‘Sex, drugs, rock and roll – Dracula, and then you die.’

Dracula in Love is a 2018 Canadian supernatural horror feature film written and directed by Izidore K. Musallam (second assistant director on David Cronenberg’s Dead Ringers)

The Hand ‘n’ Hand Films production stars Youssef Abedalnour, Amy Cruickshank, Josh Maltin and Cailey Muise.

Leila, a lonely young soul spends the night partying with her friends Nancy, David and Nash in a warehouse.

As the boys drink up and smoke pot all social barriers between the sexes crumble. Leila, hit on by both men, hides away from them. Alone she senses there is someone else who wants her and certainly he is not of this world.

Two hundred year-old Dracula escapes from a crate and reveals himself to Leila and tells her that she is his lost love. For him to live again and be with her, she must bring him the blood of her friends to drink and make love to him. Hypnotised by his sexual powers, Leila does as she is told…

Cast and characters:

• Youssef Abed-Alnour … Dracula
• Amy Cruichshank … Nancy
• Josh Maltin … David
• Cailey Muise … Leila
• Andre Luis Oliveira … Young Dracula
• Alan K. Sapp … Stuart
• Eyal Simko … Nash

Dracula in Love is being distributed by FlixHouse Global and is available online via Amazon Instant Video

More movies featuring Dracula

More Canadian horror cinema

New and future releases

HORRORPEDIA on social media: Facebook | Google+ | Pinterest | Tumblr | Twitter

Fright Night: The Peter Vincent Chronicles – Issue Zero – is a 24-page original comic book based on a story by screenwriter/director Tom Holland (Fright Night franchise; Rock Paper Dead; Thinner). It focuses on the adventures of Peter Vincent (originally played by Roddy McDowall) immediately following the events of the first film, and serves as a bridge into future Fright Night comic books.

The comic book is written and edited by Ben Meares (Hellraiser: Anthology; Grimm Tales of Terror) and illustrated by Riley Schmitz (Hellraiser: Anthology; Invisible Hands).

“It’s all I could hope for. A great continuation of the original,” said Masters of Horror, and Fright Night’s writer/director Tom Holland. “Roddy would be proud to know his creation was continuing his journey in such high (and bloody) style. Ben Meares’s story is a winner and Riley Schmitz’s artwork captures the Fright Night experience for today’s fans. Onward, with The Peter Vincent Chronicles!”

“Fright Night is, for a very good reason, a beloved film within the horror community,” writer and editor Ben Meares said. “I believe a huge contributor to its staying power is the character of Peter Vincent. My goal here was to delve deeper into Peter as a character, and present him with a fresh set of challenges, personal and supernatural, to face off against. Being able to do so with the blessing from the film’s creator is quite simply a dream come true.”

“As a huge fan of the movie I made it my mission to capture its feel in comic book form, while still trying something new,” artist Riley Schmitz said. “I’m thrilled for this project and truly believe fans will enjoy it.”

The deluxe edition has already sold out.

Thanks: Broke Horror Fan

Comics from Hell: The Horror Films That Spawned Comics – article

‘When the honeymoon was over the terror began’

The Blood Spattered Bride – original title: La novia ensangrentada – is a 1972 Spanish horror feature film written and directed by Vicente Aranda (Las Crueles), loosely based on the vampire story, Carmilla by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu.

The movie stars Simón Andreu, Maribel Martín, and Alexandra Bastedo.

A well-known US trailer advertising a double feature paired with the 1974 film I Dismember Mama was filmed in the style of a news report covering the “story” of an audience member who had gone insane while watching the films.

On February 13, 2018, the film was released on Blu-ray by Mondo Macabro with a host of special features.

Buy Blu-ray: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk

• Brand new 4k transfer from film negative
• English/Spanish audio choice
• Newly created English subtitles
• Audio commentary by Diabolique magazine staffers
• Interview with cinematographer Fernando Arribas
• Two part interview with actor Simón Andreu
• Interview with Euro Gothic author Jonathan Rigby
• Original trailers and radio spots
• Deleted and alternate scenes
• Mondo Macabro previews

Reviews:

“The perfect film for backward-thinking goths who are interested in lesbian relationships that involve vampires and shooting fox hunters in the crotch with shotguns, The Blood Spattered Bride, with its eerie organ score by Antonio Pérez Olea, manages to create an ethereal atmosphere with an effortless elan.” House of Self-Indulgence

” …what motivated all the cuts in the original American version wasn’t so much the excess or outrageousness of the deleted footage, but rather the distributor’s fear that American audiences (and more to the point, state film censorship boards) were so uncomfortable with the very idea of lesbianism that to release the movie in anything like its original form would be the kiss of death at the box office.” 1000 Misspent Hours and Counting

“The Blood Spattered Bride’s really-not-very-sub subtexts and eerie visuals – ruined palace estates; wandering veiled women; the wings of frightened, fluttering birds – make it a compelling watch for horror devotees. However, its indulgence in ham-fisted shock tactics (never more so than at its abrupt, bullet-ridden conclusion) and its ultimately murky gender politics make it a very weird watch too…” Notcoming.com

“On a directorial level, The Blood Spattered Bride is perfunctorily made. Everything is straightforward – there is little subtlety or anything that works on any other level. However, the film is not entirely without occasional moments of interest. Director Vicente Aranda throws in intermittent images of surrealistic appeal…” Richard Scheib, Moria

“Although sluggish in pacing, the film still succeeds and is a favorite amongst Euro horror buffs. Most of the meat is in the third act, but the discovery of the vampire Mircalla — buried in the beach sand, breathing through a snorkel and having her bare breasts dug out — is unforgettable. A dream sequence where a man has his heart torn out is also particularly nasty.” George R. Reis, DVD Drive-In

“I’m glad this project is Aranda’s. He seems interested in grounding the everyday cruelties of the husband in the reality of the off-handed way of how badly some men can treat women. This is important because it takes the gay panic angle of the narrative and provides a contrast between his abuse and the tender scenes between the wife and Carmilla.” Braineater

“The Blood-Spattered Bride is bizarre, yet cohesive; interesting and entertaining. The dubbing is decent, and while the cinematography isn’t especially stunning (not like another well-crafted Carmilla tale Blood and Roses, which predates this version by a decade) it’s nicely done and reveals some of stranger scenes (like the one below) with a good deal of fetishy-suspense.” Horror.com

Buy DVD: Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com

“The film itself will not appeal to all tastes, thanks to the slow pacing and disorienting storyline, but game viewers will be rewarded with a unique vampire tale graced with hefty dollops of eroticism. The strange, jittery music score creates unease from the opening scene, and the evocative imagery of director Aranda wouldn’t look out of place in one of Jean Rollin’s vampire sagas.” Nathaniel Thompson, Mondo Digital

“With Susan vulnerable and violent by turns, and her partner overbearing and thoughtful in similar switches of character, it’s hard to see whose side we’re meant to be on, so by the end Aranda looks to have thrown his hands up as if noting both are as bad as each other, leaving us with a succession of striking images but none the wiser about our conclusions.” Graeme Clark, The Spinning Image

Cast and characters:

• Simón Andreu as the husband – Beyond Re-Animator; Death Carries a Cane; Death Walks at Midnight; Death Walks High-Heels; Forbidden Photos of a Lady Above Suspicion
• Maribel Martín as Susan – Bell from Hell; The House That Screamed
• Alexandra Bastedo as Mircalla/Carmilla – The Ghoul
• Rosa Maria Rodriguez as Carol
• Dean Selmier as the doctor

Pressbook for Europix International Ltd. U.S. release

British cinema poster on a double-bill with Mario Bava’s Shock

HORRORPEDIA on social media: Google+ | Tumblr | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest

The post The Blood Spattered Bride – Spain, 1972 appeared first on HORRORPEDIA.

‘Students at Harker are dying to bring classic horror to life’

Mimesis: Nosferatu – formerly Mimesis: Evolution – is a 2018 American horror feature film directed by Douglas Schulze (The Dark Below; Mimesis: Night of the Living Dead; Hellmaster) from a screenplay by Jeff Meyers (Mass Murder), based on Schulze’s storyline. The movie stars Lance Henriksen, Allen Maldonado, Julie Kline, Jana Thompson and Gavin Grazer.

Director Douglas Schulze recently told Dread Central:

“F.W. Murnau’s Nosferatu is arguably the most frightening cinematic monster to ever grace the screen. As a kid I could watch Lugosi as Dracula but the German made Nosferatu was the stuff of nightmares. So many horror films have paid homage to Count Orlok’s rat like appearance and the atmospheric art direction we’ve come to call German Expressionism. Salem’s Lot, Sweeney Todd… So many films have been influenced by Murnau’s classic.”

A group of students at Harker Art Academy are working on an adaptation of F.W. Murnau’s classic Nosferatu. However, things don’t quite go as planned…

Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror – Germany, 1921

The post Mimesis: Nosferatu – USA, 2018 appeared first on HORRORPEDIA.

Dracula, Prisoner of Frankenstein is a 1972 European horror feature film written and directed by Jesús Franco. The movie stars Dennis Price, Howard Vernon, Paca Gabaldón and Alberto Dalbés.

