Wax (2014)

I love low budget cinema and when I find one I have to catch it. This is especially true, when I see the poster, and it reminds me of something Vincent Price would have been in, it is even more intriguing. Next up for review is the 2014 horror flick Wax.

Plot/ Young journalist Mike gets an assignment to spend one whole evening in a spooky wax museum. Initially believing to be alone inside the place, Mike eventually finds himself being terrorized by the malevolent presence of sadistic cannibal surgeon Dr. Knox.

Honestly, I was not expecting much from this one, and was completely surprised with what I saw. This low budget entry was everything that made classic grindhouse/exploitation flicks so awesome except the grainy film stock. The storyline, while somewhat cliché was interesting and twisted, the performances solid, and there was a ton of nudity and gore. Even the cinematography and pacing worked really well and kept me entertained throughout. If there were a downfall, it would be the fact that it was somewhat predictable. In the end, this one was one of the better entries I have seen in some time and an entertaining and worthwhile movie to watch. If you have not seen it, give it a shot it was definitely one of the better ones from Full Moon in a long time.

Dr. Jekyll and the Werewolf (1972)

As I was preparing to watch the Steelers game today (which we won), I decided to continue with my Pure Terror Collection. It is funny, with tomorrow being Halloween (and my retirement ceremony), I could not decide on a flick at first. Eventually, I decided on the Paul Naschy entry Dr. Jekyll and the Werewolf from 1972.

Plot/ A man tortured by the curse of the werewolf goes to London with a female companion in search of a doctor with a possible cure. The doctor turns out to be the grandson of the famous Dr. Jekyll and the two men begin researching a possible treatment involving the Mr. Hyde serum. When the lycanthropic man is injected with the serum, it causes a strange transformation in him that risks the safety of strangers and loved ones.

I love Paul Naschy movies. Sure, they aren’t the highest quality, but they are usually pretty interesting.  This one, the sixth time he dawned the werewolf costume, falls definitely falls into that interesting category (as he plays Mr. Hyde as well). There are some very good moments and the story does present a challenging endeavor by taking on two legendary horror figures in a modern setting (nothing like w werewolf showing up at a disco). All is not perfect though as the acting is uneven, the editing in this version is choppy and there just seems like something is missing. In the end, this was entertaining, but I feel that watching an unedited version may be better. Unfortunately, I did not have that version. If I could find it, I would definitely watch it. This version, not so much!

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.

Roswell (1994)

After suffering through the movie Rottweiler (which although it sport Paul Naschy, it does not even warrant a review), I wanted to watch something different from my usual stuff. That is when I decided to head for one of my favorite subjects, UFOs. Oh, and what did I find on Showtime? Roswell, a perfect movie about one of the greatest conspiracies in history and one of the biggest cover-ups the world has ever seen.

Plot/ Beginning at a 30-year reunion for members of a military nuclear bomb unit, flashbacks are presented that follow the attempts of Major Jesse Marcel to discover the truth about strange debris found on a local rancher's field in July of 1947. Told by his superiors that what he has found is nothing more than a downed weather balloon, Marcel maintains his military duty until the weight of the truth, however out of this world it may be, forces him to piece together what really occurred. Adapted from real-life events portrayed in the book The Truth about the UFO Crash at Roswell by Kevin Randle and Donald Schmitt.

There have been so many stories about Roswell and the mysterious debris that was discovered on the ranch. Being from SW Pennsylvania where we have our own UFO mystery in Kecksburg, it would be nice if someday the truth would come out. For me as a researcher in things of the unexplained nature, this movie is accurate with what eyewitnesses have been saying for years. With that in mind, believers in this phenomenon will love the movie. However, if you are an skeptic who really doesn't care about the subject at all, then you will find little, or no entertainment value here. As a docudrama, the film is slowly paced, but that is to portray the story in a specific manner. The acting, script and directing is top notch all the way around and it definitely keeps your attention. Overall, this movie is informative, and enjoyable, a perfect afternoon flick for the UFO and Conspiracy Buffs out there!

Vincent Price and Paul Naschy - The Perfect way to finish the first DVD of Undead: The Vampire Collection

Yesterday afternoon my three daughters and I enjoyed Scary Movie Sunday, while I continue to motor through Undead: The Vampire Collection. In all, I made it through two movies to finish one of the four disks off, The Bat (1959) and The Werewolf vs. The Vampire Woman. The first film of the day was Vincent Price and The Bat. I had seen it before, but it was a first for my daughters and they seemed to enjoy it as well. Although, I did find it a bit scary that my seven-year old wondered why this is on a Vampire box set (the same thing that I wondered).

Plot: Mystery writer Cornelia Van Gorder has rented a country house called "The Oaks", which not long ago had been the scene of some murders committed by a strange and violent criminal known as "The Bat". Meanwhile, the house's owner, bank president John Fleming, has recently embezzled one million dollars in securities, and has hidden the proceeds in the house, but he is killed before he can retrieve the money. Thus the lonely country house soon becomes the site of many mysterious and dangerous activities. The Bat is an interesting film. While it could never be mistaken for a classic, I have always found it enjoyable with a lot of unseen twists and turns. As always Price is tremendous and works well with the rest of the cast. In all, it is what it is , great entertainment on a rainy Sunday with the kids (especially after missing (Scary Movie Night Saturday)!

The Werewolf vs. The Vampire Woman

This evening as the girls were headed to bed, I watched The Werewolf vs. The Vampire Woman, a great way to close the evening. This is the first thime I have watched a Paul Naschy film since his death and it truly reminded me of how much he will be missed.

Plot: Elvira is traveling through the French countryside with her friend Genevieve, searching for the lost tomb of a medieval murderess and possible vampire, Countess Wandessa. They find a likely site in the castle of Waldemar Daninsky, who invites the women to stay as long as they like. As Waldemar shows Elvira the tomb that supposedly houses the countess, she accidentally causes the vampire to come back to life, hungrier than ever. Daninsky has a hidden secret of his own, but will it be enough to save the two girls from becoming Wandessa's next victims?

If you have not seen this film, shame on you! In my opinion, this is a true classic of the era and a perfect edition to any horror library (now is the ideal time with it falling on this box set). Yes, there are some very slow movie elements and flaws, this definitely has a very atmospheric feel and almost a eerie characteristic. The effects aren’t great, but they aren’t bad either and the cast does a great job feeding off of Naschy’s character. The story is good and kept my interest, especially the way it connected the silver cross to both the vampire and the werewolf’s demise. The idea to use a factual holiday Walpurgisnacht (Walpurgis Night) as a backdrop to the story as the night when Satan rules the earth and Wandessa will have all her powers was also a nice twist In all, a very entertaining movie and the best on Disk Four of

Undead: The Vampire Collection.

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