The Revenge Of Doctor X (1970)

Here's a very strange and odd little exploitation film. Complete with laugh-out-loud scenes (unintentional of course), a silly monster costume, obvious rip-offs and more guilty of more mistakes than a married couple of sex-obsessed catholics. This is one hell of a (rather bad) ride for all fans of cheesy b-movies, exploitation drive-in cinema or so-bad-it's-good films.

What the Hell is it About?
According to the DVD case:

A NASA scientist is ordered to take a vacation due to showing signs of stress while working on his latest missile project. Traveling to Japan, the scientist decides to indulge in his botany hobby and begins experimenting on a Venus Flytrap he brought along on his trip. Using radical techniques and falling into madness, the scientist eventually creates a plant creature that feeds on flesh and blood, which then sets off to find food in the form of the people of a nearby community.

Was it any good?

With a title like The Revenge Of Doctor X you can pretty much guess what your getting yourself into. But it deliver so much more...or less (depending on your taste in film). The film starts of with the credits...naturally. Only problem is, well, there the credits to the wrong film! Hello! What is this? An unseen Monty Python film?! According to the credits, this film was directed by exploitation 'legend' Eddie Romero, probably most famous for his Blood Trilogy (Brides Of Blood, Mad Doctor Of Blood Island (both 1968) and Beast Of Blood) as well as Women In Chains (1973) and The Beast Of The Yellow Night (1971; a film that almost made the DPP list).  But unfortunately, Doctor X was instead directed by the nobody Norman Thomson who has only this film to his name. In fact, the majority of this film's cast have a career which spans only one film; this one! With the exception of Doctor X (actually Dr. Bragan) himself played by James Craig who also starred in Bigfoot (1970) alongside the late great John Carradine and The Tormentors (1971); a Nazi Vs. Jesus Christ film! Besides Craig the next biggest name is possibly James Yagi who plays exactly the same character  in the Cult Classic, King Kong VS. Godzilla (1962). So, obviously this film isn't going to win any awards for its acting. And that adds to the film's enjoyability. Complete with over-the-top acting especially from Craig, who's main character seems to have serious hormonal problems - one minute everything's fine, the next he's SHOUTING HIS FACE OFF! But if any award was given (for best worst acting) it has to be to one of the side characters. A hunchback.

Yes. A hunchback.

A Zombie Western...With PUPPETS!

It's a puppet!

I've always wanted to see a zombie puppet film. Sure there's been animated zombie films such as Dead Space, the CGI Resident Evil film and the made-by-one-man City Of Rott, but there's been nothing (to my knowledge) of a gory and funny zombie film with Henson-esque puppets, similar to Meet The Feebles. Until now! It Came From The West, released a few months ago,is just that (short) film,  crammed with blood, guts, and stuffing and about as tongue in cheek as it is hand up back. Now you can check the full film out online! Just head over to this link to watch it all. Here's hoping the director, Tor Fruergaard, makes a feature length version of this!

But that's not all! I've recently come across this little fake zombie trailer done in the style of a Grindhouse/Exploitation trailer. It's great fun!

Frightfest 2010 Review 2: F

Next up on this marathon of new and upcoming horror films was another British horror film called F. Stupid title, I know. Before the film started, the director Johannes Roberts introduced it by comparing it to the excellent Assault On Precinct 13 (John Carpenter, 1976) and described it as an old-school horror film. What can I say; I was excited to say the least. But did the film actually live up to this hype?

What the Hell is it about?
Again, according to the official Frightfest booklet;

Welcome to the Class of 2010. The college day ends, the school building becomes a vast complex of dark corridors, eerily quiet classrooms, empty save for a few staff and children. What none of the remaining teachers and pupils realize is tonight is going to be a night they will remember for the rest of their lives. Viciously attacked by a pupil in the past English teacher Robert Anderson was devastated when the governing board refused to back his lawsuit to avoid bad publicity and scandal. Now a burned-out, world-weary alcoholic tyring to reconnect with his daughter, Anderson must finally face his most terrifying demons. For the school comes under relentless attack from a faceless thread intent on causing maximum mayhem. Alone Anderson must battle brutal bloodthirsty killers, and his deepest fears, in a desperate battle for the survival of those he holds most dear. Will lessons be learned?

Was it any good?

