Dominique (1978)

After some debate with the voices in my head, I decided to continue with Horror: Do Not Watch Alone. Tonight’s entry, the 1978 entry Dominique

Plot / The wife of a greedy man comes back to haunt him after he scares her to death in this horror-thriller. He is after her money and must try several times before he finally succeeds. Because she is mentally exhausted from being frightened all the time, she commits suicide, but soon the husband begins experiencing her ghostly presence.

This was an interesting little film. While a bit slow and maybe a tad too long, definitely a creepy element permeated throughout. The plot was common with at least an attempt at a twist ending and the acting and direction were average. Yet, even with the flaws it made for some decent entertainment with my daughters on Scary Movie Night. Will I watch it again? Probably not for a while, but I am definitely not throwing it away.

The Undertaker and His Pals (1966)

After suffering through Zombie Armageddon, I figured it would be a good time to change gears and watch something else. I picked the last flick on disk one of the Horror: Do Not Watch Alone Collection, The Undertaker and his Pals from 1966.

Plot/ An undertaker and his two friends, who are restaurant owners, drum up business by going out on the town and killing people; the restaurant owners use parts of the bodies for their menu, and the undertaker gets paid by the families to bury the remainder. Their racket goes awry when 2 detectives suspect that something isn't quite kosher.

Yes, this little gem is not a lost classic. However, it is a lot of fun and much better than the Zombie Bloodbath stuff that I have been suffering through. While not great by any means, with poor acting, a so-so plot and next to no horror qualities, this film offers quite a bit of subtle humor and a decent soundtrack. Who would have thought that you could get trading stamps that funeral home? There are also some very unnerving aspects to the film that come across pretty well within the fabric of the comedy. Overall, this enjoyable film is full of cheesy b-movie fun!

Zombie Bloodbath 3: Zombie Armageddon (2000)

I do not know why I even bothered to put in disk 2 of this Zombie Bloodbath DVD. I should have known that after suffering through Zombie Bloodbath and Zombie Bloodbath 2: Rage of the Undead (1995), that there was no way that a decent movie was about to follow. Zombie Bloodbath 3: Zombie Armageddon (2000) truly took the cake.

Plot/ A bunch of zombies that are used by the government to fight in a major war in the near future get launched into space. The space shuttle gets caught in a time warp and returns to Earth in the present day. Naturally, the zombies get loose and terrorize a motley assortment of folks who are trapped inside a high school.

I feel like I am in a time machine, everything I wrote in my last two reviews about this trilogy is the same. This movie is an improvement from the first two flicks on many levels. Unfortunately, some of it also falls way off in comparison. The plot I found hilarious, and actually a decent idea, the gore was about the same and again there was some good character development. However, the dialogue in this film was even worse on this one than the others and the acting and script were about the same. Let me just say I am not easily insulted by language, hell, I spent 20-years in the US Navy and have heard my share of language, yet, I was truly turned off by the amount of unneeded profanity in the film. It was everywhere and definitely unwarranted. In the end, some of it had me rolling and I think there could be a lot worst attempts at the zombie genre. Will I watch it again? No, probably not, but, I am glad I experienced it (even if it was painful).

Zombie Bloodbath 2: Rage of the Undead (1995)

I am a glutton for punishment! After suffering through Zombie Bloodbath the other day, I decided to continue with the trilogy with Zombie Bloodbath 2: Rage of the Undead (1995)!

Plot / An evil demonic scarecrow resurrects the dead as ravenous cannibalistic zombies who feast on the living. A motley assortment of folks who include a bunch of bickering college kids, a trio of dangerous escaped convicts, an equally lethal pair of savage hoodlums, and three sisters do their best to stay alive and survive this harrowing ordeal.

Like I said in my review for Zombie Bloodbath, the movie was entertaining but BAD! This sequel, while an improvement in some areas, is still bad. Yes, there was a bit more plot, some extremely gory moments and the characters developed a little more, but that did not do much for the sum of the whole. It definitely could not overcome the terrible acting and the amateurish script and dialogue that plagued the entire movie. So, Part 1 was horrid, Part 2 was better but still bad, I wonder what Part 3 has in store for me tomorrow (probably much of the same)!

Views of the Circus

Cole Brothers Circus while in Toms River, NJ

Zombie Bloodbath (1993)

After spending some time with the classics, I figured it was time to finally watch part of the Zombie Bloodbath Trilogy that stumbled upon the other day. This low-budget, early 1990s zombie (Zombie Bloodbath Part 1) flick by Todd Sheets seems perfect for the evening!

Plot / A meltdown at a nuclear power plant turns a bunch of folks into lethal shambling flesh-eating zombies who go on a gory rampage.

When I picked this up, I had no expectations. Being a life-long horror fan and lover of the zombie genre, I know that since I had never heard of it, there was not much to expect. Nevertheless, I will say that I totally enjoyed this flick. Yes, it is terrible! Yes, beyond "B" Movie terrible! There is no plot, no character development, no editing, a sub par script, horrid acting and it made little sense. However, while repetitive, the gore was awesome and that dudes mullet rocked! I must say that it has been forever since I laughed all the way through a horror movie; it was THAT bad, bad enough to make the 70-minute run-time seem perfect. With all that said, unless you are a zombie fanatic (and even then) you may want to pass of this movie (although some of it does still make me laugh just thinking about it)!

Carnival of Souls (1962)

Time to continue with some of the classics I have on hand. Today’s choice was Carnival of Souls, the 1962 Herk Harvey entry that has influenced greats such as George Romero and David Lynch.

Plot / Mary Henry is enjoying the day by riding around in a car with two friends. When challenged to a drag, the women accept, but are forced off a bridge. It appears that all are drowned, until Mary, quite some time later, amazingly emerges from the river. After recovering, Mary accepts a job in a new town as a church organist, only to be dogged by a mysterious phantom figure that seems to reside in an old run-down pavilion. It is here that Mary must confront the personal demons of her spiritual indifference.

Like the movie in my last review,I Bury the Living, this classic is also more of an episode of the Twilight Zone than “B” Movie horror, and it also remains a great example of what can be done on a limited budget. This movie cries atmosphere, with some great locations used throughout. Yes, there are some low points with some average acting and sub par editing, but overall, this remains a very influential flick. One that took a thin story, and made something that has stood the test of time rather well.

I Bury the Living (1958)

It feels like forever since I watched and reviewed a movie, although it has only been a couple days. So, to fill my horror craving, I decided to watch the 1958 Albert Band classic I Bury the Living, to help pass the evening.

Plot / A newly appointed cemetery chairperson discovers that, merely by inserting a black pin into a wall-sized map of the cemetery, he can cause the deaths of that plot's owner.

This is a great little film! More of an episode of the Twilight Zone than “B” Movie horror, it remains a great example of what can be done on a limited budget. The musical score, tremendous direction and cinematography and solid acting do a wonderful job at setting an eerie mood. These items do a great job backing a sound script with an interesting storyline. Unfortunately, the ending is a bit disappointing, and it brings the movie down a few pegs. It is not a killer, but it definitely hurts the film. Even with that downer, this is a entertaining film and one that horror fans of that era will totally enjoy!