Plot:

Dracula kills another innocent victim and Dr. Seward decides it’s time to wipe the fiend off the face of the earth. Armed with a hammer and a wooden stake, he arrives at Castle Dracula and duly dispatches the vampire Count.

Next day, however, Dr. Frankenstein arrives with his assistant, Morpho, and a large crate containing the monster. Using the blood of a pub singer who has been abducted by his creation, the doctor brings Dracula back to life and uses him for his own ends.

The Count and a female vampire continue to terrorise the town, so Dr. Seward once again sets out for Castle Dracula. Unfortunately, he is attacked by the Frankenstein monster and left for dead. Amira, a gypsy, rescues him and summons up a werewolf to do battle with the forces of evil…

Buy Blu-ray: Amazon.com

Review:

What do you get when you combine competent directorial technique, a solid script, and a clearly delineated narrative? Not this. Jess Franco’s Dracula, Prisoner of Frankenstein is on par with most of his other early ’70s productions. That is to say, it’s stodgy, painfully slow, cheap, gratuitous, embarrassing, and essentially an unwatchable, coma-inducing sledgehammer.

Franco’s filmmaking skills come dangerously close to the incompetent here, with his visual style summed up simply as: zoom, zoom, zoom, with the occasional insertion of extreme long-shots, claustrophobic close-ups, and soporific slow pans. His boggling narrative execution is hallucinatory at best, but not in an interesting way; scenes float into the air, unattached to anything else around them until an innocuous and brief pseudo-grounding is provided via an equally innocuous action or galumphing explication later on, giving the viewer headaches while trying to piece it all together.

Thematically and conceptually, Franco’s on the level of a lurid, feeble-minded child playing with his newly acquired, and tattily-made, monster action figures; for example, in the climactic scene where Frankenstein’s monster and the Wolf Man are slapped together in order to duke it out Three Stooges-style, the monster nearly loses his toupée. This would all be quite funny if it had been planned or at least done with some enthusiasm, but it wasn’t; the whole thing is simply bloated and indifferent, dragging itself to a conclusion that Franco doesn’t seemingly even care about. This movie is a cinematic creature best left un-revived.

Ben Spurling, HORRORPEDIA

Other reviews:

“A Brillo-pad werewolf. Bubbling sex that never boils over. Four-star, no budget vampire attacks. The expected Jess Franco Nightclub Sequence. A strange focus on frantic bats (both rubber and real). Dracula, Prisoner of Frankenstein is, quite literally, a pleasant dream. Upon regaining your wits, you’re left half-asleep, yet ready to conquer the world. Or, at the very least, your insomnia.” Joseph A. Ziemba, Bleeding Skull!

“Only Britt Nicholl’s elegantly erotic Lady Dracula comes off as a credible, original creation. In fact, the actresses here, Josiane Gibert as the doomed cabaret singer, Genvieve Deloir as the gypsy and Paca Galaban’s mentally disturbed Maria are much more defined and interesting characters than the male leads. They have to react to the mad scientists and monsters, who are pretty much one-dimensional menaces in Franco’s raggedy mise-en-scene.” Robert Monell, El Franconomicon

” … has laughable make-up and special effects but offers rich surrealistic moments lightened by a corny nightclub act with sub-sexy songs […] it is an enjoyable piece of fun for people with a good sense of humour.” Lucas Balbo, Obsession: The Films of Jess Franco, 1993

“It’s like a dream that seems to tell a logical and coherent story while you’re in the midst of it, but appears utterly nonsensical under the scrutiny of the waking mind. Franco did that sort of thing a lot in the early 70’s, of course, but to see the narrative sensibility of A Virgin Among the Living Dead applied to the old House of Frankenstein template somehow feels so counterintuitive.” Scott Ashlin, 1000 Misspent Hours and Counting

Cast and characters:

• Dennis Price … Doctor Frankenstein
• Howard Vernon … Dracula
• Paca Gabaldón [as Mary Francis] … Maria
• Alberto Dalbés … Doctor Jonathan Seward
• Carmen Yazalde [as Britt Nichols] … Female vampire
• Geneviève Robert [as Genevieve Deloir] … Amira
• Anne Libert … Dracula’s first victim
• Luis Barboo [as Luis Bar Boo]… Morpho
• Brandy … The Wolf Man
• Fernando Bilbao… The Monster
• Josyane Gibert [as Josiane Gibert] … Estela

Filming locations:

Estoril, Cascais, Sintra, Lisbon, Portugal
Alicante, Comunidad Valenciana, Spain

Alternate titles:

Drácula contra Frankenstein
Dracula contro Frankenstein
Dracula prisonnier de Frankenstein
Die Nacht der offenen Särge
The Screaming Dead

Image credits: El Franconomicon

The views expressed in the HORRORPEDIA review above are those of the author only and may not necessarily represent the opinions of the website editor and/or its owner.

HORRORPEDIA on social media: Facebook | Google+ | Pinterest | Tumblr | Twitter

The post Dracula, Prisoner of Frankenstein – Spain/France/Portugal, 1972 appeared first on HORRORPEDIA.

Jonathan – aka Vampire stern nicht – is a 1969 West German horror feature film directed by Hans W. Geißendörfer. The Iduna Film production stars Jürgen Jung, Hans-Dieter Jendreyko and Paul Albert Krumm. The impressive cinematography is provided by Robby Muller who later worked extensively with Wim Wenders.

Linking the rise of fascism to vampirism, the film takes place in the 19th century where vampires who are immune to sunlight have taken over the world. Human rebels band together for a battle of life and the control of the civilization…

Jonathan has only recently received a legitimate DVD release on the German Kinowelt label, unfortunately without English subtitles. Its slow arty approach may not be to all tastes but to many it represents a “lost classic” being heavily featured in many 1970’s reference books.

Reviews:

“The performances are for the most part merely functional with Jung not a particularly compelling protagonist; he’s not a bad actor, he’s just not given much to do than lead the audience through vignettes. As the Count, Krumm has his moments but he is less effective when speaking at length. Only Jendreyko’s performance could be described as lively…” Eric Cotenas, lovelockandload.net

“Essentially an art film, Jonathan is guilty of a few serious longueurs, together with some wilfully obtuse details. The vampires are attended by lilac-clad little girls whose synchronised movements are unintentionally comic, and scenes featuring a wheezing woodland hermit who decorates his shack with inverted crosses are trial to watch. Jonathan Rigby, Euro Gothic

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

“The best part of this film is the look of it. This is one of those movies that amazes you with every shot. No matter what is going on, silly or serious, it all looks great. It sucks you in simply because you want to see the images that pass before your eyes. This film has tracking shots and haunting images that will stay with me forever”  D.B. Borroughs

“It just had a bunch of people in bad vampire makeup mumbling some political propaganda. My audience took it seriously — at first.” Wayne Malin

Image credits: Temple of Schlock

Follow us on social media: Facebook | Google+ | Pinterest | Tumblr | Twitter

The post Jonathan – West Germany, 1969 appeared first on HORRORPEDIA.

Twins of Evil is a 1971 British supernatural horror feature film directed by John Hough (American Gothic; The Legend of Hell House, Incubus) from a screenplay by Tudor Gates (The Vampire Lovers, Lust for a Vampire, Fright). It was produced by Harry Fine and Michael Style as Fantale for Hammer Films. In the US, the film was cut heavily and released as Twins of Dracula.

The movie stars Peter Cushing, Dennis Price, Isobel Black, Kathleen Byron, Damien Thomas (Journey to the Unknown TV series), David Warbeck (The Beyond; The Black Cat) and real-life twins and former Playboy ‘Playmates’ Mary Collinson and Madeleine Collinson.

It is the third film of The Karnstein Trilogy, based on the vampire tale Carmilla by Sheridan Le Fanu. The film has the least resemblance to the novel and adds a witch-finding theme to the vampire story. Much of the plot revolves around the contrasting evil and good natures of two beautiful sisters, Frieda and Maria Gellhorn.

Maria and Frieda, recently orphaned identical twin teenage girls, move from Venice to Karnstein in Central Europe to live with their uncle Gustav Weil.

Weil is a stern puritan and leader of the fanatical witch-hunting ‘Brotherhood’. Both twins resent their uncle’s sternness and one of them, Frieda, looks for a way to escape. She becomes fascinated by the local Count Karnstein, who has the reputation of being “a wicked man”.

