accused of murder and, after making his stand in the courtroom, is hanged. However, he has left his body to medical science, who just happens to be his assistant. The doctor is returned to life, and manages to lure all of those who condemned him to his old house, where he intends to kill them one-by-one. This one is highly enjoyable. You can’t take your eyes off the screen for a moment. Karloff’s performance is riveting and compelling in that he is the innocent party here. You can’t help rooting for him, even after he begins knocking-off his enemies. He is given some nice set-pieces to showpiece his acting prowess – particularly when he is obliged to convince others of his rightful motives, such as in the courtroom.

The Man With Nine Lives (1940 – Directed by Nick Grinde): This is a loose sequel  (of sorts) to The Man They Could Not Hang. A medical researcher attempts to progress the work of Dr Kravaal who has gone missing. He traces the man, who had been conducting illicit experiments in cryogenics, only to discover him frozen in his own freezer area. He is returned to health by Morgan the researcher but embarks on a regime of revenge by using his betrayers to perfect his lost procedure. Again, it’s Karloff who makes this film well worth watching. He takes centre stage, and you are mesmerised by his captivating performance.

Before I Hang (1940 – Directed by Nick Grinde): Dr Garth is put on death row for releasing a patient from great pain and suffering by euthanising him. Whilst in prison he is permitted to continue his research into the ageing process, developing a serum to reverse it. He uses himself as a Guinea Pig but, although successful, the use of the blood from a crazed killer causes him to temporarily change temperament. A Jekyll and Hyde-type story.

The Devil Commands (1941 – Directed by Edward Dmytryk): Dr Blair conducts experiments proving that every human being has an individual brain pattern, which could eventually be used to read minds. But when his wife dies in a car accident he sees her brain patterns begin to repeat on his chart. He sells-up and moves to a remote house on a clifftop, with a clairvoyant, where he begins to use local subjects in his attempt to return his wife from the dead. This is slightly drawn-out for the subject matter and plot, but Karloff plays the eminently polite but ultimately crazed scientist with ease.

The Boogie Man Will Get You (1942 – Directed by Lew Landers): This is described as a delightful parody of the ‘Mad Doctor’ films, but it somewhat lets the side down. It isn’t slapstick silliness, but it is a tongue-in-cheek frantic run-around. A penniless mad professor has his house bought from him to pay off his debts. He is allowed by the new owner to remain and continue with his experiments into creating a super human. But constant comings and goings, and certain unscrupulous individuals (such as Peter Lorre’s character) continue to complicate matters. The film keeps you focussed, whilst not being of the quality or seriousness of the others.

This is an excellent set, and the perfect way to release these themed Karloff classics to the world. I thoroughly enjoyed watching the movies, and as an added bonus we have the four audio horror/thrillers. The Limited Edition of only 3,000 copies features a slipcase and a very nice Collector’s Booklet.

Verdict: 10 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2021) 

Starring: Lon Chaney

Directed by Wallace Worsley

Eureka Entertainment

October 2022

As part of its Masters of Cinema series, Eureka Entertainment releases the 1923 silent movie classic The Hunchback of Notre Dame on Blu-ray (from 4K scans) for the first time in the UK. Everybody, it seems, has an interest in Esmerelda (Patsy Ruth Miller), the gypsy street dancer/performer. Dashing ladies’ man, Captain Phoebus (Norman Kerry) is besotted with her and even arranges a marriage, but Clopin (Ernest Torrence), self-elected leader of the common folk, rallies the people to forcibly return her to the streets. Simultaneously, Clopin plans to take the city of Paris from the rich people. At the yearly Festival of Fools, Kindly Cathedral bellringer, the twisted hunchback Quasimodo is Crowned King of Fools. However, his mascot status is soon destroyed by the evil Frollo (Brandon Hurst) who also lusts after Esmerelda (Brandon Hurst). Set-up, Quasimodo is whipped in the town square. The gypsy dancer takes pity on him, and in return he saves her, seeking sanctuary in the house of God, when Clopin and Frollo come looking for her...

Based on the hugely popular novel Notre-Dame de Paris, published in 1831 by Victor Hugo, this film version was made by Universal as a ‘Super Jewel’ – a lavish production costing more than one million dollars (a fortune back then), and incorporating a huge cast of extras. Lon Chaney – already a respected actor – was thrown into international super-stardom after his quite remarkable acting performance as the disfigured hunchback was revered around the globe. The majority of Universal’s few-hundred-acre site was taken-up by sets for the film, including the quite beautiful full-size recreation of Notre Dame cathedral – complete with a multitude of carved gargoyles and other figures.

