Cult Horror Collection

After viewing all nine movies on this set, it was definitely a great purchase. Yes, there were some down moments, but in the end, there were more winners than losers. The best films on the the Cult Horror Collection are:

Deep Red
Don't Look in the Basement
Horror Rises From the Tomb
Kill Baby Kill
Pieces
Silent Night, Bloody Night

Silent NIght, Bloody Night (1974)

At last, I finished the Cult Horror Collection by watching the last installment, Silent Night, Bloody Night from 1974.

Plot / Folks trying to sell an isolated New England mansion, with a dark history, are being stalked and killed by an escaped maniac. However, who is this deranged murderer and why do the local townspeople act so strange?

This may be one of the most underrated films in the genre. Yes, it is far from perfect. The cinematography is below average to say the least, the narrated portions were not needed, some of it is a bit slow and the plot was not developed to its fullest potential. However, the atmosphere is awesome, the odd plot is very deep and complex, the flashback sequences are wonderful and the character development is something that many films of the age lacked. In all, a very unnerving flick that definitely helped shape a genre and a joy to watch.

Night of Bloody Horror (1969)

After taking a few days off from my horror library, I figured it was time to get back to the Cult Horror Collection. With only two movies to go, I am definitely in the home stretch. The selection tonight was Night of Bloody Horror (1969), starring a young Gerald McRaney (Simon and Simon).

Plot / All signs point to a former metal patient on a killing spree while experiencing the nightmares of his brother, who was murdered 13 years ago. Yet, there are more questions than answers.

This low-budget mess does have its moments. However, for the most part those moments are few and far between and sandwiched between a ton of pointless and disjointed material. Watching it, I really felt like the whole idea was sound (true a common plot) but the direction was off. There was definitely excessive Psycho influence in this film, while not totally a bad thing it definitely came off as more of a rip-off than anything else. This is far from the worst movie I have seen, but it is also far from the best. Incoherent and slow, this is not for a casual viewer, and barely recommended to the diehard horror fan.

Rare Valley of Gwangi Puzzle

This is a rare Valley of the Gwangi puzzle. This premium was originally sold at major movie houses when the film was first released and are becoming impossible to find.  Produced by Warner Bros. this large frame tray puzzle, is printed in full-color on heavy-weight paperboard and measures 12" x 18" l, and is in great condition with only one small flaw on the bottom edge. This sealed puzzle has never been used and will make a perfect addition to any collection. It can be added to your collection here!

Jillian's Second Model

It was so nice to have my 7-year old join daughter Jillian complete her second model King Kong and continue her affinity for monster related models. Jillian's first model was Rodan, built last July right after Blobfest.

ETSY Find of the Day

OOAK Hand-Painted Day of the Dead Doll

This is the first in a series of hand-painted dolls inspired by Dia de los Muertos. All clothing is vintage, and the recycled dolls have been well-loved and played with. Painted with acrylics, and sealed with polyurethane.

Horror Rises From The Tomb (1973)

After some debate with the voices in my head, I decided to start disc 3 of Cult Horror Collection with Horror Rises From the Tomb, a 1973 Paul Naschy film.

Plot / In 1454, in France, the sorcerer Alaric de Marnac is decapitated and his mistress, Mabille De Lancré, is tortured to death having been accused of witchcraft, vampirism and lycanthropy. Before they die, they curse the next generations of their executioners. In the present days (in the 70's), Hugo de Marnac, Sylvia and their friends, Maurice Roland and his beloved Paula, go to a séance session, where they evoke the spirit of Alaric de Marnac. They decide to travel to the Villas de Sade, a real estate of Hugo's family in the countryside, to seek a monastery with a hidden treasure. They find Alaric's head and the fiend possesses them, bringing Mabille back to life and executing the locals in gore sacrifices. After the death of her father, Elvira recalls that he has the Thor's Hammer amulet hidden in a well; together with Maurice, they try to defeat the demoniac Alaric de Marnac and Mabille.

This is a fun movie to watch, and it is a great example of why Naschy is such an icon in Euro-horror. Yes, as is usually the case the story is illogical and has several holes, but it does not matter as this comes across as a bizarre film with an often creepy atmosphere. The movie is filled with delightful perversions, strange rites and enough violence and gore to satisfy almost anyone. The acting is decent and the score is solid. On the downside, the camera work is shaky and the audio dubbing is bad at times. All in all, this is a must see for fans of Euro-horror and Exploitation films, in fact, I think it is a must see for anyone that enjoys the finer points of cult cinema.

Pieces (1982)

Time to continue venturing into the Cult Horror Collection. Tonight’s entry was the chainsaw massacre flick,Pieces.

