Horror films often reflect the anxieties and fears that Society feels at various times in history.  After World War II, and the rise of the Soviet Union, fear of nuclear accidents- and the possible side affects found a home in Society's psyche... leading to the "Nuclear Mutated Monster" genre of movies... The discovery of a lone girl in the New Mexico desert leads Sergeant Peterson and Trooper Blackburn to investigate her origins... That search will soon take into the path of something hideous... something monsterous... THEM! The story is pretty simple and straightforward:  Humans tested an A-Bomb, the radiation mutated an ant colony to huge size, mutated ants start attacking humans.  It is enough of a skeleton for a fun little night of entertainment.  There is some depth as it does give insight into the sort of anxieties American people had about atomic bombs, and what the radiation could wind up doing.  When taken in context of 1950's American ...

One of the perennial favorites when it comes to horror in general is Edgar Allan Poe.  His tales of the macabre and the unusual provide fertile soil for directors and actors when it comes to cultivating the heebie jeebies in people... Edgar is a quiet, retiring sort of person- much too shy of a person to ask his beautiful neighbour out for a date.  On the advice of his friend Carl , Edgar asks Betty out... only to find out later that the two have started an affair behind his back.  Taking matters into his own hands, he soon discovers that the heartbeat of guilt is a difficult one to stop... This " What Movie Wednesday " winner (part of last Wednesday's double feature), is a loose adaptation of Poe's famouse short story .  While there are several major differences between this movie and the source material, the spirit and core premise is still there.  For such a simple movie, the story is strong and solid.  Normally, the ending (similar to that of "...

As I was watching " The Bat " (1926) last wednesday, I decided that I would also watch the 1959 remake starring Vincent Price and Agnes Moorehead.  I wanted to compare how it would translate from a silent film to one with sound... While renting a mansion belonging to a small town's bank manager, mystery writer Cornelia Van Gorder finds herself the target of a mysterious killer called, The Bat.  He's seeking a million dollars in stolen bank money... money he believes is hidden in the mansion. .. This film is notable for three of its stars: Vincent Price, Agnes Moorehead (Endora on the TV series " Bewitched "), and Darla Hood (from The Little Rascal films).   This movie marked Hood's last appearance in a movie. The story doesn't deviate too much from the original 1926 film, but there are some rather drastic changes in regards to characters.  Cornelia's maid is a lot more level headed than in the silent film; the niece is now just a friend,...

I'm back after a small hiatus due to being sick with the third of my " Terrorpolooza 2012 " movie reviews.  One thing I learned is that while horror and comedy often work together, sometimes, it doesn't work as well as it could've. A group of gangsters have helped a South American dictator to escape a revolution with a strong box full of gold.  They hope to gain possession of it by using a legend of a local sea monster to scare off the dictator and his guards.  All goes according to plan until an American spy... and the real sea monster take an interest in the group . " Creature From the Haunted Sea " is a Roger Corman horror comedy that- as was typical of Corman films, shot in about five days.  To be perfectly honest, you can tell that it was a rushed production. The story is certainly enough to provide a decent amount of comedic fodder to go with the horror, though the humour far outweighs the horror.  Unfortunately, due to a few of the charact...

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 ...

Many horror films delve into legends about infamous people for the kernel of an idea for their stories.  Cannibals, monsters, and serial killers are peppered throughout the history of horror cinema... Gaston is a puppeteer in Paris during a rash of murders by a psychotic madman named "Bluebeard".  When Gaston meets Lucille, he believes that he's found happiness... but soon matters take a dark turn, and Gaston's happines could turn to murder ... This 1944 black and white suspense thriller has a lot going for it.  The story, is straightforward, and strong enough to keep you interested- even though you know who the killer is from the start.  It's still engaging to watch the events unfold. The acting isn't bad- not great, but still enjoyable.  John Carradine does a great job in the role of the troubled Gaston, while Jean Parker was great as Lucille.  Carradine brings a nice touch of pathos to the character, while maintaining the feeling that there...

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...