It is not by chance this film is still considered a classic. It was one of the first monster movies and takes a similar path to Frankenstein in terms of a sympathetic monster. Lon Chaney later returned to Universal to portray another iconic figure in The Phantom of the Opera. The Hunchback of Notre Dame is a stunning film for its time, with exciting set-pieces. It has an epic grandness to it. So, dispose of those ‘old film’ and ‘subtitles’ blinkers and let yourself in for a treat.

Extras include a brand new Audio Commentary by author Stephen Jones and author/critic Kim Newman (always entertaining, this pair is like a double-act); a brand new Interview with Kim Newman on the many adaptations of Victor Hugo’s novel (more of an enthusiastic lecture – informative and fun); a brand new Interview with film historian Jonathan Rigby (again, a talk which is very different in approach to Newman’s – often appears on extras for Hammer films); and there is a Collector’s Booklet featuring a New Essay by journalist Philip Kemp, illustrated with archival imagery. The first 2000 copies incorporate a Limited-Edition O-Card Slipcase.  

Verdict: 10 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2022) 

Starring: Conrad Veidt, Alexandra Sorina, Fritz Kortner, Paul Askonas

Directed by Robert Wiene

Eureka Entertainment

June 2021

Loving young wife Yvonne Orlac excitedly awaits the return of her husband, renowned concert pianist Paul Orlac. When the shocking news of a serious train collision reaches her, Yvonne arranges to be driven to the site of the wreckages. She finds her husband with horrific injuries. At the hospital she is informed he must have an operation on his head, but she is just as concerned about his ruined hands and begs the surgeon to help him. A convicted and recently executed murderer has his body intercepted, and the surgeon transplants the killer’s hands onto Paul. When he learns what has taken place, the former pianist becomes paranoid about the possibility of hurting individuals – even his own wife. As they head towards becoming destitute, Yvonne visit’s Paul’s rich and estranged father for help. When she is spurned she appeals to Paul to speak with him. However, when Paul’s father is found murdered, all the evidence points to the pianist. But is he guilty or has he been set-up...?

Eureka Entertainments Masters of Cinema releases The Hands of Orlac, the 1924 silent horror thriller classic directed by Robert Wiene and starring Conrad Veidt (Das Cabinet Des Dr Claigari, The Man Who Laughs, Waxworks). On Blu-ray for the first time in the UK, this influential film presentation is from a restoration by Film Archiv Austria. Extra features include: a new feature length commentary by author Stephen Jones and author/film critic Kim Newman; a new video essay by filmmakers David Cairns and Fiona Watson; a collector’s booklet featuring new writing by Philip Kemp and Tim Lucas; and an alternative presentation of the film (courtesy of the F. W. Murnau Foundation) featuring a different film source and varied takes of certain scenes. This includes a music score by Paul Mercer. There is also a film comparisons feature highlighting the differences between the two versions of the movie.

I had been meaning to add this film to my collection, so it is with delight that I welcome it for review. It’s certainly a silent classic which stands on the shirttails of Nosferatu, Der Golem, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Phantom of the Opera, the aforementioned Das Cabinet Des Dr Caligari, and others – and has been copied in various formats over the years. The style is described as German Expressionism, but the truth of the matter is that in the silent movie era this is how films were made. The absence of speech is countered with additional movement, expression and emotion in a similar way that the artform is projected out to the audience in a theatre. Nevertheless, Conrad Veidt is impressive (and expressive!) in the role. This may not appeal to the younger viewers, but for film collectors this is a must.   

Verdict: 8 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2021) 

Starring: Ralph Bates, Kate O'Mara, Veronica Carlson, David Prowse. 

Directed by Jimmy Sangster

StudioCanal

January 2018

Victor Frankenstein walks out of medical school when he believes he can learn no more… and after getting the Dean’s daughter pregnant. When his father dies, Frankenstein returns to the castle where he creates a laboratory with a fellow student. Victor spends all his time attempting to bring life to dead body parts – punctuated only by bedding the maid. Eventually he is obliged to seek the help of a grave robber. However, his success in creating a living creature is tempered by a systematic down-turn of events. Both his colleague and his lovely maid turn against him, so Frankenstein uses the creature to remove his obstacles. But the creature’s activities attract the interest of the local police...

Hammer was actively looking for young stars to replace its stalwart classic actors such as Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee (how could you ever replace those two gentlemen?). They wanted a reimagining of The Curse of Frankenstein (Hammer’s first proper gothic horror) and approached reliable regular scriptwriter Jimmy Sangster. The man took some tempting back, so they offered him the producing and directing positions, too. Sangster felt that this type of film had run its course; his decision to send the film up and create a black comedy was a curious one, because that’s not exactly what emerged. There are probably only two clear-cut moments of gallows humour: one being when an electrical charge is put through a disembodied arm and it raises two fingers (one finger in the American cut of the film), and the other being when the brain to be used is dropped.