Plot / While playing with a puzzle, a teenager is tormented by his mother and cracks, killing her by severing body with an ax. Forty years later, in a university campus in Boston, a serial killer kills young women and severs their bodies in parts, stealing body pieces from each student. Lt. Bracken makes a deal with the dean of the campus, and infiltrates the agent Mary Riggs as if she was a tennis teacher and together with the student Kendall, they try to find the identity of the killer.

This is one of the funniest slasher flicks I have ever seen. Yes, the dialogue is terrible, the acting is only a step up and the effects and direction are about as bad, but there is a lot of blood and enough eye candy to keep things entertaining. Do not get me wrong, the story is flawed and the movie is bad, very bad. However, there are some interesting kills and the ending is a treat. In all, a must-see for anyone that loves seedy Euro-horror in all its untainted, trashy form.

The First Ever Billy Loves Stu Meme for Horror Bloggers

OK, so it took me a few days to get to this because I am being driven insane by my four daughters (summer vacation cannot end soon enough). Somehow, their bedtimes have gone away since the oldest has come to visit and they seem to be staying up way past MY bedtime... But, here goes!

1: Random ramblings about the movies that shape who I am.

2: Born in 1972, I would fall into The Exorcism Era

3: Sue Snell would be a perfect date (and a lot better than my real one).

4: The first-person Zombie Epic that I am currently writing (samples can be found on my writing blog As My Tears Run Red). I would love to be in control to ensure that the director would have and understand my vision.

5: Nightmare on Elm Street. I loved the first one, but after that, they definitely seemed to drift farther from the greatness that was established with the first installment.

6: Not sure if he is the Antichrist, but could definitely be part of the conversation.

7: The Wolfman... He could be your neighbor and you would never realize until it is too late.

8: The scene where Han Solo is frozen in the Empire Strikes Back, there is just something about seeing his body come back as a block of carbon that sends chills down my spine to this day.

9: A bottle of Stoli and a six pack of PBR... What else?

10: No, it just helps give me an outlet so my wife doesn't have to always hear about the murder and mayhem I watch.

11: The book What to expect when Expecting, the perfect reading material on all things to create unnecessary tension throughout a pregnancy.

12: Godzilla of course! No matter creature he is fighting, that dropkick he has is only rivaled by members of the WWE.

13: Please, do not remake the BLOB... Create something like Trailer Park Massacre!

14: Murder By Death... That has to be one of the best spoofs ever!

15: Driving my wife insane with the constant gore that crosses the screen on my TV...

Deep Red (1975)

Time to continue venturing into the Cult Horror Collection. Tonight’s entry was the Dario Argento classic Deep Red (Profondo Rosso). This is an important film in my life, and honestly, it is on a very short list of movies that helped shape my love of all things horror.

Plot / A psychic who can read minds picks up the thoughts of a murderer in the audience and soon becomes a victim. An English pianist gets involved in solving the murders, but finds many of his avenues of inquiry cut off by new murders, and he begins to wonder how the murderer can track his movements so closely.

I remember seeing this film for the first time years ago; it was introduction to Argento and the giallo genre. To me, it was and remains a stunning example of what can be done within a film, when you combine a murder mystery with clever cinematography, terrific atmosphere and imagery; not to mention that there are some incredibly inventive murder sequences and a nice tint of blood. The cast is solid and the plot is interesting and at the end it is a terrific thriller that firmly ranks as one of Argento's best!

The Demon (1979)

Time to continue venturing into the Cult Horror Collection set. Recognizing the titles, I felt like I would try to get the snoozers out of the way by viewing Cameron Mitchell’s The Demon from 1979 tonight. While I know that this low budget entry will not live up to some of the others from the set, I must be fair and give it equal time.

Plot / A psychopath is on the loose and an ex-U.S. Marine psychic, Colonel Bill Carson, is brought in to track the psycho and try and find out what happened to their Daughter.

When I saw the title, I thought I had suffered through this before, but was not sure. Then it started and I realized that indeed was the case, but never-the-less, I struggled through this disjointed mess. Yes, there are some (a few) good spots in this attempt to ride on the coattails of Halloween; there is some decent atmosphere and the acting is tolerable. However, that is about where the good starts and the bad begins. The movie changes direction about half way through (which is hard to believe with such a clichéd plot) , it moves quite slow and the gore is non-existent. On top of that the lack of a budget was really apparent throughout. All in all, it was really not a very good movie. At least I know that my next entry from this set, Deep Red, is a much better film and one that I will enjoy watching and reviewing.