Paul Morrissey was a regular collaborator with Andy Warhol. He worked on some of the movies which helped to cement the enigmatic artist’s vision into cinematic form. With the likes of Flesh (1968), Trash (1970) and Heat (1972) he created highly eroticised, gritty, yet surreal examinations of sexuality and the darker elements of life in New York at the time. These films also launched the career of Joe Dallesandro, who became a sexual icon for both men and women (later featuring as the infamous crotch on the cover of The Rolling Stones ‘Sticky Fingers’ album and The Smiths debut).
Warhol’s interest in the grotesque led the pair to create ‘Flesh for Frankenstein‘ (1973) and ‘Blood for Dracula‘ (1974). The use of 3D for the release of ‘Frankenstein’ allowed the filmmakers to play extensively with the gore, taking full advantage of entrails and body parts hurtling towards the front of the screen. Avid watchers of Morrissey’s material will already be familiar with Dallesandro’s body parts hurtling towards the screen, but the context is somewhat different in this case.
Udo Kier is the eponymous Frankenstein, who offers us one of the most genuinely demented performances of the doctor to date. His insanity is only surpassed by his sexual desire and in his cloud of madness seeks to create the perfect couple. The Baroness Frankenstein is an abandoned, sexually unfulfilled wife (and the Doctor’s sister) played with eerie dominance by Monique van Vooren. Her husband, lost in his work and assisted by the hapless Otto (Arno Juerging) is in the process of creating the perfect couple, so as to forward the development of the ultimate ‘Serbian Race’. This particular element offers possible analysis into underlying commentary on the ideals of eugenics and selective breeding, which add a scary resonance to the movie.
Dallesandro plays a noble stable boy, reminiscent of a character from a steamy bodice ripping novel. Frankenstein and Otto observe him in a brothel (‘Two girls, one man? He must be very powerful. Look at his head!’) and they set designs upon him to serve as the male breeding specimen. The Baroness demands that he also be used for her own sexual gratification and in conjunction, the Doctor utilises the as of yet un-reanimated female for his own perverse desires (one scene which caused particular affront to some involved not only copulation with the corpse, but simultaneous investigative probing into open wounds).
It’s beautifully shot and not without intentional (and unintentional) humour. The acting is sometimes laughable, but never awful and the overall effect is both pleasing and enjoyable. I would love to get the opportunity to witness it in the cinema, in its original 3D print. It is definitely a worthy acquisition for Frankenstein completists, Warhol fans or the simply curious. The gore is particularly well done for the time and rubber bats aside; the overall special effects are well constructed and would have definitely been highly shocking for the casual cinemagoer in the early 70’s.
The savage character of Nikos Karamanlis first ‘graced’ our screens in Joe D’Amato’s ‘Antropophagus: The Beast’ in 1980. Never one to pass up the opportunity of making a quick dollar or two (like any sensible person), he set to work almost immediately on the sequel which would become most commonly known as ‘Absurd’. It is not essential to have seen the original ‘Antropophagus’ to dive straight into ‘Absurd’, but it may help to make the film slightly more understandable.
Nikos is a superhuman character who is practically impossible to injure. In the opening scene we see him fleeing from an unknown pursuer. As he scales the fence of a well to do family, he is brutally disembowelled and rushed to hospital where he is presumed dead. His almost inexplicable recovery confounds all present and he is placed under close supervision.
The police interview the family and reassure them that all will be well. They seem reasonably satisfied and return to caring for their injured daughter, who is currently bedridden and immobilised.
The presence of a mysterious European stranger arouses the suspicion of the authorities and his appearance at the hospital greatly upsets Nikos, who reacts by breaking a lot of things and ramming a drill through the temple of a nurse.
All of the aforementioned actions are accompanied by the most delightful array of spiralling synth based compositions which really hammer it home to the viewer that they are in Italian horror territory. The music in this case was created by Carlo Maria Cordio, yet is reminiscent of Fabio Frizzi or Claudio Simonetti at their finest and it serves as one of the movies strongest points.
The stranger reveals a deadly secret and elaborates on the imperative nature of Nikos’ capture and destruction. The parents from the house where Nikos was eviscerated have left their children at home with the most ridiculously dubbed (with an atrocious Irish accent) babysitter.