 As can be seen in the above semi-synopsis, F has a much bigger focus on character than the previous piece of garbage, Isle Of Dogs. The characters are all believable and have their own flaws, fears, goals and problems. In essence the characters in this film, or at least the main characters, are multi-dimensional resulting in the audience actually giving a damn about them. It's no surprise that the most well-developed character is the star of the film, Robert Anderson, played by David Schofield who's career has included appearing in the 2010 Wolfman remake, Pirates Of The Caribbean 2 & 3 and even the horror classic An American Werewolf In London.  Schofield plays his character in such a way that the audience empathises with his character who truly is a victim of circumstance - even though he constantly does the right thing nothing seems to go right for him. Instantly, I noticed parallels between the fantastic and highly underrated cult film Class Of 1984. Sadly though, whilst this film clearly benefits from having such a great character, it also hinders the film's enjoyability since it felt as though the entire film was building up to something slowly and, in the end, never really delivering it's promise or, more accurately, it's potential.

Frightfest 2010 Review 1: Isle Of Dogs

For those who don't know, Frightfest is a huge horror film festival in London which shows off the latest horror films resulting in the majority of the screenings being world premiers, or at least UK premiers. So, the next few posts will be reviews of all the films I saw and whether you should, in my opinion, both checking them out when they (if they) receive a wider release.

The first film I actually saw there this year was Tobe Hooper's original The Texas Chainsaw Massacre from 1974. There's no point reviewing that as everyone knows that it is a masterpiece of horror cinema and to see it on the biggest screen in England was nothing short of spectacular. It was followed by a long Q & A with Hooper, discussing this film in particular but also his occasionally successful career.If you would like to see this, check it out on YouTube here. That video has clearly been edited, Mr. Hooper looked very awkward, nervous and shy on stage. Oh and did I mention I also got an original pre-cert VHS of this film signed by the man himself? No? Well I did. Awesome or what?!

Anyways, let's get to the review of the World Premier of Isle Of Dogs. Directed by Tammi Sutton who's directorial credits include a killer clown film that often appears in the Poundshop (!) Killjoy 2: Deliverance From Evil (2002) and Sutures (2009) a film I had not even heard of before I wasn't too sure about this film. But I went along anyway.

What the hell is it about?
Well according to the FrightFest booklet;

It's a dog eat dog world. So take a deeper plunge into the darker side of human behaviour with an intense portrayal of sex, murder and betrayal. Darius is the gang boss from Hell, a deadly bastard and the last man you'd cross. But when he discovers his young Russian bride  Nadia is sleeping with Riley, he makes the small time hoodlum an offer he can't refuse. Kill or be killed. But murder is a very high stakes game - one with no rules. And as dawn rises on Darius' country estate, there will be seven bodies, with only one winner left standing. In the tradition of London To Brighton, an unflinching portrayal of what people will do to survive. Written by Sean Hogan (Little Deaths) and director Tammi Sutton (the upcoming Welcome To Graveland [what, no mention of killer clowns?!]), comes a barking Brit body count horror.

Dawn Of The Night Of The Dead: A Musical

Ladies and gentleman of all species, here's a bit of zombie history that seems to have been, wrongly, forgotten. As you may or may not know, zombies have taken over the world as we know it and have even showed their rotten faces in musicals! From The Evil Dead Musical (I know they're not zombies - but it's close enough!) to films such as Gory Gory Hallelujah (a film about Elvis impersonators VS. Jesus impersonators...and zombies) and Troma's Poultygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead as well as the music sub-sub genre, Zombiecore, not to mention Jackson's Thriller video. But where did this mix between the undead and the musical merge?

Well, although it may not have been an influence on the aforementioned examples (since it is so obscure), one of the first times the flesh-eating undead rose from their tombs for a good ol' sing song and brains, was in this short comedy. Dawn Of The Night Of The Dead: A Musical is a very funny and innovative little film, that looks like a hell of a lot of fun was had filming it. Clearly influenced by Romero's Dawn of the Dead, this film pays tribute to this classic with an all-singing, all-dancing, all-decomposing zombie choir! I have been unable to find this short on IMDb, but from the comments left on the YouTube page, the film appears to have been made in the early 1980s. Before Day of the Dead, or possibly as a result of the hype being built up around the release of Day?

