Horror Flicks d-f

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DAWN OF THE MUMMY (1981)

D. Frank Agrama W. Darla Price, Ronald Dobbin & Frank Agrama

Fashion models and a photographer desecrate an Egyptian tomb for a photo layout and awaken its long slumbering inhabitants. These mummies run amuck and have more in common with Italian Zombies than Universal Monsters. These mummies gouge eyes, rip flesh and gnaw on the innards of their unlucky victims. Gore mutants and zombie fanatics will enjoy thoroughly.

DAY OF THE ANIMALS (1977)

D. William Girdler W. William Norton & Eleanor E. Norton

Trail guide Christopher George leads a group of tenderfoots into the mountains for a two week journey only to find all the birds and animals in the high country stark raving mad due to the depletion of the ozone. This is a great Man vs. Nature survival pick with some truly beautiful photography. Recommended.

DEAD & BURIED (1981)

D. Gary Sherman W. Dan O’Bannon & Ronald Shusett

Superior zombie/gore/mystery story has a weird, nightmarish quality to it that makes it all the more disturbing. Sheriff James Farentino has a rash of unexplained, ultra-violent crimes on his hands but no suspect. Little by little the pieces to the mystery fall into place, climaxing in a pulse-pounding confrontation between the Sheriff and the local mortician (Jack Albertson). Absolutely Grade-A terror stuff. The incredible make-up effects by Stan Winston include a guy getting acid shot up his nose and another luckless victim getting a hypodermic needle plunged into his eye. The novelization by Chelsa Quinn Yarbro is also highly recommended. Do not miss this one.

DEATH SHIP (1980)

D. Alvin Rakoff W. Jon Robins

This is a bizarre ghost story concerning a handful of survivors from a cruise ship disaster finding refuge on an abandoned freighter floating aimlessly at sea. The survivors are only out of the frying pan and into the fire once they discover the freighter was once used as a Nazi torture ship and now it has come alive to torture them and devour their souls. George Kennedy becomes possessed by the vile spirits and most of the cast befall a gory demise. Good for a couple of “jump” scenes, the story is credited to Jack Hill and David P. Lewis

DEMON KNIGHT (1995)

D. Ernest Dickerson W. Ethan Reiff, Cyrus Voris & Mark Bishop

The first in the proposed TALES FROM THE CRYPT film series is an adrenaline pumping, gore soaked terror tale about Good vs. Evil. Brayker has a key with the power to keep demons from ruling the world. The Collector wants the key so he can be the King of the Demons. A group of whacked-out characters hold up in an old hotel while the battle is fought and hideous demonoids lay siege on the building. (At this point the film becomes NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD ON ACID!) Fast paced horror- actioner is guaranteed to entertain. With William Sadler, Billy Zane, Jada Pinkett and Dick Miller.

DERANGED (1974)

D. Alan Ormsby W. Alan Ormsby & Jeff Gillen

Another re-telling of the Ed Gein story, Roberts Blossom stars as Ezra Cobb, a lonely man tormented by the memory of his mother. He has it in his mind that women are all evil and disease ridden so when the “urge” strikes, he goes out, finds a gal and then kills and skins her. His disgusting farmhouse is littered with body parts and bodies dug up from a nearby graveyard, to keep his mother company. This is strong stuff, offset only by an annoying on-screen narrator who tries to give the flick a documentary feel. Well worth a look, this was also make-up effects master Tom Savini’s first feature film.

THE DEVIL’S RAIN (1975)

D. Robert Fuest W. Gave Essoe, James Ashton & Gerald Hopman

Bill Shatner goes up against a strange cult led by Ernest Borgnine and fails miserably. It’s up to little bro Tom Skerrit to release his family from a 300 year old curse. The film is famous for its disgusting climax where the entire cult melts down like a box of crayons in the sun. Not a half bad flick.

DEVILFISH (1984)

D. Lamberto Bava W. Luigi Cozzi, Don Lewis & Martin Dolman

The waters off the Florida coast turn blood red when a mutated 40ft. shark with tentacles shows up and starts sinking its teeth into sunbathers and boaters. Authorities first believe the creature is a prehistoric find and then discover it is part of a military experiment gone awry. It has its far share of decent monster attack scenes and plot twists.

DON’T LOOK IN THE BASEMENT (1973)

D. S.F. Brownrigg W. Tim Pope

After the head doctor at the “experimental” asylum is hacked up into a pile of kibble by an inmate, a new nurse arrives to help the nurse in charge run the facility. There is a weird sense that something is seriously amiss throughout the film as the crazies slowly take over the asylum. This is a good old fashioned ‘70s drive-in mental-meltdown scare show that delivers plenty of shocks and nastiness. When the crazies attack at the end, you might wonder if Bill Lustig wasn’t inspired by this film for the climax of his pic MANIAC. With Bill McGee and Jessie Lee Fulton. DON’T MISS THIS FLICK!

DRACULA VS. FRANKENSTEIN (1971)

D. Al Adamson

Incredible “freak-show” extravaganza by the great Al Adamson and Sam Sherman tries to cram 50 pounds of monster stuff into a 5 pound bag. A pasty-faced Afro topped Drac digs up the Frankenstein monster then hauls it over to one of Dr. F’s descendents, Dr. Duray, who operates out of a carnival scare-house, to team up and bring the monster back to life. Duray employs the puffy faced mute Groton (Lon Chaney, Jr.) to bring him hippy girls to experiment on in exchange for smack. He also tells hippies crazy things like “Horror illusions look real or they wouldn’t be illusions.” A Vegas showgirl gets tangled with the creep-geeks when her hippy sister goes missing. There’s also a dwarf with an attitude who swings a big ax at knee level. The monster rumble finale is chuck full of airborne body parts. At one point Drac, from out of nowhere, zaps a guy with his laser beam ring into ashtray fillings before the sun comes up and saves the day. I find it hard to believe that you won’t be entertained by something that this movie offers. A Weird Al drive-in classic. With Greydon Clark and Forrest J. Ackerman.

