‘Devotion is eternal’

Apostle of Dracula – aka Dracula 0.9 – is a 2012 supernatural Spanish horror film directed by Emilio Schargorodsky from a screenplay co-written with Javier Caffarena and Jose Luis Matoso. It stars Javier Caffarena (as Dracula), Antonio Del Río, Francisco Del Río.

Lucy (Nathalie Le Gosles), a beautiful young woman holds a passionate and bloody affair with Dracula (Javier Caffarena). Van Helsing (Paul Lapidus) an occult expert tries to save Lucy from the clutches of the vampire. Many years later, after nine eclipses…

Lucy recovers from a strange amnesia and begins to realize her true identity remembering everything that happened to her and how she was turned into a creature thirsty of blood. Will Van Helsing be able to rescue her or will Lucys dark dream of living eternally with Dracula become true?

In the US, the film was released on DVD on August 8, 2017, by Wild Eye Releasing.

Buy DVD: Amazon.com

Main cast:

Javier Caffarena, Antonio Del Río, Francisco Del Río, Paul Lapidus, Nathalie Legosles, Jose Luis Matoso, Virginia Palomino.

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Lust of the Vampire Girls is a 2017 American horror film written and directed by Matt Johnson (Ancient Evil XIV). The Some Hero Productions film stars Jeff Christensen, Cherish Dawn and Mary Etuk.

A man searches for his missing girlfriend, who has been abducted by a clan of vampires, led by an insane Nazi doctor. He must now battle this horde of bloodsuckers in order to retrieve the soul of the woman he loves, and save his own from eternal damnation…

The film, which is cited as an homage to European exploitation of the ’60s and ’70s, is being distributed by Wild Eye Releasing.

Main cast:

Jeff Christensen (American Gothic; Godsend), Cherish Dawn, Mary Etuk (Sorrow), Jami Kelly, Flo Median, Victor Medina, Dave Nilson, Bri Northem, Ashley Eliza Parker, Amy Savannah.

IMDb

‘Lincoln’s army battles the undead’

Vampire Wars – aka Dead South – is a 2016 American supernatural horror film directed by Craig Ross Jr. (Bones TV series; Killjoy) from a screenplay by Jerry Quickley. It stars Matthew Marsden, Samuel Hunt and John Savage.

This film should not be confused with the 1990 Japanese anime movie Vampire Wars directed by Kazuhisa Takenouchi.

In the wake of the American Civil War two Confederate brothers rise as vampires and fight to reclaim their land from the inhabitants of a sleepy Southern town…

Reviews:

“The camera-work, directing and editing all feels extremely lacking and makes this movie more of an amateur-like project at times. It genuinely feels clumsy at parts, especially the editing. It’s as if they shot a whole bunch of sequences and the editor had no idea how to put all of them together and in what other.” Frank Veenstra, Boba_Fett1138

” …there are glaring inconsistencies and plot holes in the movie such as the brothers being told that they will be in incredible pain in direct sunlight and then walking and fighting in direct sunlight without any issues. Overall, a very poor effort with a mostly unknown cast which makes Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter look like a cinematic masterpiece in comparison.” Nebk

“The whole film just had a hokey vibe. You got the Night Walkers (the vampires) and the Eaters (the cannibals) who are constantly doing battle with Savage conducting everything. It does seem that the vampires always win. Not much in the way of effects just some vampire teeth and the odd red stain.” Shawn Blackman

Main cast:

Matthew Marsden, Samuel Hunt, John Savage (Empire of the Sharks; They Nest; The Killing Kind; et al), Elizabeth McLaughlin, Ray Stoney, V.J. Foster, Nathanyael Grey, Carl Gilliard, Ritchie Montgomery, Dwight Williams, Dale Gibson, Rusty Jenkins, Colby Passman, Myke Michaels.

Filming locations:

Natchez, Mississippi, USA

IMDb

‘Only outsiders fit in.’

Midnight, Texas is a 2017 American supernatural NBC television series based on the book series of the same name by author Charlaine Harris who also wrote The Southern Vampire Mysteries (the novels that were adapted into the True Blood television series). It stars François Arnaud, Dylan Bruce and Parisa Fitz-Henley.

Reviews:

“Little touches of character-driven darkness toward the end of the five episodes I watched maybe hinted at better things ahead for the show. I just don’t see the pieces in place at the center of the cast or in the creative aspirations for Midnight, Texas to be anything more than a PG-rated version of what ought to be a decadent and overblown summer guilty pleasure.” Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter

“Even a show like the underrated Supernatural has found ways to tweak the formula in ways that Midnight, Texas feels afraid to do. It doesn’t help that Arnaud isn’t an engaging lead, but it’s more a world creation problem here in that none of this has enough personality. It’s a show about vampires, shapeshifters, assassins, and mediums that still finds a way to be boring. That’s almost an accomplishment.” Brian Tallerico, RogerEbert.com

“Although the show’s NBC home greatly limits how far the show can go with sex, violence and the like, Midnight, Texas does squeeze in enough intrigue to keep viewers eager for more. In particular, Fitz-Henley — who viewers may remember as Luke Cage’s deceased wife Reva from Jessica Jones and Luke Cage — brings a bubbly sense of energy and righteous indignation to the forefront…” Robert Yaniz Jr., Screen Rant

“There’s not enough substance and depth to separate it from the multitude of other shows clammering for attention during the summer season. The best example of this is the actor’s delivery of very paper-thin writing mixed with predictable drama that I pray develops and evolves to something more complex over time.” Chris Flanagan, TV and City

“Set in a quirky little town that reads like Marfa, Texas by way of Salem, Massachusetts, the show features all kinds of different characters from every occult walk of life. You know all those big budget summer blockbusters that combine teams of superheroes together? This is kind of like that for the sorcery set, with the main character being played by a guy who got whacked on Blindspot.” Amy Anna,  Cut Print Film

“It probably shouldn’t be as fun as it is, and it’s obviously an easy show to write off, but something about Harris’ ability to deliver the charismatic makes its way through to the surface of this less-than-serious look at a monster mash. If the premise just sounds too goofy to watch, well, you probably aren’t going to be won over by the quirk and kook of small-town, monster America.” Marc Eastman, Are You Screening?

Cast and characters:

• François Arnaud as Manfred Bernardo, a psychic who moves to Midnight, Texas, trying to outrun trouble that is following him
• Dylan Bruce as Bobo Winthrop, a pawn shop owner
• Parisa Fitz-Henley as Fiji Cavanaugh, a witch
• Arielle Kebbel as Olivia, a freelance assassin with as many secrets as guns
• Jason Lewis as Joe Strong, a fallen angel who can sense that darkness is heading towards Midnight
• Sarah Ramos as Creek, a decidedly mortal waitress
• Peter Mensah as Lemuel, a vampire with a dark past who first came to Midnight in the 1950s and never left
• Yul Vazquez as Reverand Emilio Sheehan, a weretiger
• Sean Bridgers as the Sheriff from the nearby town of Davey, who meets an unfortunate end

Episodes:

Wikipedia | IMDb

Image credits: All images are courtesy of NBC.com and are used solely in the spirit of information and publicity.

Scared to Death: The Thrill of Horror Film is an exhibition being hosted by The Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP) in Seattle from September 30, 2017.

The original exhibit takes an in-depth look at more than a century of horror cinema. From bloodthirsty vampires and unrelenting zombies to fiendish slashers, this immersive experience presents the broad range of iconic horror villains and the stories over the generations that have brought them to life.

