‘Prepare for the dawn.’

Vampires – also known as John Carpenter’s Vampires – is a 1998 American independent horror western film directed and scored by John Carpenter and starring James Woods (Cat’s Eye; Videodrome). It was adapted from the novel Vampire$ by John Steakley by screenwriter Don Jakoby.

The film was followed by two direct-to-video sequels, Vampires: Los Muertos (2002) and Vampires: The Turning (2005).

In the UK, Powerhouse Films release the film on Blu-ray and DVD on 23 January 2017.

Buy: Amazon.co.uk

Plot:

A team of Vatican sponsored vampire hunters led by Jack Crow (James Woods) rids an abandoned house of vampires in the middle of New Mexico, only to be wiped out by a master vampire called Valek (Thomas Ian Griffith).

Only two members of the team survive, Jack Crow and Tony Montoya (Daniel Baldwin) as well as a prostitute named Katrina (Sheryl Lee) who was bitten by Valek. Crow later meets his boss, Cardinal Alba (Maximilian Schell), who introduces him to Father Adam Guiteau (Tim Guinee).

After Crow reluctantly allows Guiteau to come along with him, he tells the priest some of his past, about how his father was bitten by a vampire, killed his mother, came after Jack and that he killed his own father. He then asks what it is Valek is after and Guiteau tells him that Valek is seeking an ancient relic called the Black Cross of Berziers and that Valek was once a fallen priest who was thought to have been possessed by demons. The Bérziers Cross was used in an exorcism that was cut short but the result was that Valek was forever changed into the first vampire.

Using the changing Katrina’s mind, Jack, Montoya and Guiteau find out that Valek has seized the cross and they arrive at an old church to kill more vampires but they are soon set up as Cardinal Alba sides with Valek and kidnaps Crow, revealing that his plan all along was being turned into by Valek so he can too become immortal. Katrina turns into a vampire and allies herself with Valek after biting Montoya.

Cardinal Alba agrees to perform a ritual using the cross which will allow vampires to walk in sunlight and be invulnerable, but Guiteau, who was in hiding, appears and kills him before he can finish the ritual. Montoya and Guiteau then rescue Crow as the sun rises, and Crow heads off to confront Valek, whom he kills by ramming the Berziers cross into his chest and exposing him to sunlight, which causes Valek to explode.

Guiteau realizes that Montoya is about to turn into a vampire now that he has been bitten by Katrina, but Crow knows that Montoya has been loyal to him and so decides to take Montoya’s fate in his hands, telling Montoya that after two days he will hunt down and kill both him and Katrina. After Montoya and Katrina leave, Jack and Guiteau head off once again to kill the rest of the vampires that made it to shelter.

Reviews:

“In some ways, Vampires looks and feels different from other Carpenter movies it’s more frenetic, its visuals less studied than usual but its grimly relentless tone is perfect Carpenter. All the vampires do is kill. All the heroes do is kill vampires. In lesser hands, this could become repetitive and dull; Carpenter plays small, surprising variations throughout, as he does in his score for the film.” Rob Gonsalves, eFilmCritic.com

“The story (based on John Steakley’s novel) offers some intriguing ideas, but it’s hard to muster up much sympathy or emotion when the humans are as repellent as those they slay. Sheryl Lee, Twin Peaks‘ Laura Palmer, does remarkably well with her paper-thin role as a bite victim who holds the key to Valek’s potential downfall.” Matt Brunson, Creative Loafing

“The movie has a certain mordant humor, and some macho dialogue that’s funny. Woods manfully keeps a straight face through goofy situations where many another actor would have signaled us with a wink. But the movie is not scary, and the plot is just one gory showdown after another.” RogerEbert.com

” …with poor staging that makes set pieces intended to feel grand instead feel rushed and underwhelming, along with a mixed bag of a cast with some pretty bad supporting roles, Vampires has enough problems to really hold it back from being a significant entry in the vampire subgenre.” Ed Travis, Cinapse

“Rarely has a Carpenter film been this regressively boorish, as well as unjustifiably taken with its smart-ass sense of humor. Even more stunning still, though, is the pedestrian blandness of the director’s widescreen cinematography, which largely involves framing the hammy Woods in faux-tough-guy stances, and which – when married to mind-numbingly repetitive southern-guitar musical themes – helps render the undead action inanimate.” Nick Schager, Lessons of Darkness

Interviews:

Director John Carpenter talks to Jim Hemphill for Filmmaker

Cast and characters:

• James Woods as Jack Crow
• Daniel Baldwin as Tony Montoya
• Sheryl Lee as Katrina
• Thomas Ian Griffith as Jan Valek
• Maximilian Schell as Cardinal Alba
• Tim Guinee as Father Adam Guiteau
• Mark Boone Junior as Catlin
• Gregory Sierra as Father Giovanni
• Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa as David Deyo
• Thomas Rosales, Jr. as Ortega
• Henry Kingi as Anthony
• David Rowden as Bambi
• Clarke Coleman as Davis
• Marjean Holden as Female Master

Wikipedia | IMDb

‘Find yourself, before they find you.’

RedWood is a 2017 American supernatural horror film written and directed by Tom Paton (Pandorica).

After some bad news back at home, musician Josh and his girlfriend Beth head out to a secluded national park in search of some clarity on the situation they’ll face when they return.

However, the young couple get more than they bargained for when they ignore the advice of Park Rangers and venture off the trail, coming face to face with The Redwood’s legendary wildlife…

Main cast:

Nicholas Brendon (Attack of the Morningside Monster; Unholy;  Buffy the Vampire Slayer TV series), Tatjana Inez Nardone (Stalking Eva), Jessica-Jane Stafford (Cannibals and Carpet Fitters; Devil’s Tower; Doghouse), Muzz Khan (The Hatching), Mike Beckingham, Luke D’Silva.

