This week’s horror 4K, Blu-ray and DVD releases!
Read more “Weekly Horror Releases: July 5, 2022”Category: Movie Releases
Vampire of the Opera (1964) Available July 5
An acting troupe secures an old theater for the group’s new play. They are warned by the aging caretaker that the theater is home to a vampire, who might be awakened. The group pays no heed, though, and when the vampire shows up, it sees that the most beautiful member of the troupe looks lke the woman he once loved in real life. Things spiral downhill from there. Lots of gothic thrills in this well-made chiller.
STARRING: Marco Mariani, Alberto Archetti, Giuseppe Addobbati, Barbara Hawards
Read more “Vampire of the Opera (1964) Available July 5”The Unnaturals (1969) Available July 5
What a great Euro-horror film this is! Five people travel by car through a howling storm. They end up in a nearby forgotten, shunned inn. It is occupied by a strange man and his wizened, clairvoyant mother. A séance ensues that shows in flashback the travelers’ involvement in sexual depredations, crime, and murder. The clairvoyant tells them that the murdered man will soon return to exact his revenge. Then, in an amazing climax, the proceedings come to a catastrophic ending—all to the sound of Pigozzi’s maniacal laughter. Pigozzi (aka Alan Collins) is superb as the sinister innkeeper who knows far more about his guests than he should. Fuchsberger is also good in a bad guy/victim role. But it’s Koch who nearly steals the show as Fuchsberger’s wanton wife. Director Margheriti develops a foreboding sense of impending doom.
STARRING: Joachim Fuchsberger, Marianne Koch, Luciano Pigozzi, Helga Anders, Claudio Camaso
Read more “The Unnaturals (1969) Available July 5”They Talk (2021) Available July 5
A sound engineer accidentally records sinister voices while shooting a film. They do not sound human, and they appear to be trying to warn him about someone, or something. His search for their meaning will bring back horrific events from his past.
STARRING: Sydney White, Rocío Muñoz, Margaux Billard
Read more “They Talk (2021) Available July 5”Tales From the Other Side (2022) Available July 5
Three kids want to have the best Halloween night ever. Their trick-or-treat adventure brings them to the home of the local town legend “Scary Mary” who shares six scary stories to the children. With each story leading down a path to the unexpected.
STARRING: Roslyn Gentle, James Duval, Vernon Wells
Read more “Tales From the Other Side (2022) Available July 5”The Student of Prague (1935) Available July 5
The setting is Prague in the 1860s. Walbrook plays Balduin, a handsome young student. He and his pals celebrate the birthday of the innkeeper’s daughter, Lydia, for whom Balduin has affections. But into the inn walks a beautiful singer named Julia. Balduin is swept away by her charms, but winning her love comes with a price; for hovering over her life is the sinister Dr. Carpis, a Satan-like figure who’s more of a human shadow than a flesh-and-blood being. Carpis “helps” Balduin obtain Julia’s affections and financial success, too. However, the price is a heavy one, and Balduin’s life soon sinks into madness and terror. This terrific movie is filled with contrasts of light-hearted gaiety and shadowy dread. Walbrook and Wieck are superb, but Loos, as the sinister Dr. Carpis, steals the show in a role usually given to actors like Boris Karloff or Bela Lugosi.
STARRING: Anton Walbrook, Dorothea Wieck, Theodor Loos, Erich Fiedler
Read more “The Student of Prague (1935) Available July 5”A Place of One’s Own (1945) Available July 5
Mason, his wife, and their beautiful young companion move into an eerie mansion. Odd things begin to happen. It’s soon obvious that a murdered woman’s ghost is taking over Lockwood’s body. Price plays the loving doctor who’s unable to combat the uncanny powers draining her life. One great scene has Lockwood playing the piano, then suddenly breaking into a strange piece she’s never played before. Look for veteran horror star Thesiger in a small but important role. Fine acting, beautiful photography, and a subtle music score make this a very effective ghost tale.