Many people (including Hammer historian Marcus Hearn) dismiss this film as a spoof of sorts, but that’s simply not the case. Purposefully or not, I believe Sangster turned in one of his strongest projects. There is a misunderstanding that the dialogue is dark comedy, but this is by far the best acting role I’ve seen from Ralph Bates. He plays the entire piece straight, which means his portrayal of Frankenstein is self-obsessed and flippant. He cares nothing about the people around him; merely using them as a means to an end: his work. A far cry from Cushing’s misguided formal and gentlemanly scholar. Irony takes its part, of course. Particularly at the conclusion of events when Frankenstein hides his creature in the acid tank to avoid discovery by the authorities, and an annoying little girl pulls the rope which unknowingly tips acid on it.

Aside from Bates, who is refreshingly different as Frankenstein (mainly down to Sangster’s screenplay), we have a gorgeous young Kate O’Mara as the jealous maid/housekeeper, and Dennis Price as the gloriously upper-crust grave robber. The creature is played by none other than Green Cross Code man and Mr Darth Vader – David Prowse. Veronica Carlson, who had been in Dracula Has Risen From The Grave and Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed, is given very little to do in this one aside from follow Victor around like a love sick puppy being repeatedly rejected.

I last reviewed the DVD release of The Horror of Frankenstein in 2004. I was taken with it then and I still love it now. Perhaps I am the dissenter here because, despite those who might tell you differently, there is so much to appreciate in this film. There is no padding and no disrespect for the root subject. It’s just that Frankenstein is so absorbed in his work that nothing else matters – and that come across as a rather fun interpretation. Don’t listen to those other critics; buy yourself a copy of this Doubleplay release. You won’t be disappointed.      

Verdict: 9 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2018) 

Starring: Valerie Leon, Mark Edwards, James Villiers, Hugh Burden, Aubrey Morris. 

Directed by Seth Holt

StudioCanal

October 2017

To coincide with the 60th anniversary of Hammer’s first proper horror film (The Curse of Frankenstein) Studio Canal is releasing DVD/Blu-ray Doubleplay versions of Blood From the Mummy’s Tomb, Demons of the Mind, Fear in the Night, Scars of Dracula, Dr Jekyll and Sister Hyde, To the Devil a Daughter, Straight on Till Morning, and The Horror of Frankenstein...

In Blood From the Mummy’s Tomb, a British expedition discovers the tomb of the evil Queen Tera. At that precise moment Julian Fuchs’s wife gives birth to a daughter the exact image of the mummy. While Tera’s incredibly lifelike preservation remains an enigma for years in the basement of a house in London, Margaret struggles to hold on to her identity. Corbeck, a member of the expedition, uses her for nefarious ambitions of power and, with a ring from the tomb, begins to recover the artefacts which protect the rest of the expedition.

This film from 1971 is the last example of the mummy scenario from Hammer. It is different in that there is no revenge-seeking creature wrapped in bandages. In fact, Tera isn’t a mummy at all; her beautiful, bejewelled body is very human, and is intact aside from missing a hand. The first shot is a close-up of Valerie Leon’s heaving breasts as she dreams a flashback to ancient Egypt… and what is the connecting shot? The evil queen Tera’s breasts. Who can blame Hammer for utilising her assets as she wanders around in a negligee. Actually, Leon is pretty good in the twin role. Rather, it’s the script that suffers. It’s based on Bram (Dracula) Stoker’s story The Jewel of the Seven Stars, but here the suspense isn’t sustained. After a strong start the middle section of the movie drags with dull and over-long scenes wherein the artefacts are recovered at the expense of their keepers.

Like Carter’s real-life expedition, this movie was said to be plagued by a curse. Hammer legend Peter Cushing was cast as Fuchs and had started filming when he pulled out due to his wife’s serious illness. Sadly, she died. Cushing was replaced by Andrew Keir – best known perhaps for his other Hammer roles in Quatermass and the Pit, and Dracula: Prince of Darkness. Other examples of ill fortune included the death of two crew members, including the director Seth Holt himself. Michael Carreras completed the movie, which is undoubtedly why some scenes appear incomplete or simply lack finesse.

It’s great to spot Hugh Burden who plays Geoffrey Dandridge detached from reality and not too dissimilar to his role as Channing in Doctor Who’s ‘Spearhead From Space’. There’s a nice in-joke too, when we see an estate agent sign outside a house. It carries the names of Production Designer Scott MacGregor and Production Supervisor Roy Skeggs.