IMDb | Facebook | Twitter | Official site

Coffin-shaped horror wall clocks are currently being sold by Spanish company Villaoscura. Most are horror movie-themed but a few have creepy images from horror fiction, such as Cthulhu, or legends. The clocks are described on their Etsy page as follows:

“Wall clock made of wood table about 3 mm thick, cut coffin shaped. The drawing is a digital image varnished. Approximate measurements are 29.5 cm (12 inches) high and 19.5 cm (7.7 inches approx) wide. Handmade item. Ships worldwide from Spain. $26.59”

1 – Audrey 2 – Little Shop of Horrors
2 – Carrie White – Carrie
3 – Chatterer – Hellraiser

4 – Chucky – Child’s play
5 – Pinhead – Hellraiser
6 – The creature – Creature from the Black Lagoon
7 – Critter – Critters
8 – Damien Thorn – The Omen

9 – Count Dracula – Dracula
10 – Sadako/Samara – The Ring (Ringu)

11 – Monster of Frankenstein – Frankenstein

12 – Freddy Krueger – A nightmare on Elm Street
13 – Ghostface – Scream
14 – Herbert West and Carl Hill – Re-Animator
15 – Sam – Trick’r Treat

16 – Jason Voorhees – Friday the 13th
17 – Toshio and Kayako Saeki – The Grudge (Ju-on)
18 – The Bride – Bride of Frankenstein
19 – Grady Twins – The Shining
20 – Captain Spaulding – House of 1000 corpses – Devils Rejects
21 – Leatherface – Chainsaw massacre
22 – Michael Myers – Halloween
23 – Count Orlok – Nosferatu

24 – Pennywise – It

25 – Jigsaw doll – Saw
26 – Vincent Smith – Horror Motel
27 – Regan MacNeil – The Exorcist

28 – Xenomorph – Alien

29 – Tarman – The return of the living dead

30 – Kurt Barlow – Salem’s Lot
31 – Werewolf – The Wolfman

The clocks are also available in desk size.

Source: Daily Dead

‘It claws… it drains blood!’

The Vampire is a 1957 American horror film directed by Paul Landres (The Flame Barrier; The Return of Dracula) from a screenplay by Pat Fielder (The Monster That Challenged the World).

Like The Werewolf (1956), The Vampire offered a science fiction take on a traditionally supernatural creature, although the films were produced by different production companies.

The Arthur Gardner and Jules V. Levy production was released theatrically on a double-bill with The Monster That Challenged the World. It was shown on TV as Mark of the Vampire.

On April 11, 2017, the film is released on Blu-ray by Scream Factory.

Buy: Amazon.com

Main cast:

John Beal (Amityville 3-D; The Bride), Coleen Gray (Tales from the Darkside ‘The Shrine’; The Phantom Planet; The Leech Woman), Kenneth Tobey (The Thing from Another World; It Came from Beneath the Sea; The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms), Lydia Reed, Dabbs Greer (House IV; It! The Terror from Beyond Space; House of Wax).

Plot:

The late Dr. Campbell was experimenting with vampire bat blood just before his death. Fellow doctor Beecher (John Beal) finds a bottle of pills among Dr. Campbell’s effects and takes them home.

Unfortunately, Dr. Beecher’s daughter accidentally substitutes the vampire blood pills for her father’s migraine tablets. As a result, the kindly Dr. Beecher starts having blackouts from the pills, making him change into a bloodthirsty monster by night…

Reviews:

“As routine and juvenile as this synopsis may sound, John Beal actually turns in a strong and highly sympathetic performance as the tormented doctor and elevates the picture.” Joe Karlosi, DVD Drive-In

“What it lacks in music and atmosphere it makes up in composition and variety of shots. It has good makeup, two time-lapse transformations, and several effective shock moments.” David Elroy Goldweber, Claws & Saucers

“Part Jekyll And Hyde story and part traditional vampire movie, the highlight of the film is the last twenty minutes or so, with the time lapse transformation from man into monster standing out as the coolest thirty seconds in the entire movie. Sure, the effects aren’t good by modern standards and you can plainly see that he’s just got a bunch of fuzz and latex glued to his face and hands, but there’s definitely a whole lot of wacky charm to this movie.” Ian Jane, Rock! Shock! Pop!

Buy: Amazon.com

” …The Vampire is hindered by uneven pacing, especially in the crucial final act, and by special effects that are nothing short of miserable. Worse yet, the filmmakers seem to have had no idea how pathetic their monster makeup was.” 1000 Misspent Hours and Counting

“The film, while not having the best makeup effects as it looks like they simply pasted some hair and silly putty on the guy to make him a vampire, looks beautiful.  The cinematography by Jack MacKenzie coupled with the direction by Paul Landres is crisply shot in black and white and they make good use of the surroundings with heavy shadows to give the movie the needed tension and dread.” The Telltale Mind

Cast and characters:

• John Beal as Dr. Paul Beecher
• Coleen Gray as Carol Butler
• Kenneth Tobey as Sheriff Buck Donnelly
• Lydia Reed as Betsy Beecher
• Dabbs Greer as Dr. Will Beaumont
• Herb Vigran as George Ryan
• Paul Brinegar as Willy Warner

Wikipedia | IMDb

Batwoman and Robin meet the Queen of the Vampires is a 1972 Filipino action horror film directed by Tony Cayado (Kamay na gumagapang; Dracula Goes to R.P.; Living Dead) from a screenplay by Greg Macabenta.

The film stars Robin Aristorenas (as Robin), Virginia (as Batwoman), Angelita Ortiz, Aldo Cruz, Venchito Galvez, Santiago Garcia, Francisco Cruz, Joe Roman, Ric Gaerlan, Ernie David, Joe Estrada.

There is currently no other information on this production available online but this posting will be updated if any becomes available.

IMDb | Image thanks: Video 48

Related: Batman Fights Dracula

‘The world’s most evil vampire lives again!’

Dracula: Prince of Darkness is a 1965 British supernatural horror film directed by Terence Fisher from a screenplay by Jimmy Sangster. The film was photographed in Techniscope by Michael Reed, designed by Bernard Robinson and scored by James Bernard. It stars Christopher Lee, Andrew Keir, Francis Matthews, and Barbara Shelley.

Dracula does not speak in the film, save for a few hisses. According to Christopher Lee: “I didn’t speak in that picture. The reason was very simple. I read the script and saw the dialogue! I said to Hammer, if you think I’m going to say any of these lines, you’re very much mistaken.”

Screenwriter Jimmy Sangster disputed that account in his memoir Inside Hammer, writing that “Vampires don’t chat. So I didn’t write him any dialogue. Christopher Lee has claimed that he refused to speak the lines he was given … So you can take your pick as to why Christopher Lee didn’t have any dialogue in the picture. Or you can take my word for it. I didn’t write any.”

The film was made back-to-back with Rasputin – the Mad Monk, using many of the same sets and cast, including Lee, Shelley, Matthews and Farmer.

Buy: Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com

Opening plot:

A prologue replays the final scenes from Dracula, in which Dr. Van Helsing (Peter Cushing) destroys Dracula (Christopher Lee) by driving him into the sunlight.

The main story begins as Father Sandor (Andrew Kier) prevents local authorities from disposing of a woman’s corpse as if it were a vampire. Sandor chastises the presiding priest for perpetuating the fear of vampirism, and reminds him that Dracula was destroyed 10 years previously. The Father visits an inn and warns four English tourists – the Kents – not to visit Karlsbad; they ignore his advice.

As night approaches, the Kents find themselves abandoned by their fear-stricken coach driver, in view of a castle. A driverless carriage takes them to the castle, where they find a dining table set for four people. A servant named Klove explains that his master, the late Count Dracula, ordered that the castle should always be ready to welcome strangers. After dinner the Kents settle in their rooms.