DR. GIGGLES (1992)

D. Manny Coto W. Graeme Whifler & Manny Coto

Slasher basher concerning the return of a giggling doctor wannabe who used to help his demented doctor dad remove the hearts of his unlucky patients when he was a kid. Dr. Rendell escapes his asylum lock-up and returns to Moorehigh to re-open his deceased dad’s practice and medically annihilate deserving jackass teenagers. Some of the jokes are lame and Larry Drake as the titular giggling spaz wears thin quickly. Should do when you’re in the mood for gore and laughs.

ENDLESS DECENT (1989)

D. J.P. Simon W. David Coleman

SIREN I, a nuclear sub, has disappeared somewhere at the bottom of the sea so a rescue team, lead by SIREN creator Wick Hayes, is dispersed to find out what happened. What they find is a DNA cloning machine run amuck and an army of vile mutations bent on munching down on the rescue team for snacks. Non stop action and exploding monsters keep this one highly watchable for its brief 79 minute running time. From the director of SLUGS and PIECES.

THE EVIL (1978)

D. Gus Trikonis W. Donald G. Thompson

Dr. Richard Crenna buys an old mansion with a violent history to convert into a rehab clinic. He assembles a group of workers to help clean up the place but they soon find themselves trapped inside the house by an evil presence. Electricity claims most of the victims. One great scene has Andrew Prine sawing his own hand in half with a Skil-Saw. It ends with Dr. Crenna finding a mysterious passageway in the basement and coming face to face with a pudgy little demon in a white suit.

EVIL ED (1996)

D. Anders Jacobson W. Goran Lundstrom, Chris Ohlson & Anders Jacobson

Swedish film geeks scratched up enough cash to pay homage to THE EVIL DEAD and tried to make the ultimate gorefest. Although not the ultimate gorefest (not by a long shot), this is one heck of a funny, gory ride as mild mannered film editor Edward gets the assignment of re-editing the popular SEVERED LIMBS horror series for foreign distribution. After endless hours of watching and re-watching the mindless gore and violence Eddie snaps. He has weird hallucinations then begins killing a bunch of Swedish actors. Captured, Eddie continues his blood rage in the asylum. There are a lot of lame comic gags along the way, but this is still a terrific party tape that gorehounds should delightfully lap up. Kudos to those crazy Swedes.

THE FINAL TERROR (1983)

D. Andrew Davis W. Jon George, Neill Hicks & Ronald Shusett

A bus load of junior rangers and their girlfriends head into the woods to clear away a couple of streams only to fall under the blade of an old crone living like an animal in a shack full of pickled body parts in jars. Produced by Sam Arkoff, this knife-kill slay-o-thon actually builds up a good bit of terror and suspense as the hunted slowly transform into the hunters. Lots of great dialog and performances keep this stabfest enjoyable.

FOOD OF THE GODS PART 2 (1988)

D. Damian Lee W. Richard Bennett & E Kim Brewster

A goofy Canadian scientist discovers an elixir that can be used to make vegetables grow to ten times their normal size. Before he can stop world hunger, a pack of rats feast on his veggies and grow to monstrous size. Now the college campus is invaded with more than drunk frat brats. This pic is the equivalent of a carnival sideshow. Highlights include a weird, “Amazing Colossal Man” sexual nightmare, an evil genetic researcher getting a face-full of poetic justice, the rat pack a swim meet and a foul mouthed, 40ft tall seven year old. AKA GNAW.

FRIGHTMARE (1981)

D/W Norman Thaddeus Vane

Horror great Conrad Ragzoff (Ferdinand Mayne) passes on, thus inspiring the over zealous members of the local Horror Film Society to steal his body from the mortuary and give him one last send off. Unbeknownst to the teenage chuckle-heads is that a medium has “awakened” old Connie and brought him back over to the land of the living as a psychic psycho. Boy is he P.O.’d. Conrad goes about snuffing the jerkoids one by one, slasher movie style. This is a personal fave of mine, the film includes several grisly murders and one bodacious decapitation (at the expense of Jeffrey Combs’ noggin, no less).

FROM DUSK TILL DAWN (1995)

D. Robert Rodriquez W. Quentin Tarantino

The Gecko brothers (George Clooney and Tarantino) head down to Mexico after a violent crime spree to split their take with their partner. Told to wait at the sleazy Titty Twister, the bros. Gecko find themselves in the middle of a violent, gory vampire siege. The club is a front to attract lone truckers and bikers and is basically NIGHT OF THE LIVING only with the monsters trapped INSIDE the house with the survivors. This is probably Tarantiono’s most enjoyable script to date, a compilation of all the violent action and horror films of his youth, as horror film references, in-jokes, sight gags and dialog references flash across the screen at lightning speed. This is one of the great drive-in horror flicks of the ‘90s. With Tom Savini.

FUNERAL HOME (1981)

D. William Fruet

Since Grandpa ran away, Grandma Chalmers has decided to turn their funeral home into a quaint little bread & breakfast. Heather, Grandma Chalmer’s 16 year-old granddaughter, comes to help out over the summer. Although barely a 25 watt bulb, Heather does finally notice some strange things going on, such as travelers to the B&B leaving in the middle of the night, but leaving their car behind. Although lightweight on the blood-letting, this is a semi-suspenseful Canadian slash-a-thon with sufficient atmosphere to warrant a viewing. Lots of actors from MY BLOODY VALENTINE show up. With Lesleh Donaldson.