More Horror Reviews

Starring: Michael Redgrave, Mervyn Johns, Frederick Valk, Roland Culver.         

Directed Various       

StudioCanal

February 2014

Walter Craig is invited to a country mansion he has never been to before. However, the moment he walks in he knows instinctively where to hang his hat and coat. As he is introduced to the other guests, he tells them he knows them already, and goes as far as to say they are one short: a brunette woman will arrive late citing money problems. The strangers are intrigued, so he tells them he has dreamed about this situation on a regular basis. A psychoanalyst among their number tries to rationalise what is happening, but Craig tells him he will accidentally break his glasses, which he later does. The others are prepared to believe Craig to a certain extent, as they have each experienced something which defies logical explanation. Each of the guests in turn tell their tale, and even the psychoanalyst has a story which, of course, he attempts to define. But why is Craig at the house, and what will happen when they reach the point where his dream usually ends with a dark sense of foreboding...

Dead of Night is a classic film from 1945, which caught everyone by surprise upon its release. Ealing Studios had never before attempted a horror. In fact, the four directors involved would probably not have described it as such, but rather a supernatural or more likely psychological thriller. Of course, the idea of a portmanteau wasn’t new even then. It had been tackled back in the 1930s. But the stories work so well because of the  strong and suspenseful linking narrative. In fact, the discussion between the guests – although taking place all in one room – is so gripping that, rather than simply linking the short stories together, it is the stories themselves which are very nearly a means to an end.

For me, the best of the anthology stories here is the one with the racing driver, even though it hinges on one moment. The driver nearly dies in a race crash and thereafter spends a long time in a hospital room. One night he is drawn to look at the closed curtains across the window. Cleverly, the music stops here and there is complete silence. When he whips back the curtains it has changed from night to daytime. Outside, is a horse drawn hearse. The hearse driver sees him at the window and jovially announces, ‘Room for one more inside.’ Later, when the racing driver leaves hospital and attempts to climb aboard a full bus, the conductor – the same man as the hearse driver – says, ‘Room for one more inside.’ Understandably, he elects not to get on, and thereby prevents his own death when the bus crashes.

In another tale, a young woman plays hide and seek in a strange house at a Christmas party. She finds a sad boy in period clothing and comforts him, only to learn later that the boy was killed by his sister many years before. A woman buys her husband an antique mirror as a gift, and he begins to see another room reflected in it. He becomes more unbalanced as time goes on, believing himself to be going insane. But his wife discovers that a previous owner had killed his wife and then himself in view of the mirror.

The golf comedy comes in for a lot of criticism (and it is rather contrived at times, though being loosely based on an H.G. Wells story), it works well as a plot device to break the increasing tension between the guests, before ratcheting it up again. Two friends and golfers fall in love with the same woman, who can’t decide between them, so they play a round of golf for the right to marry her. One of them cheats to win, and the other commits suicide (which is dark in itself). But he returns to haunt the other man when he realises he has been tricked. The story has a number of plot faults which are rushed over in favour of the inherent comedy aspect. I can understand what was trying to be achieved here, but it’s overly long, too.

The psychologist’s story of the ventriloquist dummy, which would seem to be alive and controlling events, is by far the most well-known tale here. Newcomers to this film will surely reason that this is an old concept, with films like Magic and the Child’s Play franchise having emerged. But what needs to be understood is that Dead of Night was the first time it had been done on screen, and would surely have been quite chilling at the time.

Near the end there is a masterful montage of off-kilter vignettes, with the protagonist attempting to escape the house by running through and becoming a part of all the stories we have just witnessed. This is a well-filmed conclusion in the vein of a nightmare – which is only logical given the circumstances.

This really is a film worth investing in a copy of. There is also a very interesting 75 minute featurette, incorporating the thoughts of many film historians/critics, but it is severely lacking the presence of the most entertaining critic, Mark Kermode. There is also a restoration comparison.               

Verdict: 8 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2014)

Starring: Dana Andrews, Peggy Cummins, Niall MacGinnis, Athene Seyler.         

Mediumrare Entertainment

October 2010

Psychologist John Holden arrives in England from America, only to be informed that his contact, Professor Harrington has been killed in an accident. As part of his investigation into the occult, Harrington had been about to expose the eminent Doctor Karswell as a Devil-worshipping back magic cultist. Harrington’s daughter, Joanna, is convinced that Karswell had her father killed by summoning a demon. A practical man, Holden is wholly unconvinced. However, he does intend to continue Harrington’s work, and that includes looking into the affairs of Doctor Karswell. Unsurprisingly, he is warned off, but Holden is not easily scared. That is until he is passed a paper depicting runic symbols and told he only has three days to live. As the deadline fast approaches, he is finally forced to concede there are more things in hell and earth... But is there a way out...?

Fully restored, and for the first time on DVD, comes this black and white classic from the 1950’s. Jacques Tourneur’s film must have made quite an impression upon its first release, because it still resonates with intensity today.

The appearance of the demon is almost secondary to everything that comes before and after. Not many movies around this time played the supernatural story for real, with scientists, psychologists, hypnotism, and a strict, learned approach. Consequentially, it works very well as a psychological thriller, throwing ambiguity into the mix, and a sense of impending doom - of time running out.