Later that night, Alan investigates a noise and follows Klove to the crypt, where Klove ritualistically kills him and mixes his blood with Dracula’s ashes, reviving the Count…

Buy: Amazon.com

Reviews:

“The gruesome sequence where the infamous bloodsucker is resurrected in a perverse religious ritual still retains its shock value, with scream queen Barbara Shelley’s demise just as memorable. Andrew Keir is no real substitute for Peter Cushing … but in every other respect this is a textbook example of top-grade ghoulish horror from Hammer’s golden era.” Alan Jones, Radio Times

“Lee, sans dialogue plays the part with demonic fury but it is Barbara Shelley who steals the show. As Helen, she is the very picture of prim, Victorian repression, but after she is bitten by Dracula, she turns into one of filmdom’s most rapacious female vampires. Her death scene is a highpoint of Hammer horror.” Gary A. Smith, Uneasy Dreams: The Golden Age of British Horror Films

“The film’s only weak point is the dispatch of Dracula himself which seems a bit unimaginative when compared to Meinster’s inventive dispatch in Brides of Dracula. However this is a mere blip in an otherwise brilliant film in the Dracula series and is without doubt the strongest and most dramatic entry. Absolute quintessential Hammer.” Adam Scovell, The Spooky Isles

“The build up is tense and kinetic, let down a bit by obviously limited budgetary restraints. Dracula, Prince of Darkness is the last Dracula Hammer with genuine style via Fisher’s red-blooded type of poetic horror. The sequels became increasingly clumsy, repetitive and pale in comparison…” Alfred Eaker’s The Blue Mahler

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

” …Dracula is deprived not only of dialogue but also of any worthwhile motivation, not even the paltry revenge motif which was to crop up in subsequent sequels.” Jonathan Rigby, English Gothic: A Century of Horror Cinema

” …Fisher opted for an unsettling combination of graphically gruesome violence and lusciously poetic atmosphere, which gives the movie a sense of stylish formalism and invites an appreciation of the way the story is told, rather than taking the more direct, ‘innocent’ approach of Dracula.” The Aurum Film Encyclopedia: Horror

“The best moments are the reconstitution and the imaginative ending. A grandly melodramatic score dates the film and the pace is slow by current standards, but it still stands up well to another viewing. The small cast is excellent. The women are classy and about as sexy as the 1965 screen would allow.” Mike Mayo, The Horror Show Guide

” …the main snag is that the thrills do not arise sufficiently smooth out of atmosphere. After a slowish start some climate of eeriness is evoked but more shadows, suspense and suggestion would have helped. Christopher Lee, an old hand at the horror business, makes a latish appearance but dominates the film enough without dialog.” Variety, December 31, 1965

Cast and characters:

• Christopher Lee as Count Dracula
• Barbara Shelley as Helen Kent
• Andrew Keir as Father Sandor
• Francis Matthews as Charles Kent
• Suzan Farmer as Diana Kent
• Charles Tingwell as Alan Kent
• Thorley Walters as Ludwig
• Philip Latham as Klove
• Walter Brown as Brother Mark
• Jack Lambert as Brother Peter
• George Woodbridge as Landlord
• Philip Ray as Priest
• Joyce Hemson as Mother
• John Maxim as Coach Driver
• Peter Cushing as Dr. Van Helsing [archive footage only]

The film was written into a novel by John Burke as part of his 1967 book The Second Hammer Horror Film Omnibus.

Filming locations:

Black Park, Buckinghamshire, England
Bray Studios, Bray, Berkshire, England

Buy: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk

Wikipedia | IMDb | Image thanks: Wrong Side of the Art!

The Vampire Bat is a 1933 American horror film directed by Frank R. Strayer (Condemned to Live; The Monster Walks) from a screenplay by Edward T. Lowe (House of Dracula; House of Frankenstein).

The film stars Lionel Atwill, Fay Wray (King Kong), Melvyn Douglas (Ghost Story; The Tenant; The Old Dark House), and Dwight Frye.

Fay Wray and Lionel Atwill had been in the successful film Doctor X the previous year and had already wrapped shooting on Mystery of the Wax Museum for Warner Bros. This was quite a large-scale release and would have a lengthy post-production process. Seeing a chance to exploit all the advance press, poverty row studio Majestic Pictures Inc. contracted Wray and Atwill for their own “quickie” horror film, rushing The Vampire Bat into production and releasing it in January 1933.

The film was shot on the Eastern European village set from Universal’s Frankenstein (1931) and the cave scene was film was in Bronson Canyon, while some interiors were from The Old Dark House (1932).

Plot:

When the villagers of Kleinschloss start dying of blood loss, the town fathers suspect a resurgence of vampirism.

While police inspector Karl Brettschneider (Douglas) remains skeptical, scientist Dr. von Niemann (Atwill) cares for the vampire’s victims one by one, and suspicion falls on simple-minded Herman Gleib because of his fondness for bats. A bloodthirsty angry mob hounds Gleib to his death, however the vampire attacks continue…

Buy: Amazon.co.uk

Reviews:

” …The Vampire Bat is far better than you’re entitled to expect. It remains moody and atmospheric, and tries hard, if unsuccessfully, to give the plot a rational underpinning – plus it gives me an excuse to stare at Fay Wray for an hour or so, which can’t be a bad thing.” Nigel Honeybone, HorrorNews.net

“The Vampire Bat is a fun trip, getting by on looking okay and playing with enough conventions to still seem sprightly, even with wooden direction and some lame comic relief. It serves as a fascinating mix of every genre trope that had emerged in both the silent era and the early sound years.” Danny, Pre-Code.com

“Like most of the early horror talkies, The Vampire Bat is exceedingly, well, talky, but Strayer does a good job of minimizing the damage caused thereby. He has a great eye for frame composition, he makes deft use of some unconventional transitional techniques between scenes, and most importantly, he keeps the camera moving, panning and zooming and winding busily around the set.”

Buy: Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com

“Quirky, odd, and different, The Vampire Bat is a horror film about vampires that take the concept to a whole different direction.” J. Luis Rivera, W-Cinema

“It offers numerous surprising or creepy sequences and images: the close-up of the dog, the chase through the torch-lit cave, the blood transfusion, the caped killer at the window. The defects include a lack of atmosphere and consistency…” David Elroy Goldweber, Claws & Saucers

“One of the best independent films churned out to meet the new vogue for horror (most of which were more darkish thrillers than pure horror).” The Aurum Film Encyclopedia: Horror

Buy: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk

“Atwill and Dwight Frye act as though they believed everything in a cheap quickie that starts as a vampire movie and turns into yet another variation on the standard mad scientist plot.” Alan Frank, The Horror Film Handbook

“Edward T. Lowe’s script and Frank R. Strayer’s direction are outdated but this is worth seeing for the cast…” John Stanley, Creature Features

“Dated low-budget horror comic with a few well-dash handled moments amongst the talk.” Howard Maxford, The A-Z of Horror Films

Buy: Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com

Choice dialogue:

Burgomeister: “Vampires are at large, I tell you. Vampires!”