STARRING: James Mason, Dennis Price, Margaret Lockwood, Barbara Mullen, Ernest Thesiger
Read more “A Place of One’s Own (1945) Available July 5”The Murder Clinic (1966) Available July 5
Another fine Italian horror thriller, obviously inspired by The Horrible Dr. Hichcock. Berger plays Dr. Vance, a strange physician who owns a clinic for the mentally ill, located in the wilds of a gloomy forest. He’s surrounded by a bevy of pretty women, all of whom he has eyes for. Unfortunately, there’s also a hooded killer on the grounds, slashing people to death with a straight razor. There’s also a grotesque, club-footed lady living on the upper floor, whom the doctor is trying to cure of a hideously ugly face. This film is great fun and really keeps you guessing who the mad killer is, right up to the very end.
STARRING: Williams Berger, Barbara Wilson, Mary Young, Françoise Prévost, Massimo Righi
Read more “The Murder Clinic (1966) Available July 5”Monstrous (2022) Available July 5
A terrifying new horror awaits Laura (Christina Ricci) and her seven-year-old son Cody when they flee her abusive ex-husband and try to settle into a new life in an idyllic and remote lakeside farmhouse. Still traumatized, their physical and mental well-being are pushed to the limit as their fragile existence is threatened.
STARRING: Christina Ricci, Santino Barnard, Don Durrell
Read more “Monstrous (2022) Available July 5”Machination (2022) Available July 5
News of an out of control pandemic has gripped the world and mass panic is pushing humanity into an uncertain future. Maria, a sensitive and anxious woman, struggles to cope in self-isolation. With fear mounting and the demands of the world closing in, Maria is forced to confront her past and the monsters that surround her … both without and within. Machination is a psychological horror/drama inspired by COVID-19 and its effect on mental health. Claustrophobic, intense, and led by a gripping performance by Steffi Thake, Machination is a sharp, spiralling thriller about the consequences of breathing in constant fear.
STARRING: Steffi Thake, Rambert Attard
Read more “Machination (2022) Available July 5”Human Hibachi (2020) Available July 5
A man documents his girlfriend’s 35th birthday on his phone. What he captures throughout the night are the most disturbing human acts imaginable.
STARRING: Wataru Nishida, Andrew Hunsicker, Zachary Chung Pun
Read more “Human Hibachi (2020) Available July 5”The Golem Available July 5
This is a fantastic film filled with a plethora of haunting Images. It is almost too deep to describe in a simple synopsis. Let it suffice to say that the story deals with a gem-carver in old Prague who becomes entangled in a web of murder plots and other strange supernatural happenings. The Golem “creature” is not nearly as pronounced as it is in Paul Wegener’s 1920 classic, but this is none the less a powerful psychological horror film laden with mysticism, mystery, and magic. This Euro-horror gem was made around the same time as another Golem film, It with Roddy McDowell.
STARRING: Andre Reybaz, Georges Douking, Francois Vibert, Magali Noel, Francoise Winskill
Read more “The Golem Available July 5”Evil Night (1992) Available July 5
Jimmy is the typical college student who is picked on by the rich snobbish kids. A prank is carried too far, leaving Jimmy unconscious. When he awakens, he gets revenge on his tormentors in ways never before depicted on film using telekinesis and a variety of original weapons! Witness the most EVIL NIGHT you have ever seen!
STARRING: Holly Aeck, Joseph Fautinos, Mark Chavez, Todd Cook
Read more “Evil Night (1992) Available July 5”Dracula and Son (1976) Available July 5
Lee, in his last screen performance as Dracula, is fantastic as he swings between serious moments of horror and outright comedy. Dracula takes a mortal woman to bear his son. After he’s born, the Count turns mom into a vampire. However, when she can’t make it back to her coffin before sunrise, the Count finds himself stuck with raising the young tyke, which isn’t easy since the young vampire balks at putting the bite on people. Eventually the son decides he wants to “make it on his own” in the real world. Meanwhile dad takes the role of a vampire in a big movie production—the producers not knowing he’s the real Dracula. There are many moments that will make you laugh. Watch for a scene involving rigor mortis and another involving an inflatable doll. Lee is superb, and the film has the same kind of brilliant comedy found in Fearless Vampire Killers. A portion of the film is in English, the rest is in French with English subtitles.