Count Karnstein, who enjoys the Emperor’s favour and thus remains untouched by the Brotherhood, is indeed wicked and interested in Satanism and black magic. Trying to emulate his evil ancestors, he murders a girl as a human sacrifice, calling forth Countess Mircalla Karnstein from her grave. Mircalla turns the Count into a vampire…

Buy Blu-ray: Amazon.co.uk

Reviews [may contain spoilers]:

“Twins of Evil is worth watching just for Peter Cushing’s performance alone. He is intense. But it’s also a great movie and unlike Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde which promised to deliver shock after shock and then failed, the last twenty minutes of Twins of Evil did surprise me – especially Frieda’s demise.” T. Banacek, Beasts in Human Skin

“The picture is straightforward in its sense of duty, hitting all the required beats of tension, though it’s somewhat refreshing to find the Count’s hunger for blood not born from Stoker-esque events, but from his interest in evil, calling on his ancestors (and the most on-the-nose phallic imagery I’ve seen in a movie) to aid him in his quest to transform into a monster, gleefully terrorizing the land as he beds all the local women.” Brian Orndorf, Blu-ray.com

“There’s a very dark introduction to this film, as a busty wench is pursued through a dark forest by a bunch of men dressed in black, before being tied to a stake and burned alive (in the dark). And things don’t get much lighter for the next 90 minutes, either. Twins of Evil is like a slap in the face for everyone who thinks that by the 70s, Hammer had disappeared up its own arse and started producing garish, entertaining but stupid films.” British Horror Films

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

“More gaunt than usual, Cushing portrays the leader of a group of men called “The Brotherhood” that seek out and kill women accused of being witches. While not necessarily intended, there are contemporary reverberations here, with a group of men using religious piety as their motivation to put to death women who may be independent and sexually active without marriage.” Coffee, Coffee and More Coffee

“Bolstered by two excellent performances by Cushing and Damien Thomas ably assisted by an astounding score, Twins of Evil (1971) is one of Hammer’s best of their 1970’s slate of productions. Those years were not comparable to their films of the late 50’s and 60’s, although a few definitely came close. John Hough’s epic tale of puritans and vampires is assuredly one of them.” Cool Ass Cinema

“Twins positively speeds towards it’s inevitable storming of the castle but not before a few sublime moments such as Cushing’s realisation that his niece is a vampire or the Count’s mute black manservant miming what’s coming for his master as the mob nears the front door […] Twins of Evil stands out as one of Hammer’s most satisfying vampire efforts of the 70s.” Michael Helms, Digital Retribution

“Twins of Evil truly is a masterpiece of gothic and erotic horror and holds up bloody well to this day. In my opinion, this film, along with Robert Young’s equally unique Vampire Circus (also available from Synapse Films), are two of Hammer’s most superb achievements of the early 1970s, giving credence to the company’s overall product quality during that decade, despite constant criticism by fans and writers alike.” George R. Reis, DVD Drive-In

” …constant tension between fairy-tale trappings and a grimly cynical plot, together with Hough’s flair for super-charged action scenes, makes it easy to overlook a few silly bits and a handful of plot loopholes.” Jonathan Rigby, Euro Gothic: A Century of Horror Cinema

“Bar a couple of rather crude and out-of-place exposures, Twins of Evil substitutes the exploitation of flesh for the exploitation of violence, albeit with good reason. A tightly plotted tragedy, with characters painted in shades of grey (as opposed to, say, John Elder’s black and white) and heavily influenced by pictures such as Witchfinder General, it has an intensity and sense of purpose rare in horror.” Marcus Hearn and Alan Barnes, The Hammer Story, Titan Books, 1997

Buy: Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com

“Latter-day Hammer film that abandons atmosphere for overt horrors: the Pinewood Studios back-lot is too little changed from Vampire Circus and only Cushing’s performance as the fanatical witch-hunter lifts it out of a rut.” Alan Frank, The Horror Film Handbook, 1982 [N.B. Vampire Circus actually re-used the same sets from this production, not the other way round]

“So it’s not quite solid, but there’s no denying that Twins of Evil has many more advantages than either of its predecessors in the Karnstein trilogy, The Vampire Lovers and Lust for a Vampire, both also scripted by Tudor Gates, and it is truer to the spirit of what Terence Fisher brought to Hammer’s golden age than any film made after his enforced retirement.” Tim Lucas, Pause. Rewind. Obsess.

“Twins of Evil balanced the modern Hammer demands of gore and nudity with the great acting, well-rounded plot and solid cast that made the earlier horror outings so enjoyable. And of course, it’s got Peter Cushing burning witches and slaying vampires – what more do you want?” Andrew Smith, Popcorn Pictures

• The Flesh and the Fury: X-posing Twins of Evil (84 mins.) – New, feature-length documentary exploring Hammer’s infamous ‘Karnstein’ trilogy from the origin of Carmilla, to the making of Twins of Evil Featuring exclusive interviews with director John Hough, star Damien Thomas, cult film director Joe Dante, Video Watchdog editor Tim Lucas, and more!
• The Props That Hammer Built – Featurette (Blu-ray Exclusive)
• Motion Still Gallery (Blu-ray Exclusive)
• Deleted Scene (Blu-ray Exclusive)
• Original Theatrical Trailer & TV Spots (Blu-ray Exclusive)
• Isolated Music & Effects Track (Blu-ray Exclusive)

Buy Synapse Blu-ray/DVD: Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com

“There’s a nice gothic atmosphere throughout the film thanks to the camerawork of cinematographer Dick Bush and the score which comes courtesy of Harry Robinson is very effective and dramatic, adding plenty of weight to certain key moments in the film. The use of color is great in the movie, as is the use of shadow, with our titular twins consistently cast in the most alluring light possible and looking fantastic no matter the situation.” Ian Jane, Rock! Shock! Pop!

“Harkening back to Olivia de Havilland in The Dark Mirror and beyond, there has to be a good twin and an evil twin, and director John Hough employs plenty of mirror imagery, even extending to the Count being the reflection of Weil. The horror elements may be routine, but Twins of Evil has interesting themes that belie its surface novelties.” Graeme Clarke, The Spinning Image

“The script dealt with a potentially interesting confrontation between vampires and puritans, but the ambiguities are never explored and the potential clash of sensibilities remains unexpressed. Pater Cushing’s part as the puritan witchhunter is wholly insubstantial and again the emphasis is limitingly on sex…” David Pirie, A New Heritage of Horror, I.B. Taurus, 2009

“Though both dubbed, the Collinson’s do what’s needed of them, and if the film has a weakness, it’s Thomas, who’s a tad too bland to be a good nemesis, though one suspects even Christopher Lee might wilt in the incandescent heat of Cushing’s performance. It does feel more like a throwback to the kind of film the company was making a decade ago.” Trash City

“John Hough’s direction isn’t particularly flashy, and so it is really up to the performers to make Twins of Evil something worth watching, and they deliver in spades. Peter Cushing’s wife, Helen, passed away shortly before he began shooting the film, and he puts an unusual amount of pain into his role as the vicious self-appointed witchfinder of the Karnstein village.” J. Hurtado, Twitch

“Fast-paced and creatively directed, Twins of Evil is a prime example of Hammer horror at its best.” Gary A. Smith, Uneasy Dreams: The Golden Age of British Horror Films, 1956 – 1976, McFarland, 2000

“Director John Hough was relatively new to the business when he filmed Twins of Evil and he generally lacks any flair – dialogue scenes in particular are shot in a distinctly television style with simple full face shots of the speaking actor. Surprisingly, the film does boast a couple of very nice set pieces – notably a castle courtyard towards the end of the film, bathed in coloured light with plenty of ground fog that would impress many of the top Italian horror directors.” Dread Central Synapse Blu-ray disc review

Read more

The post Twins of Evil – UK, 1971 appeared first on HORRORPEDIA.

Saturday the 14th is a 1981 American comedy horror feature film written and directed by Howard R. Cohen  based on a story by Jeff Begun, who also co-produced with Julie Corman. The movie stars Richard Benjamin, Paula Prentiss, Kari Michaelsen and Kevin Brando.

A belated sequel, Saturday the 14th Strikes Back, was released in 1988.

An all-American family inherits a deceased uncle’s house. John (Richard Benjamin) and Mary (Paula Prentiss) together with their daughter Debbie (Kari Michaelsen), and son Billy (Kevin Brando) then move into the house. Waldemar (Jeffrey Tambor), a vampire figure, and Yolanda (Nancy Andrews), his wife, want desperately to get into the run down house because it contains a book of evil.

Billy finds the mysterious book Waldemar and Yolanda are after. He opens it and reads of a curse hanging over the date of Saturday the 14th. As he turns the page a monster is unleashed, and with each turn another disappears from the page and is materialized within or outside the home. The house is soon swarming with monsters.

Soon, strange things start happening: eyes appear in John’s coffee, sandwiches are eaten, the television tunes into The Twilight Zone only, dirt is found in Mary’s bed, dishes get done by themselves, neighbours disappear. As this is happening, neither John or Mary suspect anything, blaming things on a lack of curtains…

Saturday the 14th will be released on Blu-ray by Scream Factory on January 15, 2019. Special features will be announced nearer the release date.