Dr. Otto von Niemann: “Mad! Is one who has solved the secret of life to be considered mad? Life! Created in a laboratory! … Living, growing tissue. Life! That moves, pulsates, and demands food for its continued growth! Ha!”

Cast and characters:

• Lionel Atwill as Dr. Otto von Niemann
• Fay Wray as Ruth Bertin
• Melvyn Douglas as Karl Breettschneider
• Maude Eburne as Gussie Schnappmann
• George E. Stone as Kringen
• Dwight Frye as Herman Gleib
• Robert Frazer as Emil Borst
• Rita Carlisle as Martha Mueller
• Lionel Belmore as Bürgermeister Gustave Schoen
• William V. Mong as Sauer
• Stella Adams as Georgiana
• Paul Weigel as Dr. Holdstadt
• Harrison Greene as Weingarten
• William Humphrey as Dr. Haupt
• Carl Stockdale as Schmidt
• Paul Panzer as Townsman

Wikipedia | IMDb

The Slaughter of the Vampires – promoted as Slaughter of the Vampires – is a 1962 Italian horror film written and directed by Roberto Mauri (Night of Violence; Kong Island). The original title is La strage dei vampiri (“The Massacre of Vampires”).

A 1966 British release by E.J. Fancey was cut for an ‘X’ certificate by the BBFC but their website contains no details of the censored material.

In the United States, the film was also re-titled Curse of the Blood Ghouls in 1969 and issued on a double-bill with Bloodsuckers. 

The film was a low budget production, so much so that actor Dieter Eppler (also in Castle of the Walking Dead) stated that many cast members were not paid for their work.

Cast:

In 19th Century Germany, a newly-wed couple Marquis Wolfgang (Walter Bigari) and Louise (Graziella Granata) acquire a castle. To commemorate the occasion, Louise performs a piano piece she has written during a party. Louise then feels a strange sensation and retires to her room.

She is visited by a vampire (Dieter Eppler) who she originally sees at the party she was in and sucks her blood, leading her to desire him.

As a result, Louise’s health declines which leads to Wolfgang seeking aid from Dr. Nietzche (Luigi Batzella). Wolfgang is too late as when the doctor arrives Louise is already dead. As the doctor diagnoses this, Wolfgang is shocked to find Louise alive as she approaches him and sucks his blood.

The doctor later seeks out Louise’s hiding place and stakes her to death, along with the servant Corrine, who is also a vampire. Wolfgang’s hiding spot is not found as the doctor seeks another abode in the castle. Wolfgang, who is not entirely converted into a vampire, corners his adversary and stakes him with spikes of an iron grating…

Reviews:

” … an engaging gothic tale from the golden age of Italian horror. Filled with romantic melodrama, exceptional period costumes and exquisite locations, the film is less silly than the previous vampire films Brandi starred in, and quite frankly, more entertaining.” George R. Reis, DVD Drive-In

” …Mauri’s direction is tautly edited, with an impressive number of inventive set-ups and roving camera shots of good locations, and at just 79 minutes interest never flags. The film may be the first to offer a vampire bride whose ample, heaving bosom almost becomes a character in itself (themselves?). Granata’s low-cut dresses pre-date what became the standard at Hammer by a half-dozen years.” Stuart Galbraith IV, DVD Talk

“Some good moments can be found in this otherwise lackluster film, including a highly atmospheric early bit in which the vampire spies on Louise through bushes outside her house, and a later scene in which Louise stalks Wolfgang through a courtyard at night. Graziella Granata is quite alluring as the vampirized Louise, and makes for an extremely compelling sight.” Fright.com

“Eppler’s vampiric assaults on Granata provide a few mildly erotic moments […] Ugo Brunelli’s camera makes the most of the atmospheric sets and enhances the sense of foreboding present within a few eerie clusters of trees. Aldo Piga’s heavy-handed score seems more appropriate for a tearjerker than for a vampire flick.” Lawrence McCallum, Italian Horror Films of the 1960s

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

Cast and characters:

• Walter Bigari as Marquis Wolfgang
• Dieter Eppler as the vampire
• Graziella Granata as Louise
• Luigi Batzella as Dr. Nietzsche
• Gena Gimmy as Corinne
• Edda Ferronao as Nietzsche’s maid
• Carla Foscari as Teresa
• Maretta Procaccini as Resy
• Alfredo Rizzo as a servant

Filming locations:

The Castle of Monte San Giovanni, Italy

Wikipedia | IMDb

‘We suck at this’

Atlanta Vampire Movie is a 2017 comedy horror film directed by Giles Shepherd (Ace the Zombie: The Motion Picture) from a screenplay by Wiley McCain.

Carmilla (Chelsea Howard) inadvertently infects Ron (Carl W Childers), Fang (Elena House), and Corey (Jevocas Green) with her vampirism.

While attending a support group recommended by Dr. Acula (Stan Bowman) for what is thought to be a medical condition, the three connect back with Carmilla and learn the truth of their new existence.

Cast out by Martin (Edward Solis) and the old vampires, pursued by the determined Eddie Van Helsing (John Johnson), Ron and Carmilla seek to maintain some humanity and lead their menage through the challenges of vampire life in the modern world…

The film is currently in post-production.

IMDb | Facebook

Zombie Hotel is a 2005 Irish/French animated children’s television series about a hotel run by zombies, created by Jan Van Rijsselberge, produced by French production company Alphanim and shown internationally.

The main characters are Fungus and Maggot, two child zombies who pretend to be human to get into their local school, and their family and boarders at the hotel run by their parents.

They make friends with Sam, a human boy whose mother is away most of the time. Sam soon finds out about their zombie powers. Sam uses an old railway carriage as his haunt.

The plot often involves a risk of the discovery of Maggot and Fungus’ zombie nature and the three trying to prevent this.

Buy: Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com

Main characters:

• Maggot is the courageous, bossy and hot-headed twin sister of Fungus. She has a crush on her friend Sam. (Voiced by Aileen Mythen)
• Fungus is the hardworking, cool brother who loves doing impossible DIY. (Voiced by Hillary Kavanagh)
• Sam is Maggot and Fungus’ human friend (but he has a crush on Maggot).

