And Now the Screaming Starts! (1973)

Last night I decided to continue venturing down that retro path and turned to Shudder to find something interesting. After some debate, I decided on the 1973 gothic ghost story And Now the Screaming Starts!

Plot/ England, 1795: the young Catherine has just married Charles Fengriffen and moves into his castle. She becomes the victim of an old curse that lays on the family. On her wedding night, she is raped by a ghost and gets pregnant.

This was a different film than I expected and I was actually quite entertained by the odd elements that were added in. From Amicus Studios, this gothic ghost story offers an interesting (albeit somewhat clichéd) storyline that was brought to life by an outstanding cast led by Peter Cushing. The performances were solid, the cinematography and setting were captivating, the atmosphere was heavy, and the visuals and color pallet used was amazing. Yes, the special effects were lacking in quality and the end game was a bit drawn out, but those are small flaws in what is definitely an underrated film in the studios' catalog. In the end, while there were some contradictory moments in the storyline and some of the low budget flaws rise up, for the most part, this one delivers. Yes, it is not perfect, but it is an entertaining movie and one that can be found on Shudder for free if you are in the mood for a classic gothic ghost story.

The Visitor (1979)

After taking a break last night from watching any movies, I decided that today I would go back and review a movie that I caught earlier in the week. That movie is the 1979 horror/sci-fi entry The Visitor.

Plot/ The soul of a young girl with telekinetic powers becomes the prize in a fight between forces of God and the Devil.

I am a huge fan of surreal movies that make you think; especially ones that can border on confusing and this one fits that bill perfectly. An interesting storyline that seems to feed on more than a few classics, this movie has some elements that should appeal to any horror or sci-fi fan. For the most part, the performances are solid, the cinematography is interesting, and the overall tone and feel of the movie works. Unfortunately, the storyline and plot, while intriguing have so many confusing elements that it is hard to make sense out of (even if you are paying close attention) and the soundtrack feels completely out of touch with the overall tone of the movie. In the end, this one will definitely fall into the love/hate category and is extremely hard to totally describe in any way. My only recommendation is to see it for yourself (at least once) and make your own judgment. Personally, I enjoyed it, but then again, my tastes are much different than many horror/sci-fi fans out there.

The House by the Cemetery (1981)

After some creature features and a disaster flick, I decided to go back a few decades and visit some Italian horror. My first selection in that genre for this week is the 1981 Lucio Fulci entry The House by the Cemetery.

Plot/ A New England home is terrorized by a series of murders, unbeknownst to the guests that a gruesome secret is hiding in the basement.

This is definitely a polarizing flick from the Fulci catalog, but it is one of my favorites. This Italian splatterfest has enough blood and gore for any horror fanatic and is backed by an outstanding soundtrack that sets the moods perfectly. The make-up and special effects work, the cinematography is solid, and as I already mentioned, the soundtrack was eerie and dark. Yes, the performances are a touch uneven, there are some plot holes, and the gore may turn some viewers off because of the overall violent tones (more of a problem today with all the sensitivities that exist), but those elements do not harm this one in any way. In the end, Fulci is one of those filmmakers that can be a lightning rod and many will either love his work or hate it. However, if you look within his films, the shocking aspects act as cover for some important social issues that are still problems today.  If you love blood, gore, and violence, you should check this one out. It definitely isn’t the sugarcoated horror of today.

Night of the Demon (1980)

Once I finished with some classic 1950s sci-fi/horror, it was time to find something a little different last night to finish off my holiday weekend. After some searching, I settled on the 1980 exploitation/creature feature Night of the Demon from 1980.

Plot/ Professor Nugent and his students try to track down Bigfoot, but end up uncovering something more sinister at work.

This is the epitome of the classic no-budget drive-in exploitation flicks of the 1970s and early 1980s. While it is extremely flawed on almost every level, it is full of sporadic moments that make you laugh and keep you entertained. Yes, the micro-budgeted flick has a laughable and conflicting script, flat performances, uneven editing, rough special effects, and a myriad of head scratching moments, but that seems to only push this closer to the exploitation/grindhouse cinema of the day. Fortunately, the storyline is interesting with an interesting combination of creature feature and occult driven horror that take on many of the taboo narratives of the era. There are also some remarkable cinematography elements that work well with the soundtrack and gore, making it somewhat memorable in comparison to some of the other films from that period. In the end, if you are in the mood for a mindless piece of low budget exploitation schlock find this one. Sure, it isn’t close to perfect, but for what it is, it will hit the spot.

XX (2017)

As I sit here on the holiday weekend hoping for the rain to leave, it was nice to take a break from movies as I have spent time in Twin Peaks and American Gods this week. After two days of investigations and research posts, I decided to get back to a movie with the 2017 anthology XX.

Plot/ XX is a new horror anthology with a gender twist - all segments will be helmed by female directors and will star female leads. The directors have been given free creative rein within budget and time constraints, but all of the segments themselves will involve the horror genre.

