dead and buried (1981)

A sleepy seaside town in Rhode Island, where the locals have an interesting way of welcoming tourists. When the body count starts to mount, its up to the local sheriff, Daniel Gillis, and local coroner and mortician Dobbs, to find out what's going on, but with all the locals involved, will Dan find the reason for the murders? Then reports come in that various victims have been seen alive and well!
Written by Dan O'Bannon, we are in on events and who's involved from the opening scene. We then follow the investigation knowing who is perpretrating these gruesome murders, but not why, and that's what keeps you watching. A great horror suspence where slowly and inperceptively the film takes on a darker, murky hew, adding to the already oppressive atmosphere. In fact at times the picture is almost black as characters litterally and figuratively stumble around in the dark.

one million years bc (1966)

A story of love and jealousy amongst the dinosaurs! Banished by his tribe, Tumak is forced to wander and survive on own. He stumbles across a tribe of gentle people living by the sea, but he's soon in trouble with them as well and has to leave, but not before he has made an impression on Loana who decides to go with him to brave the harshness of this pre-historic world.
Featuring animation by Ray Harryhausen, and some up and coming Hollywood talent, this is Hammer in blockbuster mode. Hardly a historic classic - since when did dinosaurs share the earth with cavemen? But the distraction of Raquel Welsh in a fur bikini takes your mind off such things. An old fashioned adventure story done well. Enjoyable nonsense and much better than 10,000 BC the recent Roland Emmerich epic.

the reptile (1966)

Harry Spalding and his wife inherit a country cottage when his brother dies and they decide to move in. The locals are inhospitable apart from the pub landlord and Mad Peter, who both give them vague warnings to leave. Peter subsequently dies and Harry soon finds out that there was more to the death of his brother and Mad Peter than at first thought, and it all points towards the sinister Dr Franklyn, their closest neighbour.
This runs through the standard formula, strangers come to town, gruesome deaths and the shock discovery. But this doesn't matter, as the film rattles along quickly and is never overplayed by the cast. So what could have been low budget nonsense turns out to be a well made film that deserves a look, a small time classic Victorian horror.

zombies! zombies! zombies! (2008)

aka Strippers vs. Zombies.
Night of the Living Dead replacing the beleaguered people under siege in a house, with strippers under siege in a lap-dance club! A low budget film with a stick thin plot - drug causes hookers to become zombies, who in turn hold a strip club under siege. Cue scenes of well endowed women learning how to kick zombie butt!
This was never going to be a top flight film, and even though this is billed as a horror comedy, much of the comedy is unintentional, but it still makes for an OK film.

witchfinder general (1968)

aka Edgar Allan Poe's Conqueror Worm. Matthew Hopkins: Conqueror Worm. Matthew Hopkins: Witchfinder General. The Conqueror Worm.
England 1645, during the civil war. A time for the witchfinders to exploit the superstitious villages of East Anglia. Such a man is Matthew Hopkins (Vincent Price), who tours the area dispensing justice against witches, for a price. But when Hopkins picks on a priest and his niece, he incurs the wrath of Richard Marshall (Ian Ogilvy), the girls fiance.
A fantastic premise for this horror, come historical melodrama. Which loosely uses real life events as the basis of this very dark and effective film. It also features the best performance that Vincent Price ever gave. This was reputedly because he and the director didn't get on and you can see it in the antagonistic performance.

dracula prince of darkness (1966)

aka Disciple of Dracula. Dracula 3. Revenge of Dracula. The Bloody Scream of Dracula.
Two couple are doing the tour of Europe and end up in Carlstad, but are ditched by the coachman and end up at the local castle. Once there they are surprised to be warmly welcomed, and well looked after by the quite frankly sinister servant Klove. In fact, Klove is the perfect host, until that is he manages to slaughter one of guests to revive his master, Dracula.
Once brought back Dracula continues where he left off with the previous film. Andrew Keir as a monk proves a worthy foe, battling against the evil that is Dracula. A fine Gothic horror.

cool it carol (1970)

aka The Dirtiest Girl I Ever Met.
Carol (Janet Lynn) is a pretty girl who dreams about becoming a model. While Joe (Robin Askwith) fancies working for a high-end car dealership. Together they move to what they believe is swinging London, but soon their dreams become compromised and unravel, as they are forced to turn to prostitution, drugs, rip-offs and vice.
The film starts off gently enough as what seems to be a sex comedy but once in London it soon becomes a cautionary-tale about the evils of city life, supposedly based on a true story. And this is where the problems lie, at some points we are supposed to laugh at the couple and their naivety and in the next scene we are supposed to view the sober truth as they struggle to survive amid the hustlers. What it does give though is an interesting look at London in the late sixties, its fashions, shops and clubs.

scars of dracula (1970)

Dracula is back from the undead again. Simon Carlson stumbles upon the village living in fear whilst looking for his brother, who has disappeared. The locals throw him out of the tavern so Simon heads to the castle to see if they know where his brother may have got to.
In this the sixth Hammer Dracula we have the vampire moving closer to the original creature that Bram Stoker dreamed up, with much more to do than snarl, (as was most often the case in previous incarnations). Dracula is also more obviously sadistic and violent than is usually the case, stabbing to death a female vampire and branding his servant with notable glee. While this version of Dracula is a revelation, the film is let down by it's obvious cheapness. Though don't let that put you off, sure the bats are obviously rubbish, but the film is rather better than that. Not the best Dracula, but not the worst either. A good solid Gothic horror.