• Rictus is the children’s father who runs the Zombie Hotel. He doesn’t get along with his father well. (Voiced by Roger Gregg)
• Funerella is Rictus’ wife. She gets worried a lot, but loves her family. (Voiced by Susan Slott)
• Jeebies is the hotel’s elderly butler, who has a hunched back. He is quite prone to losing his limbs. (Voiced by Rod Goodall)
• Chef is a grouchy vampire who is the head chef in the hotel. He is known for his horrible food creations which even the zombies find hard to eat sometimes.

• Wilson is Chef’s assistant. His head is detachable and it is shown he can replace it with a new one. (Voiced by Philip McGettigan)
• The Colonel is a small-headed, but rotund bodied zombie who used to be in the military.
• Dame Fedora is a ghost resident at the hotel who never stops complaining about things.
• Uncle Von is Maggot and Fungus’ crazy scientist uncle. He has a laboratory in the hotel.

• Francis is Von’s creation and sidekick, a Frankenstein’s monster style character.
• Tut is a mummified DJ who likes telling bad jokes. (Voiced by Gary Hetzler)
• Miss Harriet Harbottle is Maggot and Fungus’ teacher. (Voiced by Danna Davis)
• Mr. Peabody is the headteacher of Maggot and Fungus’ school. (Voiced by Patrick Fitzsymons)
• Harvey Justine is Harbottle’s adolescent nephew/son, who Maggot, Fungus and Sam have to often reluctantly babysit.

Episodes:

1. First Day
2. Love is in the Air
3. Plumbing the Depths
4. Zombie Pride
5. Brat Attack
6. There’s Something About Zombies
7. Vote for Zombie
8. Happy People
9. Oh My Goth!
10. It’s Not Fair
11. Funerella’s Deathday
12. The Bogeyman Cometh
13. Dead Trendy
14. Something Old, Something Newt
15. Too Many Cooks
16. Hexed
17. Inspector Fungus
18. School Exchange
19. Movie Madness
20. The Wrong Von
21. Night of the Undead Babysitters!
22. Toying with Magic
23. Carrots, Sticks and Robots
24. A Zombie’s Best Friend
25. The Hug Bug
26. A Class Act

Wikipedia | IMDb

Mansion of Blood is 2015 American comedy horror film written and directed by Mike Donahue. It stars Gary Busey (Sharknado: The 4th Awakens; Gingerdead Man and sequels; Silver Bullet), Robert Picardo (Mega Shark vs. Crocosaurus; 976-EVIL; Munchies), Ray Quiroga and Tom Tangen.

Millionaire Mason Murphy renovates the haunted Mayhew mansion. He moves his family to the estate with his creepy servant Zacharia (Gary Busey). He plans a tremendous lunar eclipse viewing party to celebrate his return to his hometown of River Ridge Iowa.

At the party, a witch casts a spell to summon the spirit of her dead boyfriend. The magic runs out of control under the eclipse and a series of deadly accidents lead to revenge killings and then all the monsters come out as the party guests are murdered one by one…

Main cast:

Gary Busey, Robert Picardo, Ray Quiroga, Tom Tangen, Tyrone Power Jr., Eddy Salazar, Lorraine Ziff, Mindy Robinson, Jennifer Tapiero, Jaira Valenti, Sarah Alami, Chris Allaire, Carla Laemmle, Sam Stone, Alexandra Cramer.

Reviews:

“Mansion of Blood is enormously entertaining, and yet it’s pretty terrible in every regard. Its main problem is that it’s so incredibly busy, and writer-director Mike Donahue has no idea how to pin everything together. We get a cavalcade of characters, a whole host of little situations created at the party during the film’s first half (affairs, double-crosses etc), and – as events progress – murders galore as every horror trope in the book is pulled out of the bag.” Stuart Willis, Sex Gore Mutants

“As we stared wide-eyed at the screen, it crossed my mind that this was all some sort of colossal joke. But no, it was meant to be an effective horror/comedy/murder mystery. It wasn’t scary, there were perhaps two genuine guffaws and the early scenes of characters trying to find clues to specific treasures – were like the rest of the film – a frantic mess of randomness.” Michael Klug, Horrorfreak News

“Mansion of Blood is a really bad film. To say it is poorly made is an affront to other poorly made films. At 98 minutes it is excruciatingly long. It needed to be trimmed by at least 20 minutes. This would not have been hard to do as there was so little cohesion between the various storylines.” Andrew Swope, Rock! Shock! Pop!

“ …covers almost every facet of horror movies, almost every era, almost every sub-genre, almost anything & everything imaginable with one hell of a cast to boot. All of this could’ve made for a horror movie of epic proportions, BUT (and isn’t there always a but?), none of this is done in any way that’s logical, cohesive, well written or even well produced. In fact, Mansion of Blood achieves epic status, but it’s an epic train wreck.” Brandon C. Sites

IMDb | Image credits: Body Count Rising

‘A night of unrelenting terror’

Spookies is a 1986 American horror film co-directed by Brendan Faulkner, Thomas Doran and Eugenie Joseph from a screenplay co-written with Frank Farel. The creature effects were created by Gabe Bartalos, Arnold Gargulio, Jennifer Aspinall and John Dods.

It was originally a 1984 feature film entitled Twisted Souls. The film was being edited when creative and legal issues between the producers and the financial backer prevented final post production work from being carried out.

In 1985, the financial backer hired Eugenie Joseph to direct more footage which was pieced together with the footage from Twisted Souls, creating Spookies.

Plot:

A 13-year-old boy named Billy runs from home because his parents forgot his birthday. Making his way through woods, he encounters a drifter who is subsequently slashed to death. Billy stumbles on an old mansion where a room is decorated for birthday celebrations. Thinking it is a surprise by his parents, he opens a present to discover a severed head. Running away, he is attacked by the drifter’s killer, a werecat with a hook on one hand, and subsequently buried alive.

Meanwhile, a group of friends decide to have a party in a seemingly deserted mansion. However, a sorcerer named Kreon resides there, keeping watch over his bride whom he has kept preserved for over seventy years.

Kreon possesses one of teenagers in the group, forcing her to use a Ouija board and summons a variety of monsters to pick off the group one by one. These include muck-men, small reptilian demons, giant spiders, an arachnid woman, an octopus-like creature with electric tentacles, a skeletal witch, a Grim Reaper statue, a vampiric boy in a monk’s habit, and a large group of zombies…

Main cast:

Peter Dain, Peter Iasillo, Joan Ellen Delaney, Soo Paek, Nick Gionta, Anthony J Valbiro, Lisa Friede, Kim Merrill, Charlotte Alexandra, Al Magliochetti, Felix Ward, Alec Nemser, Maria Pechukas.