The exhibit features a macabre display of more than 50 props and costumes from film and television including The Walking Dead, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday the 13th, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Blade, Bride of Frankenstein, The Thing, Dawn of the Dead, Hostel, Jeepers Creepers, Pet Sematary, and more.

Taking inspiration from the genre, the 3,000 square foot gallery space is designed to evoke the unsettling sensations associated with cinematic terror. Themed sections include an unholy vampire chapel with walls dripping blood, a zombie containment area with an aquarium wall of submerged zombie heads from The Walking Dead, and a slasher’s den with a thicket of corpses suspended from the ceiling.

The exhibit will also feature multi-media experiences including exhibit films, oral history interviews, and interactive photo ops.

“Following the success of MoPOP’s first horror exhibition, Can’t Look Away: The Lure of Horror Film, we dramatically expanded and elevated the experience with new artifacts; and designed a bolder, morbidly elaborate exhibit environment,” says Jacob McMurray, Senior Curator, MoPOP. “We are also thrilled to add acclaimed directors Karyn Kusama and Roxanne Benjamin to join our guest curators, Roger Corman, John Landis, and Eli Roth.”

Artifact highlights:

• Sweater worn by Freddy Krueger from A Nightmare on Elm Street, 1984
• Severed heads from The Walking Dead, 2012

• Church the Cat prop from Pet Sematary, 1989
• Creeper costume worn by Jonathan Breck in Jeepers Creepers, 2001
• Machete prop from Dawn of the Dead, 1978
• Costume worn by Wesley Snipes in Blade, 1998
• Lament Configuration box from Hellraiser: Inferno, 2000

• Pamela Voorhees severed head prop, from Friday the 13^th, 1980
• Stunt stake gun used in Fright Night, 2011
• Hacksaw used by Carey Elwes as Dr. Lawrence Gordon in Saw, 2004
• Hero functioning repeater crossbow used by Hugh Jackman in Van Helsing, 2004
• Hi-8 camcorder used onscreen in The Blair Witch Project, 1999
• “Gill Man” mask from Creature from the Black Lagoon, 1954
• Mr. Pointy stake used by Sarah Michelle Gellar as Buffy in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, 1998
• Pages from the Necronomicon Ex-Mortis (Book of the Dead) from Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn, 1987

• Special effects switchboard used in Frankenstein, Bride of Frankenstein, and other films 1930-1965
• Axe used by Jack Nicholson as Jack Torrance in The Shining, 1980
• Chainsaw used by the German Surgeon in Hostel, 2005

Due to some graphic content, this exhibit is recommended for ages 13 and up.

Visit the MoPOP website for more details and tickets

‘Don’t get on this Santa’s naughty list!’

The Vampire Santa is a forthcoming 2018 American horror film directed by Daniel Emery Taylor (It’s Just a Game; The Hospital and sequel; Camp Massacre) from a screenplay co-written with producer Sal Lizard who also stars alongside John Dugan, Katie Stewart and Megan Chelf Fisher.

A benevolent 17th-century toymaker leaves his shop one night to take some of his toys to some good little children whose parents can’t afford them.

On his way back, he meets three attractive women with exaggerated orthodonture and what he’s become still exists into the present, still judges who’s naughty and nice but few would call him benevolent, now…

Main cast:

John Dugan (Deviant Behavior; Texas Chainsaw 3D; The Texas Chain Saw Massacre; et al)
Sal Lizard (All Sinner’s Night; Hillbilly Bob Zombie; Abe’s Tomb; Creature from the Hillbilly Lagoon; et al)
Katie Stewart
Megan Chelf Fisher
Daniel Emery Taylor
Rusty Gilligan
Tim Skees
Chad Fuller
Danielle Inks
Joshua Michael Collins

IMDb | Facebook

‘You’ll laugh all the way to the blood bank!’

Transylvania Twist is a 1989 American comedy horror film directed by Jim Wynorski (CobraGator; The Wasp Woman; Chopping Mall; et al) from a screenplay co-written with R.J. Robertson (The Haunting of Morella; Not of This Earth; Forbidden World).

In 2013, director Jim Wynorski said this film “comes closest to my personality and was the film I had the most fun making. It was the show I never wanted to end.”

Dexter Ward (Steve Altman) discovers that his apparently dead uncle (Jay Robinson) is not actually dead. Dexter is then sent to find and bring back The Book of Ulthar, a book of great power capable of unleashing terrible evil in the wrong hands.

Dexter’s search leads him to aspiring singing star Marissa Orlock (Teri Copley), who is about to be informed of the death of her father Marinas (Howard Morris), and her inheritance of Castle Orlock in Transylvania. Dexter goes with her to the castle.

Victor Van Helsing (Ace Mask), a professional vampire hunter, accompanies Marissa and Dexter to the castle as the executor of her father’s estate. Unfortunately, Count Byron Orlock (Robert Vaughn), and his three adopted-daughters – who are also vampires – are already at the castle…

Reviews:

“It’s a decent spoof with spooky sets and something that’s appropriate to watch with a younger crowd, or those wanting to see the scenes involving the big horror franchises or see Angus Scrimm’s amusing cameo. It has its share of quality scenes, but as a movie falls a tad short of one that you should add to your collection, unless you’re a hardcore spoof fan.” Brett H., Oh, the Horror!

“The horror-movie spoof Transylvania Twist isn’t an entirely successful cinematic endeavor, but at least half its gags manage to score, and, coupled with the fact that it doesn’t stoop to bottom-basement toilet humor, this is enough to warrant a slight recommendation.” Jack Sommersby, eFilmCritic

“A witless series of verbal and visual puns, non sequiturs and movie-fan in-jokes…” John Stanley, Creature Features

Choice dialogue:

Yellow cab driver in Transylvania: “Hey, in New York you got your junkies. Here, you got your zombies. What’s the difference? They all look like Keith Richards anyway.”

Dexter Ward: “I was gonna be a lawyer but I couldn’t stand the sight of blood.”

Marissa (possessed): “Your mother sews socks in Hell!”

Von Helsing: “Don’t ask me young fellow. Vampires, I know. But this Lovecraft stuff is out of my league.”

Cast and characters:

• Robert Vaughn: Lord Byron Orlock
• Teri Copley: Marissa Orlock
• Steve Altman: Dexter Ward
• Ace Mask: Victor Von Helsing
• Angus Scrimm: Stefen (The Tall Man in Phantasm movies)
• Steve Franken: Hans Hoff
• Vinette Cecelia: Laverne
• Monique Gabrielle: Patty aka Patricia (Evil Toons)
• Howard Morris: Marinas Orlock
• Jay Robinson: Uncle Ephram
• Lenny Juliano: Maxie Fields
• Joe Lerer: Hans Downe
• Clement von Franckenstein: Hans Hoff
• R.J. Robertson: Hans Phull
• Arthur Roberts: Hans N. Fritz
• Toni Naples: Maxine
• Frazer Smith: Slick Lambert
• Becky LeBeau: Rita
• Stu Nahan: Sports Announcer
• Jack Behr: Direttore
• Kelli Maroney: Hannah
• Michael Chieffo: Ed Norton Look-Alike
• Jon Locke: Mr. Sweeney
• Magda Harout: Peasant Woman
• Deanna Lund: Insegnante
• Brinke Stevens: Betty Lou
• Harriet Harris: Granny
• Michael Vlastas: James Vasvolakas
• Art Hern: Willoughby
• Dean Jones: Pinhead (as Dean C. Jones)
• Boris Karloff [in footage from The Terror, 1963]

Trivia:

The movie title comes from a line in the 1962 song Monster Mash by Bobby “Boris” Pickett

Wikipedia | IMDb

Tales of Frankenstein is a 2018 science fiction horror film written and directed by Donald F. Glut (Dances with Werewolves; Blood Scarab; The Mummy’s Kiss). The Pecosborn Productions movie stars John Blyth Barrymore, Buddy Daniels Friedman and Jim Tavaré.