The villain of the piece, Karswell, is gentlemanly, as most great perpetrators are; he is even seen entertaining local children as a clown of sorts on the grounds of his large estate. The plot motors along, using audience shocking sound and vision tricks of the trade that have become almost commonplace now.

The disc carries the original uncut UK film (95 minutes), and also the cut US version (82 minutes) which debuted under the title Curse of the Demon in 1958 as a double-bill alongside Revenge of Frankenstein. There is also a stills gallery. Unfortunately, I can’t comment on the packaging as I only received the disc itself for this one. Only a small percentage of the horror and science fiction output of the 1950s worked; those that did became film classics, and Night of the Demon is most assuredly one of them.               

Verdict: 8 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2010)

Starring: Niamh, Nicholas Burns, Vincent Franklin, Sophia La Porta.        

Directed Prano Bailey-Bond       

Second Sight Films

January 2022

Enid (Niamh Algar) is a film censor in 1980s Britain at the height of the ‘Video Nasty’ era. She spends her days carefully watching and assessing gruesome horror films. She not only takes her job very seriously, but is intense to the point of aloofness, becoming increasingly distant and alienating her work associates. Clearly, something is going on. Is she being deeply troubled by the films, or does she suffer psychological problems of her own, exacerbated by the violent and visceral nature of the films? When she views the film Don’t Go in the Church, a particular scene triggers a suppressed childhood memory which spirals her off the edge of a psychological precipice so that her distinction between reality and fantasy is blurred, with devastating consequences...

This is an interesting one. I find it difficult to believe there was any real discussion about which period in Britain’s censorship history the film should be set in, as the so-called Video Nasty era of the 1980s was not only the most notorious but also the most over-sensationalised. Rather than dress the people and backgrounds in the upper middle-class to rich bracket of big hair, padded shoulders and lavish businesses, it was instead given the look of the common working class, humdrum and dull and downtrodden. The video shops are portrayed as both treasure troves of sometimes illicit material and seedy behind-the-counter transactions. This setting allows not only screened segments of fictitious gory horror films, but more importantly a character study of Enid. So, essentially we get a cold case mystery draped in a psychological thriller. Enid suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder sparked when her sister went missing when they were children. The memories have been suppressed, but partly triggered by a familiar scene in a horror movie she is reviewing for cuts. Niamh Algar is spot on as Enid, who goes through life at least somewhat removed from the outside world. The concluding scenes are particularly surreal, with created lighting effects and video static revealing what may very well be snippets of the real world. Censor is something completely different, as they say, and will leave viewers discussing what they think they have seen for some time. Watch out for director and co-writer Prano Bailey-Bond in the future.

This Limited Edition Blu-ray 2-Disc box set from Second Sight Films comes with New Artwork by James Neal, a Soft Cover Book with brand new Essays and Art Cards. There is a veritable plethora of extras on the discs – take a deep breath: Three Audio Commentaries with cast and crew (one including author and film critic/historian Kim Newman, an Executive Producer on the film); Six in-depth Interviews with cast and crew (including Music Composer Emilie Levienaise-Farrouch); the Making of Censor; Deleted Scenes; a Screening Q & A; Nasty short film; Enid’s Gaze: Alexandra Heller-Nicholas on Censor; My Nasty Memories by David Gregory; Prano Bailey-Bond in Conversation with BBFC Compliance Officer David Hyman; and Ban the Sadist Videos! Feature Length Documentary on British censorship in two parts. And breathe… The Special Features are worth an extra point alone.               

Verdict: 8 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2022)

Starring: Virginia Madsen, Kyle Gallne, Ellias Koteas, Amanda Crew, Martin Donovan.       

Directed Peter Cornwell       

Entertainment in Video

July 2009

Sarah Campbell has been driving 300 mile round trips daily to take her teenage son, Matt, who is very sick with advanced cancer, to a clinic for a programme of intensive treatment. When she passes a large house for rent, she inquires as to its availability and is surprised and pleased that it is affordable. The family of four, along with two child relatives, move in and almost immediately Matt begins to have frightening sightings of figures covered in symbols, with sightless eyes. He also undergoes a series of flashbacks, like he is witnessing horrific past events through the eyes of another. Initially, he elects not to tell anyone, because a doctor had said if he starts to see things they will have to stop the treatment. But not only does his temperament noticeably change, the other children undergo their own terrifying experiences. There are definite links to the past when the house was a funeral home, and in particular to a young boy. The presence in the house steadily grows, making the family fear for its safety...

There has been a steady stream of haunted house films supposedly based on true stories, ever since the remake of the Amityville Horror - most of which have been pretty damn awful. Let’s face it, it’s easy to use such a ‘banner’ as a selling point. However, when planning this film the crew went in search of the family which had so often been in the American stateside news back in the 1980s. Apparently, they didn’t want to be found, but convinced by director Peter Cornwell that they wanted to tell the true story, some filmed interviews were arranged. Whether you believe in these supernatural happenings or not, they make for an interesting 2-part documentary included as an extra. Several occurrences spoken about in this have been incorporated into the film, but it’s worth being reminded that this is a Hollywood movie. It’s objective will always primarily be to entertain. So it’s not surprising to discover a great deal of poetic licence has been grouped in with the main theme.