In 1968, George A. Romero gave the world a whole new look at an old and underestimated fear:  zombies. After her brother and her are attacked in a cemetery by a strange man, Barbara flees to an isolated farmhouse.  There she is joined by six others as they try to survive a night long siege from crazed flesh eating people who turn out to be more than mere humans... they're zombies... George A. Romero was inspired by the novel, " I Am Legend " by Richard Matheson to write " Night of the Living Dead ."  He wanted to explore how such an apocolyptic "revolution" might start, and how humans might react in a situation where something that's supposed to be "forever" stopped being... well, permanent.  That "forever" was Death, and thus the Romero zombies were born.  Matheson, himself described Romero's interpretation as, "kinda of cornball".  Little did he know the sort of grip it would have on the world. The charact...

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...

To date, I have reviewed a string of movies from the 1920, 1930's, and the 1940's.  With " The Killer Shrews, " I'll be closing out my set of five movies from the 1950's... and what a way to close it. While dropping off supplies to a small research team, Captain Thorne Sherman is stranded on the remote island due to a hurricane.  Soon, he discovers that the hurricane isn't the only danger he's facing- for him and the science team are now at the mercy of killer shrews. .. This is definately one of those movies that you show during a cult classic/b-movie night. Captain Sherman- played by James Best, is a bit of a jerk, but kinda likeable at the same time.  Ken Curtis's character, Jerry is great as the drunken arse of an assistant.Judge Henry Dupree, and Alfred DeSoto- being the minorities in the movie seem to be there simply to die before the white people... though I did like DeSoto's character, Mario.  I also liked Baruch Lumet as Dr. Mar...

I have come to realize that the 1950's had quite a few B-movie.  Many of them were pretty cheesy, but fun to watch.  Some even showed a lot of potential and had some things that I really liked.  " The Screaming Skull " is one of those films. Jenni has just moved into her new husband's large mansion.  Soon, however, her and Eric's happiness is marred by strange sounds and the appearance of skulls around the house.  Is Eric trying to drive his wife insane?  Is Mickey, the gardener, trying to scare Jenni away?  Or is Eric's former wife coming back... from beyond the grave? " The Screaming Skull " is NOT a great movie- but it did have some promise and potential to it.  I had to smile at the William Castle-like opening, where a voice informs the audience that if they were to die of fright during the movie, the studio would pay for their funeral.  Cheesy, and unnecessary, but I still liked it. While most of the camera work was pretty basic, ...

In the horror genre, there are some stellar movies... and plenty of not-so-stellar ones.  But sometimes, even the less than great horror movies have good things in them. Charles "The Butcher" Benton vows revenge on his lawyer, Paul Lowrie for sending him to his death in the gas chamber.  After his execution, Benton's body is used for a secret experiment that revives him.  Taking this opportunity, Benton cuts a swathe of death as he heads ever closer to Lowrie and his cronies.  The police are hot on his trail, but something about "The Butcher" is different... bullets just bounce off him.  What can stop the "Indestructible Man"? This movie stars Lon Chaney, Jr- whose father is famous for roles in " The Phantom of the Opera ", and " The Hunchback of Notre Dame ," and is a real B-movie.  So much so that it was actually featured on Mystery Science Theater 3000. I have to admit that this movie is far from being great.  In fact, it...

1951 brought the world- and horror fans, one of the greatest sci-fi/horror classics of all time, even influencing one of the greatest horror film makers of all time.  I'm talking about, "T he Thing From Another World "... After an unidentified flying object crash lands near an Arctic research centre, the military and scientists recover what may very well be the body of an extraterrestrial.  Soon, however, the small group is besieged by an almost unstoppable alien... and alien that needs their blood... " The Thing From Another World " is actually based on John W. Campbell, Jr's short novel, " Who Goes There? ", and took advantage of the American public's distrust of science after the horrors of the A-bomb dropped on Hiroshima.  It sets the stage for future movies featuring the conflict between scientists and the military- though later films would depict the military as being the sinister party. When it was released, it actually made more ...