Reviews:

“Unfortunately Saturday the 14th’s humour feels like it should be more zany, and more madcap than it actually is. Most jokes fall flat against deadpan performances (with the exception of the incredible Jeffrey Tambor) and uninspired direction from Howard R. Cohen. It is a dumb movie, but a harmless one.” Ken Wynn, Attack from Planet B

“There are a few pleasing notions […] but the humour is for the most part pitifully juvenile and the film itself crude.” Phil Hardy (editor), The Aurum Film Encyclopedia: Horror

“Many folks worked on the effects but men in rubber monster suits still look like men in rubber monster suits and most of the jokes fall as flat as corpses.” John Stanley, Creature Features

“Like Love at First Bite, it’s nothing spectacular, but it’s a harmless little movie that breezes by, feeling even shorter than its 75 minute run time. It takes roughly 3 minutes from the time they move into the house for the first monster to show up, and it rarely slows down too much from there.” Horror Movie a Day

“The acting in this movie rates somewhere between flat and dead. Richard Benjamin is humorous as John and Severn Darden is mildly entertaining as the exterminator, Van Helsing. The rest of the cast is quickly forgettable. The plot is forgettable too. And, so are the laughs.” Movie Metropolis

“There is an on running joke, with regards oblivious John and Mary, about any noise at night, including a monster falling through a window, being owls (and the fact that Mary can’t tell the difference between an owl and a bat) that is severely overplayed. The rest of the film fell really flat laughs wise…” Taliesin Meets the Vampires

” …a pathetic farce which will seem frail even on TV, for which it probably should have been made in the first place.” Variety

Choice dialogue:

Van Helsing: “Selling the house now would be like closing the barn door after the horses eat your children.”

Waldemar: “If you weren’t immortal, you’d kill yourself.”

Cast and characters:

• Richard Benjamin … John Hyatt – Witches Brew; Love at First Bite
• Paula Prentiss … Mary Hyatt – I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House; Mr. & Mrs. Dracula TV series pilots; The Stepford Wives
• Jeffrey Tambor … Waldemar
• Severn Darden … Van Helsing
• Kari Michaelsen … Debbie Hyatt
• Rosemary DeCamp … Aunt Lucille
• Kevin Brando … Billy Hyatt
• Nancy Lee Andrews … Yolanda
• Stacy Keach Sr. … Attorney
• Carole Androsky … Marge, the Real Estate Lady
• Roberta Collins … Cousin Rhonda – School Spirit; Eaten Alive; The Witch Who Came from the Sea; Death Race 2000; Kolchak: The Night Stalker TV series; Sweet Kill
• Paul ‘Mousie’ Garner … The Major
• Annie O’Donnell … Annette Muldowney
• Thomas Newman … Cousin Phil
• Allen Joseph … Uncle Bert
• Craig Coulter … Delivery person
• Renee Braswell … Stunt person
• Elizabeth Charlton Davey … French Maid
• Irwin Russo … Truck Driver
• Michael Miller … Ernie Muldowney, the Cop

Running time:

75 minutes

Release:

Saturday the 14th received a limited release theatrically in the United States by New World Pictures in August 1981 yet took $4 million. It was released on VHS by Embassy Home Entertainment.

The film was released on DVD by New Concorde Home Entertainment in 2001.

Scream Factory announced a Blu-ray release of the film for release on January 15, 2019

Further reading:

Buy: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk

Buy: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk

Branded in the 80s overview with masses of screen grabs

Quick links to HORRORPEDIA contents:

A | B | C | D | E  | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z

The post Saturday the 14th – USA, 1981 appeared first on HORRORPEDIA.

Vampire is a 1979 American horror made-for-television feature film directed by E.W. Swackhamer (Terror at London Bridge) from a screenplay by Steven Bochco and Michael Kozoll. It stars Richard Lynch, E.G. Marshall, Jason Miller and Jessica Walter.

Plot:

Leading San Francisco architect John Rawlins is hired by the mysterious Anton Voytek to excavate the old ruined Heidecker Estate. A vast treasure trove of artworks worth more than $25 million is uncovered. Rawlins’s wife Leslie discovers that all of the artworks have been stolen over the centuries.

Arrested, Voytek swears vengeance. Bailed out, he turns up at Rawlins’ home and seduces Leslie. Rawlins returns home to find her dead. He becomes obsessed with revenge against Voytek. Breaking into Voytek’s apartment, he flees after discovering him sleeping in a coffin. After being placed in a psychiatric institution, he is freed by former police detective Harry Kilcoyne who believes his story because of a similar experience on the force. Together the two of them team up to eliminate the vampire Voytek…

Review:

ABC’s Vampire is essentially a modern-day (1979) reworking of Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Splendidly directed by E.W. Swackhamer, it’s a solid production with just enough tweak to make the centenarian plot a fresh one. Steven Bochco, who also executive produced, and Michael Kozoll deliver a nearly impeccable script that intelligently and subtly updates the desired Gothic tropes, perfectly mingling traditional vampire lore with 20th century sensibilities.

Fred Karlin provides an excellent score, with touches of tinkling harpsicord and gloomy oboe in order to evoke regal mystery. Cinematographer Dennis Dalzell negotiates the maze of established shadowy symbolism and modern expectations beautifully, enhancing the venerable mythology while simultaneously respecting it.

The cast is exemplary, each playing their warmly familiar characters: Richard Lynch as the menacingly elegant vampire, Prince Anton Voytek; Jason Miller as the Jonathan Harkeresque John Rawlins; E. G. Marshall as the police detective equivalent of Professor Van Helsing, Harry Kilcoyne; the female co-stars – Kathryn Harrold as Leslie Rawlins, Jessica Walter as Nicole DeCamp, and Barrie Youngfellow as Andrea Parker – offer-up fine performances, with their characters intermingling traits from the original counterparts from Stoker’s Dracula as well as taking on some of the aspects of the male characters from the book. Harrold’s Leslie Rawlins is essentially a mix of both Mina Harker and Lucy Westenra; Walter’s DeCamp takes on the role of estate agent performed by Jonathan Harker in the original novel; and Youngfellow’s Andrea Parker inherits the position of Mina Harker from Kathryn Harrold.

Presumably, this mish-mashing is done to streamline the story, move things along, and set things up for a TV series spin-off which is hinted at as this was apparently a pilot. Regardless of the changes, ABC’s Vampire is an agreeable mix of late-70s police procedural and monster hunt, similar in vein to ABC’s earlier success, The Night Stalker (1972).

A brief, but welcome, cameo by Joe Spinell (Maniac) as Captain Desher doesn’t hurt, either. Vampire (1979) is a distinguished yet rarely seen gem well worth any serious horror fan’s time.

Ben Spurling, HORRORPEDIA

Other reviews:

“Richard Lynch’s Voytek has more personality than Barry Atwater in The Night Stalker and is certainly a more engaged modern vampire than say Dracula was in Dracula A.D. 1972 – but not that much. We never see him drinking blood, for one. The other flaw of the show is E.W. Swackhamer’s workmanlike and dull direction…” Richard Scheib, Moria

Cast and characters:

• Richard Lynch … Anton Voytek
• Jason Miller … John Rawlins –The Exorcist
• E.G. Marshall … Harry Kilcoyne – Creepshow
• Kathryn Harrold … Leslie Rawlins
• Jessica Walter … Nicole DeCamp
• Barrie Youngfellow … Andrea Parker
• Michael Tucker … Christopher Bell
• Jonelle Allen … Brandy
• Scott Paulin … Father Hanley
• Joe Spinell … Captain Desher

Thanks to Moria for the synopsis

Watch Vampire in better quality on Bit Chute

HORRORPEDIA is truly independent and we rely solely on the minor income generated by affiliate links and ads to stay online. Please support us by not blocking ads on this site. Thank you.

Quick links to HORRORPEDIA contents:

A | B | C | D | E  | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z

The post Vampire – TV movie, USA, 1979 appeared first on HORRORPEDIA.

Dracula is a forthcoming 2019 British three-part television mini-series being co-written by Mark Gatiss (Jekyll series, 2007) and Stephen Moffat (Doctor Who). The BBC One show, first unveiled as ‘in development’ in June 2017, will be a co-production with Netflix, who will stream it outside the UK.

Inspired by Bram Stoker‘s novel, the mini-series will “re-introduce the world to Dracula, the vampire who made evil sexy” says a BBC press release. “In Transylvania in 1897, the blood drinking Count is drawing his plans against Victorian London. And be warned: the dead travel fast.”

“There have always been stories about great evil,” Sherlock creator Moffat and Gatiss say in the announcement. “What’s special about Dracula, is that Bram Stoker gave evil its own hero.”

Piers Wenger, Controller of BBC Drama added, “Steven and Mark’s ingenious vision for Dracula is as clever as it is chilling. In their talented hands the fans will experience the power of Bram Stoker’s creation as if completely anew. We are thrilled to be collaborating with them and the brilliant team at Hartswood on yet another iconic British series.”

Dracula has been adapted by the BBC before, most notably in 2006 with Marc Warren in the title role and in 1977 with Louis Jourdan as The Count.

Meanwhile, Mark Gatiss has played Count Dracula himself in a 2016 Big Finish audio book adaptation.

Portrait of Bram Stoker by Aidan Hickey

Quick links to HORRORPEDIA contents:

A | B | C | D | E  | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z

The post Dracula – BBC, UK, 2019 appeared first on HORRORPEDIA.

Devils of Darkness is a 1964 British horror feature film directed by Lance Comfort (The Ugly Duckling; Daughter of Darkness) from a story and screenplay by Lyn Fairhurst (production manager on The Flesh Eaters) and produced by Tom Blakeley. The Planet Films movie stars William Sylvester, Hubert Noël, Carole Gray, Tracy Reed and Diana Decker.