I last reviewed this film in 2004. As opinions often change, I watched and reviewed this new release before checking-up on what I had written before. Although I’ve written a very different review my outlook remains unchanged. It’s not one of their best, but as time goes on it’s increasingly important to revere the august horror output of Hammer.      

Verdict: 5 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2017) 

Starring: Christopher Lee, Patrick Troughton, Dennis Waterman, Jenny Hanley, Michael Gwynn, Michael Ripper. 

Directed by Roy Ward Baker

StudioCanal

October 2017

Hot on the heels of the recently reviewed Blood from the Mummy’s Tomb comes the re-released Scars of Dracula. This is another in the batch of Blu-ray/DVD Doubleplay horror films on offer courtesy of the vaults of Hammer Films. The other films available are Demons of the Mind, Fear in the Night, Dr Jekyll and Sister Hyde, To the Devil a Daughter, Straight on Till Morning, and The Horror of Frankenstein.

In Scars of Dracula, a young philanderer called Paul falls foul of local authorities and is obliged to seek refuge at the infamous Castle Dracula. When he goes missing, his brother Simon and new wife attempt to seek information from the tiny village tavern. The occupants are afraid of the castle – particularly as they had attempted to burn it to the ground, along with its master. Now the couple arrive at the castle, and Dracula has taken a shine to the young woman… but then so has his manservant.

This doesn’t reach the simple impactful heights of Horror of Dracula (or just Dracula in some regions) but it is a good romp, and certainly the bloodiest of the Hammer Dracula films. Christopher Lee doesn’t really do that much; however, he doesn’t need to, as his presence and character persona is quite powerful.

This is a Who’s Who of interesting actors. Patrick Troughton is fantastic in practically every he’s appeared in, and undoubtedly one of the best Doctors in Doctor Who. Here he plays Clove, the dirty manservant to Dracula; a beaten slave with a heart, especially in regard to Jenny Hanley’s character (an actress who would pop up often around this time). Dennis Waterman plays a bit of a refined toff and consequently shows-up the faults in his early acting. Of course, he would go on to make a name in The Sweeney and Minder as more of a streetwise ruffian. And what can I say about Michael Ripper except it’s a pleasure to see him. He was in more Hammer films than any other actor – usually playing a secondary role. In this one he is the tavern landlord.

These Hammer offerings are a real joy. Scars of Dracula is the last of four loosely-linked films, but rest assured you can quite easily enjoy this as a standalone experience. The period setting of the majority of them means they don’t date to the extent of many other movies.     

Verdict: 8 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2017) 

Starring: James Mason, Leonard Whiting, David McCallum, Jane Seymour, Nicola Paget, Michael Sarrazin.

Directed by Jack Smight

Fabulous Films/Fremantle Media

February 2023

Set in the 19th century, this is the story of Dr Victor Frankenstein who, after the sudden death of his younger brother, rails at God and reasons that man should be able to conquer death. He leaves his fiancé to study medicine. Whilst doing so, he meets and studies with the outcast and unorthodox Dr Henry Clerval, who is attempting to create new life from recently deceased body parts. They are close to success when Clerval dies. Frankenstein wastes no time in using his mentor’s brain. On the brink of disaster (harnessing the sun for power), Frankenstein brings the patchwork body to life. Handsome and charming enough to be introduced into society, the doctor tells people he is a foreign relative. But when the body begins to atrophy, the creator is distasteful of the creation. He is shunned whenever he comes into human contact, and slowly becomes the monster everyone has made him out to be. But when Dr Polidori threatens Frankenstein into making a beautiful female creature, his original creature is resentful. But even Frankenstein and his pregnant wife’s attempt at escape to a new life is thwarted, when they are hounded by Polidori and the creature...

This adaptation of the Mary Shelley classic novel dates back to 1973 and features more stars than you can shake a stick at. James Mason, John Gielgud, Ralph Richardson, David McCallum, Peter Sallis, Leonard Whiting, Jane Seymour and Tom Baker – to name but a few. Wow, what more could you ask for? Quite often, history has shown us that throwing names at a film doesn’t necessarily make it a classic; in fact, the majority of the time it has the opposite effect. I wouldn’t call this two-part mini-series film a classic, but it is memorable, and in this case it does seem to help having very strong performances. By far the strongest is David McCallum’s Dr Henry Clerval, which is quite simply captivating. You are compelled to watch his every movement. It’s extremely disappointing when he dies. Frankenstein proves to be a poor substitute, and I lost a lot of my initial interest at this point.