George Eastman (Nikos) is also known for his appearances in ‘Bronx Warriors’ (1982) (in which he co-starred with the ever loveable Fred Williamson) and ‘Stage Fright’ (1987). He is a domineering, lumbering kind of presence and so is perfect for this role as a maniacally deranged killer. There is an inexplicable nature to it all which is quite enjoyable in that many questions are raised without being answered. This can be infuriating in some movies, but with horror, the seasoned viewer becomes more accepting.
The movie also stars Annie Belle from ‘House on the Edge of the Park’ (directed by one of my favourites of the horror genre: Ruggero Deodato) who delivers a very strong female performance, proving that not all women in horror movies have been ready to scream, curl up and accept their fates.
While far from a classic, ‘Absurd’ does have some very strong qualities, especially when the questionable CV of D’Amato is examined (one which includes such arguably unmissable titles such as Erotic Nights of the Living Dead (1980), Papaya, Love Goddess of the Cannibals (1978) and Porno Holocaust (1981)). Its inclusion on the DPP list clearly stems from the graphic, visceral scenes of gore and the fact that children were put in (simulated) perilous situations. It has a fantastic soundtrack and a few brilliant scenes of violence which could stand up against the Lucio Fulci classics of the era. As a whole, it is a flawed, yet not wholly unenjoyably experience and in that respect I would not hesitate that you investigate further for yourself.
NB: Absurd was released with a complete running time of 1:33:56: Original title: Rosso Sangue; AKA Horrible; The Monster Hunter; Anthropophagus 2 — released with 2m 32s cut in 1983, but was withdrawn post VRA, and has never been re-submitted for classification. Has a release in the United States uncut under the title ‘Horrible’.
As I venture into the murky, underhand world of the Video Nasty, I feel that it is essential to elaborate a little on the subject. When people refer to Video Nasties, the spectrum can include anything which is gore filled, banned or simply unpleasant. In most cases, however, it will refer to the list of movies which were banned in July 1983 by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) under the Obscene Publications Act.
The list changed at various times, as certain movies made modifications which allowed them to be re-released, whereas some movies were added as the case progressed and titles were brought to the attention of the authorities. It all stemmed from the exploitative and incendiary advertisement techniques employed by the video distributors of the time. These methods were no different to the ones which had been prevalent in the Grindhouse / Exploitaton era which preceded the 1980s. Unfortunately, they fell into the hands and crosshairs of Mary Whitehouse (pictured), who led a tireless moral campaign against what she saw as the primary source of corruption in the Britain of the time. It was largely due to her protests and media connections that the movies were withdrawn and that video retailers were now branded as criminals and deviants.
The police raided and seized any titles on the list and people in possession and found to be distributing this material were under serious threat of imprisonment and / or subject to significant financial penalties.
Here is the complete list, with subsequent information relating to the adjustments which were made to the films in question.
01. Absurd 1981 (1:33:56) (original title: Rosso Sangue; AKA Horrible; The Monster Hunter; Anthropophagus 2 — released with 2m 32s cut in 1983, but was withdrawn post VRA, and has never been re-submitted for classification. Has a release in the United States uncut under the title Horrible)
02. Andy Warhol’s Frankenstein 1973 (1:34:55) (AKA Flesh For Frankenstein — passed with 56s cut in 1996, re-released uncut in 2006)