The film is based upon four of Glut’s short stories published in his book Tales of Frankenstein:

‘My Creation, My Beloved’ – A deformed descendant of Victor Frankenstein creates the perfect man and woman.

‘Crawler from the Grave’ – Another Frankenstein descendant’s disembodied, plague-infected arm returns from the grave for revenge.

‘Madhouse of Death’ – A private detective winds up in an old dark house filled with loonies… and a gorilla.

‘Dr. Karnstein’s Creation’ – A mad doctor creates a monster in vampire-haunted Transylvania, with gruesomely unexpected results.

Tales of Frankenstein has an Indiegogo campaign to raise funding for post-production costs.

Main cast:

John Blyth Barrymore, Buddy Daniels Friedman, Jim Tavaré, Jerry Lacy (Dark Shadows), Ann Robinson (War of the Worlds), Len Wein (creator of Wolverine), Beverly Washburn, Douglas Tait (“monster performer” in Star Trek), Robert Axelrod, T.J. Storm (Deadpool), Mel Novak and Jena Sims (Sharknado 5). Director Tony Malanowski (The Curse of the Screaming Dead; Night of Horror) has a cameo role.

IMDb | Thanks: Horror Society

I, Desire – aka Desire, the Vampire – is a 1982 American made-for-TV supernatural horror film directed by John Llewellyn Moxey (The Night Stalker; Home for the Holidays; The City of the Dead) from a screenplay by Robert Foster. It stars David Naughton, Dorian Harewood and Marilyn Jones.

David Balsiger (Naughton), a Los Angeles law student working as a coroner’s assistant, falls in love with an attractive strange woman (Jones)…

Reviews:

“In some ways I, Desire makes a great reverse companion piece to An American Werewolf in London. It also fits keenly beside Paul Schrader’s 1982 take on Cat People, with its constant rotation between fascination and fear of the erotic. As a television movie, it is limited from going to certain extremes, but if you read between the lines it has more to offer than many current attempts to tackle similar material.” Kindertrauma

“Decent atmosphere owes much to TV’s 1974-1975 Night Stalker series; Naughton delivers a pleasant enough performance.” Terror Trap

“Aside from a few obvious twists, I, Desire is a great little movie. I have loved David Naughton since he was a werewolf in sheep’s clothing and he doesn’t let me down as the hunky vampire hunter […] The supporting cast is just as good (Marilyn, where have you gone?) with Dourif stealing the diner scene with so much scenery chewing you’d think he was bulimic.” Amanda Reyes, Made for TV Mayhem

“I, Desire does a decent job at times building the suspense through the visuals, but it does look very cheap […] I, Desire comes off as a bit of a rip off of something like Kolchak: The Night Stalker. The movie has its moments and will scare younger viewers.” JP Roscoe, Basement Rejects

Main cast:

• David Naughton –Waking Nightmare; The Hatred; Sharknado 5; American Horror Story; Cool as Hell; Hallows Point; Big Bad Wolf; Mirror, Mirror III: The Voyeur; Ice Cream Man; Body Bags; Amityville: A New Generation; The Sleeping Car; An American Werewolf in London
• Dorian Harewood – Gothika; Godzilla: The Series; Pacific Heights; A Pup Named Scooby-Doo
• Marilyn Jones – Monsters TV series; Tales from the Darkside; V; The Love Butcher
• Barbara Stock – Charmed; The Twilight Zone TV series
• Arthur Rosenberg – House of Frankenstein [1997]; Cujo
• James Victor
• Brad Dourif – Herbert West: Reanimator; Chucky movies; The Control Group; Malignant; Spontaneous Combustion; et al
• Marc Silver – Motel Hell

IMDb

‘The bike that runs on blood not petrol’

I Bought a Vampire Motorcycle is a 1990 British comedy horror film directed by Dirk Campbell from a screenplay by producer Mycal Miller and John Wolskel. It stars Neil Morrissey, Amanda Noar, and Michael Elphick.

Birmingham biker Nick “Noddy” Oddie (Neil Morrissey) thinks he’s got a bargain when he buys a second-hand 850cc Norton Commando motorcycle at a knockdown price. The only problem is that the machine won’t start in daylight hours.

Nick’s suspicions begin to mount when his best friend is murdered, and it eventually transpires that he is in fact the owner of a monstrous vampire motorbike that stalks the streets at night, feasting upon Hell’s Angels, streetwalkers and traffic wardens.

Nick enlists the help of a priest (Anthony Daniels) and police inspector Cleaver (Michael Elphick) in order to exorcise the two-wheeled beast…

I Bought a Vampire Motorcycle is released in the UK on Blu-ray and DVD by Screenbound Pictures on 27 November 2017.

Buy: Amazon.co.uk

Reviews:

“There’s blood a-plenty, lots of awful jokes, and a couple of interesting characters involved – plus a talking turd in a totally gratuitous scene which plumbs new depths of bad taste. Great. For the anally retentive, there’s a lot of in-jokes and referencing going on as well.” British Horror Films

“Elphick, Morrissey and David Daker, who plays a desk sergeant, had all worked together in the British comedy/drama Boon and so had a chemistry already […] Morrissey always makes for a personable, if a little dim, character. However we must mention Anthony Daniels (yes, C-3P0) who was absolutely marvellous. Great stuff.” Taliesin Meets the Vampires

“So, will this be your cup of tea? Well, it depends on your tolerance towards dopey comedy. While it occasionally is too dumb for it’s own good, I found it to be a fun ride (pun intended), as it feels like a worthy heir to oddball Brit horrors like Horror Hospital and Psychomania.” Talk of Horrors

” …just about works it’s way to an average rating with it’s exuberance and sense of self-belief (not to mention the surprisingly enjoyable, generic soundtrack) but it just has far too much to work against with the onslaught of poor, groan some gags, the silliness of the whole scenario and the complete lack of tension throughout.” For It Is Man’s Number

” …this British pic turns out to be surprisingly nasty and amusing […] an imaginative spoof that ends up being much more entertaining than the type of pics it’s making light of.” Steven Puchalski, Shock Cinema

“The film is gory in an early Peter Jackson style and the splattery effects, much like the films storyline, are played for laughs. The bike eats flesh and dismembers and decapitates its victims. In one cinematic first, actor Daniel Peacock is turned into a surreal, rubbery talking turd.” David Michael Brown, Digital Retribution

Cast and characters:

• Neil Morrissey – Noddy – Crucible of the Vampire
• Amanda Noar – Kim
• Michael Elphick – Inspector Cleaver – The Elephant Man; See No Evil; Cry of the Banshee
• Anthony Daniels – Priest
• Andrew Powell – Roach
• George Rossi – Chopper
• Daniel Peacock – Buzzer
• Midge Taylor – First Road Toad
• David Daker – Desk Sergeant
• Burt Kwouk – Fu King Owner
• Brendan Donnison – Satanist High Priest
• Graham Padden – Dorm
• Paula Ann Bland – Hospital Nurse
• Terence Budd – Bikes
• Ann Casson – Mrs. Bancroft
• Douglas Campbell – Mr. Bancroft
• Ed Devereaux – Pub Landlord
• Colin Campbell – Moped
• John Wolskel – Clyde
• Solly Assa – Victor
• Esta Charkham – Mrs. P.C. Harold

Wikipedia | IMDb

Image thanks/credits: Film on Paper | VHS Wasteland

‘Blood-lusting fiend who preys on girls! Vampire-queen who feeds on lifeblood of men!’