I'm always interested in watching movies based on folktales and books... which is why " Bluebeard " caught my eye... During a rash of killings in 19th century Paris, puppeteer Gaston Morrell, and dress maker Modiste Lucille begin a romantic relationship.  Soon dark secrets and death begin to swirl around the couple until death hits their immediate circle of friends and family... We all know the story of " Bluebeard " from our childhoods, right?  A man by the name of Bluebeard (in many versions of the story it's because he literally has a blue beard), has a violent reputation- and is suspected of killing many of his wives... though no bodies could ever be found.  Bluebeard marries again, and shortly afterwards tells his wife that he must leave on business.  He gives her the keys to all the rooms of the castle- and tells her that she is forbidden to enter a specific room.  After she promises to stay out of that room, Bluebeard leaves.  Soon, however, cur...

Over the course of the past few weeks of watching various horror films from the 1930's and 1940's, I have come to appreciate the films of Bela Lugosi.  I have also come to appreciate the fact that he's often the best part of the film. Brides have been dying at the altar... only to have their bodies stolen shortly afterwards.  Patricia Hunter- the society columnist for a small newspaper believes that a rare orchid worn by the victims can lead her to the killer.  The orchids lead her to Dr. Lorenz and his beautiful, but spiteful wife.  Soon Hunter and the local physician, Dr. Foster find themselves nearing the dark and deadly secret of the Lorenz household... This may not be one of Bela Lugosi's better films... but it's still enjoyable to watch simple because of him. Luana Walters wasn't bad as the society columnist.  She was witty, confident with a bit of sass, and beautiful.  But all that was kinda ruined by her ultimately winding up as the sexist "da...

This is one of those films that I reviewed on Facebook a couple of years ago- and gave it a harsher review than it deserved on first viewing.  For it's flaws, this early zombie film isn't all THAT bad. While searching for a missing Admiral during World War II, Bill Summers, his pilot, and his valet are caught in a storm and are low on fuel.  Their only chance of survival is to follow a weak radio signal and crash land on a s small island in the Caribbean.  What they will discover there is beyond their belief as they confront, the King of the Zombies ...  Originally, Monogram Pictures tried to get Bela Lugosi to  star in this movie as Dr. Miklos Sangre (sangre is Spanish for "blood" just so you know), but he was unable.  Since they weren't able to get Peter Lorre as their second choice, the role went to Henry Victor- who signed just before filming began.  " King of the Zombies " was released just before the US entered World War II on the side of th...

  I reviewed this movie a couple of years ago on Facebook, and gave it a two star (out of five) rating.  Revisiting this film again for this review, I feel I was a little harsh- and found more to enjoy about it.   The members of the wealthy Heath and Morton families are being killed.  The only clues are bite and claw marks... and a strange scent.  Henry Laden- a reporter, and his photographer "One Shot" McGuire must figure this case out before "The Devil Bat" claims another victim... " The Devil Bat " is a horror/comedy produced by Producers Releasing Corporation (PRC)- which was considered to be part of the "poverty row studios" of the time.  PRC was well known for quickly filmed movies that cost little, and had plenty of humour.  This movie was actually their first venture into the horror genre. Even though it's classified as a horror/comedy, the comedy isn't as overwhelming as in others- such as the rather disappointing, " The ...

  I recently finished an excursion through the horror films of the 1930's.  I ended that trip with a deplorable comedy/horror movie called, " The Gorilla ".  When I saw that the first movie on my list for the 1940's was called, " The Ape ," I wasn't exactly enthused. Suffering from the loss of his own family due to polio, Dr. Adrian is determined to cure a young woman... but to do this, he requires human spinal fluid.  The escape of a circus ape gives him the opportunity to get what he needs... while the towns people blame the ape... As I said, after my experience watching, " The Gorilla ," I wasn't exactly holding out much hope for " The Ape ".  The fact that it starred Boris Karloff helped to raise my enthusiasm. There is some decent camera work in this film that allow for interesting plays of shadow.  The angles aren't exactly innovative, but they're still effective at framing the action.  The opening- announcing the...