Here it is. Check it out - and sing along!

Inferno Of The Dead - A Zombie Comedy Short

Here's a great little film for all you zombie fans out there.At just shy of 10 minutes, Inferno Of The Dead is one hell of a fun little film. Clearly inspired by Italian zombie sleaze, most notably The Zombie Dead (Andrea Bianchi, 1981) this short is not only highly innovative and unique but so damn funny! Check it out!

Teeth (2007)

When I first heard of Teeth (Mitchell Lichtenstein, 2007), a film about a man-eating vagina, I was instantly sold. With a premise that could have resulted in a early-Cronenberg-esque film or a fun cheesy b-movie I had high expectations. Unfortunately, except for a couple of scenes, I couldn't have been more disappointed.


What The Hell Is It About?
Two words; Vagina Dentata. No it's not some sort of exotic salsa but something with a bit more bite. Dawn (Jess Weixler), a celebrate young woman with a slight teething problem realises that her womanly region is becoming, how shall I put it...hungry for cock.



What Is Any Good?
In my opinion, no.  With such a great and rather innovative idea for a modern horror film, I feel as though this film could have been something special and maybe even legendary among the genre, but in actuality it turned out to be rather slow and cliched. The characters are about as stereotypical as the Mr. Men books with Dawn a typical goodie-two-shoes turned slut as she develops into womanhood, and Brad (John Hensley) her 'brother' who is nothing more than a cardboard cut out of a porn-loving, drug-smoking, horror-watching, metalhead. But if you consider the rather bad acting then perhaps this was the whole point. The film is, after all, very tongue in cheek.  One of the best scenes in the entire film, the doctor's (Josh Pais) scene  is played completely for laughs

The gore was very infrequent but when it did finally happen the audience is rewarded with  leg-crossing, stomach turning scenes. The special effects/make up during these moments are excellent, as seen in the picture. However, there just wasn't enough knob-biting for my liking (so to speak) to make this film anything but a curiosity or at best a mediocre film.

Reading up on this film however it seems that a lot of people (male and female) were offended by the representation of men and indeed women. Though whilst it is certainly easy to argue that all the male characters are shown to be sex-mad and violent and analysing this film from a feminist angle would be interesting, I personally don't really care about gender representations so much as to stop my enjoyment of a film. Oh no, the biggest problem for me was the lack of violence and the frustrating stupidity and hypocrisy in the plot - most notably sleeping with Ryan.

But I seem to be in minority here as it's gained quite a big fan base. So, if you're looking for a tongue-in-cheek (though not particularly LOL) but not too much gore, then give this one a go. If not, I'd say skip it and watch Cronenberg's Shivers or Rabid instead for some true body-horror goodness.

I'd give it a 1.5/5

Zombie Film BANNED!

It's not everyday that you hear of a zombie film being refused a certificate, but this exactly what has happened in Austraila. The film in question: Bruce LaBruce's LA Zombie. The reason for why it was banned: strong violence and sex. But this is not your typical heterosexual sex. Oh no, in fact it's quite the opposite. Yep, homosexual sex. Now I obviously haven't had the chance to see LA Zombie, since it hasn't been released yet, BUT I have seen his previous zombie-homo-porno, Otto: Or Up With Dead People and I really did enjoy that film. Sure it got a bit too arty-farty at times but it was different. The gore isn't too strong in that film, however there is plenty of male nudity and the film climaxes in a large homosexual orgy.

And after reading LA Zombie's synopsis, well it's pretty easy to see that LaBruce (who is known for working in gay adult cinema) has attempted to out-do Otto. According to this site, the film centers around "aliens engaging in [homosexual] necrophilia".  Pretty far out there then!

I can't help but wonder; if this film contained only heterosexual sex, would this film be banned? It's an interesting thought and one I hope is not true. LaBruce also mentions to The Guardian that this film is a "a reaction against torture porn." Are the Austrailian Film Classification board saying sex is worse than death? It's yet another interesting question raised.


Interestingly this was the first film to be banned at the Melbourne International Film Festival in seven years, which is quite an achievment. Now, this raises an interesting point. Has banning the film strangely helped the film? It's certainly the talk among zombie fans at the moment - a zombie film, that's been banned, I have GOT to see this! Perhaps the banning of this film will, in the long run, give the film more recognition and publicity than if it got through uncut, such as Otto, which is a truly underrated and under-seen film. Just take a look at the Video Nasties - most of which would have fallen into obscurity if it wasn't for them being caught up in the hoohar. 