Although it might be argued that Dr Victor Frankenstein is the monster for actually defying God and creating an abomination of man – a soulless thing, he is not the villain of the piece. Neither is the new creation, aside from his natural reaction at being shunned the moment his physical features begin to deteriorate. Here, the real evil comes from James Mason’s Dr Polidori, who manipulates Frankenstein into creating a beautiful female, with which he intends to infiltrate royalty and politics to his own ends. He keeps popping up like a bad penny, and it’s difficult to know why nobody just bops him over the head or, in the case of the final scenes, throws him overboard. Frankenstein even intervenes when the creature physically confronts Polidori.

Jane Seymour is the female creature, who would seem to be perfect but for the covered thin scar around her neck. All of the men ply for her attention, but she is somewhat creepy, too, as she mimics all of the actions of Frankenstein’s pregnant wife. One eccentric actor who is woefully underutilised in this film is Tom Baker. He plays the ship’s captain but is rather side-lined by the heavy storm and the creature’s antics in the rigging. This would have been only a year or so before he went on to become a household name in Doctor Who. I wouldn’t say this version has many faults, except perhaps that, again, it is too long. It’s a long time since I first saw this, but it holds up very well over time.

Extras include a Film Introduction from James Mason; Off With Her Head – an Interview with Jane Seymour; Victor’s Story – an Interview with Actor Leonard Whiting; Frankenstein’s Diary – A Conversation with Writer Don Bachardy; and a double-sided Fold-Out Poster of the all-new Graham Humphreys Artwork.     

Verdict: 7 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2023) 

Starring: David Emge, Ken Foree, Scott Reiniger, Gaylen Ross. 

Directed by George A. Romero

Second Sight Films

November 2020

A TV station erupts into violence and chaos when an argument breaks-out live on air about whether the dead, who are rising again, should morally be destroyed or saved. However, the point becomes academic when the police and army raid a troublesome tenement block, only to find it running ‘a-dead’ with zombies. A group of four individuals flee the area in a helicopter, but the problem is widespread. Stephen and Francine are a couple from the TV station, and Peter and Roger are crack marksmen. After collecting fuel from an abandoned pump, they land on the roof of a shopping precinct and section-off a protective area. They create a plan to block-off the outside entrances with trucks, and then pick-off the zombies already inside. That leaves the supplies and amenities of the entire shopping centre open to them. However, matters take a turn for the worse when Stephen is bitten, Francine is discovered to be pregnant, and a very large gang of motorcycle raiders turn up...

Dawn of the Dead from 1978 was written and directed by zombie master George A. Romero (he was also credited as Editor), and is certainly his most successful film after the classic The Night of the Living Dead. In fact, many people actually prefer this one. It’s described as a social satire; I don’t know about the ‘social’ part, but it’s certainly satirical. I’m pretty certain the description comes from the plot reasoning that one of the places that unthinking, instinctive undead will automatically head for is the mall – essentially, because it had been a large part of their life. With that logic you would assume they would all head to their individual homes or places of work. Nevertheless, the film balances a fine line between a life and death serious situation caused by a virus, and a fun-filled comedy of gruesome dark humour. The music announces the mood of any given situation, informing us in no uncertain terms what to expect. The soundtrack is by The Goblins (an electronic throbbing beat) and Italian horror movie director Dario Argento (jaunty pieces of juvenile comedy-by-numbers). Argento was also the script consultant. Tom Savini created the excellent Make-up and Special Effects, which went a long way towards making this epic work so well, with some gristly moments in places and blood aplenty. He was also a stuntman on the film, and as an actor played one of the more prominent motorcycle gang leaders.

Second Sight Films has released two Limited Edition collections of the film. One is a 4K UHD set which contains 3 x 4K discs and 1 x Blu-ray disc of extras (plus 3 x Ltd. Ed. CDs). The other (which I am reviewing here) incorporates 4 x Blu-ray discs, 3 x Audio discs, and Boxset additions. The amount of material included is truly phenomenal, so take a deep breath…

Blu-ray Disc 1 contains the Theatrical Cut of the film (127 mins) from a new 4K scan of the Original Camera Negative, supervised and approved by DoP Michael Gornick. The Audio New Restoration is presented in Mono, Stereo and 5.1. There is a Commentary by George A. Romero, Tom Savini and Christine Forrest; a New Commentary by Travis Crawford; and New optional English Subtitles for the hearing impaired.

Blu-ray Disc 2 contains the Extended (‘Cannes’) Cut (137 mins) from a 4K scan of the Theatrical Cut Original Camera Negative and a 4K scan of the Extended Cut Colour Reversal Internegative. There is a DTS-HD Master Audio; a Commentary by Producer Richard P. Rubinstein; and the English Subtitles for the hearing impaired.