03. The Anthropophagus Beast 1980 (1:31:23) (original title: Antropophagus; AKA Anthropophagous; Antropofago; Gomia, Terror en el Mar Egeo; Man Beast: Man-Eater; The Savage Island — released with approximately 3m of pre-cuts as “The Grim Reaper” in 2002. Has a release in the United States uncut under the title Antropophagus: The Grim Reaper)
04. Axe 1977 (1:08:09) (AKA Lisa, Lisa; California Axe Murder; The Axe Murders — released with 19s cut in 1999, re-released uncut in 2005)
05. The Beast in Heat 1977 (1:24:17) (original title: La Bestia in Calore) (Banned outright)
06. The Beyond 1981 (1:27:29) (original title: E Tu Vivrai Nel Terrore ‒ L’Aldilà; AKA Seven Doors of Death — re-released uncut in 2001)
07. Blood Bath 1971 (1:21:24) (original title: Reazione a Catena; AKA A Bay of Blood; Twitch of the Death Nerve — released with 43s cut in 1994, released uncut in 2010)
08. Blood Feast 1963 (1:07:01) (released with 23s cut in 2001, re-released uncut in 2005)
09. Blood Rites AKA The Ghastly Ones 1968 (1:11:50) (original title: The Ghastly Ones) (Banned outright)
10. Bloody Moon 1981 (1:25:00) (original title: Die Säge des Todes — released with 1m 20s cut in 1993, released uncut November 2008)
11. The Bogey Man 1980 (1:21:47) (original title: The Boogeyman — released with 44s cut in 1992, re-released uncut in 2000)
12. The Burning 1981 (1:31:23) (released with 19s cut in 1992, re-released uncut in 2001)
13. Cannibal Apocalypse 1980 (1:36:29) (original title: Apocalypse Domani — released with 2s cut in 2005)
14. Cannibal Ferox 1981 (1:32:59) (alternate title: Make Them Die Slowly — released with approximately 6m of pre-cuts plus 6s of additional cuts in 2000)
15. Cannibal Holocaust 1980 (1:36:56) (released in 2001 with 5m 44s cut to remove most animal cruelty and rape scenes, new version approved with 15s cut in 2011)
16. The Cannibal Man 1972 (1:38:00) (original title: La Semana del Asesino; AKA The Apartment on the 13th Floor — released with 3s cut in 1993)
17. Cannibal Terror 1981 (1:29:35) (original title: Terror Caníbal — released uncut in 2003)
18. Contamination 1980 (1:35:21) (released uncut in 2004 with a 15 rating)
19. Dead and Buried 1981 (1:33:58 ) (released with 30s cut in 1990, re-released uncut in 1999)
20. Death Trap 1980 (1:32:27) (original title: Eaten Alive — re-released uncut in 2000)
21. Deep River Savages 1972 (1:32:53) (original/alternate title: Il paese del sesso selvaggio, The Man from Deep River — released with 3m 45s cut in 2003)
22. Delirium 1979 (1:24:19) (Alternate title: Psycho Puppet — released with 16s cut in 1987)
23. The Devil Hunter 1980 (1:42:20) (original title: Il cacciatore di uomini) (Passed uncut November 2008)
24. Don’t Go in the House 1980 (1:22:09) (released with 3m 7s cut in 1987, passed uncut in December 2011)
25. Don’t Go in the Woods 1981 (1:23:45) (released uncut in 2007)
26. Don’t Go Near the Park 1981 (1:23:23) (released uncut in 2006)
27. Don’t Look in the Basement 1973 (1:29:20) (original title: The Forgotten — released uncut in 2005 with
28. The Driller Killer 1979 (1:35:57) (released with cuts in 1999 — re-released uncut in 2002, now considered to be public domain)
29. The Evil Dead 1981 (1:25:24) (re-released uncut in 2001)
30. Evilspeak 1981 (1:38:58) (released with 3m 34s cut in 1987, re-released uncut in 2004)
31. Expose AKA House On Straw Hill 1976 (1:20:29) (released with 30s cut in 1997)
32. Faces of Death (And Faces Of Death: Fact Or Fiction) 1978 (2:31:19) (released with 2m 19s cut in 2003)
33. Fight for Your Life 1977 (1:25:43) (Banned outright)
34. Forest of Fear 1980 (1:28:12) (AKA Toxic Zombies; Bloodeaters — re-released uncut in 2006)
36. Funhouse 1981 (1:35:06) (Released uncut in 1987, re-classified 15 in 2007)
37. Gestapo’s Last Orgy 1976 (1:20:54) (original title: L’ultima orgia del III Reich) (Banned outright)
