Werewolves are a staple of the Horror genre- but human transformation isn't restricted to wolves.  There have been human to spider transformation movies , human to wasp transformation movies , and human to ape ones. After Barney Chavez murders his employer and seduces his wife, a series of strange animal killings begin.  His new wife, Dina begins to suspect that Barney's odd behaviour is connected to the events going on.  Soon she and police chief Taro close in on the truth... and find Barney's a changed man... " Bride of the Gorilla " is a bit of a silly movie, but suitable for a night of B-movie guilty pleasures.  The story is an interesting twist on the classic werewolf tale.  There are some nice little threads put together to weave a decent little plot- though it the movie relies heavily on Raymond Burr's acting chops. Other than Chavez, the characters are somewhat laughable and shallow.  Chavez is the only one that has any real depth for someon...

What can be more terrifying that gorillas going on a rampage?  How about gorillas going on a rampage because of implants in their brains?  How about it happening on King Kong's Island? When Diana is kidnapped by gorillas during a safari, Burt Dawson sets off into the deep jungle to find her.  He soon encounters a jungle girl, a mad scientist, and a band of mind controlled gorillas... Despite the title, " Kong Island ", there is no island... and no King Kong.  In fact, the original Italian title, "Eve, The Wild Woman " is in reference to the jungle girl Dawson meets.  One can only assume that American distributors felt that it would do better if they inferred a connection to the popular big ape. The concept is perfect for a low budget B-movie.  Mix together a mad scientist, a mercenary, a beautiful kidnapped woman, a beautiful jungle woman, and a bunch of mind controlled gorillas.  The story is actually, decent enough for a night of popcorn and ...

I enjoy movies that subtly include social issues in the story, and use social fears as the basis for the plot.  " The Wasp Woman " by Roger Corman does this. Janice Starlin is desperate to save her cosmetic company, whose sales have dropped since customers have noticed that she's aging.  How far would she go to regain her youthful appearance... and at what cost? Roger Corman's " The Wasp Woman " is not one of his better films.  There is the obvious influence of the classic movie, " The Fly ", which only came out two years before.  While the concept isn't original, the story takes a different route, and offers up a lot of potential to include social commentary on the cosmetics industry, and humanity's fear of aging as well as its need to be beautiful.  While those are touched on (the fear of aging more so than the others), this movie misses some nice opportunities to bring even more depth to the story- and the characters at the same ti...

I'm back today with the second of my " Terrorpolooza 2012 " reviews.  This time, it's " The Screaming Skull " . Jenni and Eric are a happy couple who have recently gotten married.  Upon moving into Eric's mansion, Jenni learns of the tragic death of Eric's first wife.  Soon, Jenni will question her own sanity as strange sounds and skulls begin to haunt her.  Is it the ghost of Eric's first wife... or something more sinister ? I quite enjoyed this movie.  The premise is solid, as are the events that occur.  There are one or two small holes in the plot, but they're pretty minor and don't take away from the overall story.  I did feel though that the opening "disclaimer" was unnecessary, though it did make me smile as I remembered some of the William Castle movies I'd seen. The characters, while they could be seen as somewhat stereotypical, are still interesting and engaging- especially the characters Jenni, and Mickey ...

The 1950's is known for cheesy monsters, hokey action, and mad science.  It was a time when the B-movie reigned supreme, and Japan was not immune to the fun... Interstellar hero Starman comes to Earth seeking the brain of Balazar, who is planning to invade the planet with mutants specially created by his evil scientists ... This movie is actually a re-edited collection of three one hour films that were part of the Japanese series, " Super Giant ".  The original series was filmed and released in 1958, while the re-edited film was released in the United States in 1964.  The " Super Giant " series, consisted of nine short films, with the last three comprising the material used in " Evil Brain From Outer Space ".  Since the three original films weren't really connected to each other outside of the presense of Starman, the American they had to be pieced together to tell a single story- result ing what was called "a non-ending cavalcade of ch...

