Horror Flicks n-s

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NECROCONICOM (1994)

D. Brian Yuzna, Christophe Gans & Shusuke Kaneko W. Brent V. Friedman, Christophe Gans, Kazurdri Ito & Brian Yuzna

Top rate horror anthology features Jeffrey Combs as the legendary H.P. Lovecraft. H.P. sneaks into a library to find story ideas from the ancient tome The Necroconicom (The Book of the Dead). The first story involves a hotel inhabited by a grotesque demon. The second features a man who has beat death and the third concerns a female cop who gets lost in a freakish, subterranean labyrinth of terror. This is a first class production with effects by Screaming Mad George, Optic Nerve, Todd Masters and Tom Savini. With Belinda Bauer, David Warner and Dennis Christopher.

THE NIGHT FLIER (1997)

D. Mark Pavia W. Mark Pavia & Jack O’Donnell

Gritty, graphic adult vampire tale revolves around a bloodsucker that feeds off all the tiny “mom and pop” airports dotting America. Miguel Ferrer is intense as Richard Dees, the sleazy, corrupt tabloid reporter on the vampire’s tracks. The sickening climax is brutal. Strong stuff. Based on a short story by Stephen King.

NIGHT OF THE SCARECROW (1994)

D. Jeff Burr W. Reed Steiner & Dan Mazur

A hideous demon is resurrected and inhabits the body of a scarecrow to extract vengeance on a group of brothers and their families. Lots of terror and nastiness. Decent production values and a likeable cast make this one all the more watchable.

OCTAMAN (1976)

D/W Harry Essex

Slow moving but fun ‘70s monster pic has a mutated octopus-man running rampant and busting heads. The incredibly cheesy monster suit was built by a young Rick Baker. Clips from this film later showed up in the vampire flick FRIGHT NIGHT. An extremely weird, oddball creature feature.

THE OFFSPRING (1986)

D. Jeff Burr W. Courtney Joiner, Darin Scott & Jeff Burr

Disturbing, Southern lensed anthology takes place in Oldfield, Tennessee where evil is a way of life. The stories include: voodoo, civil war atrocities, incest, freak shows, necrophilia and insanity. Tense, well written and genuinely frightening (if not a bit sick), THE OFFSPRING comes highly recommended. The incredible cast includes Vincent Price, Susan Tyrrell, Clu Gulager, Cameron Mitchell and Marine Beswicke. AKA FROM A WHISPER TO A SCREAM. Scott went on the co-write and produce TALES FROM THE HOOD.

THE PACK (1977)

D. Robert Clouse

The great Joe Don Baker is the local law enforcement on an island where a pack of wild, hungry dogs is terrorizing the island populace. After they get their first taste of human flesh, there’s no going back in this classic ‘70s “animals attack” flick. It’s Man vs. Canine as Joe Don tries to break down the barriers between the two species by offering a hungry mutt saltine crackers. With Bibi Besch.

PIECES (1984)

D. J.P. Simon

The poster for this flick shows a patchwork female body lying underneath a giant, gleaming chainsaw with the tag line: “You don’t have to go to Texas for a chainsaw massacre.” Do I need to say more? Kiss logic and reason goodbye as a Boston college is terrorized by a killer who is dismembering the student body with his smoking ‘saw. Over the top gore scenes may be too much for some viewers but as a party tape it really delivers. Incoherent plot may cause delirium in certain viewers. With Christopher George, Linda Day George and Paul Smith.

PIRANHA (1978)

D. Joe Dante W. John Sayles

This fast moving and witty JAWS send-up has a school of government created and mutated piranha let loose in a stream to freely munch on summer campers and snotty vacationers at the nearby camp and resort. Dante and Company never seem to take any of this too seriously and all involved seem to be having a great time in this fun monster romp. Cast includes Bradford Dillman, Heather Menzies, Kevin McCarthy, Keenan Wynn, Barbara Steele, Belinda Balaski, Dick Miller and Paul Bartel.