Plot:

A small town in Brittany, primarily inhabited by gypsies: Paul Baxter (William Sylvester) is on holiday with a group of friends. Count Sinistre returns to terrorise the townspeople on All Soul’s Night, and murders three of Baxter’s friends.

Initially sceptical of the supernatural nature of the town, Baxter becomes suspicious and returns to England with a talisman belonging to Sinistre which he had taken from the scene of one of his murders, leading Sinistre to pursue Baxter in an attempt to recover the talisman and murder acquaintances along the way…

Reviews:

“Plot expediency sees the police keep their cynicism for approximately two minutes before suddenly believing all Paul’s wild theories about vampires on the loose, and the cast, although mainly attractive, are wooden and dull. The film’s only saving grace comes when Karin the gorgeous shop girl (Tracy Reed ) wakes up after being initiated into Sinistre’s coven…” British Horror Films

“Stilted British dud […] Directed uncomfortably by Lance Comfort.” John Stanley, Creature Features

“Stodgy and slow-moving though it is, the film is garishly photographed and has several diverting moments.” Jonathan Rigby, English Gothic: A Century of Horror Cinema, Reynolds & Hearn, 2004

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

” …it’s an uninteresting combination of vampires and Satanists, and the only times the movie comes alive are during a dance scene in the pre-credits sequence and a lab scene in the middle of the movie where all the lab animals start going wild.” Dave Sindelar, Fantastic Movie Musings and Ramblings

“Uninspired but efficient, the film raises little sense of terror or atmosphere but has an ingenious script that manages to combine elements of witchcraft, reincarnation and vampirism.” Alan Frank, The Horror Film Handbook, Batsford, 1982

“With some amusing special effects such as a rubber bat (shown up by a couple of real bats later on) and a hurricane from nowhere, there are intermittent points where the tone gets it right, but it was colourful yet flat otherwise.” Graeme Clark, The Spinning Image

Filming locations:

Pinewood Studios, shooting began 14 May 1964.

Cast and characters:

• William Sylvester … Paul Baxter
• Hubert Noël … Count Sinistre
• Carole Gray … Tania
• Tracy Reed … Karen Steele
• Diana Decker … Madeleine Braun
• Rona Anderson … Anne Forest
• Peter Illing … Inspector Malin
• Gerard Heinz … Bouvier, the Hotel Manager
• Brian Oulton … The Colonel
• Walter Brown … Bruno
• Eddie Byrne … Dr. Robert Kelsey
• Victor Brooks … Inspector Hardwick
• Marie Burke … Old Gypsy Woman
• Marianne Stone … The Duchess
• Avril Angers … Midge

Choice dialogue:

Tania: “It’d make a marvellous horror. You know. Ghouls and witches.”

HORRORPEDIA is truly independent and we rely solely on the very minor income generated by affiliate links and internet ads to stay online. Please support us by not blocking ads on our site. Thank you.

Quick links to contents:

A | B | C | D | E  | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z

The post Devils of Darkness – UK, 1964 appeared first on HORRORPEDIA.

Vampirella vs. ReAnimator is a 2018 Dynamite Entertainment comic book mini-series written by Cullen Bunn and Blacky Shepherd with artwork by the latter.

The first issue of Vampirella vs. ReAnimator is released on December 12, 2018. There are four different cover designs by Johnny Desjardins, Stuart Sayger, Blacky Shepherd, and a cosplay cover.

Here’s the synopsis:

“It’s the big question of 2018: How could Vampirella and the ReAnimator not have met before now?!!?! Herbert West – the Reanimator – has long sought the secret to perfecting his reagent and break death’s hold on mankind once and for all. The key to his success lies in only one place – the forbidden tomb of the Aztec god of death!

But disturbing sleeping gods is as troubling (to put it mildly) as raising the uncontrollable, murderous dead… especially when this deity is an ancient enemy of Vampirella of Drakulon! It’s vampire versus mad scientist in a battle that threatens to tear the gates of the underworld asunder!”

Related:

Re-Animator

Vampirella

Source: Broke Horror Fan

HORRORPEDIA is truly independent and we rely solely on the very minor income generated by affiliate links and internet ads to stay online. Please support us by not blocking ads on our site. Thank you.

Quick links to contents:

A | B | C | D | E  | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z

The post Vampirella vs. ReAnimator – comic book appeared first on HORRORPEDIA.

‘The world died. They didn’t’

Red Spring is a 2017 Canadian horror feature film written, produced, directed by and starring Jeff Sinasac. The movie also stars Elysia White, Adam Cronheim and Jonathan Robbins.

Plot:

The world has been ravaged by vampires. A group of survivors band together to search for loved ones who may be alive, dead or something in between, eventually taking shelter in what may be the only safe hideout left to them. However, well defended hideouts have a way of becoming prisons. And prisons aren’t the safest place to be when your friends can turn on you at any time…

Reviews:

“Red Spring does occasionally dip toes into familiar tropes just to up the body count, but it never uses it as a crutch. The film manages to build its tension and action slowly, offering a thrilling experience despite the limitations of its budget. A pleasant surprise from beginning to end, and featuring strong performances from its ensemble cast…” Courtney Small, Cinema Axis

“This flick wears its low budget on its sleeve, because its the only choice it has. The make-up here is terrible, its vampires looking more like Party City. Although I can see that it was trying to make a contemporary version of Count Orlok. At least the movie is trying to make vampires scary again.” Paolo Kagaoan, In the Seats

“The film’s low budget is quite evident at times and with the exception of the Nosferatu-like lead vampire (Andre Guantanamo), most of the vampires border on cheesy with their grey make-up and dark circles around their eyes. However, despite the film’s limitations, Red Spring still ends up being a solid post-apocalyptic thriller.” Sean Kelly on Movies

“From a technical point of view, the film is well made with some creepy makeup and decent cinematography but they can’t overcome the lack of a good script. And there’s no excuse for this given the fact Sinasac had fourteen years to rewrite and improve it. Instead, Red Spring is a well made but dull film that owes more to Red Dawn than I Am Legend.” Jim Morazzini, Voices from the Balcony

” …the film does succeed where so many others fail—it’s sad when people die. Is it a touch too long? Yes. Does it deliver a better zombie-type plot than many zombie movies? Also yes. Red Spring’s uncommon approach to the genre is a refreshing change for anyone who’s tired of the same old zombie movie or vampire film or both.” Zombots!

Cast and characters:

• Jeff Sinasac … Ray
• Elysia White … Vicky
• Adam Cronheim … Eric
• Jonathan Robbins … Carlos
• Lindsey Middleton … Bailey
• Reece Presley … Mitchell
• Andre Guantanamo … Vampire Leader
• Sarah Chisholm … Vampire Gang
• Tim Crawford … Vampire Gang
• Glen M. Taylor … Vampire Gang
• Fort Papalia … Vampire Gang
• Alex Rawlings … Vampire Gang
• Jim Peddie … Vampire Gang
• Alanna Boucher … Pharmacy Vampire
• Adrienne Lipson … Young Ballet Vicky

Trivia:

Work on Red Spring initially began in 2003 and it took actor Jeff Sinasac a further fourteen years to complete his project.

HORRORPEDIA is truly independent and we rely solely on the very minor income generated by affiliate links and internet ads to stay online. Please support us by not blocking ads on our site. Thank you.

Quick links to contents:

A | B | C | D | E  | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z

The post Red Spring – Canada, 2017 appeared first on HORRORPEDIA.

‘Man? or Monster? or Both?’

The Return of the Vampire is a 1943 supernatural horror feature film directed by Lew Landers (Terrified; The Boogie Man Will Get You; The Raven) from a screenplay by Griffin Jay (Cry of the Werewolf; The Mummy’s Hand; et al), based on an idea by Kurt Neumann (The Fly). The Sam White produced movie stars Bela Lugosi, Frieda Inescort, Nina Foch and Miles Mander.

Although not a sequel to Lugosi’s 1931 Dracula, this film has been interpreted by some critics and some scholars as an unofficial follow-up with Lugosi’s character renamed because the production was made at Columbia Pictures rather than Universal.

The Return of the Vampire is being released on Blu-ray by Scream Factory on February 19, 2019. Extra features are in progress and will be announced nearer the date.

Plot:

A voiceover (Miles Mander) announces that ‘the following events are taken from the notes of Professor Walter Saunders of King’s College, Oxford…’

A mist-shrouded cemetery at night: A werewolf (Matt Willis) enters a tomb and tells his vampire ‘Master’ that it is time for him to awake. A hand reaches out of the coffin and lifts the lid. A shadow appears on the wall, and the unmistakable voice of Bela Lugosi asks what happened while he was asleep. The werewolf replies that his latest victim has been taken to Dr. Ainsley’s clinic.

Baffled by her patient’s anaemic condition, Lady Jane Ainsley (Frieda Inescort) has called in Professor Walter Saunders (Gilbert Emery). While they are discussing the patient, two children enter. They are Lady Jane’s son, John, and Professor Saunders’ granddaughter, Nikki. Lady Jane and the professor send the children to bed and return to their patient.