Blu-ray Disc 3 contains the Argento Cut (120 mins) from a 4K scan of the Interpositive by Michele De Angelis at Backlight Digital, Rome. There is an Audio DT-HD Master for Mono, Stereo and 5.1; a Commentary by Ken Foree (Peter), Scott Reiniger (Roger), Gaylen Ross (Francine), and David Emge (Stephen); and the New English Subtitles for the hearing impaired.

Blu-ray Disc 4 contains a number of Special Features: A New Feature – Zombies and Bikers; New Feature – Memories of Monroeville: A Tour of the Mall; New Feature – Raising the Dead: The Production Logistics; New Feature – The FX of Dawn, with Tom Savini; New Feature – Dummies! Dummies! An Interview with Richard France; New Feature – The Lost Romero Dawn Interview (previously unreleased); Super 8 Mail Footage by zombie extra Ralph Langer (with optional commentary); Document of the Dead: The Original Cut; Document of the Dead: The Definitive Cut (with optional commentary); The Dead Will Walk 2014 Documentary; Trailers, TV and Radio Spots.

Audio Disc 1 contains the Goblin Soundtrack (17 tracks). Audio Discs 2 and 3 contain Parts 1 & 2 of Dawn of the Dead: A De Wolfe Library Compilation.

The Packaging contains: a Rigid Box with Lid featuring the Original Artwork; Two Inner Digipaks; Dissecting the Dead – a 160 Page Hardback Book featuring 17 new essays, archive article and George A. Romero interview, plus original marketing, artwork and merchandise images and behind-the-scenes stills; Dawn of the Dead: The Novelisation book by George A. Romero and Susanna Sparrow (with exclusive artwork).

Wow! I have watched this movie a handful of times over the years. Personally, I believe it is overly long for the plot, but if you haven’t seen it I would suggest it is definitely worth a look. You’ll be amazed at the amount of extras, the majority of which had to be adorned with various make-up and clothing. The extras on Blu-ray disc 4 add up to a total running time of around 7 hours and 30 minutes. This seems to suggest that the trio of film versions would have fitted comfortably onto two discs rather than three. That aside, for any collector of Romero zombie films, or for individual fans of this one, a collection such of this will be revered. It is a suitable tribute to a sadly departed talent.  

Verdict: 8 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2020 

Starring: Essie Davis, Noah Wiseman, Hayley McElhinney, Daniel Henshall, Barbara West, Ben Winspear.

Directed by Jennifer Kent

Second Sight Films

June 2021

Amelia struggles to raise her psychologically disturbed son, Samuel. Her husband was killed in a car accident driving her to the hospital to give birth to Samuel. Now, a few years later, Samuel is at school, but his behavioural problems are increasingly more unpredictable. But it isn’t only Samuel who is suffering; Amelia is living on the edge of her nerves, with next to no sleep and constant disruptive daytime events. She has no family to fall back on, and her best friend has distanced herself for the safety of her own children. When Samuel notices a creepy new pop-up book on his shelf called The Babadook it becomes the catalyst for all of his thoughts and actions. He tells his mother that the shadowy figure wants to kill them, but is this statement a result of Samuel’s fevered imagination or is there substance to his words...?

On the face of it, this is just another ghost story wherein a child sees and experiences things which the adult/s cannot perceive (at least until the plot allows them to!). However, there is significantly more going on here than meets the eye. This film is much more about the exploration of Amelia’s state of mind than it is a straight horror film. The dark, spindly gentleman-like figure is very well conceived and intelligently kept on the edge of darkness. The fact that the character is straight out of a pop-up book (or has been re-represented in one) causes you to make an association with something which you might expect from a Tim Burton film. So, the power of the Babadook is maintained by not being fully realised, although ultimately the strength and effectiveness of the creature depends upon the stableness or otherwise of the two main characters.

Essie Davis is quite remarkable in the role of Amelia. Her performance is a rollercoaster ride of grief, tiredness, psychological strain, frustration, anger and love. It is completely believable to the point the viewer is dragged into her downward spiralling distress. It’s indelibly marked on her features, subtly different in each scene as a result of escalating events. It is a case of witnessing Amelia’s weakening mind and her final proved resilience and resolve, with the Babadook merely being the trigger which forces her to thrust out a metaphorical hand and mentally exclaim, “Enough! No more! I’m stronger than this.” It is a pivotal moment and turns this mythological menace into more of a tentative and subdued presence.

Second Sight Films presents a Limited Edition 4K and Blu-ray release with cover artwork by Peter Diamond, a 150-page hardback book, and collector’s art cards. There is an audio commentary, no less than eight interviews with cast and crew, a short film called Monster, a behind-the-scenes making of…, special effects, stunts, the house, and creating the pop-up book. If your preference is for psychological horror, rather than blood and guts, then you’re in for a treat. 