Whilst the character of the cancer-stricken ex-priest is in some mannerisms reminiscent of the Hammer or Friday oddball who steps out and says “Don go thar!” it’s easy to overlook this, as the rest of the production is so taut. These people have really used their heads here and leaned a few things from the Japanese and other East Asian supernatural horror flicks which have made such a successful mark on the genre in the last several years. Timing, atmosphere, tight plotting and strong characterisation are all in place here; none more so than with central protagonist Matt (played by Kyle Gallner) who is genuinely convincing in his portrayal of an extremely sick teenage boy. This is a considerable achievement considering the array of emotions Matt undergoes throughout the film.

As for the scares, they are very well-handled, with one in particular causing me to physically gasp and my 

scalp to crawl. This very seldom happens to me any more, I suppose through desensitisation. The balance and unexpected timing are superb. The idea that people close to death live in a sort of limbo enabling them to see these apparitions is an intelligent plot device to allow firstly only Matt to have the experiences, but then as the atmosphere in the house builds, incorporating the other children and then the adults. In this manner, suspension is allowed to build to a crescendo. A highly enjoyable feature, with great attention to detail.

Extras include: Two Dead Boys - The Making of …; The Fear is Real - Reinvestigating The Haunting (in two parts); Anatomy of a Haunting, and Deleted Scenes.               

Verdict: 9 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2009)

Starring: Abigail Spencer, Chad Michael Murray, Katee Sackhoff, Emily Alyn Lind, Cicely Tyson.       

Directed Tom Elkins       

Lionsgate Home Entertainment

March 2014

Andy and Lisa Wyrick manage to cheaply purchase a new home deep in the woods of rural Georgia, in the deep South of America. It seems like the ideal new start for their young family, until their little girl begins to see things. In particular she is often heard talking to an unseen elderly man called Mr Gordy. Her mother is critical of the girl, Heidi, but only because she interprets her own gift of seeing spirits as a curse. The girl describes Mr Gordy as a kindly old man, but her parents and Andy’s visiting sister-in-law are not so certain. They belatedly discover the house and grounds was used as a staging post for escaping slaves on what was known as the underground railway in the 1800s. Then a new and much more sinister figure makes itself known, endangering the whole family as it attempts to make them pay for the atrocities of the past...

Like the first film, The Haunting in Connecticut, Ghosts of Georgia has its origins in the American docudrama series, A Haunting. Whether or not you believe in ghosts, spirits, and things that go bump in the night, they make great tales, and I would highly recommend checking it out. I have Series 1 to 3 in a set, but I believe they have now made many more seasons. Over forty-five minute episodes they re-enact a ‘true story’ interceded by snippets of interviews from the real people involved in the events. At the end of the third series there were two feature-length episodes: these two stories in question.

Although Ghosts of Georgia is portrayed as a sequel of sorts, the original A Haunting in Georgia was completely unconnected to A Haunting in Connecticut. I must say that I thought the first film was the best supernatural offering to ever come out of America, but I still kind of preferred the re-enactment documentary version. It was just so creepy. This one, I would say had pretty much the opposite effect. The episodic version starts off really well, with the Mr Gordy sequences, but then loses its way, becoming incoherent and overly long. In contrast, this film version manages to incorporate plenty of chills whilst still allowing the plot to pan out until the whole story of the trapped slaves is told.

For this reason, it was much better than I was expecting – although I find it difficult to believe spirits of the dead would essentially, between all of them, tell the story of what had happened to the escaping slaves. More likely, one would turn up and say something to the effect of, "Find our bodies, and sort out this geyser, cause he’s a wrong-un!" It’s a nice tale though, in a nasty sort of way (or should that be the other way around!). Of course, like most horror films it does resort to cheap tricks, like using the same ghostly appearances again, and weird noises. However, it does, thankfully, refrain from using slamming doors, which is a highly overused cheap method. There is a night sound which I suppose is supposed to be cicadas, but sounds more like the Che-che-Ha-ha of Friday 13th films.

Just a word or two for Emily Aln-Lind who is simply amazing as the little girl, Heidi. Even on the Seeing Ghosts featurette she is very professional for someone so young. It would have been a nice touch to have the original A Haunting representation as an extra, but you can’t have everything, I suppose.               

Verdict: 8 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2014)

Starring: Kathy Bates, Sarah Paulson, Cuba Gooding Jr., Lily Rabe, Andre Holland.      

Directed Various       

20th Century Fox Home Entertainment

September 2017

When Matt Miller is punched unconscious by a stranger as a prank, the stress caused by his time in hospital causes his wife Shelby to lose her baby. Together they decide to move away and start a new life in North Carolina. They purchase a secluded 17th Century farmhouse with all their savings and shrug off reports that it might be haunted. Sightings of a girl ghost, a swine-head, and other paranormal occurrences are just the start of their worries. Matt’s sister arrives with her daughter, and the girl soon disappears. A hunt and the help of a clairvoyant uncovers a dark past for the property and a confrontation with a terrifying figure called The Butcher...

Having never followed the popular An American Horror series, when I received this Series 6 set I fully expected to have no idea what was going on. Fortunately, Roanoke is a stand-alone one-story season. Well, sort of. This has been scripted in a True Crime format which is so popular with American audiences. It switches from the re-enactment of events to on-camera comments or reactions from the person in question – except, because this is fictional, they are played by the same actors. This style of dramatisation is taken from the long-running A Haunting series, which told individual supposedly true stories that, whether or not you believe them, rarely failed to entertain. The only difference being in the case of A Haunting the on-camera comments came from a couple of the individuals who became victims, so to speak. Roanoke is very well produced, giving the overall effect of a project well-planned and even better financed.