The vampire, finding that his victim is not alone, attacks Nikki instead. After the patient dies, Professor Saunders sits up the rest of the night, reading a book on vampires written two hundred years ago by Armand Tesla…

Buy DVD: Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com

Reviews:

“The film is efficiently directed by Lew Landers, complete with the dreamlike rovings of a mobile camera and moody, mist-shrouded set pieces that are second to none. It also benefits greatly from the unwonted topicality of its setting.” Jonathan Rigby, American Gothic

“The best thing about it, apart from the outstanding performances by Inescourt (as a distaff Van Helsing) and Foch (making her debut as the vampire’s chief victim), is the ending in which the werewolf, tired of being in thrall to the vampire, drags him into the sun as he sleeps. The last shot of Lugosi’s face melting (actually a wax mould over a skeleton) was cut by the censor in Britain.” The Aurum Film Encyclopedia: Horror

“Bela Lugosi’s Armand Tesla is a far cry from the smooth and well-mannered Count Dracula, who smarmed his way into society. In his final serious outing as a vampire, Lugosi gives us a grouchy and bad-tempered bloodsucker, exhibiting little of the charisma traditionally associated with the role.” And You Call Yourself a Scientist!

” …contains everything that makes classic horror films so special. It’s brimming with atmosphere in the form of foggy graveyards and decaying crypts, with Lugosi’s vampiric presence being the highlight of the show. As the speech-gifted werewolf, Matt Willis (who in human form resembles a bloated Buster Crabbe) is fun to watch and is given much screen time…” George R. Reis, DVD Drive-In

“It almost ODs on atmosphere (that low-lying ground fog is everywhere, including indoors at times) and the surprises are few, but there is plenty of energy and fun in the proceedings, with even the comic relief being sharper than usual. Though I wouldn’t call it a great movie, it is a lot of fun…” Dave Sindelar, Fantastic Movie Musings and Ramblings

“As a film, it certainly coasts a bit on the novelty of seeing Lugosi back in the cape, but, in hindsight, it sort of sadly encapsulates how stagnated his career had become. Once a huge star, here he is clutching to past glories in a film content to do faintly echo the better films that preceded it. The Return of the Vampire is certainly not a bad film, merely one that feels a bit perfunctory in many ways.” Brett Gallman, Oh, the Horror!

“Lady Jane Ainsley is an atypically strong female character for horror movies of the time, which makes this more interesting than it might be otherwise, and Inescort does a fine job with the role, offering it both strength and charisma. She’s basically the lead protagonist in the picture…” Ian Jane, Rock! Shock! Pop!

“Lugosi proved he still had it when portraying this kind of Eastern European supernatural threat, and if he wasn’t onscreen quite as much as you might have liked, he did get star billing and made his scenes, er, count. With creeping fog and graveyards featuring prominently, it was cliché all the way as far as the visuals went, but had a nice line in high-falutin’ dialogue well delivered by a solid cast.” Graeme Clark, The Spinning Image

Buy DVD: Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com

“Inescort’s got good scenes with both Gilbert Emery and Miles Mander and Nina Foch seems like she’s a better actor than her part. The direction’s actually half good, usually going bad after a really good shot, but it’s probably better direction than most of the Universal monster movies of the era.” The Stop Button

…crude but fun – if you can accept cornball premises and a corny fog swirling around the vampire as he attacks his victims.” John Stanley, Creature Features

“The revenge orientated plot is too humdrum to give anyone a chance, apart from the conceit of a werewolf servant for Lugosi.” Alan Frank, The Horror Film Handbook

Cast and characters:

• Bela Lugosi … Armand Tesla / Dr. Hugo Bruckner
• Frieda Inescort … Lady Jane Ainsley – The Alligator People
• Nina Foch … Nicki Saunders – Jennifer; Cry of the Werewolf
• Roland Varno … John Ainsley
• Miles Mander … Sir Frederick Fleet
• Matt Willis … Andreas Obry
• Ottola Nesmith … Elsa Walter – Governess
• Gilbert Emery … Dr. Walter Saunders
• Leslie Denison … Detective Lynch
• William Austin … Detective Gannett
• Jeanne Bates … Miss Norcutt (uncredited)
• Billy Bevan … Horace – Civil Defence Worker (uncredited)
• Sydney Chatton … Peters – Desk Clerk (uncredited)
• Sherlee Collier … Nicki as a child (uncredited)
• Frank Dawson … Old Man (uncredited)
• Harold De Becker … Horace’s Friend – Civil Defence worker #2 (uncredited)
• Donald Dewar … John as a Child (uncredited)
• Jean Fenwick … Girl on Street (uncredited)
• Olaf Hytten … Ben – Lady Jane’s Butler (uncredited)
• Nelson Leigh … Sir Frederick’s Office Assistant (uncredited)
• Stanley Logan … Col. Mosley (uncredited)
• Audrey Manners … Nurse (uncredited)
• George McKay … Cemetery Caretaker (uncredited)
• Marianne Mosner … Nurse (uncredited)
• Clara Reid … Old Woman (uncredited)

Budget:

$75,000

HORRORPEDIA is truly independent and we rely solely on the very minor income generated by affiliate links and internet ads to stay online. Please support us by not blocking ads on our site. Thank you.

Quick links to contents:

A | B | C | D | E  | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z

The post The Return of the Vampire – USA, 1943 appeared first on HORRORPEDIA.

‘An ancient blood curse finds a new beginning’

Crucible of the Vampire is a 2017 British supernatural horror film directed by Iain Ross-McNamee (I Saw Black Clouds; The Singing Bird Will Come) from a screenplay co-written with Darren Lake and John Wolskel (I Bought a Vampire Motorcycle). The movie stars Neil Morrissey, Katie Goldfinch, Brian Croucher, Florence Cady and Larry Rew.

Plot:

An ancient, cursed artefact draws a young, university researcher (Katie Goldfinch) to an old house which holds a dark and terrible secret. The young woman discovers the truth within the grim, foreboding walls of the house, but once in the clutches of its malevolent occupants, will she be able to leave with her life?

Reviews:

“Florence Cady, as Scarlet Scott-Morton, exudes the same kind of dangerous female sexuality that made Linda Hayden’s performances in Blood on Satan’s Claw and Exposé so compelling. Meanwhile Katie Goldfinch embodies that same, strong-willed heroine that you see in films like Suspiria and Rosemary’s Baby – women trying their damnedest to fight against the rising tide of evil…” Phil Wheat, Nerdly

“Taking elements of classics such as The Wicker Man and the spirit of M. R. James, it’s a film that is very easy to like, despite the occasional beats that don’t quite hit. The tone is pitch-perfect, and will certainly appeal to fans of parlour horror stories and moody old dark house flicks.” Martin Unsworth, Starburst

Screenbound Pictures is releasing Crucible of the Vampire in the UK on HD DVD on 4 February 2019.

Cast and characters:

• Neil Morrissey … Robert – I Bought a Vampire Motorcycle
• Brian Croucher … Ezekiel
• Aaron Jeffcoate … Tom
• Charles O’Neill … Jeremiah – The House of Screaming Death;The Singing Bird Will Come
• Katie Goldfinch … Isabelle
• Babette Barat … Evelyn
• Larry Rew … Karl – Pandemic; Underworld: Rise of the Lycans
• Florence Cady … Scarlet
• Lisa Martin … Lydia
• Richard Oliver … Taxi Driver
• Phil Hemming … Professor Edwards
• John Stirling … Stearne
• Angela Carter … Veronica
• Peter Rowlinson … Soldier
• Jeremy Taylor … Soldier
• Darren Lake … Hooded Figure
• Michael Molcher … The Captain
• Graham Langhorne … Soldier
• David Rowlinson … Soldier

HORRORPEDIA is wholly independent and we rely solely on the very minor income generated by affiliate links and internet ads to stay online. Please support us by not blocking ads on our site. Thank you.

Quick links to contents:

A | B | C | D | E  | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z

The post Crucible of the Vampire – UK, 2017 appeared first on HORRORPEDIA.

Bloodlust  aka Mosquito – original title Mosquito der Schänder – is a 1976 Swiss horror feature film directed by Marijan Vajda from a screenplay by Mario d’Alcala. The Monarex production stars Werner Pochath, Ellen Umlauf and Birgit Zamulo. It is loosely based on the macabre true story of Kuno Hofmann, the so-called “Vampire of Nuremberg” who was arrested in 1972.

Plot:

Haunted by a childhood trauma… a deaf-mute accountant develops a fixation with blood spilling across his skin. Brief flirtations with ketchup and red ink seem to satisfy him at first, but he soon develops a taste for the real thing. Though he nurses a weird fascination for a neighbourhood girl who passes the time by dancing on the rooftop, he remains socially withdrawn with his co-workers and can’t even find comfort in the arms of a streetwalker.

