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Originally posted by BW Haggar
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Lynch is good at busting out madness from the background, but secretly he enjoys the background too. Graham and Crampton (and even Judah Lewis) are lovely in this, and he lavishes them with generous character bits, and everybody's clearly having fun, but yeahyeahyeah. Bring on the bugeyed insanity already. And then he does, so well okay then. Seeing it in a theatre is a good plan. -
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TITLE-Sisters of Death
SOURCE-Creepy Koffee Movie Time on Amazon Prime Video
Might have been last year or the year before I discovered Creepy Koffee Movie Time on Amazon Prime Video. It was a Horror Host tv show that aired in San Francisco for 5 seasons. Now they got a pile of the episodes up on Amazon Prime Video. When I first discovered them the episodes were free. Now it is 99 cents to buy an episode.
Creepy Koffee Movie time is hosted by Balrock and No Name. Balrock is a gargoyle and No Name is a ghoul. They live in a basement. And each week they show a horror film. Most episodes you got 2 or 3 alt rock ladies there dancing. Plus the house band the Deadites. And they will bring on a local comedian to tell a few jokes.All the episodes of the show on Amazon Prime are for films that are public domain or assumed to be.
And this episode from season 5 the guys show the mid 70s cult classic Sisters of Death. A film that if it wasn't one of the few movies with Claudia Jennings this film would be forgotten.
Movie starts with a sorority doing their hazing. They are making the pledges play Russian Roulette. But someone has replaced the fake bullet with a real one.So one of the girls gets shot.
Skip ahead 10 years and now all the sorority girls are invited to a reunion. None of them notice as they get to the home hosting the reunion that the place is surrounded by a high fence that is electrified.
And one by one the girls die. Until we learn who is behind all this. Being a horror film of course one lady survives. Her and one of the guys escape. Then of course we get a twist ending that really doesn't make sense.
The movie is odd. It played theaters. But feels like a made for tv movie from the 70s. There is no cussing,no gore and surprisingly no nudity. Which is odd for a film with Claudia Jennings in the cast.
The host segments are great. Get a fairly funny stand up comedianne. A decent dance break where the Deadites play and the alt rock girls dance. Then near the end Annie Cruz shows up to offer some relationship advice.
I have always loved horror hosts. Since I first discovered Sgt Graves back in I am guessing it was 1980. And I like how Balrock and No Name keep this show skirting that "can we do this on OTA tv?" line. Did some research and it seems almost every season the show was airing there was at least one episode that got aired once and never aired again cause KOFY,the channel that aired the show,got a pile of complaints.
The host segments feel like it is 2am. Everybody just got home from the bar/club. And now to relax you all just want to sit there watching a cheap maybe shitty horror film and crack jokes.
By itself Sisters of Death is nothing really. A fun diversion but nothing most would watch again. But add in Balrock and No Name and it makes it much better
Creepy Koffee Movie Time Airing of Sisters of Death gets a B-
Cody covers the third and final Creature film
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#30
TTôkaidô Yotsuya Kaidan ['The Ghost of Yotsuya']
(Nobuo Nakagawa, 1959)
I'm a big fan of the series of low budget, black & white horror films Nobuo Nakagawa made for Toho and Shin-Toho during the late '50s ('The Vampire Moth', 'The Lady Vampire', 'Ghost Cat Mansion'), so of course it was inevitable I'd get around to his slightly bigger budget, colour take on Japan's most perenially reiterated ghost story sooner or later.
And... it's pretty much exactly as you'd expect really. Though still directed with plenty of chilly, kaidan style, little of the energy or weirdness I enjoyed in those earlier, pulpier productions is retained here, sadly.
The opening credits play out over preperations for the performance of a theatrical ghost story, and that pretty much informs the approach subsequently taken, as many scenes are framed in long shot, the action artfully obscured by various foreground objects, as the story's long established trajectory is played out in solemn, formal fashion.