The acting on the whole is pretty top-notch; Sarah Paulson and Cuba Gooding Jr’s characters Shelby and Matt Miller are very sympathetic. You feel for their plight. I do think that their reactions to a multitude of horrific and potentially fatal plights is somewhat subdued. However, if they whinged and shrieked and flapped at every happening I (and probably everybody else watching) would soon become irritated. Kathy Bates, perhaps best known for her Oscar-winning role in Misery, again creates for herself a memorable villain as The Butcher. What makes this work so well is the pacing. We are never permitted to be bored by a lull in the proceedings. From the moment a hailstorm on the house is found to be falling teeth, the progress (or regress – however you want to interpret the downward spiral) is relentless. All of the seemingly isolated events are creative. I particularly like the swine-head. The events cleverly unfold layer by layer so that there is constantly a new reveal.

I was starting to wonder how this could be sustained for three discs of episodes. Thankfully, it doesn’t outstay its welcome. After five episodes it ends and instead we get Return to Roanoke, a sort of reality scenario. Within a fictional world we have the events treated as real, which means the director brings everyone back to the house at the time of the Blood Moon – including the ‘real’ people the actors are supposed to be characterising. Cameras are set up, conflicts are brought out in the open and the killings begin again. There are some nice ideas here, like Kathy Bates playing the actor who starts to believe she really is The Butcher. They should have stayed with this idea and turned the second segment into a serial killer plot. Staying with the ghosts from the past simply turns this into a re-tread with diminishing returns.

Extras include a Q & A with Cast and Crew from PaleyFest 2017, and a collection of Roanoke promos. I think the first segment deserves a 9, the second a 6 or 7 – so I’ll go with 8. A very pleasant surprise. I do love a good ghost story.               

Verdict: 8 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2017)

Starring: Brian Krause, Madchen Amick, Alice Krige.     

Directed Mick Garris       

Eureka Entertainment

October 2020

Charles Brady and his mother Mary move to a small rural town in America. Charles has his eye on a college girl called Tanya Robertson, and she thinks he is utterly charming. However, the new arrivals are not human but shape-changing creatures known as Sleepwalkers. They are contemporary vampires of sorts, who kill and feed on people. More specifically stealing their life essence. Mary wants Charles to bring Tanya home so that she can feed on her. Charles is initially reluctant, but then relents. Cats are the only animals who can see the Sleepwalkers for who they really are, through their outwardly human visage, and attack them on sight. The Brady’s are afraid of cats, and kill them any chance they get. Increasingly more cats congregate outside the house – over a hundred, in fact. But is it enough to save Tanya, or will they be too late...?

Sleepwalkers is one of many Stephen King horror stories to be directed by Mick Garris. These adaptations vary very much in quality and style. For example, the Rose Red mini-series is like watching paint dry, whereas The Shining mini-series is, in my opinion, far superior to the overrated movie (a Jack Nicholson’s over-the-top performance). This one sits somewhere in the middle. It was the first King story to be handled by Garris, and came directly from the author’s script rather than a book or short story. Emerging in 1992, this was one of the first few feature films to incorporate morphing CGI effects. Whilst not brilliant, they suit the purpose. The true form of the creatures are represented by body suits with large heads full of animatronics.

Brian Krause was already under contract with the film company after being taken on for Return to Blue Lagoon, and puts in a pretty solid performance here as Charles. Alice Krige, who found cult fame as the Borg queen in Star Trek: The Next Generation, manages to be both sexy and creepy in her role as Mary. Mädchen Amick also comes across as very charismatic as Tanya. There is a veritable who’s who of minor roles in the cast. Look out for Hellboy himself, Ron Perlman; Star Wars’ Mark Hamill in the opening prologue, Stephen King himself as the Cemetery Caretaker, Joe Dante (director of Gremlins, The Howling, and Piranha) as a Lab Technician; and Tobe Hooper (director of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre) as a Forensic Tech – along with John Landis (director of An American Werewolf in London) and Horror author and artist Clive Barker. Wow! What a way for Garris to pay tribute to his heroes.

Although it was added as a remount, after pre-release screenings, the prologue scene at the start of the film is very impressive. Specifically, the exterior of the property which is surrounded by dead cats caught in a multitude of traps. In the film proper there is also the ambiguity of Charles’s sexual relationship with his mother Mary. Is this a human Oedipus Complex or the normal inter-relational processes of the Sleepwalkers. There are some nice set pieces in this movie, but the truth is it’s not going to knock your socks off – although it does easily hold your attention throughout. In terms of horror, it’s pretty tame, too. Except for the mother/son sex scene, this could comfortably by aired on Sunday afternoon TV. I always suspected that cats were weird and alien.

This is the film’s first foray onto Blu-ray, released by Eureka Entertainment as part of their Classics collection. It’s a very nice 1080p picture. I used to own the original video release of the movie which was dull and grainy in comparison. This new version has definitely improved my opinion of the piece.

Special Features include a New Audio Commentary with director Mick Garris and film historian Lee Gambin; another Audio Commentary with Mick Garris, Mädchen Amick and Brian Krause; Feline Trouble – an Interview with Mick Garris; When Charles Met Tanya – Conversation with actors Mädchen Amick and Brian Krause; Mother and More – Interview with Actress Alice Krige; Creatures & Cats – the FX of Stephen King’s Sleepwalkers featurette; Behind-the-Scenes footage; and a Theatrical Trailer. There is a Limited Edition version of only 2000 copies, which features a Card Slipcase, and a Collector’s Booklet.               