One night, he breaks into the property of the local undertaker and ravages the prettiest female corpse. Now addicted, he habitually raids the tombs of the dead and drinks blood from their throats via a spiked, double-pronged glass straw. Authorities and citizens are incensed by these crimes and the search is on for this modern day vampire…

Reviews:

“Veteran exploitation actor Werner Pochath is excellent as the deaf-mute (who’s name is never revealed) driven to insanity by his past. His performance has a truly haunting presence – he doesn’t utter a single word for the entire running time, yet manages to tell us a hell of a lot along the way. Equally as impressive is the grim and disturbing atmosphere director Vadja manages to sustain…” Michelle R., Digital Retribution

“Especially impressive here is Pochath, in his starring role, who is able to substitute body language and facial expressions for verbal dialogue successfully in order to communicate with both the other characters as well as the audience. Add good acting to great camera work, and Bloodlust quickly rises up the list and earns the reputation of “underrated” and “forgotten gem.” Sean Leonard, Horror News

“Shot in a staid and carefully composed style, Bloodlust succeeds more due to the perverse impact of its story than the uneven quality of its special effects; even an eyeball removal that would have  been riotous in the hands of Lucio Fulci seems more disturbing here in concept than in execution. The camera often lingers on the blood dribbling from Pochath’s lips, but overall it’s more pathetic and weirdly poignant than disgusting.” Natheniel Thompson, Mondo Digital

“The pacing of the picture is pretty deliberate and you can’t help but wish, towards the end, that there wasn’t a bit more of a character arc to follow, but Bloodlust works pretty well for the most part […] the film has an effective score from David Llewellyn…” Ian Jane, Rock! Shock! Pop!

Cast:

Werner Pochath – RatMan; Devil Hunter; The Cat o’ Nine Tails
Ellen Umlauf
Birgit Zamulo
Gerhard Ruhnke
Peter Hamm
Charly Hiltl
Hary Olsbauer
Marion Messner
Fred Berhoff
Roswitha Geuther
Karl Yblagger
Sonja Costa
Jony Soster

Release:

Mondo Macabro released Bloodlust on Blu-ray, uncut, widescreen 1.78:1, in English and German on November 13, 2018.

Censorship:

In the UK, the film was passed with cuts (no details) by BBFC censors on 14 October 1976 for distribution by Butchers Film Service.

Image credits: Mondo Digital

HORRORPEDIA is wholly independent and we rely solely on the very minor income generated by affiliate links and internet ads to stay online. Please support us by buying via Amazon links and not blocking ads on our site. Thank you, we appreciate it.

Quick links to contents:

A | B | C | D | E  | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z

The post Bloodlust aka Mosquito – Switzerland, 1976 appeared first on HORRORPEDIA.

‘Forget milk and cookies… this Christmas he wants blood!’

Two Front Teeth is a 2006 American horror feature film directed by Jamie Nash  (ParaAbnormal; co-writer of The Night Watchmen; V/H/S/2 segment ‘A Ride in the Park’) and David Thomas Sckrabulis from a screenplay written by the former. The movie stars Johnny Francis Wolf, Megan Pearson and Michael Brecher.

Plot:

It’s the night before Christmas and Gabe Snow, a tabloid writer haunted by the Ghosts of Christmas past, is investigating a Yuletide conspiracy.

Gabe knows that Flight 1225 was brought down one foggy Christmas Eve, by a flying creature with a “glowing nose”. Now, a bloodsucking vampire – Santa Claus – has put Gabe on his list and unleashed the demonic fury of the North Pole.

An army of zombie elves, who have no interest in toys or pointy hats or dentistry, are about to turn Gabe’s white Christmas blood red. Will Gabe find the true meaning of Christmas? Can he stake a heart that’s two sizes too small? What will he find under his tree?

Reviews:

“Two Front Teeth is certainly a silly feature, but it delivers some funny moments and didn’t bore me at any point. There are some good lines, though there is a lot of stuff that requires a good working knowledge of Xmas pop culture.” Digital Retribution

“The acting is in line with what you’d expect from a movie like this one.  I could have done without some of the computer FX; maybe because that took me away from the 80s feel of the movie, but other than that, I really did enjoy this one!” Film Apocalypse

“So the movie isn’t as gory as people claim and the faulty storyline maybe a bit of concern […] The only thing I think that came off as particularly bad were the CGI effects and some truly bad camera work. Regardless of that Two Front Teeth still manages to be a very entertaining and a fun watch…” Film Bizarro

Cast and characters:

• Johnny Francis Wolf … Gabe Snow
• Megan Pearson … Noel Snow
• Michael Brecher … Ed (Chief Editor)
• Joseph L. Johnson … Pete
• Eric Messner … Mall Santa
• Lisa Oberg … Frost (as Lisa N. Oberg)
• Monalisa Arias … Evil Elf
• Annika Backstrom … Evil Elf
• Tara Chiusano … Evil Elf
• Melissa Dunphy … Evil Elf
• Jessica Perkins II … Evil Elf
• Katie Lawson … Evil Elf
• Alexxus Young … Silent Knight (Evil Nun)
• Kelly Cardall … Silent Knight (Evil Nun)
• Jamie Wozny … Silent Knight (Evil Nun)
• Seth L. Herzog … Tiny Tim
• Theo Franz … Young Gabe
• Lily Franz … Gabe’s Sister
• Josh Buchbinder … Clausferatu
• Trent Gates … Gabe’s Father
• Colin Barnhill … Santa Claus
• Leanna Chamish Leanna Chamish … Gabe’s Mom, Mrs. Snow

HORRORPEDIA is genuinely independent and we rely solely on the minor income generated by affiliate links and internet ads to develop our online presence. Please support us by buying via Amazon links and not blocking ads on our site. Thank you, we really appreciate it.

Quick links to contents:

A | B | C | D | E  | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z

The post Two Front Teeth – USA, 2006 appeared first on HORRORPEDIA.

Muerte: Tales of Horror is a 2018 American horror anthology feature film directed by Christopher Ambriz (Dark Blood) from a screenplay co-written with Michelle Banks and Rocky Ramon. The movie stars Maggie Stubbins, Andrea Guzman, Ashley Lopez Delagarza, Michelle Banks, Michael Jay Anthony Salinas, Eric Lee Delagarza and Tara Allen.

Plot:

Dorky wannabe witches Spencer and Celine plan to take revenge on a former lover they unknowingly were dating at the same time.

Now they are seeking “special items” for a spell from a mysterious woman named Ophelia.

Meanwhile Carter’s sidekick, Zak, is sent to steal a couple of items for a séance at the same shop. While looking around for the items, Zak comes across a strange comic book called Muerte and decides to steal that too.

Soon afterward, strange things start to happen to Carter, Zak and their friends as they start to read the stories featured in the comic book.

The first deals with a sin-eating El Cucuy looking for one of his bad “kids” that got away from him so many years ago.

The second is about a date with a vampire that goes horribly wrong.

The third is about a vanity mirror given as a housewarming gift that turns into a soul-sucking mirror from hell. And in the final story, we find out who unleashes all the evil…

Cast and characters:

• Mario Aguilar … El Cucuy
• Tara Allen … Cristina
• Michelle Banks … Misty / Dead Girl #2
• Berna Bazan-Towns … Ophelia (segment “Pen” “El Cucuy”)
• Mya Bolster … Mya (segment “The Date”)
• Sylvia Bolster … Sylvia (Segment “The Date”)
• Kimberly Cardenas … Chloe (Segment “Mirror”)
• Aileen Corpos … Marie (segment “The Date”)
• Liz Creme … Beth
• Laura Criser … Party Girl (segment – The Date)
• Ashley Lopez Delagarza … Ashley / Celine (segment “The Date”)
• Eric Lee Delagarza … Zak
• Joli Emory … Young Ally (segment “El Cucuy”)
• Edward J. Espino … Rick
• Priscilla Fernandez … Ariana (segment “Mirror”)
• Jessica Lee Golden … Lori (segment “The Date”)
• Vanessa Guerrero … Mom
• Andrea Guzman … Holly (segment “Mirror”)
• Kailey Morgan Hamauei … Kay Lee
• Celeste Torres Herrera … Vanessa (segment “Mirror”)
• Ronny Holiday … Dr. Menard (segment “The Date”)
• Peter M. Howard … Guy (segment “The Date”)
• Priscilla Iden … Ally (segment “Cucuy”)
• Rianna Kristine Kirkham … Nicole
• Matt Korkmas … Lance (segment – Cucuy)
• Katie Loftin … Katie (segment “The Date”)
• Will McCann … Matt / Lance (segment “Pen” “The Date”)
• Rocky Ramon … Ryan (segment “Mirror”)
• Michael Jay Anthony Salinas … Carter
• Eric De Los Santos … Roy (segment “The Date”)
• Eddika Shestko … Dead Girl #1 (segment “The Date”)
• Maggie Stubbins … Spencer
• Josie Valdez … Grandma

Filming locations:

Texas, USA

HORRORPEDIA is genuinely independent and we rely solely on the minor income generated by affiliate links and internet ads to maintain and grow our online presence. Please support us by buying via Amazon links and not blocking ads on our site. Thank you. We really appreciate it.

Quick links to site contents:

A | B | C | D | E  | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z

The post Muerte: Tales of Horror – USA, 2018 appeared first on HORRORPEDIA.

‘Pray to God it’s not true!’

The Legend of Blood Castle – aka Blood Ceremony and The Female Butcher – is a 1972 Spanish-Italian horror feature film directed by Jorge Grau (Let Sleeping Corpses Lie). The X Films-Luis Films production stars Lucia Bosé, Espartaco Santoni, Ewa Aulin, Ana Farra and Espartaco Santoni. Originally titled: Ceremonia sangrienta (Spain) and Le vergini cavalcano la morte (Italy).