As is usually the case with trad kaidan films, things get a bit more lively later on, when the melodramatic, dastardly villainy of Lemon Tamiya can't help but generate an instinctive revulsion (a great performance here from Shigeru Amachi), whilst the sorry fate of Oiwa and their ill-fated son plays out exactly as we all knew it would going in, but is no less horrible for that.
Then of course it's supernatural revenge time, with all the red and green gel lighting, grostesque phantasmagorical manifestations, disorientating, quasi-psychedelic framing and creaking, sawing music you'd reasonably expect. It's all really well done, generating some impressive and beautiful effects, but still very much business as usual for a late '50s/early '60s kaidan.
The famous ukiyo-e images produced by Hokusai and Kuniyoshi to illustrate the Yotsuya story are definitely (inevitably) a big influence on the supernatural visuals here, but, just as inevitably, Nakagawa's film can't hope to equal them, for all his talent.
BLast edited by BW Haggar; 10-22-2023, 06:39 PM.Comment
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DRACULA HAS RISEN FROM THE GRAVE (Freddie Francis, 1968). Needs more Draculas, but when the story lets him onscreen Lee is great. The real action here is in Michael Ripper's bakery/tavern where you can get beer with fresh strudel, scrumptious tart and also baked goods. Just the right amount of scenic rooftop traffic; all Dracula movies should be directed by raccoons. A+Comment
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10/22
063> The Mystery of the Wax Museum
064> Wax Mask
065> Swingers Massacre
066> House of Wax (1953)
067> The Haunting in Connecticut
The Mystery of the Wax Museum was quite the find for me back when the Warner Archives BD came out and has been an October viewing for me ever since. Wax Mask continued the wax museum theme and this one was also about the same as I remember it, kind of blah. It's cool how much darker this one is and I really like the take on the machine but it's also awkward and has a cheap feel. To be fair it might be better in Italian but so far I've been lazy. I took a break from the wax museum movies and dusted off my old Swingers Massacre tape and found it to be a mixed bag, not as good as I remembered. It begins OK and things seem to pick up once the killing starts but then it seems to drag a bit a feel long. I'd still be interested in a nice release of this one though. Almost skipped House of Wax because I wasn't crazy about it the only time I saw it but was glad I did because it was quite good this time around, not as good as The Mystery of the Wax Museum even though it's the same but very enjoyable. I don't want to say what since it's a potential spoiler for one movie but there's something in some of the wax museum movies that got me thinking about the completely unrelated The Haunting in Connecticut so I put that on. I like this one because it's got some decent scares and also the reason the house is haunted is scary in it's own right, like even if there was no supernatural aspect to the story. Naturally a quick look into the true story this was based on proves somewhat disappointing compared to the movie. One other thing this movie had going for it was the drunk dad ranting about all the lights being on, really got a good laugh there.Comment
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TALES FROM THE CRYPT (Freddie Francis, 1972). Collins, Cushing, Greene remain perfect; Hendry and Magee stories are hot water crust for the tastier savouries. Ralph Richardson. A+Comment
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Nightmare Sisters
TITLE-Nightmare Sisters
SOURCE-VS Blu Ray
I have always been a big fan of the 80s era Scream Queens. And when I learned like Sorority Babes in the Slime Ball Bowl a Rama that Nightmare Sisters had Linnea Quigley,Michelle Bauer and my favorite Brinke Stevens I had to see it. No video store had a copy of the VHS.
It wasn't until the film aired on the old USA Network Up All Night program that I got a chance to see it. And I had no clue then what I was seeing had new scenes shot just for the TV version.Glad I got this packed Blu Ray/DVD combo pack.
Brinke,Linnea and Michelle are the nerdy and/or fat sorority sisters. Stuck at the house while all the other sorority members are off with their boyfriends. Some nerdy guys from a near by frat come over. A possessed crystal ball,once owned by Dookie Flyswatter,enters the house. And evil spirts,succubi,enter the three nerdy ladies.
Before they get possessed with a low budget the film tries to make the three ladies as unattractive as they can. Linnea gets fitted with some huge buck teeth. Michelle they put into a fat suit. Brinke has the simplest change. They toss some glasses on her. Put her hair back in a pony tail . And boom Nerdy Brinke.