Verdict: 7 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2020)

Starring: Aisling Franciosi.    

Directed Robert Morgan       

Acorn Media International

July 2024

Ella Blake (Aisling Franciosi) lives with her strict, overbearing and controlling elderly mother, who is a stop motion artist. So oppressed is her life that she must sneak out at night just to spend time with her boyfriend and, thus, gets very little sleep. When her mother dies, Ella feels obliged to continue her project, but it isn’t long before she rents a studio apartment to create her own stop motion work. Her creativity is immediate but is missing a spark. Her muse arrives in the form of a little girl who tells her a story about a girl in the woods and a frightening figure called the Ashman who stalks her. Each night the story becomes more real, with the stop motion figures being continuously recreated and the line between fantasy and reality becoming increasingly blurred...

It is said you should write about what you know, and that is certainly the case here. This is quite an original concept at the hands of real life stop motion animator and first-time director Robert Morgan. Of course, Ray Harryhausen was the master of stop motion in a career spanning more than 40 years, with classics such as Jason and the Argonauts, Clash of the Titans, and The Golden Voyage of Sinbad. So, if you’re going to emulate the master, do it differently. It probably exists, but I have never come across stop motion horror before – and certainly not mixed with live action. Fans of body horror will love this, but you shouldn’t pigeonhole this film. It is so much more. What Morgan has created here is an oppressive mood of unreality which is both artistic and distasteful. It builds-up a palpable sense of dread and unease. You don’t enjoy it as much as experience it. Only afterwards do you fully appreciate its merits.

I should take a moment to sing the praises of Aisling Franciosi (The Fall, Game of Thrones, God’s Creatures). Without the believability and conviction of her character being consumed by her work to the point that it takes over her entire being, I don’t think this would have worked half as well. Extras include: An Interview With Aisling Franciosi; An Interview With Robert Morgan; and (a short) Behind-the-Scenes of Stopmotion.               

Verdict: 8 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2024)

Starring: Hannah Arterton, Freddy Carter, Clare Higgins, Michael Ironside.   

Directed Paul Hyett       

Thunderbird Releasing

May 2019

When young Persephone dreams about the family barn burning down, and the next day her mother is trapped as the events actually takes place, she is condemned by the local magistrate as a witch. However, the Reverend Mother gives her a reprieve by taking her as a novice to an isolated convent. She is told in no uncertain terms that she must give her life in service to God. But there is a sickness at the convent. Many girls are contracting a virulent fever and are suffering brutal wounds as if being burned or lacerated, before dying – only to return again as something else. The Reverent Mother harbours a deadly secret. Furthermore, she is strict to the point of nastiness, but she isn’t the only evil that Persephone will have to contend with...

Lately, there is an evident craze for demonic or possessed nuns. Haunted house or possession/exorcism films invariably involve a back story of some sort, and Heretiks is no exception. It centres around a group of nuns who years before performed a ritual in the convent aimed at producing a vision of God. Instead, it brought through a demon. The ceremony is described as a conjuring, which is curious because this film owes a significant amount to The Conjuring 2 and The Nun, not least for the nun with the glowing eyes.

As always, it’s great to see Michael Ironside, who loves to play a good villain (if that isn’t a contradiction). He’s grossly under utilised here, seen in only a single scene as the Magistrate. Similarly, Freddy Carter plays Ellis, a young man from the nearest village who has a soft spot for one of the other girls at the convent, but also seems to be serious and have a sensible head on his shoulders. His dispatch whilst attempting to aid the situation is surely only for effect. Persephone knows what the possessed young woman can do but merely stands and watches, not even making an effort to warn the man. Clare Higgins, though, is very effective as the Reverend Mother.

It’s nice to welcome another home grown film. British horror movies should be encouraged, and have certainly been on the increase again during the last ten to twenty years. This one, like many, has a modest budget, and the cast and crew are to be congratulated for creating a believable 17th Century period setting, whilst still managing to incorporate plenty of gore – particularly in the last quarter. Director Paul Hyett also made Howl, which I think was a more enjoyable film, being very character-based. Heretiks is a better than average offering, but does contain many horror clichés. One of the oldest ones in the book is used as a brief after-credits piece.

There is a short Behind-the-Scenes featurette on the disc, but you don’t learn anything about the background of the film; it’s just people saying what the film is about and how much they are enjoying themselves.               

Verdict: 6 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2019)

Starring: Sarah Hyland, Justin Chon, Clara Mamet.   

Directed Jeffrey Hunt       

Soda Pictures

January 2017

Two couples on their way to Coachella decide to take a detour to Los Angeles in order to visit some true crime scenes with satanic connections. After a run-in with a particularly obnoxious owner of a shop dedicated to the occult, they follow him to a remote house, and save a young woman apparently about to be sacrificed. However, the victim turns out to be much more than she seems, and soon draws the others into a satanic cult ritual with unrelenting consequences...