Reviews:

“It’s slow, atmospheric, serious and ominous. Church bells, wolf howls, and harpsichord riffs are used deftly to keep the viewer on edge. It’s well acted and well shot, with authentic dark 18th century furnishings. But it’s unpleasant to watch and makes you unhappy.” David Elroy Goldweber, Claws & Saucers

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

“This is really a very fine example of eurohorror, well-made and with an intelligent and complex script that comes together very satisfactorily.” Cult Movie Reviews

“The cinematography is handled skillfully, the tone is downright serious, the acting doesn’t border on campy, and the gothic trappings are of the highest caliber, from authentic castles and old-world exteriors to striking period costume designs.” DVD Drive-In

“That the film originated as a personal project is obvious from the start. Despite plenty of visceral material, it’s a sombre and thoughtful affair, boasting a sophisticated focus on Erzsébet’s insecurity and accumulated guilt together with a sardonic critique of the mob mentality that holds sway directly outside her castle.” Jonathan Rigby, Euro Gothic

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

“It would be unfair to mention that Grau is more than just a competent filmmaker. Both his included films show some fine attention to visual detail, but he too suffers from disinterest in anything non-exploitative. It just seems too hard for producers to realise that the context in which their violence occurs can serve to make the image stronger.” Ric Meyers, For One Week Only

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

“While the film takes a little while to get going, an excellent last half ensures that this one delivers all the thrills and chills you’d expect from a seventies era European vampire picture. Grau directs with a pretty steady hand and paces the movie quite deliberately, building to a wholly satisfying conclusion…” Rock! Shock! Pop!

“The film itself, unusually, has very little of the gothic sumptuousness that one would expect. Grau draws a cold film around us – and this works as the subject matter suits such coldness. The jump in narrative is problematic on first view – though after that one knows that the narrative has been less jumped and more delayed.” Taliesin Meets the Vampires

“Languid pacing aside, the flick has a solid enough premise. It’s not altogether unwatchable, yet it’s slow and talky and it takes its sweet as time getting going. There’s still some cool sh*t here and there (the highlight comes when the townspeople cut the head off of a suspected vampire and burn it so nothing but the skull is left)…” The Video Vacuum

Cast and characters:

• Lucia Bosé … Erzebeth Bathory – Something Creeping in the Dark
• Espartaco Santoni … Karl Ziemmer – Lisa and the Devil
• Ewa Aulin … Marina – Death Smiles at Murder
• Ana Farra … Nodriza
• Silvano Tranquilli … Médico – The Black Belly of the Tarantula; Web of the Spider; The Horrible Dr. Hichcock
• Lola Gaos … Carmilla
• Enrique Vivó … Alcalde
• María Vico … Maria Plojovitz
• Ángel Menéndez … Magistrado
• Adolfo Thous … Juez
• Ismael García Romen … Capitán (as Ismael García-Romeu)
• Raquel Ortuño … Irina
• Loreta Tovar … Sandra (as Dolores Tovar)
• Franca Grey … Nadja
• Ghika … Inge
• Miguel Buñuel … Secretario
• Fabián Conde … Alguacil
• Estanis González … Posadero
• Antonio Puga … Olaus
• Francisco Agudín … Cartero
• Antonio De Mossul … Halconero (as Antonio de Mossul)
• Rafael Vaquero … Pintor (as Rafael Vakero)
• Roberto Daniel … Plojovitz
• Ángel Rodal … Joven Mario
• Juan José Otegui … Criado
• Ramón Pons … Periodista
• Mari Paz Ballesteros … Criada (as Mª Paz Ballesteros)
• Sergio Alberti … Sargento
• Sofía Nogueras … Niña
• Kino Pueyo … Mozo posada (as Joaquín Pueyo)
• Fernando De Bran … Párroco (as Fernando de Bran)
• Rafael Frías … Niño a caballo

Filming locations:

• Estudios Ballesteros, Madrid, Spain
• Nuevo Baztán, Madrid, Spain
• Pedraza de la Sierra, Segovia, Castilla y León, Spain
• Sepúlveda, Madrid, Spain

Image credits: Wrong Side of the Art!

Related:

Countess Dracula (1970)

Spanish horror

HORRORPEDIA is genuinely independent and we rely solely on the minor income generated by affiliate links and internet ads to maintain and grow our online presence. Please support us by buying via Amazon links and not blocking ads on our site. Thank you. We really appreciate it.

Quick links to site contents:

A | B | C | D | E  | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z

The post The Legend of Blood Castle – Spain/Italy, 1972 appeared first on HORRORPEDIA.

‘The blood is the life.’

Blood of the Tribades is a 2016 American horror feature film produced, written and directed by Sophia Cacciola and Michael J. Epstein (Clickbait; Ten). The Launch Over movie stars Chloé Cunha, Mary Widow, Seth Chatfield, Tymisha ‘Tush’ Harris, Kristofer Jenson, Zach Pidgeon and Sindy Katrotic.

Plot:

Two thousand years after the great vampire Bathor established the village of Bathory, superstition and religious violence take over as the men and women battle for control.

When the men are afflicted with a mysterious illness, they become certain that the vampire women of Bathory are responsible for their ills, and thus, the hunt begins!

Long-forgotten lovers Élisabeth and Fantine find that, with the help of those who were banished, it is their fate to piece together the past and help preserve what little of their society remains before Bathor’s impending return and judgment…

Reviews:

“The lesbian vampire is not new in the realm of horror, but whereas in the past, male filmmakers did their best to make lesbianism seem both erotic as well as the outcast other, this film actually makes these vamps sympathetic and shifts gears to change the subject to male oppression versus judgment upon free-spirited feminine wiles.” Ain’t It Cool News

“Besides the immersive mythology of the piece, the impressive array of locales—many absolutely gorgeous—on display in this film is astounding; especially considering it’s a low-budget independent flick. Also as stated previously, this film seeks to evoke the atmosphere of European arthouse/horror flick hybrids of the 1970s, and it succeeds rather admirably at that.” Famous Monsters of Filmland

“A number of the performances threaten to break the film’s spell but curiously, do seem to add to the air of otherwordly surrealism that permeates. Blood of the Tribades is both a pretty and fun piece of offbeat melodrama…” Scream

“While at first glance Blood of the Tribades may appear to be little more than a meticulously reconstructed and alluringly kitschy Euro-schlock throwback, its themes are as eternal as the undead who populate it, while at the same time being worryingly – perhaps even a little terrifyingly – contemporary..” Starburst

” …everything is based on mood, atmosphere and sensuality, with copious lashings of the red stuff. Rough around the edges but containing some genuinely interesting ideas, such as vampirism as a religion and a provocative treatment of sexuality and feminism, Blood of the Tribades is a fun, cheeky and admirable low budget erotic horror.” UK Horror Scene

“Michael and Sophia have this mentality that they are daring enough to film it, people are daring enough to view it. That mentality for a film like this really adds a depth to the material. Some may view this film as a message of female empowerment and others may view it as excessive. The way they romance the scenery in their film making is intoxicating and yet very creative.” Wicked Channel

Cast and characters:

• Chloé Cunha … Élisabeth
• Mary Widow … Fantine
• Seth Chatfield … Grando
• Tymisha ‘Tush’ Harris … The Great One
• Kristofer Jenson … Sava
• Zach Pidgeon … Berwick
• Sindy Katrotic … Giltine
• Simone de Boudoir … Naga
• Stabatha La Thrills … Wendigo
• Lilith Beest … Nephite Theodosia
• Irina Peligrad … Nephite Geraldine
• Maggie Maraschino … Nephite Ruthven
• Dale Stones … Jacob
• Andrew C. Wiley … Esau
• Savana Petruzello … Darvulia
• Serena Petruzello … Erzsi
• Edrie Edrie … Lilith
• Wednesday Alice Edrie … Baby Aluka
• Aurora Grabill … Carmilla
• Melinda Green … Mircalla
• Hugh Guiney … Stoker
• Scott Dezrah Blinn … Acheron
• Jake Vaughan … Alnwick
• Warren Lynch … Bagdana
• Porcelain Dalya … Akantha
• Shannon Keelan … Hadria
• Rachel Leah Blumenthal … Akeldama
• Tracey Sturtevant … Zillah
• Kevin F. Harrington … Lethe
• Sean M. Kennedy … Cocytus
• Sophia Cacciola … Bathsheba

Filming locations:

Massachusetts and Rhode Island, USA

Running time:

78 minutes

Release:

The film was initially distributed in North America on VOD and DVD/Blu-ray by Launch Over and on VHS by SRS Media. It is currently available on Amazon Instant Video

HORRORPEDIA is genuinely independent and we rely solely on the minor income generated by affiliate links and internet ads to maintain and grow our online presence. Please support us by buying via Amazon links and not blocking ads on our site. Thank you. We really appreciate it.

Quick links to site contents:

A | B | C | D | E  | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z

The post Blood of the Tribades – USA, 2016 appeared first on HORRORPEDIA.