The House of Seven Corpses (1974)

I have definitely been on a retro kick lately, although I did sneak in a viewing of Repo: The Genetic Opera. To continue my retro feel, I went way into my youth for the 1974 horror flick The House of Seven Corpses.

Plot/ A director is filming on location in a house where seven murders were committed. The caretaker warns them not to mess with things they do not understand (the murders were occult related), but the director wants to be as authentic as possible and has his cast re-enact rituals that took place in the house thus summoning a ghoul from the nearby cemetery to bump the whole film crew off one by one.

Horror movies of the 1970s were a mixed bag, as the genre seemed to be in a period of transition. While this one is not technically very good, I feel that is often overlooked as a piece of horror history. Yes, there are some flaws with the way the movie is scripted and paced, but there is a certain charm that will draw fans of early 1970s horror in. The cast is solid and there are some decent performances (John Carradine is definitely creepy), the atmosphere is dark and heavy, and the storyline is entertaining and interesting. Sure, there is not a lot of blood or gore, there is little action, there could have been some more supernatural elements added in, and the effects are nowhere near the quality of today, but for a lower budgeted film of that era, they are not that bad. In the end, this is a nice retro piece and a fun movie to help pass some time. Is it perfect, by no means, but it is a fun slow burn haunted house flick that is good on a cold windy night.

Legacy of Blood (1971)

I was trying to get some rest in before heading out into the final 48 hours of Chief transition and decided to throw something on to help pass the time. My decision was Legacy of Blood (AKA Blood Legacy) from 1971 and Elvira's Movie Macabre.  

Plot/ In order to qualify to inherit the family fortune, the four heirs must spend the night in the family estate. However, during the night someone starts killing them off.

When I decided to watch this the other night, I do so on the strength of seeing John Carradiine’s name. Man, was that a bad idea. This mystery/thriller/horror truly had little to offer except some vivid colors and a tolerable storyline (albeit pretty cliché except for the incest). Other than that, this flick was awful. It had terrible acting, a horrid script, below average effects, and a little blood or gore. Honestly, it is just that bad and definitely is not recommended in any way, shape or form.

Buried Alive (1990)

While watching Edgar Allan Poe, Christopher Lee and Vincent Price in 1969s The Oblong Box may not have been the greatest experience ever, I will admit that I am sure there are much worse. Hopefully the Poe inspired Buried Alive from 1990 does not fall into that category.

Plot/ A young woman goes to teach at the Ravenscroft Institute, a spooky old girls' school overrun by ants and staffed by various ex-mental patients. Spurred on by a series of horrific hallucinations, she begins to investigate the mysterious disappearances of several students.

This was another film that was very loosely on the writings of Poe (and when I say loosely, I mean it). The plot is obvious and very cliché, yet they do nothing with the plot to help build atmosphere. To me, it felt like the director and script were just jumping from scene to scene trying got the bizarre vice the entertaining. The acting was so-so, with some (Robert Vaughn) improving throughout and one notable actor (Donald Pleasence) just being annoying to the max. However, to me the worst part of this flick has nothing to do with the movie itself (OK, it does), this film was horror icon John Carradine’s last movie and to me that it a travesty. This movie had some potential, but was totally wasted. Watch at your own risk.

Billy the Kid Versus Dracula (1966)

After enjoying the horror/western Jesse James Meets Frankenstein’s Daughter, I decided to venture back into that era and genre with Billy the Kid Versus Dracula.

Plot/ Dracula travels to the American West, intent on making a beautiful ranch owner his next victim. Her fiancé, outlaw Billy the Kid, finds out about it and rushes to save her.

While better than its sister piece Jesse James meets Frankenstein’s Daughter, many of the flaws and elements are the same. Yes, the title is alluring and the fundamental idea is interesting, but much like the other entry, it fails to take full advantage of the potential of the interesting old west meets classic monster horror romp. The plot is rough full of many unanswered questions within the unbelievable sequences that consistently take place. The film lacks action, is rather slow, and boasts some of the worst effects I have ever seen (rubber bats anyone?). John Carradine is a ham as Dracula, a performance that at least makes the flick a tad enjoyable. This may not be great, but it should at least be on your list to watch once if you are a fan of old-time monster movies.

House of Long Shadows (1983)

  

After a couple of days of work taking a chunk out of my evening, it was time to get back into the swing of things. My movie selection for the evening, 1983s House of Long Shadows.

Plot/ An American writer goes to a remote Welsh manor on a $20,000 bet: can he write a classic novel like "Wuthering Heights" in twenty-four hours? Upon his arrival, however, the writer discovers that the manor, thought empty, actually has several, rather odd, inhabitants.

What a treat, four great horror actors, Peter Cushing, John Carradine, Christopher Lee and Vincent Price, come together and create an awesome film. Yes, it is far from perfect; suffering from bad pacing, soma bad acting (Desi Arnaz Jr.), and an ending that definitely leaves an unresolved feeling. However, just seeing the four great work and mesh together is more than enough to carry the flick. While not a masterpiece, it is definitely worth watching!

Shock Waves (1977)

 After spending last night with George Romero and Dario Argento, I decided to come back tonight and share the evening with John Carradine and Peter Cushing, with the 1977 Nazi Zombie entry Shock Waves!

Plot / A shipwrecked yachting party gets the surprise of their lives. Rose and her fellow yacht-mates, including the captain run aground on an island when they hit an odd-looking freighter. Once beached, they meet up with an aging SS Commander who had been in charge of a crew of zombies.

This interesting film takes two great elements of the 1970s horror genre and runs with it in a unique combination. Really, you cannot get much better than creatures in the water and undead zombies (not to mention Peter Cushing). While the flick lacks gore and nudity (actually carrying a PG rating), there are moments where the creepy atmosphere created by the visualization and soundtrack more than make up for that, especially the underwater zombie scenes. The editing, pacing, acting and some of the storyline is a bit uneven, but somehow it still comes together to create an attractive film all these years later. In all, it is creepy entry from the 1970s and one that was definitely worth the 90 minutes I spent watching it with my daughters this evening.

Astro Zombies (1968)

After watching the classic, Night of the Living Dead, I figured it was time to do something A LOT less groundbreaking. The perfect movie for that 1968’s Astro Zombies.

Plot / After being fired from the Space Agency, the disgruntled (not to mention crazy) Dr. DeMarco creates an Astroman from a criminal's dead body. However, he loses control of his creation, which goes on a killing spree, attracting the attention of an international spy ring and the CIA.

From the outset, I knew what I was in for with this flick. Yes, much of it was bad, even worse than “B” Movie bad with a morphing storyline, sub par acting and non-existent editing. However, It has to be said that this film is terrific, lousy and laughable at the same time. Somehow, things just work to make it at least a bit entertaining (the unnecessary nude-dancer scene comes to mind). It is what it is, a movie by Ted V. Mikels, is the godfather of schlock! Do I recommend it for everyone, Hell No! But, I definitely recommend it for hardcore fans of cheesy flicks!

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.