There’s a certain inevitability about the premise of this film. But let’s begin with the characters. We have two couples: a goth girl fascinated by the black arts, her party animal boyfriend who will go along with anything for a bit of a lark, and a practical and sensible bloke accompanied by his even more sensible girlfriend, who follows along with her goth friend’s plans just to make her happy. So, essentially a bad couple and a good couple. The former is characterised by the constant stream of expletives emitted, seemingly simply to prove ‘badness’. This trait is compounded by the so-called Satanists themselves who spit, threaten and swear as if it is as mundane and normal as talking about the weather.

Now let’s talk about realism, or the lack thereof. The main quartet of key players don’t act or react like normal people would in a given situation, and they certainly don’t stick to character, but rather change as the plot demands. This cannot be described as evolving, simply changing back and forth. Mr Nice Guy justifiably moans at all the murder or black mass locations he is obliged to visit, but then positively votes to follow a suspected violent Satanist to a secluded house. There the gang wave a torch about when it’s not all that dark, and chatter like excited monkeys before spying so openly on what appears to be a black mass that anyone would have to be completely devoid of senses not to notice them immediately.

After suffering a scare and barely escaping, most people would put as much distance as possible between them and the situation. But instead they get further sucked into the mess, and it’s from this point that the inevitability of the ultimate conclusion takes over the film. I was also disappointed that the suggested time loop wasn’t either explained or played-out. The familiar figure at the window scenario has been utilised so many times now that I instantly recognised it for what it was.

This is not necessarily a derisory attempt at filmmaking, it’s just not been properly thought through in the planning stages. Therefore, we have clichés, lack of character continuity, and no attempt at scripting an imaginative outcome. After all, every story is an attempt at triumph over adversity, even if it doesn’t ultimately succeed. This just… happens. So what we finish up with is an average horror film rather than a bad one.               

Verdict: 5 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2017)

Starring: Haley Bishop, jemma Moore, Emma Louise Webb, Radina Drandova.    

Directed Rob Savage       

Second Sight Films

February 2021

A group of young adult women friends and a male friend meet-up in lockdown for an online Zoom meeting séance. The medium gives them instructions, including the important advice that the spirits should be treated with respect at all times. When nothing happens, one of the women makes-up a story about a boy at her school who hung himself, to string the others along. However, the action allows a malevolent spirit through which initially mimics the events of the story, before entering each of the participants’ homes. Terrified, they witness each other’s horrors at the hands of a demon. It might be dangerous to break the Zoom connection. Who, if anyone, will leave the meeting unscathed...

Host can be described as a ‘found footage’ movie, but one with a difference. During lockdown director Rob Savage posted a clip of film about what happened when he ventured up into his loft to clear it out. The shock ending made it go viral, with around 6 million hits. People began talking about the possibility of the first lockdown horror movie. But when nothing had emerged after a couple of months, Savage decided to make one himself. It helped that the actors were all friends, because they seemed to act more naturally. It’s an experience which you’ll initially feel blasé about for the first few minutes, until you are suddenly dragged-in, in the same abrupt manner one of the characters is dragged across the floor. As the film progresses you find your eyes studiously examining the backgrounds of the friends’ screens, forever on the lookout for movement. That’s one of the reasons why this works so well: it knows when to be subtle and when to hit hard.

Many short-sighted people will believe this to be a low-key project with very little involvement. However, whilst maintaining distancing, you have to consider the stunt work which had to be set-up and tested in the relevant houses. Make-up and prosthetics experts had to instruct the victims of the scenes in question how to apply it themselves in a convincing manor. All in all, this experiment of sorts proves to be a great success. You’re both disappointed at the relatively short running time, and simultaneously impressed by the conciseness and tight editing. It’s a moot point, however, as Host has been received critically as a sensation, pretty much across the board. If nothing else, you can’t deny that Host does something which hasn’t been done before in horror – and these days that’s practically unheard of.

The short running time of the film (57 mins) is balanced by the wealth of extra features which are available on this disc. There is a New Exclusive Commentary by Director Rob Savage and Producer Douglas Cox; a New Exclusive Cast Commentary; a New Exclusive Cast Interview; a very interesting Behind-the-Scenes Feature; ‘Is There Goblins Now?’ – the Original Prank Video; ‘Kate Scare’ – Prank Video Test Run; The Host Team Séance (a real online séance from which they obtained some ideas for the film); British Film Institute Q & A with Rob Savage and the main cast; and Evolution of Horror Interview with Rob Savage (director & writer), Gemma Hurley (co-writer), and Jed Shepherd (co-writer). The highlight of the extras is the two short films by the director. Dawn of the Deaf is a zombie short wherein the only living survivors are the deaf. This is highly entertaining and very well-realised, with set-pieces around recognisable London landmarks. Salt is what you might term a short-short about a demon loose in a house where a mother attempts to protect her sick daughter. This one jumps straight into what would be the climatic scene in a full-length movie. Great stuff.               

Verdict: 8 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2021)

Starring: Elma Begovic, Annette Wozniak, Denise Yuen, Jordan Gray, Lawrence Denkers.   

Directed Chad Archibald       

Second Sight

October 2016

Casey, a bride-to-be bachelorette, goes on holiday with a bunch of friends. They are told about a secluded lagoon, but Casey is bitten by something unseen in the water. When she develops a rash she isn’t overly concerned, but when they return home her skin begins to form serious pustules. This is just the beginning of a horrifying transmogrification. Casey locks herself in her apartment. Her life systematically unravels as her friends fall out and she distances herself from her fiancé for more than the obvious reason. She struggles to hang on to her humanity, but suddenly that becomes unimportant, because the bite has changed her into something else...