On the other hand, Otto is getting a release here in the UK, completly UNCUT. So check it out, if your looking for something more different.

Film's official website.

The Beast in Space (1980)

Now this is a very strange film. If you like the sci-fi and Eurosleaze sexploitation genres then you’re in for a treat as this incredibly sleazy and camp film, The Beast in Space, mixes the two-genres like you’ve never seen done before. A quick look at the names associated with this film will give you a very good idea of what to expect. Alfonso Brescia helms the director’s chair for this; a man responsible for several other Italian Star Wars (George Lucas, 1977) rip-offs and cash-in such as the hilariously bad War of the Robots (1978). It also stars art-porn ‘actress’ Sirpa Lane, probably best known for her roles in Papaya: Love Goddess Of The Cannibals (Joe D’Amato, 1978) and The Beast (Walerian Borowcyzk,1975) which this film is a unofficial sequel to. Sleaze, stupidity and more sleazy. Sounds like a great film already.

The plot, as one would expect, is very simple indeed. It is so simple in fact that the whole shebang is more or less done in a very tongue-in-cheek style (either that or it was just unintentionally hilarious) especially the final robotic showdown.  Then again, if you’re watching this film looking for an interesting, sophisticated plot then you’re, well, as stupid as this film, but possibly not half as much fun.  This film makes up for the lightness of the plot with a plethora of sex. There’s sex everywhere - hence the whole ‘sexploitation’ thing. So if you’re watching this film for that then you won’t be disappointed. It’s a sci-fi fan’s dream come true! But what is particularly interesting about this film is the importance and significance given to the idea of forbidden and/or dangerous sex. Sondra (Lane) the female protagonist of this piece explains how she ‘suffers’ from a reoccurring nightmare involving her having sex with a half-man, half-beast creature. Yet as the film progresses and, sure enough, reality becomes more and more similar to her nightmares/dreams the idea of forbidden sex is complicated. Whilst it is clearly ‘wrong’ and prohibited to have it off with the Beast, she is clearly attracted to this idea. Rape fantasy complex? Mmm, maybe. On the topic of ‘the act’ the Shameless version includes scenes which have been removed from the softer versions, most notably (!) the Beast’s large...how shall I say it...wangdoodle. So big in fact it scares Lane’s character off at first. 

Arrow to Release Jaguar Lives

If your a fan of exploitation and action films then you are going to be in Heaven with this news (or Hell, if that's your thing). The folks over at Arrow Video have just announced (on the Cult Labs Forum) that the action grindhouse epic, Jaguar Lives will be getting a release here in the UK! And, going by their previous releases of City Of The Living Dead, Dawn/Day of the Dead, Macabre and so on this will be an awesome package!

Starring Joe Lewis, the Icon of horror himself Mr. Christopher Lee, Donald Pleasence and so many more, this is a film not to be missed. Just check out the posters and the trailers! Oh yeah!

Robot Bastard - The Greatest Free Short Film on the Internet!

Here's something that is utterly bizarre and just plain odd which you probably have not seen. It's one of those rare gems on the Internet: a video that's actually good (and doesn't involve a baby falling over or some silly cat).  Described by Tekbug Magazine as "...the kind of film that every teen-age boy wants to see and the type of film every geeky guy wants to be in", Robot Bastard is one heck of a crazy ride well worth checking out. And it's free!

This 15 minute or so short film, directed by Rob Schrab, tells the story of a bright orange (awesome looking) robot who is sent on a mission to kill the most feared female in the universe. Fighting tones of space mummy/zombie things along the way and ending in a great climax, this is a little known film that's pure gold! And yep, it's as silly and as kick ass as you could possibly imagine with a title like that!

Here's what the official website describes it as:

"The future is a cooler place than you might imagine. Robot Bastard exists in an eight-grade-boy universe of Robots, Rocket ships and cute girls. Escape to the colorful adventure in the first installment of Robot Bastard! Yes, geeks of the world, this is the one you've been praying for.