PIRANHA (1996)

D. Scott Levy W. Alex Simon

Rip-off/remake of the Dante/Sayles creature amuck fave. Same basic plot is used, just with different actors playing the characters. (I hope everyone involved in the original film were paid again.) The new effects are okay but a number of scenes are recycled from the first film. There are a lot of monster flicks worse than this one, but a lot that are much better.

PIRANHA II: THE SPAWNING (1983)

D. James Cameron

Those wacky, mutated piranhas are back and this time they’ve sprouted wings and have set their sights on a resort getaway. Surprisingly decent flick considering its bizarre, freakshow premise. In homage to ALIEN, one of the flying beasties bursts free from the chest of a chewed up cadaver. TV version has a couple different scenes. With Lance Henriksen.

THE PREY (1980)

D. Edwin Scott Brown

Campers in the woods encounter an ax toting blood crazed psychopath in search of a mate. ‘80s slasher fare is watchable but director Brown fills the screen with way too many nature shots of birds flying, creeks gurgling, spiders spinning webs, deer eating and so on. Ending suggests some real nastiness.

PROM NIGHT (1980)

D. Paul Lynch W. William Grey

One of the better slasher era stabfests pits Jamie Lee Curtis and friends against a blood crazed killer with crappy disco music. The victims are teens who caused the accidental death of a young girl years earlier. Everyone is a suspect. Younger viewers are warned not to be frightened by the hair styles, groovy clothes or music they will experience in this movie. (The theme of the prom is Disco Madness!) Good gory fun. With Leslie Nielsen as Jamie’s dad. Lynch and Grey also teamed up for the braindead monster movie HUMONGOUS.

PROM NIGHT IV: DELIVER US FROM EVIL (1992)

D. Clay Borris W. Richard Beattie

Great retro babes ‘n blades splatfest! An evil Catholic priest takes it upon himself to rid the world of sinners and whores and he goes about it using a double bladed crucifix sword! Years later, Father Psycho escapes from his church sanctioned asylum to return to his old monastery, only to find it has been converted to a summer home and that it’s being inhabited overnight by dope smoking, promiscuous, sin-enriched teenagers. Fans of the ‘80s knife-kill genre will find great contentment in this Canadian production. It pre-dated the ‘90s slasher revival by five years. Features Brock Simpson, the only living human being to be featured in all four PROM NIGHT pictures.

PROTEUS (1997)

D. Bob Keen W. John Brosnan

Mutated DNA shark monster runs amuck on a secret government lab and gets hooked on smack after absorbing a heroin addict. It’s a little slow moving in the first half as the story is set up, but the second half rocks with plenty of monster morphing and action. Great special effects. Not quite a monster movie classic but more than worth your time to check out. With Mr. Pinhead himself Doug Bradley. Based on the novel SLIMER by Harry Adam Knight.

THE PROWLER (1981)

D. Joseph Zito W. Glenn Leopold & Neal Barbera

A soldier returning from WWII receives a “Dear John” letter and slaughters his ex-lover and her new beau with a pitchfork at the annual spring dance. Forty years later, the first dance since the double slaying is gearing up, which can only mean that blood will soon flow. Foul talking, drug abusing, hormonally charged teeners BEWARE! Film actually builds a modicum of tension and suspense and contains some of Tom Savini’s greatest splatter effects of his career. With Farley Granger.

PSYCHO III (1986)

D. Anthony Perkins W. Charles Edward Pogue

This is my personal fave of all the PSYCHO sequels, picking up just days after the events of the previous installment. Then an ex-nun and a desperate, dangerous loner check into the Bates Motel and before you know it old Norman is trying to clean blood out of the carpets again. Pogue’s multi layered script is fascinating and ties audience expectations into knots. (Especially in the twist to the film’s “shower” scene.) Perkins the director keeps his camera constantly moving and directs in the style of a stage play while Perkins the actor chews up the scenery as the twitchy, knife-happy momma’s boy. Weak “shock” ending was imposed by studio execs that think people who watch horror movies are morons. Definitely worth your time.