People new to this film will see the DVD cover and the title, along with the key protagonist looking for all the world like she is going to bite into something organic, and make the incorrect assumption that this is some kind of zombie or visceral cannibal flesh-eating story. I can understand many people will be turned off by this apparent premise. Even the promotional blurb doesn’t help by trying to tell the world at large that sick bags were handed out at the world premiere (‘handed out’ doesn’t mean ‘used’).

‘Gross.’ ‘Gut-wrenching.’ These quotes achieve nothing in opening this film to the masses, which is a shame because it has much to offer. Okay, it’s not fantastic, but it does at least try to do something a little different. The body horror is far from being as disgusting as inferred (perhaps in real life it would be!). I would describe the metamorphosis as similar in style to David Cronenberg’s version of The Fly. What makes it work particularly well in this instance is the characterisation. We experience Casey’s every pain, embarrassment and anguish in an emotional sense; as opposed to Jeff Goldblum’s attitude of Oh, dear, my ear’s come off, better put it in the bathroom medicine cabinet!

Of course, it helps that Casey has background as well as character. Before her change we see her and her friends on holiday. We see her indecision and rejection of her impending marriage. We even see the betrayal by one of her best friends. All of this allows the viewer to relate more to her as a fleshed-out (that’s not a pun!) believable individual. I have to say though, as with many new generation horror movies, a superfluous and often nonsensical epilogue leaves more questions than any sort of resolution.

Definitely worth a look.               

Verdict: 7 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2016)

Starring: Natalie Brown, Jonathan Watton, Melanie Lynskey, Casey Adams, Christina Kirk.  

Directed  Jovanka Vuckovic, Annie Clark, Roxanne Benjamin, Karyn Kusama       

Thunderbird Releasing

May 2017

XX is a Horror Anthology of four tales comprising: The Box, The Birthday Party, Don’t Fall, and Her Only Living Son. It is apparently the first film of its kind to be written and directed by women, and to feature women in prominent roles in all the shorts. The stories are loosely connected with dolls house animation from award winner Sofia Carrillo.

The Box sees a couple and their two children riding the train home after a day out, when the boy becomes curious about what another passenger has in a gift box. The stranger allows the boy to peek inside and from that moment the boy refuses to eat – to the point that he becomes a genuine medical concern. Then the boy’s younger sister wants to share the secret. The Box is based on a story by Jack Ketchum, and written for the screen & directed by Jovanka Vuckovic. I am already aware of this short story, and have to say that it’s pretty well realised here. The characters are portrayed with conviction – particularly the boy and his father. The intrigue is great because there’s nothing more scary than the unknown.

The Birthday Party (written by Roxanne Benjamin & Annie Clark, and directed by Annie Clark) has a woman discover her husband’s dead body and struggle to hide it throughout her young daughter’s birthday party. I would venture as far as to say this is a black comedy. It’s a premise which seems so far-fetched it’s ridiculous, whilst being eminently watchable. However, it is said to be based on a true story.

Don’t Fall (written and directed by Roxanne Benjamin) sees a group of teens travel in a camper van to a remote area for a holiday get-away. After they find some strange cave markings, one of their number undergoes a horrifying transmogrification. This, along with The Box, Is the best of the bunch. A Creature feature which borrows a little from Japanese 1990s innovation.

Her Only Living Son (written and directed by Karyn Kusama) has a woman moving her teenage son to a new area to keep one step ahead of his father. But who or what is his father, and why does he want his son back? This is an urban tale of demonology. Does the boy give in to his heritage or fight for a normal existence?

So, a fine collection of short films topped-off with special features in the form of Director Interviews. But don’t fall for the ‘extra’ which goes under the guise of Making of… It barely starts before it ends, and most of it is stolen from the interviews.               

Verdict: 8 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2017)

Starring: James Brolin, Margot Kidder, Rod Steiger, Don Stroud, Murray Hamilton.  

Directed Stuart Rosenberg      

Second Sight

June 2017

George and Kathy Lutz move their young family into a house at Long Island. It is affordable because the house has a dark past wherein a whole family was killed. Not concerned with rumours of ghost stories, they soon rue their decision. A demonic presence begins to change George, and it seems like history might be repeating itself. The church refuses to believe the terrifying experiences of a priest, leaving the family ostracised and very much on their own...

The Amityville Horror is a horror classic by virtue of its highly successful cinematic release in the late seventies. It was certainly considered the definitive ghost story for a long time. The original book by Jay Anson was very popular, and justifiably so. Although the film employs a certain degree of poetic licence, the entire script was sold on the basis of true events. Whether you believe the astounding tale of the Lutz family, or think it hyped publicity, some of the ‘real’ victims are still around to state their case.

But how has the film weathered over the decades? Haunted house stories are by their very nature slow-burners. Otherwise, the householders would be out of there before they had carried in a fraction of their belongings. Therefore, not a great deal happens in the first twenty-five minutes or so. Having said that, without witnessing the two main characters happy and productive, it would make little impact on the viewer when they are progressively changed by these events. The house is made to appear somewhat sinister with the glowing eye-like attic windows.