The Vampire and the Ballerina – original title: L’amante del vampiro “The Vampire’s Lover” – is a 1960 Italian supernatural horror film directed by Renato Polselli (Mania; Black Magic Rites; Delirium) from a screenplay co-written with Ernesto Gastaldi and Giuseppe Pellegrini. Hélène Rémy, Tina Gloriani and Walter Brandi star.

A troupe of beautiful young dancers find themselves stranded in a sinister, spooky old castle, not knowing that it is home to a group of vampires…

Reviews:

“Coupled with the smooth direction from Polselli is some really fantastic cinematography that uses lighting and shadow effectively to make this film really come alive, as well as some great locales including the waterfall and the spooky castle.  Being an Italian horror film you can also expect a fair amount of eroticism and it is peppered throughout the movie like a trail of candy for you to follow.” The Telltale Mind

“Don’t confuse this one with The Playgirls and the Vampire. That one is an Italian horror film from the early sixties about a troop of ballerinas being terrorized by a vampire in the form of Walter Brandi. This one, on the other hand, is – uh – an Italian horror film from the early sixties about a troop of ballerinas being terrorized by a vampire in the form of Walter Brandi.

“The Italian language being spoken over subtitles helps it keep that kind of shit arty, adding a neorealist edge to go along with a jazzy score. Theremin-goosed passages of the vamp moments contrast with the diverting muzak-style filler when the composer (or library cue DJ) can’t discern the emotional tenor of a particular scene. Ciao bene!” Erich Kuersten, Acidemic

“The movie does have plenty of classical style orchestral music endeavoring to make it scary, but in this scene Polselli opts for a more experimentally stylish approach. When they get to the castle it becomes quiet and seemingly more conventional, but the previous jazzy trip through the woods is just fantastic.” Giovanni Susina, At the Mansion of Madness

“It almost seems here as if antiquity has something of value to impart to a modernity preoccupied with spinning folk wisdom into sleazy entertainment (symbolized by jazz dancing) and the rote formation of interpersonal relationships out of allegiance to conformity and the status quo rather than desire or need.” Arbogast on Film

Main cast:

• Hélène Rémy … Luisa
• Tina Gloriani … Francesca – My Friend, Dr. Jekyll 
• Walter Brandi … Herman – The Devil’s Wedding Night; Bloody Pit of Horror; Slaughter of the Vampires; The Playgirls and the Vampire
• Isarco Ravaioli …Luca – Mania; The Hanging Woman; La verità secondo Satana; Deadly Inheritance
• Gino Turini [as John Turner] … Giorgio
• Pier Ugo Gragnani … as Professor

IMDb | Image thanks/credits: The Telltale Mind

The Monster of the Opera – original title: Il mostro dell’opera – is a 1961 Italian horror supernatural film directed by Renato Polselli (Black Magic Rites; Mania; Delirium) from a screenplay co-written with Ernesto Gastaldi. It stars Marco Mariani, Giuseppe Addobbati and Barbara Hawards.

The film had a troubled production and remained unreleased until in 1964.

Initially conceived as a sequel of Polselli’s The Vampire and the Ballerina (1960), the film had the working title “Il vampiro dell’opera” (“The Vampire of the Opera”), but because of a perceived diminishing interest in vampire films, it was released with mostro (“monster”) replacing vampiro (“vampire”).

Reviews:

“It builds on everything that made The Vampire and the Ballerina a fun time but is progressive in a sense with certain erotic and expressionistic elements that in contrast to its old-fashioned, classic look makes it feel ahead of its time […] Part gothic Italian horror, part Italian comedy, and part erotic madness, Il mostro dell’opera feels like a seed to Polselli’s characteristic mania style…” Giovanni Susina, At the Mansion of Madness

“The movie brims with style; it’s full of bizarre camera angles and weird touches (the vampire threatens people with a big pitchfork), but the overall effect is one of consummate silliness, and I suspect that knowing what the characters were saying would make it all that much dumber.” Dave Sindelar, Fantastic Movie Musings and Ramblings

” … Polselli’s real interest is in the hints of lesbianism among the dancers […] and in S&M stylings of Stefano’s alternate reality, in which a bunch of barely clad harpies are chained to a wall amid swathes of ground fog and try to get their plastic fangs into the heroine. Polselli also goes for broke in a ridiculously extended scene of the company dancing insanely under Stefano’s baleful influence.” Jonathan Rigby, Euro Gothic: Classics of Continental Horror Cinema

Buy: Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com | Amazon.ca

“When tension building has to give way to delivering shocks in the film’s second half, Polselli seems to lose interest and allows the movie to degenerate into a routine sexploitation effort.” Phil Hardy (editor), The Aurum Film Encyclopedia: Horror

“The erotic overtones of the vampire myth are delineated in a rather crude, awkward fashion. Not surprisingly, Polselli soon switched to sexploitation features which he directed under the pseudonym of Ralph Brown.” Lawrence McCallum, Italian Horror Films of the 1960s

“Slaughter is a masterpiece of the genre, while Ballerina and Playgirls feature some silly shenanigans involving girls dancing, prancing, and fleeing in see-through nightgowns but also some stylish shots and creepy atmosphere – but this one offers very little in the entertainment department and is an overall goofy and frivolous effort.” Joseph Brando

Cast and characters:

• Marco Mariani [as Marc Marian] … Sandro – Death Smiles at Murder; Frankenstein ’80; Your Vice Is a Locked Room and Only I Have the Key; What Have You Done to Solange?; Slaughter Hotel; Tomb of Torture
• Giuseppe Addobbati [as John McDouglas] … Stefano – The Cat’s Victims; The Sexorcist; Kill, Baby… Kill!; Nightmare Castle
• Barbara Hawards … Giulia
• Alberto Archetti [as Albert Archet] … Achille – Mill of the Stone Women 
• Carla Cavalli … Aurora
• Aldo Nicodemi … Aldo
• Jody Excell … Yvette
• Milena Vukotic … Carlotta – The House of the Yellow Carpet; Black Journal; Blood for Dracula; Spirits of the Dead
• Olga Jala
• Maureen Verrich
• Elyane Pade
• Renato Montalbano … Tony

Offline reading:

Bizarre Cinema! Horror all’italiana 1957 – 1979 – contains a chapter on and interview with Renato Polselli

Buy: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk

Wikipedia | IMDb

Mom’s Got a Date with a Vampire is a 2000 made-for-television Disney comedy horror film directed by Steve Boyum from a screenplay by Robert Keats, based on a story by Lindsay Naythons. It stars Matt O’Leary, Caroline Rhea, Charles Shaughnessy, Laura Vandervoort, and Robert Carradine.