PSYCHO IV: THE BEGINNING (1990)

D. Mick Garris W. Joseph Stefano

Original PSYCHO scriptwriter Stefano returned to delve into Norman’s twisted past and concocted this exciting prequel to the PSYCHO series. Norman pours his heart out on a late night radio show and the story unfolds in a succession of flashbacks. Olivia Hussey portrays Norma Bates not as an old crone but as a beautiful, single and hopelessly deranged woman. Henry Thomas plays young Norman. Their scenes together, especially when Norman comes in from a rainstorm and Norma insists he crawls into bed with her, then Little Norman pokes his head up, are gut wrenching- touching at first but just a build up to moments of violent madness. Unfortunately, the film looses some momentum when it returns to the present and Norman tries to kill his pregnant wife. Still, fans of old Norm will want to check it out and steer clear of the 1998 remake.

PUMPKINHEAD II: BLOODWINGS (1994)

D. Jeff Burr W. Ivan & Constantine Chachornia

Knock-off sequel isn’t as intriguing as the first film and sticks with the routine revenge plot. But, it does offer a glimpse at Pumpkinhead’s origin as well as a couple cool monster attacks. The creature is just as menacing this go-around as it was in the first (with wings added), the film just does not generate the scares or atmosphere as did the original pic. Burr keeps the action moving along as the teenage morons are ground up in the slaughter and a parade of genre faves (including Linnea Quigley and Kane Hodder) pop up in cameos.

Q (1982)

D/W Larry Cohen

Wild creature feature pits the Aztec god-beast Quetzalcoatl against New York’s finest. The beast makes a home atop the Chrysler Building and petty thief Michael Moriarty stumbles upon its lair, then tries to sell information as to it whereabouts to the mayor. With this wacko plot, helmed by the legendary Larry Cohen, you know you’re going to have a good time.

RABID (1977)

D/W David Cronenberg

Awesome vampire flick starts with Marilyn Chambers surviving a near fatal motorcycle accident, then being the recipient of a new, experimental skin-graft operation. Unbeknownst to all, the skin-graft creates a vampiric parasite that resembles the male sex organ in her armpit. When the craving for blood hits, Marilyn is soon sticking and moving among the populace, leaving a horrible vampire epidemic in her wake. Within days the stark raving mad vamp-zomboids are rioting in the streets and the National Guard is called in to battle the rabid brigade. Fast moving and scary as hell.

THE RAGE: CARRIE 2 (1999)

D. Katt Shea W. Rafael Moreu

Direct sequel to the Brian De Palma classic has Rachel (Emily Bergl), the half sister of Carrie White, becoming the butt of a cruel joke then “coming out” during a drunken bash. Flick offers plenty of scares, shocks and teen angst as Rachel adopts older sis’s “Kill ‘em all and let God sort ‘em out” attitude during the apocalyptic party at the end. Likeable cast helps make this one a winner.

RATTLED (1996)

D. Tony Randel W. Ken & Jim Wheat

The blasting from a nearby construction site awakens thousands of ornery rattle snakes, sending them down from the hills to sink their fangs into as many human types as they can. Suspenseful and fast paced, flick includes some great scenes of the rattlers bursting out of the dirt and a truly harrowing climax. With William Katt. Based on the book RATTLERS by Joseph Gilmore.

RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD 3 (1993)

D. Brian Yuzna W. John Penney

Love stinks when a teenager accidentally wraps his girlfriend around a telephone pole in a motorcycle wreck. Luckily, his dad works at the local military base where they’ve been reanimating dead bodies with 2-4-5 Trioxin in an effort to create unstoppable zombie soldiers. Before you can scream “Brains!” it’s zombie a go-go time with Mindy Clarke cracking open heads and scarfing down body parts. Over the top horror, action and gore. Recommended to help erase the memory of RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD PART 2.