After being possessed the girls are trying to kill not only the three nerds that came over but a few other members of the same frat.
I mentioned how the TV version had new scenes shot. The main thing replaced is a almost 15 minute long scene. All three ladies pile into a bath tub. Where while they are bathing,when they soap up their breasts squeeky balloon noises were added in post,the three nerdy frat dudes are outside peeking in on them.
In the TV version they couldn't show this scene. But needed to replace it. So when it cuts to the girls now they are in lingere and playing with balloons!!! LOL. That is to explain the squeeky balloon noises when the boys are peeking in.
The Blu Ray looks great and sounds good. Both the TV version and the normal version. The only real extra,besides the tv version,is a commentary with the director and Linnea.
Nightmare Sisters gets a B.
Cody jumps forward in time to the first Mummy reboot of the modern era...
https://codysfilmandtvblog.blogspot....mummy.html?m=0
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#31
Hammer House of Horror: Guardian of the Abyss
(Don Sharp, TV, 1980)
The HHoH's hot streak continues into episode # 10, as Don "Razor" Sharp ('Kiss of the Vampire', 'Psychomania') directs this positively ripping tale of Wheatleyian black magick.
Like the werewolf one ('Children of the Full Moon'), it's a bit of a "does exactly what it says on the tin" kind of epsiode, but what can I say? It's bloody good tin, and I'm happy to see 'em get some more use out of it.
So, we're treated to some rousing adventures in the home counties antiques trade, as an astrologically-minded associate of tweedy man-about-town Ray Lonnen inadvertently takes possession of Dr John Dee's original scrying glass when she buys a cut price job lot at an auction, only for the pair to both find themselves in the sights of the malevolent Chronozon Society, after Ray narrowly avoids running down one of their fleeing sacrifical victims whilst roaring past the grounds of their high priest's stately home in his Merc convertible.
Though this episode is not over-blessed with atmosphere, and gets a bit silly in places (vis-a-vis the cultists' rather hackneyed messing about with voodoo dolls, and the deeply questionable make up used to portray their bull-faced deity), Sharp keeps things fast-paced and eventful, and there's loads of fun to be had along the way.
Screenwriter David Fisher clearly spent an enjoyable afternoon or two boning up on the best occult lore his local library could offer, and as a result his script is chock full of at-least-distantly-truthful exposition concerning Dee & Kelley, Crowley, the Thule Society and the exacting detail of the notorious Chronozon Working, as previously attempted by at least some of those gents (albeit, not exaclty in the classically pulpy yet helpfully chaste and TV friendly form depicted here).
Did you know for instance, that if you invite a black magician into your home, you must NEVER allow them access to wine, bread and salt? Well, you do now!
This handy knowledge reaches us via an absolutely splendid reinterpretation of the "Mocata comes to visit" / attempted hypnotism sequence from 'The Devil Rides Out', which comprises the highlight of a finely imperious performance from John Carson ('Captain Kronos', 'Taste the Blood of Dracula') as the cult's aristocratic high priest. Though perhaps not quite equalling Charles Gray's inimitable take on the character-type, he definitely puts his own unique stamp on it.
The rather Kate Bush-like Rosalyn Landor also makes for an extremely striking presence as the aforementioned sacrifical victim / wouldbe love interest / willowy femme fatale type character - which is convenient, given that IMDB informs me she actually played the little girl in 'The Devil Rides Out' twelve years earlier, at the age of ten! So, someone was clearly putting some thought into this stuff.
And, I even rather liked Lonnen's hero character too - a distinctly English, none-more-middle-class pulp protagonist of the kind you just don't see any more; a dashing, clear-headed fellow who's just as comfortable assessing the value of military brasses and proffering brandy to stray young ladies as he is with occult research, car chases and the occasional bit of fisticuffs. He could have come straight from the pages of a Brian Lumley or Guy N. Smith book, and is all the better for it in my view.