STARRING: Christopher Lee, Bernard Menez, Marie Helene Breillat, Catherine Breillat
Read more “Dracula and Son (1976) Available July 5”Creature from Black Lake (1976) Available July 5
One of the best drive-in movies of the 1970s. Two college kids come to a backwater town doing research on a “bigfoot” creature that’s inhabits a gloomy nearby swamp. Before long they find themselves caught in a sequence of chilling events, culminating with a head-to-head confrontation with the creature. Taylor and Elam are excellent, but Fimple and Carson steal the show as the energetic college kids who soon realize they’ve bitten off far more than they can chew. The final 15 minutes of this film are excellent. The film has a great music score and lots of humorous banter that helps keep the film from getting too dark. A must.
STARRING: Jack Elam, Dub Taylor, Dennis Fimple, John David Carson, Bill Thurman
Read more “Creature from Black Lake (1976) Available July 5”Challenge the Devil (1963) Available July 5
Six unruly kids break into a remote castle looking for kicks. The castle’s owner, an odd white-haired man (Lee), asks them to find a missing girl hiding in the castle. Little do they know that Lee is actually a Mephistoles-like character in disguise. At this point the six set out on a search that takes them through the nightmarish corridors and staircases of the castle. They encounter massive spiders, ghosts, and a bizarre room containing a labyrinth of sheet glass and mirrors. These horrors soon lead them to near-madness before they finally can escape. Watch for the scene when two female ghosts appear behind cobweb-shrouded doorways. The orgiastic dance scene is also great fun. This may be Lee’s most unusual portrayal in a horror film. Ardisson chews up the scenery with a wild performance. Filmed in Odescalchi Castle near Rome in 1963.
STARRING: Christopher Lee, George Ardisson, Bella Cortez, Lilli Parker
Read more “Challenge the Devil (1963) Available July 5”Alice, or The Last Escapade (1977) Available July 5
A woman leaves her husband one stormy night. She drives through the night on a lonely road, but her windshield breaks and she seeks help from a strange man and his butler who live in a creepy mansion. The woman spends the night, but next morning she finds no trace of her hosts. Finding her car repaired, she leaves; but she soon realizes it’s impossible for her to exit the grounds. She is lost in some kind of fantastic paradox that defies reality. This is a beautiful yet subtly terrifying film with many haunting scenes. Kristel is stunningly beautiful. This film is similar to Carnival of Souls and has a great twist ending. Wow.
STARRING: Sylvia Kristel, Charles Vanel, Ferdinand Ledoux, Francois Perrot
Read more “Alice, or The Last Escapade (1977) Available July 5”A Banquet (2021) Available July 5
A mother is radically tested when her teenage daughter insists a supernatural experience has left her body in service to a higher power.
STARRING: Sienna Guillory, Jessica Alexander, Ruby Stokes, Kaine Zajaz, Lindsay Duncan
Read more “A Banquet (2021) Available July 5”3 Demons Available July 5
Deputy sheriff Fisher, tasked with watching a corpse, unknowingly triggers a conjuring that leads to him becoming possessed. As his past is unearthed, he’s forced to face his own demons with terrifying consequences.
STARRING: Sherryl Despres, Peter Tell, Haley Heslip
Read more “3 Demons Available July 5”Silent But Deadly (2016) Available July 5
A killer mime is on the loose, taking out a troupe of teen tropes (Alliteration Eh) in this outrageous horror-comedy. It’s got something for everyone, unless of course you are a child, my mother, or have any taste.
STARRING: Charles Early, Angel Giuffria, Manon Pages
Read more “Silent But Deadly (2016) Available July 5”Savage Vows (1995) Available July 5
A group of friends come together to support a man who has just lost his wife. After the funeral, the group decide to stay at the widower’s house for a long weekend. However, a black gloved killer is stalking the property and knocking off the friends one by one. One of the best of the 90’s shot on video (SOV) movies ever made! Co-starring Mark Polonia, produced by the Polonia Bros.