RETURN TO HORROR HIGH (1987)

D. Bill Froehlich W. Bill Froehlich, Mark Lison, Dana Escalante & Greg H. Sims

Lame slasher flick surrounding a movie production filming on location at a high school where an actual slaughter took place. Before long members of the cast and crew fall under the returned killer’s knife. The movie is uneven, trying unsuccessfully to juggle both humor and horror. But, if you’re like me, a sucker for darn near any slash-o-rama knife drama, then the cool title and poster art (a skeleton cheerleader) will probably suck you into a viewing. Features George Clooney and a couple TV child stars in bit parts.

REVENGE OF THE LIVING ZOMBIES (1989)

D. Bill Hinzman W. William Randolph & Bill Hinzman

If you’ve been searching for the goriest, low budget, brains and blood on the wall, half-assed zombie flick, then search no more. NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD’s original graveyard ghoul Big Bill Hinzman resurrects his classic role of the Flesheater and goes about decimating a bunch of beer guzzling Pennsylvanian nitwit teens out on a hayride on Halloween night. The list of gore atrocities plays like a “best of” list for gorehounds: pitchforking, shotgunning, disemboweling, dismembering, heart ripping followed by heart gnawing, throat tearing and slurping, nose chewing, axing, knifing and, of course, mucho flesh eating. This flick is relentless. Hinzman manages some pretty decent production values and keeps the festivities moving without ever letting any plot get in the way of the annihilation of the cast. Great special effects too. Hinzman even gives most of his family bit parts, and all of them get eaten and turn into the undead! AKA FLESHEATER.

SAWBONES (1996)

D. Catherine Cyran W. Sam Montgomery

Whacked-out medical geek wants to be a doctor so badly he abducts unwitting “patients” and operates on them for practice while waiting for one of the big medical schools will accept him. A tense, “blood ‘n gutter” from producer Roger Corman. Lots of dark humor and upsetting medical procedures guaranteed to make you squirm (especially if needles and sharp objects bother you). Don Harvey plays the deranged doctor wannabe.

SCHIZOID (1980)

D/W David Paulsen

Klause Kinski is a shrink whose patients are being killed by a scissor wielding psychopath. Doc Kinski has to figure out which of his patients is the murderer before another body is thrown onto the pile. (He even suspects that the maniac could be himself!) Plenty of sleazy suspense and cheap thrills to keep you guessing. With Christopher Lloyd and Craig Wasson.

SHOCK WAVES (1976)

D/W Ken Wiederhorn

Super amphibious Nazi zombie creepshow has a weekend yachting expedition being shipwrecked on an island inhabited by the monstrous Death Corps. Creeps and chills abound as our group of bickering vacationers are stranded and forced to do battle with the white haired, pasty skinned, subhuman zomboids. This is one of those flicks that’s best watched late at night with lots of soda and a bowl of popcorn. With Peter Cushing, John Carradine and Brooke Adams.

SILENT SCREAM (1980)

D. Denny Harris W. Jim & Ken Wheat

Superlative slash-fest shocker about college coeds renting rooms in a strange boarding house where a deadly secret is kept hidden away in the attic. Script emphasizes tension and suspense rather than blood and guts and the ending should sufficiently rattle you a good one. Great performances by all and another shock filled script from Momma Wheat’s boys. With Rebecca Balding, Cameron Mitchell, Barbara Steele and Yvone De Carlo.

SLEEPAWAY CAMP (1984)

D/W Robert Hiltizik

Depraved, sleazy summer camp stab-a-rama set at Camp Arawak in upstate New York where a killer is snuffing campers as well as the camp’s perverted staff. This is sick stuff yet oddly watchable for slasher school scholars. Before long the camp is a teenage wasteland of chopped up and dismembered bodies. I figure Hiltzik must have gotten his butt whupped pretty good one year at camp and this was his way of working through the painful memory. The shock ending will either have you gagging on your popcorn or shooting soda out your nose because you’re laughing so hard. Two equally depraved sequels, by another director, followed.