Lynette Hansen (Caroline Rhea) is a single mother who has grounded her teenage kids Adam (Matt O’Leary) and Chelsea (Laura Vandervoort) for misbehaving. But Adam’s best friend has scored tickets for a rock concert, while Chelsea is trying to find a way to keep a date with her boyfriend.

Chelsea thinks she may have the solution when she arranges for Lynette to go on a blind date with a mysterious but good-looking stranger, Dimitri Dentatois (Charles Shaughnessy); with Mom out of the house, slipping out for some fun will be a breeze.

However, the youngest member of the Hansen family, Taylor (Myles Jeffrey), is a big horror movie buff, and when he meets Dimitri, he’s convinced that his mom is going out on the town with a creature of the night…

Reviews:

” …Mom’s Got a Date with a Vampire fully embodies the “anything can happen” vibe of All Hallows’ Eve. Kids ride their bikes through sleepy suburban streets at nighttime, the supermarket is decked out with festive cardboard décor, the fall carnival is in full swing, and the excitement surrounding a Headless Horseman rock concert is electrifying the town.” Derek Anderson, Daily Dead

“All of the cast give likeable performances. There are some very cheap morphing effects. The result is amiable and bubbly enough not to wear out the silliness of a mildly amusing premise. This is a film that manages to straddle being a vampire film, children’s film and plant its tongue-in-cheek, all with an appealing balance.” Richard Scheib, Moria

“There are a lot of hidden jokes for fans of the genre and a great implementation of archetypes commonly found in horror films. The discovery of the threat and the willingness to believe it’s true is very tied in to character arcs in the film. Those arcs are accentuated by how good the performances are…” Bernardo Villela, The Movie Rat

Cast and characters:

• Caroline Rhea as Lynette Hansen – Sabrina the Teenage Witch
• Matthew [aka Matt] O’Leary as Adam Hansen – Santa Clarita Diet; Stung; Sorority Row; Frailty
• Robert Carradine as Malachi Van Helsing – Sharktopus vs. Pteracuda; Slumber Party Slaughter; The Terror Experiment; The 13th Alley; Tooth and Nail; Monster Night; Attack of the Sabertooth; Ghosts of Mars; Lycanthrope; Humanoids from the Deep (1996); Body Bags; et al
• Laura Vandervoort as Chelsea Hansen – Jigsaw; Bitten; V; Goosebumps
• Myles Jeffrey as Taylor Hansen
• Charles Shaughnessy as Dimitri Denatos – Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated; Gargoyles TV series; Aaahh!!! Real Monsters
• Jake Epstein as Duffy
• J. Adam Brown as Boomer

Wikipedia | IMDb

The Vampire’s Coffin – original title: El ataúd del Vampiro – is a 1958 Mexican supernatural horror film directed by Fernando Méndez (The Living Coffin; Black Pit of Dr. M; The Vampire; et al) from a screenplay by Ramón Obón (The She-Wolf; 100 Cries of Terror; The World of the Vampires), based on a story by Raúl Zenteno (The Man and the Monster). It stars Abel Salazar, Ariadna Welter and Germán Robles.

Dr. Marion (Carlos Ancira) employs a criminal (Yerye Beirute) to remove the coffin of vampire Count Lavud (Germán Robles) from a crypt. At the doctor’s hospital, a wooden stake is removed from the Count’s heart, and he is soon stalking nurse Martha (Ariadna Welter)…

Reviews:

“Abel Salazar is given more to do this time and he makes good use of his ample amount of screen time. The character Marta almost seems like a different person now that is nothing more than the typical girlfriend role. Once again the best part of the film is watching actor Germán Robles as Count Karol de Lavud.” Michael Den Boer, 10K Bullets

” …director Fernando Méndez handles things quite nicely with a lot of stunning shadowy photography, cobweb-ridden sets, and blankets of fog lingering almost constantly. The great Azteca studios gives both films a an air of pure gothic […] moving the action to such places as a lofty theater and a waxworks museum…” George R. Reis, DVD Drive-In

” …the film has its share of terrific set pieces, particularly when Lavud chases a dancer (and coded prostitute?) through the empty city streets, with the vampire’s enormous shadow threatening to swallow her whole.” Stuart Galbraith IV, DVD Talk

Main cast:

• Abel Salazar
• Ariadna Welter
• Germán Robles
• Yerye Beirute
• Alicia Montoya
• Guillermo Orea
• Carlos Ancira
• Antonio Raxel

Release:

CasaNegra released the film on DVD with The Vampire (1957) on October 31st, 2006.

IMDb

‘Every bloodline has an end’

Dracula Reborn is a 2015 American supernatural horror film written and directed by Attila Luca, making his feature debut. It stars Tina Balthazar, Yves Carlevaris and Chloé Dumas.

Three news-hungry journalists travel to Transylvania hoping to uncover the truth about Dracula. To investigate the evil that protects his power they visit all the cemeteries in the area to decipher the signs and clues that are hidden within.

The investigators’ willingness to do anything to get the story draws them closer to true evil and deeper into havoc, and as they start to disappear one by one they realize that the search for the real Dracula will end up costing them their lives…

Reviews:

“Luca’s direction seems almost pedestrian and despite a somewhat reasonable budget the film looks incredibly cheap. As you would expect there are a few admirable vampire attacks but nothing stands out as the moments of bloodshed are entirely CGI which drags the quality of the film down even further.” Jon Dickinson, Scream magazine

” …so mind-numbingly slow that you won’t be sure whether you fell asleep whilst watching. Along with the turgid pace, the score serves only to drown out yet further the mumbled and muted script, and the acting would look bad in a kindergarten play – especially that of Yves Neverbeeninanythingelse as “Corvinus” Pink Nigel

“There isn’t any lore I can really give you: vampires like cloaks, can walk in daylight and have a human and fanged/clawed form. The acting from Tina Balthazar seems so distant that it might come from a few miles outside the boundaries of the film – but that might be a fault of the material, which just doesn’t manage to tell a story.” Taliesin Meets the Vampires

“Luca delivers a cheap version, all locations wasted, and the usual CGI blood splatter […]  technical glitches or strange jump cuts (leaning to the latter one) and one-dimensional characters with poor dialogue…” Baron Craze, The Horror Syndicate

Main cast:

• Tina Balthazar … Hannah
• Yves Carlevaris … Corvinus
• Chloé Dumas … Emmy McGreedy – The Follower
• Eric Kara … Christian
• Michael Maricondi … Nate
• Yannis Baraban … Xavier
• Sarah Marshall … French Journalist
• Sophie Mercier … Melanie
• Ferencz Rozalia … Elizabeth Bathory

Running time:

102 minutes

Trivia:

Originally titled Drakula XO

This film should not be confused with Dracula: Reborn (2012), directed by Patrick McManus.

IMDb

Image thanks: Taliesin Meets the Vampires

‘The monsters will have their day’

Monster X is a 2017 American supernatural horror anthology film written and directed by Jaysen P. Buterin (Don’t Let the Light In; Beneath the Old Dark House), Daniel B. Iske (Dark Web; Fields of the Dead; The Wretched), Patrick Rea (Arbor Demon aka Enclosure; The Invoking 2; Nailbiter) and Sean van Leijenhorst (‘Banshee’ segment). It stars Matt Tatroe, Rich Bentz, Leslie Easterbrook and Chris Lazzaro.

Two friends hide in an old theater to escape ravenous hordes of vampires, zombies and werewolves…

High Fliers Films release Monster X on DVD in the UK on 19 February 2018.