38. The House By the Cemetery 1981 (1:32:36) (original title: Quella villa accanto al cimitero — passed with over 4 mins cut in 1988, re-released with 33s cut in 2001, released uncut in 2009)
39. House on the Edge of the Park 1980 (1:31:33) (original title: La casa sperduta nel parco — released with 11m 43s cut in 2002, re-released with 42s cut in 2011)
40. Human Experiments 1980 (1:21:59) (released with 26s cut in 1994)
41. I Miss You, Hugs and Kisses 1978 (1:27:23) (released with 1m 6s cut in 1986)
42. I Spit on Your Grave 1978 (1:41:00) (original title: Day of the Woman — released with 7m 2s cut in 2001, re-released with 3 mins cut in 2010)
43. Inferno 1980 (1:46:40) (released with 20s cut in 1993 — re-released uncut in September, 2010)
44. Island of Death 1977 (1:42:30) (original title: Ta Pedhia tou dhiavolou — released with 4m 9s cut in 2002, released uncut September, 2010)
45. Killer Nun 1978 (1:26:54) (original title: Suor Omicidi — released with 13s cut in 1993, re-released uncut in 2006)
46. The Last House on the Left 1972 1:24:25) (refused a video certificate and passed with 31s cut in 2002, passed uncut on the 17th March, 2008)
47. Late Night Trains AKA Night Train Murders 1975 (1:34:01) (original title: L’ultimo treno della notte — released uncut in 2008)
48. The Living Dead 1974 (1:32:52) (original title: Non si deve profanare il sonno dei morti; AKA The Living Dead at Manchester Morgue; Let Sleeping Corpses Lie; Don’t Open the Window — passed with 2m pre-cut in 1985, re-released uncut in 2002)
49. Love Camp 7 1968 (1:31:52) (refused a certificate in 2002) (Banned outright)
50. Madhouse 1981 (1:29:29) (original title: There Was a Little Girl — released uncut in 2004)
52. Night of the Bloody Apes 1969 (1:23:51) (original title: La Horripilante bestia humana — released with approximately 1m of pre-cuts in 1999; later released uncut in 2002)
53. Night of the Demon 1980 (1:31:55) (released with 1m 41s cut in 1994)
54. Night Warning 1983 (1:32:42) (AKA Butcher, Baker, Nightmare Maker; Night Warning on the credits of some versions) (Banned outright)
55. Nightmares in a Damaged Brain 1981 (1:38:21) (re-released with pre-cuts in 2005)
56. Possession 1981 (2:03:00) (released uncut in 1999)
57. Pranks 1982 (1:40:34) (AKA The Dorm That Dripped Blood; Death Dorm — re-released with 10s cut in 1992)
58. Prisoner of the Cannibal God AKA Mountain Of The Cannibal God 1978 (1:42:55) (original title: La montagna del dio cannibale; — released with 2m 6s cut in 2001)
59. Revenge of the Bogey Man 1982 (1:23:03) (original title: Boogeyman II — released with additional footage in 2003)
60. The Slayer 1981 (1:26:01) (released with 14s cut in 1992, re-released uncut in 2001)
61. Shogun Assassin 1980 (1:21:29) (re-released uncut in 1999)
62. Snuff 1976 (1:00.59) (Passed uncut in 2003, however it has not yet been re-released)
63. SS Experiment 1976 (1:34:30) (original title: Lager SSadis Kastrat Kommandantur AKA: SS Experiment Camp — released uncut in 2005)
64. Tenebrae 1982 (1:40:33) (original title: Tenebre — released with 5s cut in 1999, re-released uncut in 2003)
65. Terror Eyes 1981 (1:24:49) (original title: Night School — released with 1m 16s cut in 1987)
66. The Toolbox Murders 1978 (1:33:50) (released with 1m 46s cut in 2000)
67. Unhinged 1982 (1:19:45) (released uncut in 2004)
68. Visiting Hours 1982 (1:45:11) (released with approximately 1m cut in 1986)
69. The Werewolf and the Yeti 1975 (1:23:41) (original title: La Maldición de la Bestia) (Banned outright)
70. The Witch Who Came from the Sea 1976 (1:27:33) (released uncut in 2006)
71. Women Behind Bars 1975 (1:22:55)(original French title: Des diamants pour l’enfer) (Banned outright)
72. Xtro 1983 (1:23:30) (Released uncut in 1987, re-classified 15 in 2007; Xtro was a common title seized during police raids in the North of England prior to the official list being published.)