STARRING: Armand Sposto, Mark Polonia, Kelly Ashton
Read more “Savage Vows (1995) Available July 5”Raiders Of The Lost Shark (2015) Available July 5
A murderous, prehistoric shark is wreaking havoc on local swimmers. A group of college students and their professor trail it to a strange island. It turns out the island is home to a secret military facility that the beast escaped from. There they cross paths with a mad scientist who has genetically engineered the shark so it can fly – and its hunger for humans is growing. The group must work together to battle the ultimate predator hunting them down.
STARRING: Candice Lidstone, Jessica Huether, Catherine Mary Clark
Read more “Raiders Of The Lost Shark (2015) Available July 5”Gore Grind (2020) Available July 5
A collection of the most disturbing snuff films ever found on the internet.
STARRING: Kieran Johnston, Wilhelm Müller, Tony Newton
Read more “Gore Grind (2020) Available July 5”Final Caller (2020) Available July 5
Roland Bennett, an obnoxious late-night presenter specializing in the supernatural is not having a good night. A visit from his soon-to-be ex-wife brings divorce papers to the station, a boss listening in due to complaints, and finally, a call from The Outsider threatening to kill a woman live on the phone. Is it a prank’
STARRING: Douglas Epps, Rachel Lagen, Alexander Brotherton
Read more “Final Caller (2020) Available July 5”Dawn Of The Animals Available July 5
3 features about nature gone homicidal!
Razorteeth – An expedition into the glacial north discovers prehistoric, predatory piranhas frozen in ice. They are removed from their resting place and packed into a plane for scientific research. But on the way to the research site, the plane crashes into a resort lake, causing the ferocious fish to thaw and attack the vacationers there.
Peter Rottentail – When lifelong friends James and Lenny agree to aid in the restoration of a distant relative’s newly purchased home, the appearance of a murderous rabbit wielding deadly sharp carrots turns a benevolent gesture into a blood-soaked weekend of death.
World Of The Erotic Ape – A TV repairman / mad scientist creates a device that transports him to another world where women have banished men to a forbidden zone and taken apes as their love slaves.
STARRING: Various
Read more “Dawn Of The Animals Available July 5”Baby Oopsie (2021) Available July 5
Sybil Pittman’s only joy in life is her massive doll collection. Every day, she locks herself in her basement, broadcasting her doll restoration vlog all by herself, that is until the remnants of the dreaded Baby Oopsie comes into her life! After carefully restoring the doll, Sybil comes to realize that the tiny terror is alive…with murder and mayhem on its mind!
STARRING: Libbie Higgins, Joseph Huebner, Justin Armistead
Read more “Baby Oopsie (2021) Available July 5”Weekly Horror Releases: June 28, 2022
This week’s horror 4K, Blu-ray and DVD releases!
Read more “Weekly Horror Releases: June 28, 2022”Omnivores (2013) Available June 28
A prestigious journalist accepts an undercover writing assignment addressing the recent emergence of “clandestine restaurants,” one of which holds secret gatherings where diners feast on human flesh in exchange for large sums of money. What started as a simple job may just end in a bloody nightmare.
STARRING: Ángel Acero, Fernando Albizu, Carina Björne
Read more “Omnivores (2013) Available June 28”Where the Scary Things Are (2022) Available June 28
In this teen horror tale, Ayla and her friends discover a human monster and use it to shoot popular viral videos—but soon Ayla uses the beast to take revenge on her enemies.
STARRING: Paul Cottman, Michael Cervantes
Read more “Where the Scary Things Are (2022) Available June 28”See For Me (2021) Available June 28
A group of thieves break into the luxurious, secluded mansion Sophie is house-sitting. Sophie, a visually impaired former skier, must rely on Kelly, an army veteran living across the country, to help her fight back.
STARRING: Skyler Davenport, Kim Coates, Jessica Parker Kennedy, Laura Vandervoort
Read more “See For Me (2021) Available June 28”