ringu 0: bâsudei (2000)

aka Ring Ø: Birthday.
A prequel that moves back 30 years to introduce us to Sadako, a young girl haunted by ghosts, her unknown past and visions of the future. Sadako is learning to act, but her demeanor marks her out. Her fellow actors finding her disturbing, especially when the star of the play dies and Sadako is given her part.
At last we get to see what makes Sadako tick and how she came to be the demon she developed into in Ringu, as events and people around her conspire to push her into a rage and make her into a monster. The ring is complete in this worthy finale or begining if you like.

ringu 2 (1999)

aka Ring 2.
The sequel to Ringu. Following the death of Ryuji, his girlfriend Mai tries to learn how and why he died. She soon discovers the videotape and the story of Sadako. After some investigating, she learns that Ryuji's son, Youichi, is developing the same psychic powers of Sadako. A fact that brings her into conflict with the now reclisive Reiko.
Ring 2 continues the slow inexeable pace of it's parent film, taking the story to another level as we learn more about Sadako and her family. Though not as good as Ringu, this still holds up as a spine chiller worthy of watching.

ringu (1998)

aka Ring.
Reiko is a divorced mother of one, and tv journalist, whose niece was recently found dead of shock. When she learns that three of her niece's friends have also died, she decides to investigate. She discovers they all watched a disturbing videotape, and that anyone who watches it dies seven days later. She recovers a copy of the tape but time becomes critical when first she, her ex and then her son accidentally watch it.
This masterpiece of Japanese suspence brought a new wave of Asian horror to western eyes. The film starts slowly, but inexorably builds to its climactic end. A must see, as simple as that.

and now the screaming starts (1973)

aka Bride of Fengriffen. Fengriffen. I Have No Mouth But I Must Scream.
18th Century England and Catherine (Stephanie Beacham) marries Charles Fengriffen (Ian Ogilvy) and moves into his country estate. From day one she is tormented by visions and a severed hand. Things that seem to revolve around Silas the woodsman and her husband's grandfather. As she seems to descend into madness Dr Pope (Peter Cushing) arrives and is determined to unravel the mystery before it is too late.
This film has it's moments, but for me it unwinds at too slow a pace, and worse, is too well lit at times, which unfortunately dispells any chance of suspence in a number of scenes. So if you come across it then have a watch, just don't go out of your way.

dr terror's house of horror (1965)

aka Die Todeskarten des Dr. Schreck.
An early example of the portmanteau horror by Amicus, featuring Peter Cushing as Dr. Schrek, who via tarot cards predicts the bleak futures of five people in a train carriage. As usual there is a variety of stories in cludingthe supernatural, vampires, voodoo and Werewolves, some better than others. All this and a twist at the end of the film. Well worth watching, even if it's to see the spark between Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee.

asylum (1972)

aka House of Crazie.
A young doctor arrives at a lunatic asylum and is set the task of interviewing four patients and determining which one was the former head doctor, who has subsequently gone insane. Thus follows four separate stories of various descents into madness. Will the doctor deduce correctly.
Well written and filmed, with stories that are all sufficiently different to maintain your interest and a startlingly nihilistic ending for the period. This is a product of a company that had honed its product and filled it with stars of the day, everyone from Peter Cushing, Charlotte Rampling, Britt Ekland and Richard Todd, amongst others pop up. Whilst there is nothing new here, it is a good solid example of the genre of portmanteau horror.

black sabbath (1963)

aka I Tre volti della paura. The Three Faces of Fear. The Three Faces of Terror. Les Trois visages de la peur.
A horror in three parts, introduced by and featuring Boris Karloff as the Wurdalak. Firstly, The Telephone where a woman recieves a series of phone calls from her ex-pimp who has escaped from prison. She enlists the help of her lesbian ex-lover Mary, who comes over, but this just serves to rack up the tension and claustrophobia as they await the coming of Frank. Second we have The Wurdalak: A 19th Century tale of a young man who stumbles on a family awaiting the return of their father, who they now believe to be a Wurdalak. A walking cadaver who feeds on the blood of the living, preferably close friends and family. The final story is The Drop Of Water. In Victorian London a woman is called to a house to dress the corpse of a medium, and whilst doing so steals a ring. She is subsequently plagued by a fly and visions of the corpse. The fantastic photography and lighting lends extra atmosphere to these three very claustrophobic and stylish stories. See this film, but preferably in the original Italian version. AIP for some reason decided to tamper and released it with the stories rearranged and eliminating some of the sub plot elements.

the angel who pawned her harp (1954)

Very much in the style of an Ealing Comedy, this is the story of an angel who has to earn her wings by helping a series of people in 1950's London. Starring Diane Cilento as a glamorous angel, who lands appropriately at the Angel, Islington and through a variety of means helps bring out the emotions of a variety of people in different ways. A feelgood film, that uses a certain amount of sentimentality, but is never mauwkish.

demons (1985)

aka Dèmoni
Cheryl has preview tickets to a movie at a newly renovated theater and decides to take her friend Kathy. In the lobby a pimp and some of his girls are checking out a display featuring a demon mask. One tries it on but it cuts her. During the film she becomes a hideous demon, attacking the audience. Everyone she attacks becomes a demon in turn. With demons everywhere, it becomes a battle for survival, will Cheryl and Kathy make it out of the theatre alive?
Written in part by Dario Argento, this is a cheesy and over the top horror, but is effective nevertheless, featuring a variety of strange and fascinating characters, that only inhabit these sorts of films. I ask you when was the last time you saw a blind man at the cinema?

popcorn (1991)

aka Phantom of the cinema.