Having spent the past couple of days working on a few different pieces of material for the blog, it was nice t get back into some horror. When I saw this anthology at Family Video, I thought the idea of watching a modern anthology would be perfect. While this one did have some positives, I don’t feel that it totally reached its potential. The animation used as the bridge between installments was amazing, the stories had some interesting moments, and the overall feel was entertaining. Of course, the four different segments will have different fans, my favorite was the fourth, Her Only Living Son (although The Box was pretty good), but they all have different attributes that could appeal to a viewer (The Birthday Party and Don’t Fall are just okay). Unfortunately, there are a lot of clichés sprinkled in, the strict run-time limits the depth of the stories, there is no flow or connecting elements to the shorts, and the atmosphere never reaches a tense level. Overall, leaving this a somewhat flawed anthology. In the end, this is not the worst movie out there, but that is not saying to run out and grab it. If you are a fan of indie horror or anthologies, you can do much worse.

31 (2016)

As I was sitting here last night I realized that I was two posts away from hitting 1500 here on The Ringmaster's Realm and was debating what movie I wanted to review for that post. After some debate, I finally decided on a movie I feel that must be seen and truly embraced. While that movie will be reviewed tomorrow, for tonight, I have the 2016 Rob Zombie flick 31.

Plot/ Five carnival workers are kidnapped and held hostage in an abandoned, Hell-like compound where they are forced to participate in a violent game, the goal of which is to survive twelve hours against a gang of sadistic clowns.

Having decided to watch this as one of the first films on the new television, I was unsure of what to expect. Rob Zombie is one of the most polarizing filmmakers out there, and his films often sit in the love/hate realm. For me, I love his material, not because it is artistic masterpiece, but because it is a flashback to some of the no-budget grindhouse flicks from my youth. In this case, there is nothing much I can truly say about 31, as it is a trip into violence and gore. Sure, it lacks a coherent plot, it is full of mindless murders, blood, and guts, and the characterization is all over the place. It is what it is, a strange journey into the depraved mind of Rob Zombie. In the end, 31 is a movie that will be polarizing and a movie many will hate. Sure, I thought that it could be better, but it was a fun trip into the 1970s.

Blood Feast (1963)

There is nothing like watching one of those memorable films that helped shape my love of the horror genre, and that is exactly what I did last night. What was that movie? It was the 1963 splatterfest Blood Feast!

Plot/ An Egyptian caterer kills various women in suburban Miami to use their body parts to bring to life a dormant Egyptian goddess, while an inept police detective tries to track him down.

There are times where it can be difficult to trace the origins of a storyline or genre. That is definitely not the case with this movie, as it is one of the most influential movies of the splatter/gore movement in horror. This movie by Herschell Gordon Lewis may not be the most technically sound, it mat lack a coherent plot, and the effects are laughable at best, but its place in horror history is cemented by the blood, guts, gore, and beauties that became all the rage in exploitation and 1980s big box cinema. In the end, this may not be the best movie of its kind and it has some major problems besides what I already mentioned, but that does not matter one bit. This movie takes no prisoners and does not care that it offends, which makes it one of the best gorefests to ever grace the screen. If you have not seen it; you are wrong! Check this one out.

Discopath (2013)

After taking a strange nap yesterday, I was searching for something different to watch. After searching Shudder, I decided to roll the dice with the 2013 entry Discopath (Discopathe).

Plot/ The mid-70's: a timid young New Yorker leads an uneventful life until he is fatefully exposed to the pulsating rhythms of a brand-new genre of music: disco. Unable to control his murderous impulses that stem from a traumatic childhood experience, Duane Lewis transforms into a dangerous serial killer exiled to Montreal.

When I started this one, I had no idea what to expect. Although, from the description on Shudder, I hoped it would at least be entertaining. Guess what? It was much more than that and better than I could have ever imagined. While the storyline is ludicrous, and much of it is over the top, there is a lot to like and it is rather entertaining. Sure, this is move of an exploitation schlockfest with a ton of comedic element sprinkled in, but that is what makes it so fun, as it never takes itself too serious and it allows the film to develop in a lighthearted manner. The performances are uneven, the dialog and language varies scene to scene, and it is littered with disco music (which may turn some people off), but there is enough going on to make this a mindless trip into another time. In the end, this movie is much better than one would expect and it is a movie that really flues under the RADAR being from Canada. If you love schlock and classic mindless exploitation, give it a shot; you will enjoy it.

Cherry Tree (2015)

While I have been spending a lot of time inside the world of Shudder recently, I still had one movie that I had to finish before completing my latest run through Family Video. What movie is that? It was the 2015 witchcraft themed entry Cherry Tree.