73. Zombie Creeping Flesh 1980 (1:36:24) (original title: Virus; AKA Hell of the Living Dead — released uncut in 2002)
74. Zombie Flesh Eaters 1979 (1:31:20) (original title: Zombi 2; AKA Zombie — released with 23s cut in 1999, re-released uncut in 2005)
75. Zombie Holocaust 1980 (1:24:07) (AKA Dr. Butcher MD – released uncut on UK DVD & VHS on January 29, 2001 by Stonevision. It was reissued on the Dead of Night label in 2004 and again in 2010 by Beyond Terror
Everything in life is cyclical and we would do well to appreciate our current availability to relatively free speech, expression and access to information online, for it may not always be the case. Censorship usually stems from fear. Be it fear of what we don’t understand, fear of change, or fear of what we see lurking in ourselves, it manifests itself in an ugly and opressive manner and when we exist in a time of marginally limited censorship, we should be very grateful of that fact.
It was always going to happen. Ever since I was a teenager acquiring contraband horror movies via small ads in the classified sections of regional newspapers, I became slightly obsessed with the notion of banned movies. In my (relatively) short life I have seen the deconstruction of censorship in many forms, yet it is only in the last fifteen years or so that the walls of cinematic restriction have crumbled.
The phrase ‘video nasty’ was still very active in my formative years, especially in the wake of the James Bolger murder case and the subsequent furore which surrounded ‘Childs Play 3‘. This particular movie was wrongly attributed to be an influence in the crime, a claim that has since been discredited. It was, however, significantly damning to ensure that a series of other movies never saw the light of day for several years.
With the advent of the internet and the availability of file sharing, the DPP and the BBFC realised that their limitations were being greatly stretched and a certain degree of leniency was allowed. Heavily cut versions of previously banned movies were now readily available, most at budget prices. I will never forget the day that I saw ‘Cannibal Holocaust’ for sale in HMV. In the early days of DVD, there were also several European and International sites which offered early digital prints of the old classics (which remain some of the few DVDs I held onto) which were a far superior alternative to the heavily mutilated copies available in the high street.
There have been many books and documentaries about video nasties, especially in recent years, which all help to shed light on the subject and I fully intend to highlight them in the coming weeks as well. My self assigned mission is simple. I wish to focus on the DPP Video Nasties list of 1983. The list contains an arguable 72-75 movies. I am going to watch them all (75 just to be safe) in alphabetical order in their uncut form. Then I shall review them, write artciles and hopefully stimulate debate on the subjects of censorship, horror, public tastes and alternating moral structures within society.
I will be posting reviews on alternate days whenever possible and will be tagging each one with the Zombiehamster Video Nasties Project. Please feel free to spread the word as they emerge as all your feedback and sharing on social networks is both greatly appreciated and means a lot. This will serve as a highly enjoyable sideline to reviewing current and recent releases and hopefully will allow the casual reader to juxtapose between classic and contemporary horror. It will also give me the opportunity to re-watch and review some of my all time favourite films.
Let’s get things underway then shall we? I have 111 hours of film to get through. A grand total of 6660 minutes (spooky!). See you on the other side.
Sometimes, it’s the unexpected ones that pack the greatest punch. The last few years have seen a slew of survival flicks appear alongside movies in which people get trapped in precarious or hopeless circumstances (Frozen (2010), 127 Hours (2010), Wrecked (2010)). Reading the synopsis for ‘The Grey’ it would appear that there was nothing too far removed from this format on offer.
In the hands of Joe Carnahan, however, things take a very different turn. Carnahan has written and directed some fantastic action movies throughout the last decade (Narc (2002), Smokin’ Aces (2006) and The A-Team (2010)) and so has more than proven himself within the genre. With this being said, there are several elements to ‘The Grey’ which allow it to stand outside the classification of a standard action movie.
There is as much examination of character as there is of circumstance. Neeson plays ‘Ottoway’ (all the main actors are referred to for most of the movie by their surnames only), a suicidal oil worker who, following the tragic death of his partner has taken up a position in the far reaches of Alaska. On a routine flight, tragedy strikes and the planed descends to the ground in a fiery wreck. The majority of the passengers and crew are completely eviscerated from the accident except for a few damaged and bewildered survivors.
It becomes apparent to the remaining few that they must seek shelter and rescue on foot, but the terrain is both endless and foreboding. A pack of grey wolves begin to stalk the men, picking out the weak and lagging, creating confusion and anticipated terror at every turn. It is under this duress that the characters flourish. The dialogue becomes a well-crafted examination of group dynamics, inner turmoil and an array of personal strengths and weaknesses.