Buy: Amazon.co.uk

Reviews:

“Spookies doesn’t hold up well as a proper feature film for obvious reasons. It seems too much of a patched together creation solely based around what make-up effects the FX team could come up with. But what FX! A tour-de-force of 80s horror at its most grandiose and most sublime, Spookies is as entertaining as it is infuriating!” Andrew Smith, Popcorn Pictures

“The opener is harrowing, Fulci-esque and the night scenes are stunningly shot. The effects are not nearly as bad as they could be given the modest budget but there are corny lightning strikes and a plot that’s all over the map.” Really Awful Movies

” …the entire movie is a series of visual setups, strung between the incongruous sorcerer gloating, party people screaming and dying, the purple werewolf holding doors closed with glee, and a bride loathing her predicament […] This movie is so goofy nonsensical you’ll love watching it while deriding the hell out of it.” Zombo’s Closet of Horror

“For 80 minutes long you will witness a monstrous SFX extravaganza while a group of clueless people is running around and being killed in a big mansion. Now, how does all this relate to our freeze-frame ending? To put it simple, in the same way all the previous events relate to each other in the film: It makes no sense!” Cult Reviews

Buy: Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com

“The ‘kitchen sink’ approach should please undemanding fans.” John Stanley, Creature Features

Wikipedia | IMDb

‘Bloodsucker! Deadlier than Dracula!’

Blacula is a 1972 American horror film produced by American International Pictures (AIP). It was directed by William Crain and stars William Marshall in the title role.

Blacula was released to mixed reviews in the United States, but was one of the top grossing films of the year. It was followed by the sequel Scream, Blacula, Scream in 1973 and inspired a small wave of blaxploitation themed horror movies such as Blackenstein.

Plot:

In 1780, Prince Mamuwalde (William H. Marshall), the ruler of an African nation, seeks the help of Count Dracula (Charles Macaulay) in suppressing the slave trade. Dracula refuses to help and transforms Mamuwalde into a vampire and imprisons him in a sealed coffin. Mamuwalde’s wife, Luva (Vonetta McGee), is also imprisoned and dies in captivity.

In 1972, the coffin has been purchased as part of an estate by two interior decorators, Bobby McCoy (Ted Harris) and Billy Schaffer (Rick Metzler) and shipped to Los Angeles.

Bobby and Billy open the coffin and become Prince Mamuwalde’s first victims. At Bobby’s funeral, Mamuwalde encounters Tina (Vonetta McGee), who Prince Mamuwalde believes is the reincarnation of his deceased wife…

Buy: Amazon.co.uk

Review:

“If the title screams trashy exploitation, the actual films are more thoughtful. Much of this is down to William Marshall, who brings the titular character rather more gravitas than you would’ve thought possible. ‘Dignity’ is the word most often used to describe the properties of his performance, which is a word loaded with racial suggestion perhaps, but is also accurate. His Blacula is dignified.

This is a character than could – and indeed should – have been cheesy, comedic, stereotyped. Marshall, much to his credit, works hard to ensure that isn’t the case. His vampire is at once tortured, savage and romantic, able to move from urbane to monstrous in a moment, and he is one of the few vampire figures of the era to be a somewhat sympathetic character, as much victim as villain.

David Flint, Horrorpedia

Other reviews:

“…Blacula is a hip and happening horror that’s not strictly played for cheesy laughs, despite its tongue-in-cheek title. There’s a police crime thriller vibe going on (director William Craine had previously done an episode of TV’s Mod Squad), while the script relishes in taking bites out of racial prejudice and homophobia…” Peter Fuller, Kultguy’s Keep

“The placement of an old-fashioned, Bela Lugosi-type Dracula—albeit much, much sweatier—in a modern black neighborhood is a great idea, but the amateurish production leaves Marshall as stranded in the film as his Mamuwalde is stranded in the times.” Scott Tobias, The Dissolve

Buy: Amazon.com | Amazon Instant

“An enjoyable attempt to cash-in on the market for Black-orientated films in the seventies, given dignity by Marshall’s Blacula and throwing in a couple of gay vampires for good box-office measure.” Alan Frank, The Horror Film Handbook

Cast and characters:

• William Marshall – Prince Mamuwalde / Blacula
• Denise Nicholas – Michelle Williams
• Vonetta McGee – Tina Williams / Luva
• Gordon Pinsent – Lt. Jack Peters
• Thalmus Rasulala – Dr. Gordon Thomas
• Emily Yancy – Nancy
• Lance Taylor Sr. – Swenson
• Logan Field – Sergeant Barnes
• Ted Harris – Bobby McCoy
• Rick Metzler – Billy Schaffer
• Ketty Lester – Juanita Jones
• Charles Macaulay – Count Dracula
• Ji-Tu Cumbuka – Skillet
• Elisha Cook, Jr. – Sam
• Eric Brotherson – Real Estate Agent
• The Hues Corporation – Themselves

Filming locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA
Hyperion Outfall Treatment Plant, Playa del Rey, California, USA

Wikipedia | IMDb | AFI

‘From the farm to the fork’

Eat Local is a 2017 British comedy horror film directed by actor Jason Flemyng (Forbidden Empire; The Bunker; From Hell) from a screenplay by Danny King. It stars Charlie Cox, Freema Agyeman and Mackenzie Crook.

In a quiet countryside farmhouse, Britain’s vampires gather for their once-every-fifty-years meeting. Others will be joining them too; Sebastian Crockett, an unwitting Essex boy who thinks he’s on a promise with sexy cougar Vanessa; and a detachment of Special Forces vampire killers who have bitten off more than they can chew. This is certainly going to be a night to remember… and for some of them it will be their last.

Main cast:

Charlie Cox (Daredevil), Freema Agyeman (Doctor Who), Mackenzie Crook (Pirates of the Caribbean movies; The Gathering), Dexter Fletcher, Eve Myles, Ruth Jones, Vincent Regan, Annette Crosbie. Billy Cook.

Trivia:

The film was previously titled Reign of Blood.

IMDb | Twitter | Facebook

Age of the Living Dead is a 2017 British six-part horror television series. It is produced by showrunners Simon Phillips and Paul Tanter, who also directs. It stars Nicola Posenor, David Meadows and Estella Warren (Planet of the Apes).

Humans provide vampires on the opposite coast with a compulsory, weekly blood donation. Eventually, the humans manage to re-arm and plan a nuclear strike on the vampires as a final strategy to end the war…

U.S. sales and production house Voltage Pictures has picked up international sales rights. The company will launch the film at the Hong Kong FilMart and promote it at MIP-TV in Cannes.

Main cast:

Nicola Posener, David Meadows, Estella Warren, Brenda Schmid, Roy Allen III, Don Baldaramos, Norman Black, Massimo Dobrovic, Julia Farino, Justin Gordon, Deji LaRay, Shiah Luna, Eve Mauro, William McNamara, Everett Moss, Bill Oberst Jr., Cynthia Perez, Simon Phillips, Cindy Pickett, Michael Ray, Sean Sprawling, John F. Thomas, Peter Barrett, David Haydn.