As I watch more and more horror films spanning the ages, I've come to realize that many horror films reflect the worries and fears of the time period they're from.  Some, like " The Stepford Wives " (1975) did a great job of it... while others throughout cinema history have not... People have started to disappear in the swamps of the Florida Everglades.  While investigating, Steve Benton refuses to believe reports that the disappearances are caused by a monster dragging victims into the deep waters.  When bodies turn up drained of blood, Benton and his girlfriend become determined to end the monster's rampage ... This 1959 B-movie that was chosen as the " What Movie Wednesday " feature for the 27th of June was born from the early Cold War fears of radiation, and how it would affect the environment... but only touched briefly on the topic as part of the explanation for the monster... near the end of the film. More than anything, I think th...

A couple of weeks ago, I had a " What Movie Wednesday " double feature, with " The Witches Mountain " being one of the movies, watched... and " Demonic Toys " the other... After her partner and boyfriend is killed in a bust gone wrong, police officer Judith Gray chases the killers into a warehouse where toys are stored.  When one of the criminals is killed, it awakens a slumbering evil that'll use anything it can to get what it wants... including your sweet adorable teddy bear ... " Demonic Toys " is brought to us by Charles Band- who also made " Evil Bong ".  Knowing that, I wasn't really expecting much from this movie.  I have to say though, that I certainly found this one more entertaining that the previous one I'd seen from him. The story is simple, but fitting for a B-movie like this one.  It certainly provided a decent enough skeleton for the demon possessed toys to go on the rampage they do.  This movie was m...

Sometimes, you can tell exactly what a movie is like from the title.  Such was the case with this week's " What Movie Wednesday " winner, " Monstroid "... A small Colombian town has experienced a strange series of disappearances around a lake the accepts the drain off from a plant nearby.  The plant's company send out a trouble shooter to find out what the problem is and fix it... but finds that the answer is something more deadly than just pollution. .. This is going to be a short review this week, since there really isn't that much to say about this film. It's a bad film.  Seriously.  Bad.  Just bad.  Seriously bad.  Just seriously bad. The premise isn't bad, but everything surrounding it is bad.  The subplot of the woman accused of being a witch, the one of the eco-terrorist, and the subplot of the pant employee's relationship with the Mayor's daughter are just kinda thrown into the movie, with no real impact on the story. ...

  Ever since science became a common place practice, the idea of mad scientists have existed- always there to serve as a warning about playing God.  And ever since movies became common place, there have been bad movies- to serve as a warning about directors playing director... and also to make us reviewers suffer at the hands of our readers... Dr. Cortner is a very successful surgeon whit a beautiful fiancee named Jan.  While driving, and accident leads to Jan's death... and Dr. Cortner is determined to find a body for her severed head... With a total of 13 votes, " The Brain That Wouldn't Die " was declared this week's, " What Movie Wednesday " winner.  Now the question is: did I win? Well, let's just say that I found this movie amusing because of it's B-grade quality. The story is rather silly, and the execution is as well.  I also found the characters to be rather amusing as well because of the acting used to portray them....

  Sometimes, while surfing through channels, you find a horror movie that makes you stop and go, " Hmmm... I think I'll watch this one ..."  It makes you curious about what it's about, and whether it's any good.  Such was the state of things while watching TV with my Sister-in-Law... and " Goblin "... Neil and his family have arrived at a small town hoping to start a new business and a new life.  Soon however, they realize that something's wrong with the town... and that something wants Neil's newborn son ... " Goblin " is a Syfy Channel made for TV movie that was filmed in the forests surrounding Pitt Meadows, British Columbia- which made it of interest to me, living in British Columbia myself.  From the title alone, I could tell that it was going to be a B-movie- and I wasn't disappointed. For a B-movie, this one was entertaining and fun to watch.  The premise was actually interesting, with some decent plot points...