We are forced to consider a life in which we are not top of the food chain. To examine a primeval fear of predators, the instinctual quest for shelter and survival, our dependence on those closest to us and the crippling effect that their absence can bring.
Neeson is absolutely superb in The Grey. Considering the personal difficulties and tragedy which he has faced in recent years, there are a few scenes in particular which are both genuinely moving and flawlessly delivered.
Filmed on location in Alaska, the genuine cold is emphasised on the faces and hands of the actors, they all display the pain and discomfort their characters are feeling with a stark and excruciatingly believable manner. As you watch you feel what they feel, the fear, the isolation, the uncertainty.
With the production assistance of both Tony and Ridley Scott, this is simply one of the best movies which I have seen this year and I implore you to experience it for yourself. With a sublime accompanying soundtrack by Marc Streitenfeld (which hasn’t left my stereo since acquiring it), this is simply a must see.
Cassadaga is a spiritualist community located in northeast Florida which bears the nickname of ‘Psychic Capital of the World‘. It was originally a sacred native American site which became a camp and a haven for mediums across the country in the late 19th Century. It has been alluded to in songs and the occasional reference on television, but up until this production it has never been the focal point of an entire movie. I was both intrigued and excited by this prospect, not only for the fact that I have an interest in the area, but also because I love a good ghost story.
Florida native Christina Bach (Co-star of 2011′s tearjerker classic; ‘2-Headed Shark Attack‘) plays Gabrielle, a (somewhat unconvincingly) deaf art teacher. She maintains a close and special bond with her sister Lily, who is tragically killed at the start of the movie.
Afterwards, she takes up an internship in a Cassadaga mansion which is owned by Claire (Louise Fletcher) and inhabited by her peculiar son Thomas (Lucas Beck). Grief-stricken and distraught, she visits a local psychic with a group of friends.
The seance has partially successful, but ultimately damaging effects which slowly begin to jeopardize both her sanity and her safety. It’s around this point that the movie begins to go a little awry.
The supernatural elements become secondary to a serial killer plot involving a sexually confused man who has been dismembering and reconstructing young women into life sized marionettes. The ghosts of his victims are the ones who terrorise Gabriella. The problem is that they do very little else save for appear behind her when she’s alone in her bathroom and other standard scare tactics which serve only to lessen the overall effect and tone of the movie.
The ‘cat and mouse’ elements of the habitual murderer go through the motions as Gabriella’s relationship with a potential suitor fall apart in the process, leaving her feeling more isolated and alone than she did at the start.
It builds tension well although it unfortunately fails to deliver and by the time the gore presents itself (in an enjoyably gruesome and original fashion) you will probably find that your interest will have waned considerably.
It’s a film which had a lot of potential and it looks well for the lack of budget, however, there’s not enough on offer here to warrant any kind of strong recommendation. I would be very curious to see another supernatural / serial killer movie of this kind with a better script and a clearer sense of direction.The strongest thing which it had going for it was the old school poster, which I have included in both its censored and uncensored versions.
The terms ‘British’, ‘Erotic’ and ‘Horror’ are all perfectly acceptable when used separately, but when combined will arouse suspicion in any sane human being. Being far from a sane human being I decided to dive in head first to see just how horrific ‘Little Deaths’ would be. A selection of three short films, all completely unconnected, save for the overriding themes of sex and death. The results are as surprising and mixed as one may have initially expected.
There is no linking narrative to the three movies and so they are presented as standalone features which is an unusual move for vignette horror. The first is ‘House and Home’ which features an upper middle class couple who we quickly discover have a penchant for sexually toying with the homeless (as we all get an inkling to do now and again). Richard and Victoria (Luke de Lacey & Siubhan Harrison) are a deeply religious hard working couple who feel that their toils in the rat race permit them to treat the less fortunate in any way they see fit. There is a peculiar courtship and a young girl named Sorrow is brought back to the house and fed, bathed and then… well, you’ll just have to see where it goes. Richard seems to have been sent directly from the set of an old episode of UK daytime TV show The Bill and as a result, the credibility of the slightly more degraded scenes are compromised somewhat by the hammy acting and the fumbled dialogue. The laughable conclusion leaves enough interest dwindling with the viewer to continue.