The President's Daughter has been kidnapped by the brilliant super-criminal Blood Mamba. All rescue attempts have been thwarted by the evil genius. There's only one thing left to do: send in the Robot. The Robot must fight zombie-monsters and insecurity in order to complete his suicidal mission.

This marks the directorial debut of Rob Schrab (Creator of Scud: the Disposable Assassin and Heat Vision and Jack)."

The animation in this film is spot on, the one-liners are hilarious, the sets, the lighting, the sounds - everything just seems to work! Truly one of the strangest, most stylish and bad ass videos your likely to come across for free (legally!)

If you want to check this out then head on over to the Official Site, where you'll be able to download the film, the trailer and all the goodies.

Highly recommended!

Win The Perfect Sleep

It's sunday, which means there's yet another prize up for grabs. As ever, all you have to do to win it is head on over to  the Cult Labs forum and follow the rules. Simple!

“A FANTASTIC, WONDERFUL RIDE. IT’S FILM NOIR ON CRACK.” – GARY OLDMAN.

Described by the Independent Film Quarterly as “Goodfellas meets Chinatown… [a] modern gangster masterpiece”, The Perfect Sleep, the directorial debut feature from Jeremy Alter, is a stylish, contemporary film noir that owes as much to Shakespeare (references to Hamlet, Othello and King Lear abound) as it does to the works of Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler. A co-producer of ‘Inland Empire’ and location manager on ‘Lost Highway’, director Alter also wears his Lynchian influences on his sleeve as he presents star and scriptwriter Anton Pardoe’s (himself a location assistant on ‘Lost Highway’) hard-boiled, noirish world of ruthless gangsters, femme fatales and morally unsound detectives as a dark and vivid dreamscape full of tormented characters.

In a timeless, unidentified city (which may or may not be Los Angeles), a man with no name (Pardoe) returns to the violent, brutal domain of gangsters and assassins he left ten years before, back when they dubbed him The Mad Monk for his disregard for his own life and his intense devotion to one woman, Porphyria (Roselyn Sanchez).

The girl he grew up with and the love of his life, Porphyria is now a beautiful woman - the only thing he has ever wanted and the one thing he can never have. She, alone, is the reason for his return. Her life now in danger, he is the only man who can save her. But waiting for him are several killers who would like nothing more than to see him die a painful death, while standing at their forefront is the formidable Nikolai (Patrick Bauchau), the man who raised him and just might be his father. To protect Porphyria, this unnamed man must revisit his former life of torment and torture and confront the father figure he turned his back on so many years ago.

Co-starring Roselyn Sanchez (Without A Trace), Patrick Bauchau (2012), Peter J. Lucas (Inland Empire) and Michael Pare (the Bloodrayne movies), The Perfect Sleep is a dreamy, often nightmarish, film noir enhanced by stunning cinematography, ethereal locations and a cool, atmospheric musical score by David Vanian, the frontman of punk-goth legends, The Damned.

The Perfect Sleep (cert. tbc) will be released on DVD (£15.99) by Icon Home Entertainment on 26th July 2010.

Take your stinking paws off me, you damned dirty ape!

Planet of the Apes (1968). Who hasn't heard of this? A film so amazing it quickly spawned one of sci-fi cinema's greatest franchises, a TV-series, tones of rip-offs and cash-ins (even the spanish Blind Dead zombie series attempted to cash in), merchandise and even a (crappy in comparison) remake. This is a true cinematic masterpiece which I urge all to see. This film blows other so called sci-fi classics such as  Star Wars (1977) clean out of this solar system.

What's it about?


Well the plot is pretty straight forward and I'm sure most of you will know it. A group of astronauts are traveling to a nearby planet however something causes the ship to suffer from a few problems. Next thing they know they've landed on a strange planet, 2,000 years into the future. Upon further investigation of their new home they come across, what appears to be a primitive and mute version of man. Their plans of ruling these humans are quickly thwarted as several man-sized gorillas riding horses capture them. Only one survives, George Taylor (Charlton Heston)  only to find that this planet is run by man-sized apes. Will he escape? Will he survive? Or will he be experimented on by the monkeys and kept in a cage for the rest of his life?