SLUGS (1987)

D. J.P. Simon W. Ron Gantman

One of the most gonzo of the “nature attacks” genre, if only because who could possibly be so stupid to stay in the same spot long enough to be devoured by flesh eating slugs? Rampaging slugs consume much human flesh and explode from a guy’s eye socket at a nice restaurant in some truly stomach churning, over the top grue scenes. The script and musical score are awful, but I don’t think people who sit down to watch a movie entitled SLUGS care much about deep plot development or moody music. From the man who brought us PIECES. Based on the novel by British scare-pro Shaun Hutson.

SLUMBER PARTY MASSACRE (1982)

D. Amy Jones W. Rita Mae Brown

Great title for a so-so Roger Corman produced story about a slasher crashing a slumber party, written and directed by women. An asylum escapee zeros in on a group of nubile teenage girls and then terrorizes them with his oversized Black & Decker power drill. After he snuffs a bunch of bimbos and dweebs, he sets his drill bit on the teenage sisters next door. There are worse slasher movies to waste your time watching. This was Brinke Stevens first horror flick.

SORORITY HOUSE MASSACRE (1987)

D/W Carol Frank

Another great title for another okay time waster produced by Roger Corman and directed by a woman. To her credit, Frank is a talented story teller and shows a bit more style than most working in the genre as she fills her brief running time with some pretty wild nightmare images and hallucinatory sequences. The familiar plot follows an escaped asylum nutjob who slaughtered his entire family years before, except for his baby sister. He returns to his old house, which has been turned into a sorority domicile. Beth, new to the house, has nightmares of having been in the house before, then dreams that a man is trying to kill her. It’s a sure bet that any female in the cast who pops her top, drinks a beer or kisses a boy is fodder for the killer’s knife. Was followed by an in-name only sequel.

SQUIRM (1976)

D/W Jeff Lieberman

A torrential storm downs power lines that, in turn, gives all the worms and creepy crawlers in the soil an electrical charge and sends them on a blood crazed rampage. Filmed in Georgia, the first half moves at a pace slower than most of the cast members’ Southern drawls, but then kicks into high gear for the awesome Worm Apocalypse finale. Film’s big highlight is the infamous “Worm-face,” a guy who gets a half dozen 12” worms burrowing under his face. Funny and horrific. Rick Baker provides the special effects.

SSSSSSS (1973)

D. Bernard Kowalski W. Hal Dresner

Struther Martin portrays a scientist bent on transforming men into snakes so we’ll have a chance of surviving a nuclear war. Dirk Benedict is his new lab assistant who soon transforms into the Doc’s prized pupil! (The Doc’s last assistant transformed into a big lumpy pile of flesh and was sold to a freak show for $800.) Nicely paced, solid little horror pic. With Heather Menzies.

THE STUFF (1987)

D/W Larry Cohen

Killer snack food, if you can believe! A white substance comes bubbling up from the ground and an enterprising snack company puts it in cartons and makes it into America’s leading snack treat. Unfortunately, it’s highly addictive and causes the “eater” to become a mindless zombie. Great satire on commercialism and mindless consumer consumption. Best line- “Are you eating it, or is it eating you?”

SUNDOWN (1989)

D. Anthony Hickox W. John Burgess & Anthony Hickox

Entertaining horror/western set in the dusty town of Purgatory where vampires are trying to lead normal lives with the help of sun block and synthetic blood. But, there’s a revolution on the rise and soon it’s showdown time at high noon. Offers a nice balance of action, scares and laughs.

SUPERSTITION (1982)

D. James W. Robinson W. Donald G. Thompson

A new family moves into a haunted house near a cursed lake and before you know it demonic spirits are having a hootenanny. Highlights include: an exploding head in a microwave, a body cut in two and a runaway circular saw blade cutting a big old hole through a priest’s stomach. Watchable splatter for undiscriminating viewers.