Buy DVD: Amazon.co.uk

Reviews:

“It’s very low budget so the special effects are mostly practical and basic but not awful at all, they are fun and give the whole thing an 80’s horror movie feel. My favorite shorts were both of Rea’s offerings, the werewolf one because even though the acting was cringey it was quite fun and his vampire movie because it was a little more unexpected than the others and the most original.” Sarah Budd, Horrorscreams Videovault

“Monster X is a fun monster flick which gives a twist to some of the classic monsters of the genre. As with most horror anthologies, it has varying degrees of success, but with the movie’s short running times each of the films are direct in their approach, so it moves at a good pace and doesn’t feel drawn out.” Philip Rogers, Nerdly

“The film is admittedly short considering all the things crammed into it although this maybe why Monster X works despite some script issues. It has a fair few gags in it, too. One for horror movie fans to watch for it’s spirit and obvious love of the genre it sometimes pokes fun at, Monster X is a short yet rewarding watch.” James Simpson, Infernal Cinema

Main cast: 

• Matt Tatroe – Fields of the Dead; The Wretched
• Rich Bentz – The Stitcher
• Leslie Easterbrook – Sugar Skull Girls; Lavalantula; House of the Witchdoctor; The Devil’s Rejects
• Chris Lazzaro – Jersey Shore Massacre

IMDb

Oltretomba is an Italian ‘fumetti’ horror comic book series created in 1971 by Stanley Baldock and Dino Leonetti and published by Ediperiodici. It became one of the most famous comic series of its type; in the 1970s the series was also published in France, Spain and Germany.

The comic book was published from June 1971 to September 1986. Three hundred issues and several supplements such as ‘colore’ and ‘gigante’ were also released.

Initially, the erotic component was minor but began to grow until by the late 1980s when Otretomba became almost hardcore in content.

List of issues:

1. I morti viventi (Sergio Rosi)
2. L’orrenda maschera (Studio Rosi)
3. La succhiatrice di sangue (Sergio Rosi)
4. Il necrofilo (G.Montanari)
5. La casa degli scheletri (F.Tacconi)
6. La vendetta dei Druidi (I.Pavone)
7. Cuore di cane (F.Tacconi)
8. Maledetti da Dio (A.Bonato)
9. Il teschio di Rasputin (V.Missaglia)
10. Lo strangolatore di Soho
11. Tragico segreto (S.Fenzo)
12. La bara della bambola (Studio Rosi)
13. la note degli orrori (A.Bonato)
14. Requiescat in pace (S.Micheloni)
15. Le statue morte (Sergio Montipò)
16. Il mulino maledetto (F.Tacconi)
17. La droga dei cadaveri (G.Montanari)
18. è la notte di matilda (Sergio Montipò)
19. La cancrena verde (S.Micheloni)
20. Delitto e castigo (F.Tacconi)
21. La lunga agonia di Patty (U.Sammarini)
22. La vendetta di Alboino (F.Tacconi)
23. La quadriglia infernale (Malvesy)
24. le voci del cimitero di kebek (T.Marchioro)
25. orgia di sangue (C.Zuffi)
26. La figlia dei lupi E.Dell’Acqua)
27. i bianchi seni della maimuna (S.Micheloni)
28. la sultana infernale (F.Tacconi)
29. la fredda carezza (S.Fenzo)
30. roberto il diavolo (Malvesy)
31. loscrigno dei maccabei (Malvesy)
32. la vendetta del maligno (Malvesy)
33. tre zombi per una vergine (Segrelles)
34. Il passo del demonio (T.Marchioro)
35. la vendetta dei globi di fuoco (V. De La Fuente)
36. resurrezione
37. il terribile odore di satana (Pena)
38. l’idrofoba (Azpiri)
39. L’orrendo intestino (S.Micheloni)
40. cadavere chiama cadavere (Pena)
41. il cammino delle streghe (O.Benni)
42. gli alberi sognanti (Pena)
43. L’esercito dei morti (Malvesy)
44. lo spettro di robespierre
45. sotto il segno del vampirus (Azpiri)
46. il ritratto che uccide (Studio Rosi)
47. Il diavolo non paga il sabato (Pena)
48. la chiave maledetta ( R.R.)
49. papé satan aleppe (V. De La Fuente)
50. le rosse pupille di hilde (Bellalta)
51. dal ventre della morte (G.Pinto)
52. il segreto del labirinto (Azpiri)
53. i cavalieri dell’apocalisse (Segrelles)
54. filmato satana
55. in caso di sepoltura
56. lo stupro gemellare (Pena)
57. tam tam per uno schiavista (Segrelles)
58. le tragiche notti della candelora (F.Verola)
59. autoritratto di morte
60. torquemada ’70
61. gli immortali di stonehenge (Pena)
62. i fantasmi assassini
63. polvere sei, zombi diventerai! (Malvesy)
64. nebbia verde (Malvesy)
65. madama ghigliottina (Pena)
66. il prestigiatore
67. la città dei mostri
68. il cimitero degli apaches (F.Verola)
69. la condanna del deserto (Segrelles)
70. l’immondo regno (Pena)
71. il mostro della cava di sale (V. De La Fuente)
72. testa o morte (Segrelles)
73. dio maledi il serpente
74. Metempsicosi
75. i marmi vaganti (Azpiri)
76. catacombe infernali (F.Verola)
77. la maledizione dei rochester
78. Reincarnazione (Segrelles)
79. baby killer
80. morbosamente (Ivo Milazzo)
81. il gatto nero (Azpiri)
82. il serpente a due teste (F.Verola)
83. loha il mostro sacro (F.Verola)
84. addio, figli crudeli! (Nadir Quinto)
85. i sesso invasati
86. Cuore di strega (Nadir Quinto)
87. tre passi nell’aldilà (P.Ongaro)
88. Il vicolo misterioso
89. Hydrophobie (F.Verola)
90. Perversione (P.Ongaro)
91. la vergine della notte (Jesus Duran)
92. la sibilla cumana (Azpiri)
93. chiari segni di lussuria (Segrelles)
94. il pupazzo rojo (Studio Rosi)
95. l’ultima curva
96. Un grido dal mare (Aparici)
97. La mano del fantasma (Jesus Duran)
98. il mostro della lussuria
99. Il venditore di morte (Jesus Duran)
100. la giustizia degli inferi
101. la dama bianca di norimberga
102. il ghigno della svastica
103. omicidio legale (G. De Fiore/Studio Rosi)
104. gli occhi che vedevano la morte
105. la sabbia omicida
106. il vizio e la virtù (Pierluigi Del Mas)
107. il letto della virginità
108. adorabilmente gelida (Azpiri)
109. la medium delle stragi (V.Missaglia)
110. gli amanti cannibali (F.Verola)
111. la signora di panama (Azpiri)
112. Mors tua, vita mea (S.Micheloni)
113. la locanda della morte (S.Micheloni)
114. l’urlo di carol
115. la miniera dei diavoli (V.Missaglia)
116. il fiordo della lussuria (M.Cubbino)
117. unosbocco di sangue?
118. nel segno della lucertola (Sergio Rosi)
119. brividi e orgasmi
120. Amanti diabolici (Romano Mangiarano)
121. transfert (F.Verola)
122. le figli della luna (F.Blanc/Studio Giolitti)
123. La schiava numida
124. Il massacratore solitario (M.Cubbino)
125. gli alunni di satana
126. come nasce una strega
127. l’ectoplasma coniugale (F.Blanc)
128. cassa di prima classe (M.Cubbino)
129. lingua di cane
130. condanna senza fine (F.Blanc/Studio Giolitti)
131. l.s.d. (Aparici)
132. Carne fresca (L. Sorgini)
133. l’incubo (F.Blanc/Studio Giolitti)
134. Mostro nascerai (Azpiri)
135. il sepolto vivo
136. sangue per un crociato (Pierluigi Del Mas)
137. il cadavere assassino (S. Micheloni)
138. il seme del coccodrillo (F.Blanc/Studio Giolitti)
139. delitto d’onore
140. stregoneria (S.Romagnoli/Studio Leonetti)
141. piacere rosso (“E.Puttades”)
142. accelera, fred
143. Sangue giovane (Antonio Borrell)
144. Il cadavere insepolto
145. satana minorenne (F.Blanc)
146. bocca a bocca col cadavere
147. Sangue chiama sangue (Sergio Tuis)
148. il profumo di satan
149. Musica crudele (F.Blanc)
150. il tredicesimo tocco
151. l’impuro
152. oro e follia
153. predestinazione (“E.Puttades”)
154. suggestione (F.Blanc)
155. la belva del gevaudan (“Francesco” alias Xavier Musquera)
156. vizi di famiglia (“Vagi”)
157. plante grasse (L.Sorgini)
158. formula magica
159. donna di picche
160. di nome jack. (Studio Leonetti)
161. il sapore della vendetta (Esteban Polls)
162. salto nelle tenebre (F.Blanc)
163. il legionario
164. funesti presagi (Angelo Todaro)
165. il treno fantasma (Antonio Borrell)
166. la fattucchiera (Xavier Musquera)
167. nel segno di nefertis
168. il cembalo scrivano (Juan Aparici)
169. il grande mago
170. la moglie di tutti (V.Missaglia)
171. spiritismo
172. per l’onore (S.Micheloni)
173. il vento e il morto (G. Dalla Santa)
174. scacco matto (G. Dalla Santa)
175. in regata col diavolo? (Jesus Duran)
176. Il becchino (Xavier Musquera)
177. razza animale (Azpiri)
178. lo stregone abissino (Esteban Polls)
179. manicomio criminale (Antonio Borrell)
180. alter ego
181. limbo (Azpiri)
182. il gobbo (Azpiri)
183. la coyotera (G. Dalla Santa)
184. il gatto a dieci code (J.Aparici)
185. il segreto di luxor
186. barbudos
187. la lamia (Sanchez)
188. immonda creatura (Antonio Borrell)
189. lo jettatore (Antonio Borrell)
190. pornoreporter? (Studio Montanari)
191. sinistri cigolii
192. claustrofobia (V.Missaglia)
193. l’urlo della mandragora (Xavier Musquera)
194. sonnambulismo (Jesus Duran)
195. p*rno shop (Studio Montanari)
196. braccio della morte (Sanchez)
197. concerto maledetto (Xavier Musquera)
198. occhio macabro (Pierluigi Del Mas)
199. l’eterno custode (Sanchez)
200. alice nel paese degli orrori (J.Aparici)
201. il fantasma di hiroshima (V.Missaglia)
202. la figlia del vulcano (Pierluigi Del Mas)
203. andante… solenne… con morte! (Antonio Borrell)
204. Agopuntura (Xavier Musquera)
205. numeri fatali (Azpiri)
206. il mahatma
207. fossili (Azpiri)
208. pelle nera (V.Missaglia)
209. mastini (G. Dalla Santa)
210. l’amica erotica (Azpiri)
211. Il bastardo (G. Dalla Santa)
212. Stillicidio (Sanchez)
213. il teschio che ride (Vladimiro Missaglia
214. rose proibite (Azpiri)
215. ghigliottina (Jesus Duran)
216. il faro maledetto (Xavier Musquera)
217. erede universale (Jesus Duran)
218. Foglie morte (Angelo Todaro)
219. perle nere (Esteban Polls)
220. il servitore della garrota (Jesus Duran)
221. cuore di pietra
222. delirium (Azpiri)
223. accadde a Venezia (Sanchez)
224. tomba prenotata
225. atti impuri (Antonio Borrell)
226. sindrome di donna (J.Aparici)
227. la prostituta delle tombe (Azpiri)
228. né morto né vivo (Xavier Musquera)
229. Pesce d’aprile (J.Aparici)
230. Una mosca nel bulo (Sanchez)
231. rosso sangue
232. Gli occhi di tenebra
233. morte programmata (Azpiri)
234. l’ombra di jack (Xavier Musquera)
235. il piffero parlante (Sanchez)
236. majorettes (Jesus Duran)
237. gatta ci cova (Esteban Polls)
238. tarocchi
239. malaugurio (Azpiri)
240. vento freddo (G. Dalla Santa)
241. preveggenza (J.Aparici)
242. dal sonno alla morte (Jesus Duran)
243. sanguemisto (Esteban Polls)
244. loto d’oro (Jesus Duran)
245. Sati (Esteban Polls)
246. Violenza occulta (Jesus Duran)
247. lupus in fabula (J.Aparici)
248. espazione (Xavier Musquera)
249. tormenti infernali
250. Vizio segreto (Lorenzo Lepori)
251. Bocca muta (Pier Carlo Macchi)
252. Il patto di Janira
253. La quercia dei supplizi (Dino Simeoni)
254. Possessione spettrale (Pier Carlo Macchi)
255. Il cimitero Dei Peccatori
256. La regina delle tenebre (Lorenzo Lepori)
257. nel nome della morte
258. la cripta maledetta (Dino Simeoni)
259. La notte del maleficio (Pier Carlo Macchi)
260. Il sonno dei morti
261. la dannata (S.Micheloni)
262. Fascino sepolcrale (Lorenzo Lepori)
263. la casa nella tempesta (Pier Carlo Macchi)
264. Ragnatele (Jesus Duran)
265. La Dea del Dolore (Pier Carlo Macchi)
266. il collegio delle impiccate (Dino Simeoni)
267. Jolly (Lorenzo Lepori)
268. Satana nero (Pier Carlo Macchi)
269. la morte improvvisa (Lorenzo Lepori)
270. profezia (Lorenzo Lepori)
271. ossessione macabra (Staff di Iff)
272. gli artigli della gelosia (Dino Simeoni)
273. La maledizione sepolta (Pier Carlo Macchi)
274. offerta maligna (Dino Simeoni)
275. stupro satanico. (Dino Simeoni)
276. La fossa degli scheletri (G. Dalla Santa)
277. L’inferno pub attendere (Emilio Cecchetto)
278. Il cacciatore di streghe (Eugenio Forte)
279. L’oscuro sadismo (Emilio Cecchetto)
280. fluido malefico (Eugenio Forte)
281. stato comatoso (Jesus Duran)
282. Jezabel (G. Dalla Santa)
283. L’insana passione (Dino Simeoni)
284. Magua (Xavier Musquera)
285. sogni arabi (Eugenio Forte)
286. guai ai folletti (Emilio Cecchetto)
287. tragica ossessione (Dino Simeoni)
288. La figlia della morte (Pier Carlo Macchi)
289. gelosia mortale (Eugenio Forte)
290. il culto di moloch (Emilio Cecchetto)
291. La stampa erotica (Xavier Musquera)
292. La caserma dei fantasmi (Staff di Iff)
293. la silfide (Eugenio Forte)
294. il diario della morte (Pier Carlo Macchi)
295. tragica notte (Dino Simeoni)
296. cadaveri di cuoio (Jesus Duran)
297. La dottoressa Faust (Emilio Cecchetto)
298. Volpi umane (Vladimiro Missaglia)
299. La macchina anatomica (Aparici)
300. Stirpe di giganti (Lorenzo Lepori)

Wikipedia (Italian) | Image credits: Comic Vine

Tainted is a 1998 American indie vampire comedy film directed by Brian Evans from a screenplay by Sean Farley. It stars Jason Brouwer, Sean Farley, Greg James, Stacey Murphy, T.J. Timon, and Ronnie Walsh.