A group of film students are setting up an all night horrorthon in an old cinema. Whilst working on it they discover a film made by Lanyard Gates, a filmmaker who killed his family live on stage, fifteen years before. The film has a profound effect on one student, Maggie and she sets out to find out more about Lanyard, but soon a shadowy figure resembling the killer starts stalking the students.
This film has it's moments, and has an interesting concept. But it never quiet clicks for me, especially following the reveal of who the murderer actually is, and how they have remained undetected for so long.

the ambushers (1968)

"Let Helm put you in the driving seat."
Agent Matt Helm (Dean Martin) is assigned to recover a top secret spacecraft that had been stolen mid flight. To do this ICE sends Helm to Acapulco, as a fashion photographer. Cue much ogling of beautiful models, wonderful one liners and a slight plot.
The third of the four Helm films continues just like the others, spoofing spy films, in particular the James Bond franchise, with it's beautiful women and gadgets. Though sited as the worst of the Helm films it still has a great theme, music by Hugo Montenegro and exudes fantastic 60's cool. All in all it's not the greatest film in the world, but it's still wonderful campy fun.

dracula's daughter (1972)

aka Daughter of Dracula. La Fille de Dracula.
Luisa Karlstein (Britt Nichols) visits her dying grandmother and is told of the family curse, that they are descended from Dracula. Will she succumb and become a vampire? Meanwhile women are being found murdered, something of obvious interest to a local policeman and a journalist. Could there be a link?
Beautifully photographed in a languid style that is almost soporific, especially when added to the fact that there is precious little horror or suspense. It being little more than an excuse to show women indulging in some sapphic love, but if that's your thing then give it a look. Otherwise not essential.

zombie flesh eaters (1979)

aka Zombi 2. Island of the Flesh-Eaters. Island of the Living Dead. Gli Ultimi zombi. Zombie. Zombie 2: Gli ultimi zombi. Zombie 2: The Dead are Among Us.
An abandoned yacht drifts into New York harbour, and the subsequent death of a policeman prompts a journalist to investigate. Following the trail to a Caribbean island, he tries to trace the whereabouts of the scientist who owns the boat and stumbles on more than he bargained for.
This is an influential 'video nasty', featuring a number of memorable scenes, including a zombie attacking a shark. Chock full of gore, it also manages to be an effective horror that makes fine use of it's locations. Making the Caribbean look like a tropical paradise, that quickly becomes a hell hole!

motor psycho (1965)

aka Motor Mods and Rockers. Rio Vengeance.
Made prior to Faster Pussycat, but with a similar outline, only this time it's three men out for kicks. Motor psycho is straighter and darker than Faster Pussycat. Where Pussycat is campy and fun, Psycho is nasty. Though Meyer can't stop himself adding some camp humour and sex along the way. Here Russ depicts the journey of Brahmin, a Vietnam vet suffering post traumatic stress, as he and his gang rapes and murders its way across the Californian desert. Following the rape of a Vet's wife, he chases them into the desert, hell bent on vengence. A mission that is complicated when he stumbles upon Haji, another victim of Brahmin's murdeous rage.
This has everything you expect from a Meyer film, including larger than life predatory women and weak willed men. But it also has a dark heart in the otherwise hip and cool young protagonists. Although not explicit in any way, you can see the video nasty peaking over the horizon with this grittier depiction of Meyers world.

faster, pussycat! kill! kill! (1965)

aka Faster Pussycat! Wham! Bang! Faster, Pussycat! Go! Go! Pussycat. The Leather Girls. The Mankillers.

"Go Girl! Go!"
Three Go-Go dancers hot wheeling it around America looking for kicks make trouble for themselves when they kidnap a young girl and kill her boyfriend. They hide out on a dilapidated ranch owned by a reclusive man and his two sons, who they are told has money hidden on the property, and they plan to find it.
Peppered with fantastic dialogue and outrageous characters, this is Russ Meyers finest film, an ode to violence in women. Unfortunately the audience was not ready for a nude free Russ film, and it bombed, only to become a stone cold classic when rediscovered. Maybe you won't like the over the top caricatures, but I'll guarantee that this film will leave an impression, especially if you like muscle bound impotent hunks, big breasted dominatrix, and unrequited lesbians. Oh and a classic theme tune, later covered by the Cramps. Not bad going for 1965!