The centrepiece and easily the most bizarre of the three is ‘Mutant Tool’ which is almost too bonkers to summarise. The long and short of it (well, more the long of it as you will see) concerns Nazi penis experiments. These mutant penises are grafted onto unwitting subjects in order to continually provide buckets of semen which are then developed into a drug which induces hallucinations, extreme sexual behaviour and delusion in the users. The story follows Jen (Jodie Jameson) an ex junkie prostitute who begins taking the drug on the advice of her doctor. She soon finds herself back on the game (by her own will) and suffering demonic visions which represent the torture of the mutants which is simultaneously occurring in a London basement. It’s quite simply put; completely mental. Not brilliant, but mental nonetheless. You’ll certainly be compelled to see the movie through once you get to this stage.
The final movie is ‘Bitch’ which follows the dysfunctional relationship between a young couple called Pete and Claire (Tom Sawyer & Kate Braithwaite). It is a relationship which involves domination, abuse and infidelity and one day Pete decides he has had enough. I can’t reveal too much, but let’s just say that the end result is one which most people don’t generally experience on their screens on most normal evenings. Forced bestiality is not something that one would generally think would stem from such a low budget movie.
All in all, Little Deaths is a clumsily delivered piece with some interesting moments. None of the sex scenes are anything other than awkward and slightly unpleasant. The horror elements fall shy of the mark a lot of the time and the viewer is left feeling kind of confused by the end of it. Not exactly recommended, so if your curiosity gets the better of you, don’t blame me.
My undying love for all things grindhouse, exploitation and cheesy has all been reciprocated in the most delightful form. That form is a four-part feature entitled ‘Chillerama’. The work of four relatively new directors Adam Rifkin, Tim Sullivan, Adam Green and Joe Lynch, it takes pot shots at the quirkier side of cinema and draws particular inspiration from the quickly made, sensationalised celluloid sleaze which oozed off the screen with stunning regularity in the 1950’s and 60’s.
It begins with the outstanding creature feature ‘Wadzilla’, a tale of super semen which features the inimitable Ray Wise. Alternate titles could be ‘The Sperm That Took New York’ or ‘Spoogezilla’, but regardless, it is guaranteed to set the tone and test the waters in terms of the viewers. It will have some doubled over with laughter (I would raise my hand to being part of this demographic) and will have others leaving the room. It’s puerile, adolescent, ridiculous, cheap and innuendo laden, in short, it’s absolutely everything you could ask from this sort of film. This segment is a rompish horror comedy which serves as a wonderful exercise in playfulness and escapism.
The second part of the movie ‘I Was a Teenage Werebear’ is a parody of a wide range of teen movies, from ‘Grease’ and ‘Rebel without a Cause’ to the ‘Twilight’ series. It’s a homoerotic fantasy about teenage acceptance, bullying and adjustment. Oh, and it’s absolutely hilarious as well. There’s’ some awful singing, horrendous acting and general tomfoolery, all of which creates a jovial and humorous short. There is one particular scene in which the conflicted protagonist’s girlfriend is hit by a car which almost had me falling off my chair, doubled over with laughter.
The third part has the most impressive title I have heard in a long, long time. ‘The Diary of Anne Frankenstein’ is a black & white exercise in ridiculousness. With pretend German spoken by a goofy Hitler, a sexy Nazi mistress and a lumbering Golem, it has to be seen to be believed.
The final offering is ‘Zom-B-Movie’ which falls a little short of the preceeding instalments but is a loving tribute to the 70’s Romero style zombie movies. Maybe I have zombie fatigue, or else I have just seen far too many zombie tributes at this stage, but this one didn’t really grasp me as tightly as the first three did.
Grasping tightly is exactly how it all begins, with a drunken and amorous drive-in employee digging up his decomposing wife for some ‘dead head’, she bites off his Old long Johnson and begins a horrendous infection of neon drooling undead which excels the efforts of ‘Zom-B-Movie’ greatly. The linking story of the final night of a drive-in theatre is very well put together and definitely adds something to the movie.
In short, it was a delight and a pleasure to sit through Chillerama. Watch it with friends. Watch it naked. Watch it drunk.