Review

Often described as being one of the greatest science fiction films ever to be made, it's easy not to see why, and I for one fully agree with this statement. Every part of this film (besides the occasional problems with the ape make-up) is perfect. Each of the characters, from Taylor to the apes, are fully dimensional (and fantastically acted by an incredible cast) - there are no stock characters here with little to offer than cliched stereotypes. The music by Jerry Goldsmith is just incredible as is the Gaudi inspired sets of the ape landscape. The plot and the pace of the story is another breathtaking part of this film. With moments as slow and provoking as the best scenes in Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey of the same year and other moments full of action and suspense.

WIN The Beast In Space!

This week over at the Cult Labs forum I'm giving away the incredibly sleazy and incredibly cheesy sci-fi sexploitation film, The Beast in Space! Head on over the forum to be in a chance with winning.

“ [IT] WILL IMPALE YOUR BRAIN WITH ITS SLEAZY DEMENTIA.” – DVD VERDICT

 Science fiction was never so wild and depraved as it is in The Beast In Space, a sex mad intergalactic saga starring Sirpa Lane (Love Goddess Of The Cannibals) who’d already shocked the world when she starred in Walerian Borowczyk’s notorious art-house porno classic, ‘The Beast’. She now returns in this mind-blowing, completely unofficial, outer space set “sequel” as a woman forced to submit to the carnal lusts of an horrific space monster in a movie that gives trash cinema lovers exactly what they want in a riot of space disco insanity, sci-fi oddness and twisted eroticism.



Mind scrambling aliens, eye scorching special effects and the co-star presence of porn diva Marina Hedman (Satan’s Baby Doll) combine to make The Beast In Space one of the strangest trips you’ll ever take.



This exclusive Shameless Rebuild presentation of The Beast In Space features the bonus attraction of extra footage, added by the film’s producers and previously only available in a hardcore, XXX porn version release.

The Beast In Space (cert. 18) will be released on DVD (£15.99) by Shameless Screen Entertainment on 26th July 2010. Special Features include: Shameless Rebuild with extra footage, previously only available in XXX version; alternate scenes comparisons; reversible sleeve featuring original artwork;  optional English subtitles; theatrical trailer; Shameless trailers.

Last 5 Films Seen

Time for the last 5 films seen list. Complete with mini-reviews and clips! Hooray!

1) Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street (1979)
 Forget the Burton version of this Sondheim classic musical, that is NOTHING compared to the original stage version. The songs are better, the acting is better, the comedy is better, everything is better. Out of all the versions of Sweeney Todd none have quite come close to this particular version and George Hearn and Angela Lansbury are the best Todd/Lovett you'll ever see. Highly HIGHLY recommended!






2) The Capture Of Bigfoot (1979)
The 1970s was one of the most prolific decades for the incredibly underrated Bigfoot film. Sure the films were bad, and this is no exception, but they were a lot of fun too. This is one of the better ones complete with an evil villain with a maniacal laugh, a car chase, lots of snow and some sentiment thrown in there too.

Zombie News!

Here at Circus of the Freaky, I aim to bring to you not only reviews of freaky horror films, weird news stories, unexplained mysteries and other such paranormal hoohar but also the latest in (awesome) zombie news. So every now and then, I, the Freak, shall post a couple of links to the best and newest zombie material. Enjoy!

To kick start it all off....

Everyone's heard about the Orson Welles radio broadcast of War Of The Worlds which caused wide-spread panic across America. What with the recent popularity of zombies it wasn't long before there was a zombie version of this radio broadcast (not to mention the War Of The Worlds Plus Blood, Guts And Zombies book) which was entitled Zombie Influx. This CD presented itself as a real life radio broadcast of a zombie outbreak complete with sound effects and great music. Check out the site here for more information. Now, another one has come along and it goes by the name of The Zombie Cookbook. A CD very similar to Zombie Influx but with a focus more on Metal (music). Click this link to listen to a few tracks.


NEXT:

Everyone who is anyone in the field of zombie fandom has played Left 4 Dead (1 & 2). There's no two ways about it. That's just the way it is. And for those who have the PC version, well another brilliant Mod has been release. A Mod that allows the player/s to fight hordes of flesh-eating, screaming zombies in the world of Indiana Jones. I present to you: Indiana Jones And The Temple Of The Zombies! The link here allows you to download the Mod for free! Oh yeah!


And next...