Sometimes, a horror movie's title fits the movie, while sometimes, they don't.  Such is the case of " Night Fright "... Shortly after a flaming object is sighted crashing near a small Texas town, a teen couple are brutally killed.  Soon the local Sheriff, and a group of partying teens are being stalked and killed through the deep woods as they try to discover who or what the killer is.. . When I hear a title like, " Night Fright ," I tend to think of ghosts and demons terrorizing innocent people in the middle of the night... or of late night TV shows airing old B-movies.  This movie would certainly qualify to be shown during such a show. In fact, judging from the opening credits, and musical scoring, I would say that " Night Fright " was actually a made for TV Movie- and a cheesy one to boot. Which probably made it a perfect choice for winner of this weeks, " What Movie Wednesday " installment, as it won the poll with a total o...

When I'm feeling down, I enjoy popping either an animated film, or a B-movie into the machine and watch it while nibbling on popcorn or cheesy poofs.  I was in that sort of mood when I sat down to watch, " The Monster of Phantom Lake "... Professor Jackson, and his assistant Stephanie are studying the local ecosystem of Phantom Lake, when they come across a new species of algae- algae that seems to have somehow combined with human DNA.  While they struggle to find the cause, a group of teens are having a campout nearby... only to be attacked by a plant-like humanoid figure.  Is THIS the source of the strange algae... and who will it kill next? " The Monster of Phantom Lake " is not intended to be a scary movie.  It is a humourous tribute to the classic, cheesy B-movies of the 1950's- and does it quite well. Like most of the B-movies of the 1950's, the camera work isn't complex- though there are some decent shots.  The editing was good at cre...

I am a fan of low budget horror movies.  I'm also af an of B-movies.  I also really enjoy some humour mixed with my horror.  When a movie combines these three things, I can be often found to sit, contented like a kitty cat with some catnip.  Unfortunately, not all of the horror movies that try to fit these three categories manages to do it effectively... Gary is helping his girlfriend Samantha with an archeology excursion to find a jewel box that was supposed to have been the property of a real life witch.  He finds the jewel box, and offers it to one of Samantha's rivals when Samantha refuses to show him the "proper appreciation" for it. Soon, however, Gary is on the run as women throughout Burbank start turning on men and eating them.  It's up to Gary, Samantha, a drifter and his girlfriend to retrieve the box and stop the carnage from spreading. This is actually going to be a pretty short review, since there isn't much to say about " Bloodsucking...

I simply going to say that I have never been so disappointed in a horror movie in my life... ever. A professor tells a High School class about and encounter with an inhuman creature 20 years prior while investigating an archeological site where a mummy had been found.  After finding the mummy, he and his students are forced to confront and destroy the beast before innocent people are killed... " Curse of Bigfoot " starts out with what could've been a decent clip of a rather nasty faced creature in a black suit attacking a woman and her dog.  Too bad that was only a movie being shown a High School class to illustrate how Hollywood portrays monsters and mythical beasts.  He then bring up the topic of Sasquatch- or Bigfoot.  They then go into a flashback of two people encountering a Bigfoot.  A promising start, right? It's a promise that they fail to deliver on.  After that initial Bigfoot scene, the rest of the movie has nothing to do with the title....

The 1970's were well known for their TV movies.  Most of them weren't very good, but there were some decent low budget TV B-movies... The Rill Lodge is having its annual winter carnival, which is threatened to be cancelled due to an attack on a skier by an unknown beast.  It's up to Tony- the owner's grandson, his friend Gar, and the sheriff to track down and kill it... Joseph Stefano, who wrote the script for Alfred Hitchcock's movie, " Psycho " wrote the teleplay for this TV movie.  Supposedly, he based it loosely on Roger Patterson's book recording his own experience with Sasquatch in 1967. For a TV movie, " Snowbeast " really isn't that bad.  Its production values are actually higher than the standard fare most networks commissioned for airing.  The skiing scenes are remarkable, and quite well done- even if they didn't really add a lot to the story's pace.  There is also some decent camerawork in this film too.  Some o...