IMDb | Facebook

Once Bitten is a 1985 American horror comedy film directed by Howard Storm from a screenplay by Jonathan Roberts, David Hines, Jeffrey Hause and Terence Marsh. It stars Lauren Hutton, Jim Carrey, and Karen Kopins. The film was Carrey’s seventh film and his first main role.

Plot:

Being 400 years old, the Countess (Lauren Hutton) has collected a stable of young men and women who accompany her on her centuries-old journey through eternal night-and youth.

While she is immortal, she is required to drink the blood of a young male virgin three times by Halloween each year to keep her immortality and youthful appearance – a task she finds increasingly and extremely hard, since attractive young male virgins are almost impossible to find in the 1980s, particularly in hedonistic cities, in this case, Los Angeles.

Meanwhile, high school student Mark Kendall (Jim Carrey) wants to have sex, but is being put off by his girlfriend Robin Pierce (Karen Kopins).

One night, Mark and his best friends Jamie and Russ go into a singles bar in Hollywood. Mark meets the Countess and he goes back to her mansion, and after she seduces him, he passes out when she bites his thigh. When he wakes up, she pretends they have had sex and tells him that he is now hers…

Buy with Love at First Bite: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk

Reviews:

“ …Once Bitten is just spectacularly unfunny most of the time, trading on supposed double entendres to work up fitful humor. The film finally devolves into what is more or less a teenaged sex farce, and it’s notable that the film pretty much jettisons the vampire angle in its closing moments…” Jeffrey Kauffman, Blu-ray.com

“Released by The Samuel Goldwyn Company in the wake of other light horror comedies such as Teen Wolf and Transylvania 6-5000, Once Bitten is a mildly amusing affair which doesn’t have much style or horror elements for that matter, but it seems to embrace more 1980s teen comedy movie clichés than Hot Tub Time Machine.” George R. Reis, DVD Drive-In

” …affects a glossy, sophisticated look that does little to upgrade the film’s adolescent humor. As directed by Howard Storm, it has a lot more stylishness than wit. Miss Hutton looks great in black, but her predatory vampire grows tiresome very quickly, as do all the Bloody Mary jokes.” Janet Maslin, The New York Times

“Lauren Hutton has a space between her fangs as the vapid vampiress of Once Bitten, a sappy, sophomoric sex farce in which the supernatural’s answer to Mrs. Robinson sucks the blood virgin boys.” Rita Kempley, The Washington Post

“Teenage sex comedy with supernatural overtones, not as dumb as some but still kind of dumb.” John Stanley, Creature Features

Choice dialogue:

Mark: “I don’t wanna be a vampire. I’m a day person!”

Robin: “He doesn’t want you cause you’re mean and evil. He wants me because I’m sweet and pure. So, f*ck off!”

Cast and characters:

• Lauren Hutton as the Countess
• Jim Carrey as Mark Kendall
• Karen Kopins as Robin Pierce
• Cleavon Little as Sebastian, the Countess’s assistant
• Thomas Ballatore as Jamie
• Skip Lackey as Russ
• Richard Schaal as Mr. Kendall, Mark’s father
• Peggy Pope as Mrs. Kendall, Mark’s mother
• Megan Mullally as Suzette
• Jeb Stuart Adams as World War I Ace Vampire
• Joseph Brutsman as Confederate Vampire
• Stuart Charno as Cabin Boy Vampire
• Robin Klein as 1960s Flower Child Vampire
• Carey More as Moll Flanders Vampire
• Glen Mauro as Twin Vampire #1
• Gary Mauro as Twin Vampire #2

Wikipedia | IMDb

Vampire Cleanup Department – aka Gao geung jing dou fu – is a 2017 Chinese Hong Kong comedy horror film directed by Sin-Hang Chiu and Pak-Wing Yan. It stars Siu-Ho Chin, Hok-chi Chiu and Babyjohn Choi.

Vampires have been haunting Hong Kong for centuries. Because of this, hidden in this city is an official special action unit coping with them — the Vampire Cleanup Department (VCD).

The street cleaners out at night are actually vampire hunters, their giant garbage bins containing the captured vampires. The ordinary garbage station is their secret headquarters…

The film was released in Hong Kong and Singapore on 16 March 2017.

Main cast:

Siu-Ho Chin (Rigor Mortis; Vampire Warriors; Mr. Vampire), Hok-chi Chiu, Babyjohn Choi, Min Chen Lin, Meng Lo (Human Lanterns; Hex After Hex; Hex vs. Witchcraft), Richard Ng (The Nocturnal Demon), Susan Yam-Yam Shaw (Hei se xi ju; Tales from the Dark 1; The Romance of the Vampires), Cheung-Yan Yuen (The House That Never Dies; Goliathon; The Oily Maniac).

IMDb | Thanks to Jeff Gilbert at Drinkin’ & Drive-In

‘They suck at school’

Vampire Academy – aka Vampire Academy: Blood Sisters – is a 2014 American action horror film based on the 2007 best-selling novel of the same name by Richelle Mead, directed by Mark Waters and scripted by Daniel Waters. It stars Zoey Deutch, Danila Kozlovsky, Lucy Fry, Gabriel Byrne (Stigmata; Gothic; The Keep), and Rory Fleck-Byrne (The Quiet Ones).

The film was a failure critically and financially, grossing only $15.4 million worldwide against a $30 million budget.

Plot:

Rose Hathaway is a Dhampir, half human/vampire, guardians of the Moroi, peaceful, mortal vampires living discretely within our world. Her legacy is to protect the Moroi from bloodthirsty, immortal vampires, the Strigoi…

Reviews:

“The always-professional Gabriel Byrne phones it in, and if you’ve seen 95% of the movies he’s been in, you already know exactly what part his character plays. To be fair, both Cameron Monaghan and Dominic Sherwood manage to shine in their supporting roles, which only highlights how below par everyone else’s performance is. Suggestion to the screenwriters: you may not want to put down Twilight and sparkling vampires when your script already sounds like bad fan fiction itself.” Movie Crypt

“If you’re semi-paying attention, you’ll figure out who the villains are not too long into the movie, and then it’s a long, slow slog to the finish line, because Vampire Academy offers nothing in the way of suspense, interesting characters or even a compelling argument for its existence.” Don Kaye, Den of Geek!