There are subtle scenes of telekinesis, wherein objects are seen to move, but the much more believable affect the house has on people is to make them ill and physically sick. Priests in these sort of films are invariably troubled and seeking redemption; conversely, Father Delaney (Rod Steiger) is injured twice by the house and, after unsuccessfully attempting to warn the new owners, is incapacitated to the extent that he moves away and becomes a recluse. Much more convincing than returning to the house and facing death.

The triumvirate of actors here is undoubtedly Rod Steiger (very convincing as the priest who is driven away from his calling), James Brolin (of Westworld fame, who plays George Lutz with a gradual immersive regression), and Margot Kidder (Lois Lane in the Christopher Reeve Superman films, as Kathy Lutz).

This is still an enjoyable movie experience; older viewers will recognise this fact, whereas younger ones may be turned off by the slow pace. At nearly forty years old though, this ground-breaking haunted house story deserves proper recognition, so a limited edition steelbook is suitable justification. However, more impressive is the array of extras which alone gains this release an extra point: Separate Interviews with James Brolin, Meeno Peluce (the fiction Lutz boy), Sandor Stern (screenwriter), Lalo Schifrin (soundtrack composer), a Feature-length Documentary with Daniel Lutz, Featurette with James Brolin and Margot Kidder, an Intro by parapsychology PhD Dr. Hans Holzer (author of Murder in Amityville), an Audio Commentary by Holzer, and Trailers.               

Verdict: 8 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2017)

Starring: Kevin Van Hentenryck, Terri Susan Smith, Beverly Bonner, Annie Ross.  

Directed Frank Henenlotter 

Second Sight

October 2012

In the first film, Duane checks into a seedy hotel in New York, carrying a wicker basket. Inside the basket is Belial, his deformed siamese twin. The two had been born joined at the hip, Belial a misshapen head and two short arms. Although all the experts had said it would be dangerous to separate them, their father viewed Belial as an abomination and employed the services of a doctor prepared to take on the job. Belial was surgically removed against the express wishes of the brothers and left for dead. However, the two are telepathically linked, and Duane saved his brother and escaped to New York. Now Duane wants his revenge on the Doctor. However, Duane falls in love with the receptionist and tries to keep his liaison secret from Belial, who becomes furious at what he sees as competition for their special relationship...

Understandably, it's many years since I last saw this film. By today's standards it could be described as quaint. Viewers are more likely to laugh than be shocked or appalled, although I should point out that it was writer/director Frank Henenlotter's original intention for it to be a little tongue-in-cheek, if not an outright black comedy horror. Basket Case was a labour of love for him, which began with a more than modest budget of $7,000 but escalated before its completion to $160,000. Even in 1982 this was peanuts for the film industry.

Unlike Henenlotter's 1988 film Brain Damage, Basket Case has much to offer. The stop-motion sequences, particularly the one in which Belial trashes the hotel room, although dated, are well-handled for the time. But this film's strongest asset is the emotional bond between Duane and Belial, something you don't expect when it essentially involves a lump of rubber which spends most of its time in a basket and doesn't talk audibly. This is testament more to the strength of the script than the acting abilities of Kevin Van Hentenryck, who wanders through the proceedings with a Frodo-like startled expression. (6).

The sequel continues directly where the first film left off, with Duane in a straitjacket and locked room in Granny Helen’s house, after his psychotic burst which culminated in his stitching Belial to his side again. Although Belial has been removed, and Duane assures Helen and her house full of ‘special people’ (or freaks as outsiders would call them) that he is quite sane now, Duane harbours resentment at Belial’s romantic attachment to one of the house guests. He also sees himself as normal; he longs to live a normal life, but his mental connection to his brother is impossible to shake off. Can he himself enjoy female companionship...?

A mistake often made in film sequels - particularly genre pieces - is that if one of something proves successful, then many more of the same will work even better. It often has the opposite effect, adding to the detriment of the original premise. These characters, all of which for some reason have bizarrely shaped heads, only add to the numbers, not the intrigue, as most of them are benign. The fact that one looks like a mouse and another like he’s swallowed a set of Pan pipes is merely a showcase for the make-up effects. (4).

In the third film, Helen and her house guests travel in an old school bus to visit a friend in a small town. Belial’s lady friend is pregnant, and no sooner do they arrive than she’s popping out baby Belial's like peas from a pod. Meanwhile, Duane attempts to strike up a relationship with the Sheriff’s daughter, but she has an agenda of her own. A couple of police officers learn of Belial’s presence and break-in to the house to abduct him as a money-making enterprise. However, in a shock reaction they shoot the mother of Belial’s children and take the babies instead. Blood and chaos soon ensues, as Helen’s house guests gang together to take revenge. However, the babies are not as helpless as they first seem...

More of the same here. This is a better constructed film than the first sequel, but it still suffers badly from diminishing returns. There is one new special person... and, of course, the carnivorous babies. You will no doubt feel a brief pang of regret when Belial’s love interest meets her gruesome end, because she is the only one who could curb Belial’s violent tendencies. I know these films are supposed to be darkly humorous as well as gory and weird, but the truth is they’re not. They come from an era of prosthetics and model effects - well before the advent of CGI - so credit must be given for what was achieved. But the bottom line is, although they look very shiny in their new Blu-ray clothes, these films have dated badly, and so will only appeal to a horror collector or someone who has fond memories of them from youth.

I understand there are some extras present on the discs, but as my copies didn’t incorporate them I can’t/won’t comment on them. (5).          

Verdict: 5 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2012)