Sometimes, I come across a movie that I'm not sure HOW I feel about it.  Part of me enjoys a film, while another part KNOWS that the film is just bad. Charlotte arrives at the Stephens Sanitarium shortly after Dr. Stephens suffers an accident at the hands of an axe wielding patient.  The assistant director of the facility briefs Charlotte on her duties, and the patients.  Soon, however, Charlotte realizes that her life is in danger... and not just from the patients... " Don't Look in the Basement " was originally a drive-in movie shown as part of a double bill with Wes Craven's " Last House on the Left "- sharing the tagline: " To avoid fainting, keep repeating to yourself: 'It's only a movie.. it's only a movie.. it's only a movie... " This movie is bad.  Really bad.  But fun at the same time... IF you're in the right frame of mind. The acting is pretty atrocious- but then again, I'd find it hard to make th...

  After all the black and white films I've watched over the past month or so as I worked my way through horror films from the 1920 to the present, I finally hit 1968- and a colour film.  It was a welcome change of pace- as was the story. Seperated from his regiment in 1806, Andre Duvalier stumbles across the castle of Baron von Leppe, and a mysterious woman whom the Baron claims has been dead for the past 20 years- because he killed her and her lover.  Determined to discover the truth behind the dark past of the castle, Duvalier soon finds himself confronting a deadly mix of guilt, revenge, and madness... " The Terror " was filmed on sets used in two other Roger Corman films- " The Raven ," and " The Haunted Palace ".  The tree in the final scene is from " The Haunted Palace " where it was the sight of Vincent Price being tied up and burnt.  In addition to re-using sets, this movie is notable for the number of directors it had: Roger Corma...

One sort of horror movie I really love are ghost stories.  Haunted houses, phantoms sliding around in the shadows, and lost souls looking for rest.  As much as I love monster films, and slasher movies, I really love a good ghost story- and " Carnival of Souls " is a decent one- even if there are some flaws to it. Mary is the soul survivor of an auto accident that claimed the live of her two best friends.  Wanting to escape the memory of it, Mary takes a job as a church organist in another city.  Soon she starts to see strange figures, and develops an unusual obsession with an abandoned fairground... that may hold a dark revelation for Mary ... Despite the fact that " Carnival of Souls " didn't garner much attention when first released, it has grown into what is considered to be a cult classic.  I can see why. For starters, the story is actually quite good, even if it wasn't fully developed to its potential.  When I first saw it, I was really interest...

There comes a point in every horror fan's life where they come face to face with a beast so bad... so horrific... so ill conceived that they wonder how it could've possibly been brought forth.  "T he Beast of Yucca Flats " is one of those points in my life. While fleeing Soviet agents, scientist Joseph Javorsky is caught in the explosion of an atomic bomb.  The blast transform him into a beast that rampages across the countryside... with the authorities on his trail... " The Beast of Yucca Flats " has been described by some critics as being far worse than Ed Wood's infamous " Plan 9 From Outer Space "- with good reason. Since the dialogue wasn't recorded at the same time as it was filmed, it was put into a rather bad position to begin with.  Every spoken word and sound effect was added in post production.  Rather than matching the dialogue with the mouths of the actors, the scenes are edited so that you can't see the speaker'...

These days, you often have to leave the North American film industry in order to find interesting and entertaining horror fare.  While some of these imported films may be as cheesy as those offered by Hollywood, many of them are still interesting because of the different things they bring to the genre. After suffering a horrible auto accident, Jeanette is persauded by a mysterious woman to undergo experimental treatment in the hopes of regaining the beauty she once had.  Soon, however, she is part of a world where love, desire, and murder are all part of the recipe that is behind the special serum that keeps her beautiful. "Atom Age Vampire" is an Italian film originally titled, "Seddok," and was quite entertaining- its apparent cheesiness hiding some rather clever thinking, and an interesting mix of the vampire and Jekyll/Hyde tales. The main cheese factor was the dubbing the Italian over into English.  The dialogue sounded like it was being read- or even im...