All that said, I should probably note that the ending of this episode feels pretty rushed and confusing, leaving things on a rather unsatisfatory note, but no matter - I had such a grand time getting to it, I'm happy to let things slide.Comment
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10/23
068> Demented (1980)
Prime sure proved worthwhile for this one, it's a title I've almost bought many times but passed on due to doubts about it; turns out it was worse than I thought it might be. A woman gets gang raped and then we spend the next hour or so watching drama between her and her cheating husband and some menacing by masked men in her home, real or imagined, until finally she snaps and kills a few people. Some of the kills were fun but even then when it all gets going at the end they still manage to make it tedious with some of the dialog. Had I only seen the last half hour or so I might have thought it was an OK movie but it feels like it takes forever to get to this point watching the whole thing.Comment
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DEMONS 2 (Lamberto Bava, 1986). Watched the Joe Bob thingy. No films were harmed, but felt no need to watch the ALL HALLOWS EVE segment. A+Comment
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Just started that,hoping Danhausen isn't too annoying on the host segements.Originally posted by Barry M View Post
Ghoulies Svengoolie Airing
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TITLE-Ghoulies
SOURCE-Svengoolie TV Airing from 2023
Months ago,think it might have been late 2022,Dish Network dropped MeTV. One of the few channels I watch. No big issue for me I pay for the FRNDLY app and it has MeTV. So I didn't miss Svengoolie.
Most years during 31 Days of Horror,over the last 10 years,I try to cover an episode of Sven's show. He almost always shows something owned by Universal. And I have used this as a way for me to cover older stuff.
Since FRNDLY has an unlimited DVR space I will sometimes have months worth of Sven episodes sitting on it. Back sometime in July I was off in some rural town filming wrestling. When I checked my phone during intermission someone had messaged me saying how SVen was showing Ghoulies II. I get home and check the DVR and yep GHoulies II and the week before was GHoulies .
Now years back I covered Ghoulies III. And enjoyed it. I remember seeing the first film when it hit home video and not really enjoying it. The poster and trailers made it out like a more horror less comedy version of Gremlins. The Ghoulies don't show up that much in this film and the non Ghoulie parts were just boring.
So Ghoulies is one of those longer running horror franchises where the first film is the worst in the run.
Pretty much unless you feel like you gotta see every Gremlins rip off avoid this movie. Even Sven's bits before and after ad breaks can't save this turd.
Ghoulies get D-.
Cody covers The Mummy Returns
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The only thing that made this worthwhile for me is the awful acting. It's really, really bad.Originally posted by f.ramses View PostWhy would anybody watch a scum show like Videodrome? Why did you watch it, Max?Comment
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Bad acting is something that I don't notice much but that "dinner" scene was pretty insane as far as that goes. It wasn't a total loss though, dessert was pretty abrupt and funny!Originally posted by Matt H. View PostComment
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#32
Ghostkeeper
(Jim Makichuk, 1981)
I've had a download of this one knocking about for years and have never gotten round to it, so... tonight's the night.
I think I must have got my wires crossed however, because I'd been under the impression it was an urban set ghost/haunting movie.
Turns out, I actually got a snowbound Canadian slasher with TCM overtones... and my second wendigo movie of the season (in a manner of speaking).
Very artfully done - a minimal cast, beautiful photography and an excellent orchestral score, all helping to ease us through a ve-e-ery long, atmospheric slow burn, leading up to some exceptionally creepy moments, a subtle sense of psychological discombobulation and an eventual series of grimly violent (if not exactly gory) pay offs.
Considering how good this is, I'm surprised it doesn't have a stronger rep. I suppose it's just a bit too short on gore and genuine shock moments to have become a fan favourite back in the VHS era, and it's not quite weird or innovative enough to make the grade as 'art horror'. Split the difference between the two though, and it's a very impressive piece of work nonetheless.
Somehow it feels quite modern in its dour, realist take on backwoods/serial killer horror; it could easily have been remade shot-for-shot at any point in the past twenty years and no one would have batted an eyelid.
It also made me want to wrap up warm and sit by the fire, even though it's not very cold outside.
B+Last edited by BW Haggar; 10-24-2023, 05:53 PM.Comment
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