Weekly Comp - Samurai Zombie - 04/07/2010

Besides running this blog, I also run the competitions on the Cult Labs forums. For those who haven't visited this site, I cannot recommend it high enough if you're a fan of film, especially cult/horror/exploitation. Full of great, knowledgable and very friendly members this is the one forum you'd ever need to join.

This week's competition prize is...

“GOOD NASTY FUN WITH GREAT ACTION SEQUENCES, ACTUAL PLOT TWISTS AND SMART, LIGHT-FINGERED CARTOON VIOLENCE.” – BOXOFFICE.COM



From screenwriter Ryuhei Kitamura (director of ‘The Midnight Meat Train’ and writer-director of ‘Versus’) and director Tak Sakaguchi (the star of ‘Versus’ and fight choreographer for ‘Tokyo Gore Police’ and ‘Vampire Girl Vs. Frankenstein Girl’) comes Samurai Zombie, a splatter-filled, genre blending, horror-comedy that delivers precisely what its title promises.

A vacationing family’s drive through the tranquil woods surrounding Eight Spears Village takes an unfortunate turn when their car hits a gun-toting man standing in the middle of the road. Suddenly, a young man and woman emerge from the woods and, after shooting the accident victim, proceed to car-jack the family taking them hostage in the process. The situation immediately goes from bad to worse when the car suffers a blowout and dad is sent off in search of a spare tyre or an alternative means of transport while his wife and two kids remain in the hands to the two apparent psychopaths.

Unfortunately, any sign of deliverance for dad, his family or their captors is a long way off. Before he can find help, a mysterious encounter with a rather large blade leaves the head of the family headless, precipitating a bloody rainfall and the resurrection of a long-dead samurai warrior with a mean streak and a score to settle. Meanwhile, back at the car, a derelict old hag appears before the stranded group with a dire but frighteningly convincing warning: “You’re all going to die!” Confirmation of this stark proclamation soon comes in the form of the undead warrior looking to add to his newly-begun collection of severed heads.

A highly recommended addition to the recent wave of Japanese extreme splatter movies, Samurai Zombie sees director Sakaguchi and writer Kitamura playing for laughs and shocks in equal measure with a joyously demented zombie flick that includes scenes of explosive geyser-spouting decapitations, hilariously graphic dismemberment, wince-inducing oral castration and the introduction of a pair of bumbling cops with an amusing case of serious gun envy. Size, it appears, is everything.

Samurai Zombie (cert. tbc) will be released on DVD (£15.99) by MVM on 19th July 2010.


So head on over to the Cult Labs forums to be in with a chance of winning!

Last 5 Films Seen

I'm a HUGE fan of horror films, from slashers to zombies to vampires and even to gialli. I can't get enough! So, every now and then I'll post up a list of 5 films that I've seen lately. This will be complete with a tiny little review and a trailer (for the majority). Here goes nothing:

1) The Legend of Bigfoot - Harry Winer, 1976.

Bigfoot. What a guy. Keeps himself to himself and stays out of contact with humans (so much so people question his existence). Sounds a bit like me. In this strange hybrid of a documentary/film, Bigfoot 'celebrity' Ivan Marx attempts to track down the elusive beast. A film almost made up completely with stock footage of wildlife, tenuously linked to the creature, this film can be a bit dull. But for any Bigfoot fans out there, check it out, at least for some giggles. According to this 'documentary', when Bigfoot's in town, goats kill themselves. Oh and Bigfoot migrates. Apparently.




2) Not of this Earth - Roger Corman, 1957.

One of the most prolific independent film makers EVER, Roger Corman, directs this rather dark and very sinister sci-fi horror. An alien being with the power of mind control comes to earth, but he's not here just for the sun. Full of 1950’s red fear and a pretty descent story.



3) Deathsport – Allan Arkush, 1978.

David Carradine takes centre stage again in this rather unrelated sequel to DEATH RACE 2000. Full of stupid costumes, silly vehicles, bad dialogue, mutants and a couple of breasts this film is a treat for the so-bad-its-good fan.



4) House of Wax – Andre De Toth, 1953.

Now we’re talking. Sod the remake. The original is everything you could ever want. Vincent Price in one of his best roles.



5) Them! – Gordon Douglas, 1954.

Quite simply one of the very best monster movies of all time. Full of giant ants, some very tense scenes and oodles and oodles of communist fear. Highly, highly recommended!