peeping tom (1960)

Mark is a lonely young man, who works at a film studio by day and moonlights taking cheesecake pictures at night. Obsessed by fear and trying to capture it on film he murders women in order to do so. As his compulsion grows more out of control he meets Helen, a young woman who lives with her blind mother downstairs. She tries to get to know him better and he reveals how his scientist father experimented on him as a child, to find out about the effects of fear. Will Helen pull Mark back from the brink or will she end up as another film in his library?
The film that ruined a career. When it was released Michael Powell was on the top of his game, an admired director. But the critical scorn heaped on Peeping Tom finished him virtual overnight. Only years later was it re-appraised for what it truly is, a masterpiece study in horror.

tenebrae (1982)

aka Under the Eyes of the Assassin. Unsane.
Peter Neil (Anthony Franciosa) is an American thriller writer on a promotional book tour of Italy. On arrival in Rome he is quizzed by the police about a murder that mirrors one in his latest book, with the added aspect that the murderer stuffed pages from the novel into the mouth of the victim. As the murders mount up Peter decides to investigate himself. Could it be someone he knows who is doing this?
In Tenebrae Argento adds an almost coherent plot to his trademark visual style. A great thriller that will leave you guessing until the last minutes.

suspiria (1977)

Suzy Banyon an American student arrives at a German ballet school late one night and sees a woman run off through the woods. She finds out the next day that the woman was later murdered. After this shock Suzy tries to settle down and fit in, but is increasingly plagued by strange events and noises, and gets drawn deeper into finding out more about the woman who died.
As with many Argento films, this starts with someone seeing a seemingly inconsequential event and puzzling over a minor detail. This is Argento's crowning glory, the first of the Three Mother's Trilogy, involving a coven of witches that spans the globe. All the elements are here, the brightly coloured sets, camera trickery, intricate sound design, and convoluted plot. Every frame of this film is packed full of detail, as is the sound - a full on sensory assault. A fantastic film.

the legend of the seven golden vampires (1974)

aka 7 Brothers Versus Dracula. 7 Brothers and a Sister Meet Dracula. 7 Brothers of Dracula. 7 Golden Vampires. Dracula and the Seven Golden Vampires. Seven Golden Vampires: The Last Warning. The Last Warning. The Seven Brothers Meer Dracula.
Count Dracula reincarnates in a remote Chinese village with six vampires terrorising the locals. Professor Van Helsing, who is in Chung King on a lecture tour, is persuaded to help a family of martial arts experts to rid the village of the seven vampires and their zombie minions.
Hammer Films teamed up with the Shaw Brothers to mix vampires with martial arts. Again a film that seems to divide people, me I like it for it's interesting new take on the formula. As someone who likes both genre's its great to see the two melded in this way.

dracula ad 1972 (1972)

aka Dracula 1972. Dracula 1972 D.C. Dracula Today.
One hundred years after we see Dracula killed, Johnny Alucard the great-grandson of Dracula's servant enlists a gang of young kids including Jessica, the grand-daughter of Abraham van Helsing to unwittingly help resurrect Dracula.
Cushing and Lee are re-united, returning to battle in their eternal struggle between good and evil. Many dis this film, but I like it. After so many gothic vampires there was a real need for new blood, and who better than Stephanie Beecham and Caroline Munro. This gives a kick to the franchise and a great flavour of the groovy Chelsea set of the time.

terror in the haunted house (1961)

aka My World Dies Screaming.
In Switzerland Sheila Wayne, is in session with her psychotherapist, recounting a recurring nightmare she has in a derelict house. A house so terrifying that she screams in terror when remembering it. The therapist seems to miss the fact that her nightmares seem to have started at the same time as he got married. Back in the US and her husband rents a house that is exactly the same as in her dreams and soon nightmarish things start to happen to her. Is she mad or is someone trying to make her loose her mind?
Shot in 'Psychorama' in 1958 but not released until 1961. It was filmed in Psychorama, a process which used subliminal messages and pictures. In reality it's a sub William Castle style terror, using a gimmick to paper over the cracks. A curio that's not really worth investigating. Not bad exactly, just not any good.

captain kidd (1945)

"Stab me, there's a pretty sight!"
Charles Laughton is Captain Kidd, a ruthless pirate, who inveigles his way into a commission by the king to protect a ship. To do so he takes on a crew of convicts, including Orange Povey (John Carradine), who he marooned on a previous voyage and the mysterious Adam Mercy (Randolph Scott).
A fine adventure, helmed by Laughton, who was born to be a deceitful pirate. Lots of story and lots of action, not the best pirate film, but Laughton is always value for money.

be my guest (1965)

The follow up to Live It Up sees the lads moving on from their courier jobs, whilst still trying to live the dream of being a 'beat group'. David Hemmings family inherit a run down Brighton B & B. Then Ricky (Steve Marrott) and Phil tip up when they are stranded after losing their jobs. Meanwhile Milton Bass, a big wig in music, arranges a talent contest to find that 'Brighton Beat'.
Where the previous film was a showcase for Joe Meek's stable of talent, this was Shel Talmy's turn and he delivers some great music, including Jerry Lee Lewis and the Nashville Teens. The acting and the plot is nothing to write home about but Steve Marriott gives it his all as the cheeky chappy. Less than a year later he achieved fame and fortune with his own beat combo the Small faces. A good example of Beat era teens.