The name Walter Hill may not sound familiar to all of you at first, but his legacy definitely will. He is the director of The Warriors (1979), 48 Hours (1982) and Brewster’s Millions (1985), he wrote Red Heat (1988), Southern Comfort (1981) and the screenplay for The Getaway (1972). Oh, and he produced Alien (1979) and Aliens (1986) so he has what could be called a pretty well stocked curriculum vitae.
Trespass (1992) is a potboiler in which two fireman (a very young looking Bill Paxton and a snarling William Sadler) break into a disused building on the pretence that there is hidden ’treasure’ there. Now, before we start getting too excited and imagining that this is some kind of ‘Goonies’ for grownups, there’s a catch (there’s always a catch). What Vince (Paxton) and Don (Sadler)don’t realise as they set off with a pick and a shovel and a head full of dreams is that this particular part of St. Louis is gang territory.
The gang in question is led by King James (Ice-T) who is in full Dolemite mode as a wide brimmed hat wearing, back handed slapping pimp of the highest order. His legions of flunkies include Savon (Ice Cube) and Cletus (Tiny Lister) who do their best to spend all of their time onscreen frowning and trying to look imposing. We must historically contextualise for a moment here and remember that Ice Cube didn’t begin smiling publicly until he appeared in ‘Friday’ three years later.
Bumbling Vince witnesses the offing of a gang member who has crossed the King and whilst standing dumbfounded with his mouth aghast, gets noticed by not only the nefarious crew, but by the King himself. An instant call for their heads is mead and the movie then descends into a cat and mouse chase throughout the derelict environment.
Trespass is a very decent action movie, but it doesn’t ascend beyond that. It is by no means of the calibre of the highlights of Hill’s career, but it remains a thoroughly enjoyable feature. The soundtracks (and there were two) were composed by Ry Cooder (for the score) and hip hops finest (Public Enemy, Ice-T amongst others) for the more contemporary release. It was also originally entitled ‘Looters’ but in the wake of the LA Riots, they decided that it mightn’t be the most appropriate choice of name.
It holds the viewer’s attention well and is reminiscent of those incredibly daft action movies which were ubiquitous in the 1980’s and early 1990’s. It’s far from a classic, but I know that it holds a favourable spot in the hearts of many, this reviewer included. If you don’t want to go as far as actually watching it, get the soundtracks, they’re both brilliant.
Admittedly, you could have taken a 6 inch brush and coloured me sceptical for this one. I am a huge fan of the original Wicker Man (less so of the Nicolas Cage version) and so it was with apprehension and doubt that I ventured into this sequel of sorts. The one saving grace may have been the close involvement of Robin Hardy, the original author and director of the Christopher Lee classic.
Lee was pencilled in to star in this movie but unfortunately health problems excluded him from doing so, his appearance is stripped down to a very incidental flashback scene, yet his name still rides high in the opening credits. This is only the first disappointment that you will experience when it comes to The Wicker Tree.
It is essential to be fair and state that it is far from the worst horror movie you will see this year, as it has a certain amount of redeeming features. The problem is the unfortunate fact that it will always have to stand comparison to the original, a movie which has cemented itself as an indisputable classic.
One of the primary difficulties which The Wicker Tree stumbles to overcome is the overall tone of the movie. It can’t seem to decide whether it’s a knowing and acerbic in-joke, a serious thriller or a humorous homage to its predecessor. This is one of the main reasons that it fails to have any definite resonance with the viewer, although it doesn’t make it difficult to watch. There are some beautifully composed shots of the unforgiving Scottish countryside and a particularly handsome raven, but there’s so little going on under the surface that it quickly becomes the equivalent of a rushed meal at a fast food restaurant, complete with the subsequent guilt, nausea and comedown.
The American leads are satisfactory in that all they have to do is play vacuous Evangelist Christians, sent over on a mission to the remote Scottish village. The villagers are played for comic relief rather than any form or actual menace and so the inevitable ‘scene’ that we’re all waiting for the entire movie is played out like a community centre theatrical production of The Wicker Man, only with a slightly bigger budget and more actors.
If you’re a Hardy obsessive, by all means give it a shot. If you’re unfamiliar with the movie’s origins, you’ll probably get a few laughs out of it, but that’s hardly what one would expect when a story comes from such good original stock. A missed opportunity.