Verdict: 8 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2021) 

Starring: Peter Cushing, Brit Ekland, Robert Powell, Herbert Lom, Barry Morse, Patrick Magee.

Directed by Roy Ward Baker

Second Sight Films

July 2019

Second Sight Films releases the Amicus portmanteau classic from 1972, Asylum, written by Psycho author Robert Bloch – a prolific writer of short stories – and directed by Roy Ward Baker. This Limited Edition Blu-ray release includes a rigid slipcase featuring new artwork by Graham Humphreys, a 40-page booklet with new essays by Allan Bryce, Jon Towlson and Kat Ellinger, a reversible sleeve featuring new and old artwork, and a host of disc special features.

Doctor Martin (Robert Powell) arrives for a job at an asylum for the incurably insane. He sees Doctor Rutherford and, as a test, is set the task of discovering which inmate used to run the establishment. To do this he is shown systematically into four locked rooms, by Rutherford’s assistant, to hear how each patient came to be there.

In 'Frozen Fear', a man plots to murder his wealthy wife so he can be with his lover. However, she has been learning voodoo practices from a shaman and is wearing a talisman when she is killed, cut into separate pieces and put in a freezer in the cellar. When he checks the freezer later, he is attacked by the limbs which are scattered throughout the cellar and moving towards him. When his lover, Bonnie (Barbara Parkins) – the patient of the asylum – arrives, she herself is attacked by the body pieces and cannot escape the cellar. When an arm grips her from above, she attempts to free herself with an axe, thereby hideously scaring her own face.

This is a standard tale of lust and revenge, but it’s well-told. It is weakened by only one aspect which can hardly fail to reduce you to hysterics. It’s not the fact that the body parts of the wife move by themselves – and a head somehow manages to get from the bottom to the top of the stairs that will make you laugh, it’s the fact that each body part is carefully and meticulously wrapped-up in brown parcel paper and tied with string very attractively. What was he going to do, post them?!

In 'The Weird Tailor', an elderly shop owner cannot afford to pay his rent, so he is delighted when a gentleman (Peter Cushing) arrives with the request for a special suit. It is a strange fabric and there are very specific instructions. When it is finished the tailor delivers it to the man’s house, only to discover the gentleman is himself destitute. The suit is meant for the gentleman’s son who is dead and in a coffin. An extremely rare book has the ritual to bring him back using the suit. The tailor is forced to stop this by killing the gentleman. He returns to the shop with the book and the suit, but his wife puts the suit on a shop mannikin, inadvertently bringing it to life. In the original Robert Bloch short story, more is made of the mannikin that his wife talks to when she is increasingly left alone. This gives added resonance to her displaying the suit on her ‘friend’.

In 'Lucy Comes to Stay', Charlotte Rampling plays Barbara, a periodic asylum patient who is brought back to her brother’s house, along with a new housekeeper who is primarily there to ‘look after’ her. Her mischievous friend Lucy (Britt Ekland) arrives, upsetting Barbara’s mental balance. Barbara is persuaded by Lucy to escape the confines of the house one night, but she soon discovers that Lucy has killed the brother and the housekeeper. The only thing is, no one has heard of or seen Lucy. This one works well as a psychological piece. There were talks about making this the first segment, because there is little horror content and putting it at the start of the film would allow the tension and horror to be progressively racked-up. But it was decided a more visual horror tale should pique the audience attention.

In 'Mannikins of Horror', Herbert Lom plays Dr Byron, a gifted surgeon who constructs a collection of mini-automatons with the likenesses of people who have wronged him in the past. His masterpiece, however, is one with his own features and bodily organs. He uses the power of his mind to transfer his essence into it, with the sole intention of killing Doctor Rutherford and taking his place. You would not expect Herbert Lom to be in a horror film, but it works very well. There is a climatic scene to tie it all together, as the automaton dispatches Rutherford, and the visiting Doctor Martin discovers who used to run the asylum. I won’t give that information away.

This is a veritable who’s who of big names. Aside from the aforementioned Peter Cushing (who brought life to everything he was in – and I don’t just mean Frankenstein!), Charlotte Rampling, Britt Ekland, Herbert Lom, Robert Powell and Barbara Parkins, there is Patrick Magee, Barry Morse, Sylvia Syms, Richard Todd, and the wonderful Geoffrey Bayldon. I should also mention Douglas Gamley, who composed and conducted the suitably dark and atmospheric music.