A group of video store film geeks, one of whom is a moralistic vampire, are on their way to a midnight movie showing of Blade Runner, when they get sidetracked and stumble onto an unscrupulous vampire’s plot to taint the local hospital’s blood supply with undead hemoglobin…

Reviews:

” …most of the witty repartee is natural and novel (anyone who praises Raising Arizona and the Coen’s as much as the guys in this film do is OK in this critic’s book). But once the film moves into the vampire against vampirism plot, things take a financially strapped production path that grows more and more dissatisfying.” Bill Gibron, DVD Talk

“Tainted is quite a nice surprise if you think you’ve exhausted the horror supply of the post-Scream 90s, or if you’re a fan of Kevin Smith’s Clerks, as it’s obvious that the film owes just as much to it as it does any horror film that may have inspired writer Sean Farley…” Brett Gallman, Oh, the Horror!

” …one of the problems is that such a simple premise is stretched to 108 minutes. I normally wouldn’t complain, after all the length is stretched out by dialogue, but as I say that dialogue isn’t as well written as it wants to be and the actors, whilst they try their best, quite frankly are not up to the task.” Taliesin Meets the Vampires

“While the movie opens with an exciting and well-orchestrated action sequence, the next half-hour of character development plays like the outtakes from Slackers. Don’t get me wrong, I actually liked the humorous riffs from Slackers. However, this writer simply misfires every joke.” HAL9000-4

Choice dialogue:

Alex: “He’s been an over-critical know-it-all prick all night. And that’s before he had a drop of alcohol.”

IMDb

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Fangs of the Living Dead is a 1968 [released 1969] Spanish-Italian horror film written and directed by Amando de Ossorio (Demon Witch Child; The Loreley’s Grasp; the Blind Dead series). It stars Anita Ekberg, Rossana Yanni and Julian Ugarte. The film is also known as Malenka la vampire, Malenka: la nipote del vampiro, Malenka: la sobrina del vampiro and The Vampire Girl.

There are two alternative endings for the film, a rationale-type ending in which the vampire turns out to be a hoax, and a supernatural ending.

The musical score by Carlo Savina was later recycled for Night of the Damned (1971).

Buy Blu-ray: Amazon.com

Sylvia (Anita Ekberg) is delighted to discover that she’s inherited not only the noble title of Countess, but she has also inherited a castle located in the country. She excitedly calls her fiance Piero (Gianni Medici) to tell him that she’s going to travel to view the castle. Once there, Sylvia visits a local inn, where she announces her destination and relation to the castle’s inhabitants – which horrifies the townspeople.

Unswayed by the townspeople’s reactions, Sylvia arrives at the castle and meets her uncle, the Count Walbrooke (Julian Ugarte), and beds down for the night.

She is later awakened by the maidservant Blinka (Adriana Ambesi), who warns her that Walbrooke is a century-old vampire that means her harm. Blinka’s attempts to draw Sylvia out of bed and out of the castle are interrupted by Walbrooke, who takes her into another room and whips her. Sylvia pleads with him to stop, only for Walbrooke to reveal that Blinka herself is also a vampire…

Reviews:

“Malenka does have a lovely Hammer-via-Paul Naschy atmosphere, and is on the whole at least aesthetically pleasing […] It must be said that most of the humour arising from the movie is unintentional, but it’s still a modest pleasure to watch Ossorio’s first attempt in the genre he’d later be loved for.” A Different Screen

“The color, production and ladies are nice on the eyes but this is an exercise in tedium. Anyway, fangs for the mammaries, Anita.” John Stanley, Creature Features

“Fangs of the Living Dead marks an inauspicious genre debut for de Ossorio…” Lawrence McCallum, Italian Horror Films of the 1960s

” …Crudely strung together and seems unsure of how intentionally funny it’s meant to be. Indeed, at times it seems like little more than a hotly contested battle of heaving bosoms, Yanni bolstering already pneumatic mix of Ekberg, Ambesi and Lorys.” Jonathan Rigby, Euro Gothic

Buy: Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com | Amazon.ca

Choice dialogue:

Max: “And you’re a case of a psychotic bore!”

Cast and characters:

• Anita Ekberg as Malenka / Sylvia Morel
• Gianni Medici [as John Hamilton] as Dr. Piero Luciani
• Diana Lorys as Bertha Zemis
• Adriana Ambesi as Blinka
• Rosanna Yanni as Freya Zemis – Count Dracula’s Great Love; Mark of the Wolfman
• César Benet as Max (as Guy Robers)
• Carlos Casaravilla as Dr. Horbinger
• Fernando Bilbao as Vladis the Coachman
• Paul Müller as Dr. Albert
• Adriana Santucci as The Count’s Maid
• Aurelia Treviño as Village Woman
• Juanita Ramírez as Brugard the Barmaid
• Julián Ugarte as Uncle / Count Walbrooke – All the Colours of the Dark; Mark of the Wolfman
• Keith Kendal as Man

Filming locations:

Butrón castle, Gatika, Biscay, Spain
La Alberca, Salamanca, Castilla y León, Spain
San Martín de Valdeiglesias, Madrid, Spain
Rome, Lazio, Italy

Release: 

The movie had its world premiere on 23 July 1969 in Italy and was released in Spain in August of the same year.

Trivia:

An alternate supernatural ending was added to the English-language version of the film, in which the uncle disintegrates into a skeleton at the end, apparently indicating that he really was a vampire and contradicting the rest of the film.

Boris Karloff was initially approached to star in the film, but he turned down the role following contractual wrangles.

Wikipedia | IMDb

Image credits: The Latarnia Forums

Thanks to Dylan

The Wanderers: The Quest of The Demon Hunter – aka The Wanderers – is a 2017 Romanian horror film directed by Dragos Buliga from a screenplay by Octav Gheorghe; it stars Armand Assante, Lior Ashkenazi and Branko Djuric.

Experienced vampire hunter Louis Moudon and his companion, a journalist, arrive in an isolated village in Transylvania to investigate the mystery surrounding a strange event.

Along with their guide, young local Sorana, and the reality show team, they will find out that the villagers are experiencing a terrible dread. Louis will soon have to face a totally surprising discovery…

Main cast:

• Armand Assante – Sicilian Vampire; The Bleeding; Shark Swarm
• Lior Ashkenazi
• Branko Djuric
• Raluca Aprodu
• Bae Jung-hwa
• Ho Jae Sun
• Razvan Vasilescu
• Oana Marcu
• Daniel Plier
• Pali Vecsei

Release:

The film premiered on 5 June 2017 at the Transilvania International Film Festival in Cluj-Napoca. It will be shown at the Glasgow Horror Channel FrightFest on 2 March 2018 in Scotland.

Trailer (click image):

IMDb