Plot/ Faith's world is turned upside down after she finds out that her beloved father is dying. When the mysteriously alluring Sissy Young becomes her field hockey coach, Faith finds a compassionate spirit and much-needed mother figure. Little does she know that Sissy is the head of a centuries-old witches' coven that uses the fruit of an ancient cherry tree in a secret ritual that restores life to the dead and dying.

When I picked this one out, I did not quite realize that I was in for a modernization (yet loose interpretation) of the classic Rosemary’s Baby. While it is not a quite a total copy of the classic, it definitely takes a large portion of the storyline from that source material. Unfortunately, it also does little to set it apart from many of the other witchcraft themed pieces that have come out in recent years. The story starts slow, picks up, and shows some potential before the problems start to cascade. More of an exploitation themed entry than anything scary, the scripting, and performances are uneven, and there is no atmosphere. Yes, there are some moments that could be shocking to some, but those are few and far between. In the end, this movie will likely fall into the love/hate category of films and will not be for everyone. Personally, I found it at least a little interesting, but then again, I am a sucker for witchcraft and the occult.

Sideshow (2000)

Last night I had to start on my big project for the week. Knowing that, I definitely had to find something that could keep my attention (and maybe serve as some inspiration). After a quick search, I settled on the 2000 low budget horror Sideshow (AKA Haunted Freakshow).

Plot/ While visiting a traveling carnival full of human freaks, high school students nearly join as permanent members.

Most of the time it is easy to predict what to expect from Director Fred Olen Ray and Charles Band, but every once in a while they throw you a curve. That was the case with this dated horror flick that captured the creepiness of the carnival/sideshow atmosphere. While the characters are somewhat unlikable and underdeveloped and the performances uneven at best, there was still enough entertainment and storyline to keep my attention. Couple that with some of the better low budget effects from that day, decent cinematography, and a storyline that was rather coherent, and you have an interesting no budget flick that served as a perfect backdrop for an evening. In the end, this one will definitely not be for everyone, but if you love low budget horror, Charles Band, or Full Moon Entertainment you should love it. Check it out!

Sideshow (2000)

Last night I had to start on my big project for the week. Knowing that, I definitely had to find something that could keep my attention (and maybe serve as some inspiration). After a quick search, I settled on the 2000 low budget horror Sideshow (AKA Haunted Freakshow).

Plot/ While visiting a traveling carnival full of human freaks, high school students nearly join as permanent members.

Most of the time it is easy to predict what to expect from Director Fred Olen Ray and Charles Band, but every once in a while they throw you a curve. That was the case with this dated horror flick that captured the creepiness of the carnival/sideshow atmosphere. While the characters are somewhat unlikable and underdeveloped and the performances uneven at best, there was still enough entertainment and storyline to keep my attention. Couple that with some of the better low budget effects from that day, decent cinematography, and a storyline that was rather coherent, and you have an interesting no budget flick that served as a perfect backdrop for an evening. In the end, this one will definitely not be for everyone, but if you love low budget horror, Charles Band, or Full Moon Entertainment you should love it. Check it out!

Sideshow (2000)

Last night I had to start on my big project for the week. Knowing that, I definitely had to find something that could keep my attention (and maybe serve as some inspiration). After a quick search, I settled on the 2000 low budget horror Sideshow (AKA Haunted Freakshow).

Plot/ While visiting a traveling carnival full of human freaks, high school students nearly join as permanent members.

Most of the time it is easy to predict what to expect from Director Fred Olen Ray and Charles Band, but every once in a while they throw you a curve. That was the case with this dated horror flick that captured the creepiness of the carnival/sideshow atmosphere. While the characters are somewhat unlikable and underdeveloped and the performances uneven at best, there was still enough entertainment and storyline to keep my attention. Couple that with some of the better low budget effects from that day, decent cinematography, and a storyline that was rather coherent, and you have an interesting no budget flick that served as a perfect backdrop for an evening. In the end, this one will definitely not be for everyone, but if you love low budget horror, Charles Band, or Full Moon Entertainment you should love it. Check it out!

Sideshow (2000)

Last night I had to start on my big project for the week. Knowing that, I definitely had to find something that could keep my attention (and maybe serve as some inspiration). After a quick search, I settled on the 2000 low budget horror Sideshow (AKA Haunted Freakshow).

Plot/ While visiting a traveling carnival full of human freaks, high school students nearly join as permanent members.

Most of the time it is easy to predict what to expect from Director Fred Olen Ray and Charles Band, but every once in a while they throw you a curve. That was the case with this dated horror flick that captured the creepiness of the carnival/sideshow atmosphere. While the characters are somewhat unlikable and underdeveloped and the performances uneven at best, there was still enough entertainment and storyline to keep my attention. Couple that with some of the better low budget effects from that day, decent cinematography, and a storyline that was rather coherent, and you have an interesting no budget flick that served as a perfect backdrop for an evening. In the end, this one will definitely not be for everyone, but if you love low budget horror, Charles Band, or Full Moon Entertainment you should love it. Check it out!