There is a nice little collection of special features on the disc, including: an Audio Commentary with Roy Ward Baker and camera operator Neil Binney; a 1972 On Set BBC Report with interviews with Producer Milton Subotsky, Roy Ward Baker, Charlotte Rampling, James Villiers, Megs Jenkins, Art Director Tony Curtis and Production Manager Teresa Bolland; Screenwriter David J. Schow on Writer Robert Bloch (this is the most informative extra – it’s only 20 minutes but the sheer amount of interesting data relayed is truly staggering); Inside The Fear Factory is about the Amicus company; Fiona Subotsky Remembers Milton Subotsky, and there is a Theatrical Trailer.    

Verdict: 9 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2019) 

Starring: Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, Denholm Elliott, Ingrid Pitt, Nyree Dawn Porter, Jon Pertwee. 

Directed by Peter Duffell

Second Sight Films

July 2019

Second Sight Films releases the Amicus portmanteau classic from 1970, The House That Dripped Blood, written by Psycho author Robert Bloch – a prolific writer of short stories – and debut directed by Peter Duffell. This Limited Edition Blu-ray Edition includes a rigid slipcase featuring new artwork by Graham Humphreys, a 40-page booklet with new essays by Allan Bryce, Jon Towlson and Kat Ellinger, and a reversible poster featuring new and original artwork. Police Detective Holloway (John Bennett) is called in from Scotland Yard by a local police sergeant to investigate the grisly events that have taken place at a mansion house available for rent. One by one, the tales are relayed to the dismissive Holloway...

In Method for Murder, Denholm Elliot plays Charles, a horror writer who finds the house the ideal seclusion to write his next book. He creates a twisted killer called Dominic, seeing the man so vividly in his mind’s eye that he sketches his likeness. But when he begins to see the man in reality in and around the house, his wife suggests he see a psychiatrist. The idea is to send Charles mad and have him committed. However, his wife’s lover – who has made himself up to resemble the sketch depiction – has mentally taken on the role of the mad killer. He murders not only the psychiatrist, but Charles too, before returning to strangle Charles’s wife.

In Waxworks, Peter Cushing plays Phillip, who rents the house to relax, read and listen to music. When he pays a visit to the nearest town he finds a waxwork lookalike of his lost love. Rogers is an old rival in love to her and, when he sees the waxwork, he can’t stop going back. The woman was murdered by her husband who turns out to be the proprietor. Both Phillip and Rogers come to a grisly end as exhibits. A nice build-up of suspense, but with a somewhat rushed cop-out ending.

In Sweets to the Sweet, the Christopher Lee character brings his young daughter Jane to the house. He hires Mrs Norton, a private teacher for her (played by Nyree Dawn Porter). The girl’s father is very strict and doesn’t allow her toys, but Jane is brought out of her shell a little by the teacher, who also tells her to respect fire rather than fear it. The girl’s father, it turns out, is afraid of his daughter as he was her mother. She is a witch and finds books in the study to brush-up on the craft. She fashions a doll from candle wax and torments her father by sticking it with a pin. He suffers great pain, but the doctor can find nothing wrong. When he finally reveals Jane’s nature to Mrs Norton, the little girl is one step ahead and throws the wax doll into the fire.

In Curse of the Bloodsuckers, Jon Pertwee plays horror film star Paul Henderson. He despises the cheapness of the sets and props of the vampire film he is working on (“Frankenstein, Phantom of the Opera, Dracula… Bela Lugosi, of course, not the new fellow.”). He finds a much more authentic cloak at the Hartmann Theatrical Costumers. It is heavier, with red lining. Von Hartmann (played by Catweazle, the wonderful Geoffrey Bayldon) seems glad to be rid of the thing. Henderson soon realises he can’t be seen in a mirror when he puts it on. He also grows fangs and rises up into the air. But when he inadvertently really bites his co-star Carla (played by Ingrid Pitt), he locks the thing in a closet. However, he hasn’t counted on Carla’s interest in the cloak.

The Scotland Yard detective finally visits the house – at night, no less – and gets the trouble he has invited. In the basement he finds a coffin and is attacked by the Pertwee Henderson vampire. He manages to stake it, but then is assaulted by the beautiful Pitt Carla vampire. It is a truly hammy ending to what is a fun and enjoyable – if pretty much horror-by-numbers affair. The first segment is probably the best and least corny of the four, but even the climax of that one is rushed.

Extras include: Two Audio Commentaries (one with the Director and horror historian Jonathan Rigby, the other with author Troy Howarth); Interview with Second Assistant Director Mike Higgins; A Rated Horror Film – a featurette containing interviews with the director and actors Geoffrey Bayldon, Ingrid Pitt, and Chloe Franks; there are also trailers and a stills gallery. There are several other great portmanteau horror films from Amicus and Hammer; hopefully, we’ll see new releases on Blu-ray for all of them. And what about a boxset?  

Verdict: 8 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2019)