“One idea, mixed with lame jokes, and stretched beyond coherence. Vampire Academy doesn’t need a review. It needs a stake in the heart.” Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

“It’s so concerned with its juvenile dramatics that any potential horror content only shows up in dribs and drabs, like a bit involving shirtless guys making blood graffiti that seems like it’s been spliced in from one of David DeCoteau’s Brotherhood flicks, and the late coming appearance of wolflike CGI beasts called psi-hounds…” Ken Michaels, Fangoria

“While not all the enrolled pretty male and female creatures swanning about this fussily old-fashioned Hogwarts-like institution shun the sun, apparently they are afraid of other kinds of exposure since Vampire Academy had no prior screenings for reviewers before opening on Friday. Wise move, since there is no UV protection high enough to extend to critical scorching.” Susan Wloszczyna, RogerEbert.com

“Perhaps the fault is in the source material and the filmmakers did the best with what they had, but it doesn’t even feel like anyone behind the camera really cared. For as awful as they are, Zoey Deutch and Lucy Fry are at least trying to give the movie some life, but the whole thing is a boring and bland waste of time that is as empty and vacuous as the general conceit of being Twilight meets Harry Potter.” Luke Owen, Flickering Myth

“Visually, the film is nothing special, but it’s at least reasonably professional. Mark Waters and his cinematographer Tony Pierce-Roberts (Underworld) shot everything in a plain, yet also clean and comfortable fashion, so there’s no framing of the young women to objectify them, and the film tends to rely on quick-cutting rather than pseudo-realistic camerawork (in other words, no shaky cam) during the action sequences.” Sandy Schaefer, Screen Rant

Cast and characters:

• Zoey Deutch as Rosemarie “Rose” Hathaway
• Lucy Fry as Vasilisa “Lissa” Dragomir
• Danila Kozlovsky as Dimitri Belikov
• Gabriel Byrne as Victor Dashkov
• Dominic Sherwood as Christian Ozera
• Olga Kurylenko as Headmistress Ellen Kirova
• Sarah Hyland as Natalie Dashkov
• Cameron Monaghan as Mason Ashford
• Sami Gayle as Mia Rinaldi
• Ashley Charles as Jesse Zeklos
• Claire Foy as Sonya Karp
• Joely Richardson as Queen Tatiana Ivashkov
• Dominique Tipper as Guardian Gabriela
• Edward Holcroft as Aaron Drozdov
• Bronté Norman-Terrell as Camilla Conta
• Chris Mason as Ray / Ralf Sarcozy
• Nick Gillard as Kenneth
• Rory Fleck-Byrne as Andre Dragomir
• Alexander Abadzis as Mr. Dragomir
• Elizabeth Conboy as Rhea Dragomir

Filming locations:

Brent Cross Shopping Centre, Hendon, London, England, UK
Charterhouse School, Godalming, Surrey, England, UK
The Charterhouse, Charterhouse Square, London, England, UK
Louise Blouin Foundation, London, England, UK
Pinewood Studios, Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, England, UK
University College London (UCL), Malet Place, Bloomsbury, London, England, UK

Wikipedia | IMDb | Facebook

‘A comic tale of horror and seduction.’

Vampire in Brooklyn is a 1995 American comedy horror film directed by Wes Craven (Scream; A Nightmare on Elm Street; The Last House on the Left).

Eddie Murphy, who also produced and stars in the film, co-wrote the film’s script, alongside Vernon Lynch and Murphy’s older brother Charlie Murphy. Michael Lucker and Chris Parker contributed rewrites.

The Paramount Pictures film co-stars Angela Bassett, Allen Payne, Kadeem Hardison, John Witherspoon, Zakes Mokae, and Joanna Cassidy. Murphy also plays an alcoholic preacher and a sweary Italian gangster.

Plot:

An abandoned ship crashes into a dockyard in Brooklyn, New York, and the ship inspector, Silas Green, finds it full of corpses. Elsewhere, Julius Jones, Silas’s nephew, has a run-in with some Italian mobsters. Just as the two goons are about to kill Julius, Maximilian, a suave, mysterious vampire intervenes and kills them.

Soon after, Maximillian infects Julius with his vampiric blood, thereby turning him into a decaying ghoul. He explains that he has come to Brooklyn in search of the Dhampir daughter of a vampire from his native Caribbean island in order to live beyond the night of the next full moon.

This Dhampir turns out to be NYPD Detective Rita Veder, who is still dealing with the death of her mentally ill mother some months before. Rita begins having strange visions about a woman who looks like her, and begins asking questions about her mother’s past…

Reviews:

“Vampire in Brooklyn in the end is a disappointment, a series of oddly mismatched elements – a White director working with an almost completely Black cast; a horror director trying to do a comedy; a comedy star trying to do horror; and a B-script with an A-budget – and to no particular surprise it never clicks together.” Richard Scheib, Moria

” …Murphy, as the vampire of the film’s title, is the least interesting fixture in a story that gets muddled in its mix of horror and comedy genres: He is strangely cumbersome, which could be because of the hokey makeup and special effects surrounding him. Vampire in Brooklyn is neither funny nor frightening and comes up a tedious middle-road hybrid…” Peter Stack, San Francisco Chronicle

“The movie’s pleasures are fairly minor. It’s intriguing to watch Bassett, who has an appealing presence and sculpted features to die for. It’s also interesting to see Murphy apparently playing Herb (of Peaches and Herb) with fangs. But this modern fable is little more than a Murphy potboiler, something to while away a couple of hours, rather than fondly remember.” Desson Howe, The Washington Post

“In his unabashed rapacity and elegant aspect, Maximilian is a throwback: cunning, charming and guiltless. But the narrative, the complex make-up and effects, and Murphy’s performance as Max never probe beyond the surface. In fact, the make-up used to turn Murphy/Maximilian into other characters has more dramatic impact than the vampire transformations.” Alain Silver, James Ursini, The Vampire Film from Nosferatu to True Blood

Buy: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk

“The chemistry between Bassett and Murphy is strong, Kadeem Hardison and John Witherspoon are adept at comedy, the special effect sequences and transformations are startling, and the overall 1930s-’40s mood is charming.” John Kenneth Muir, Wes Craven: The Art of Horror

“It was a misguided alliance. Each party pursued a different agenda, resulting in a confused and disappointing horror-comedy…” Brian J. Robb, Screams & Nightmares: The Films of Wes Craven

Buy: Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com

Cast and characters:

• Eddie Murphy as Maximilian / Preacher Pauly / Guido
• Angela Bassett as Detective Rita Veder
• Allen Payne as Detective Justice
• Kadeem Hardison as Julius Jones
• John Witherspoon as Silas Green
• Zakes Mokae as Dr. Zeko
• Joanna Cassidy as Captain Dewey
• W. Earl Brown as Police Officer
• Simbi Khali as Nikki

Wikipedia | IMDb

‘Beyond the black mouth of the cursed cave lurk the unfleshed…’

Cave of the Living Dead is a 1964 West German-Yugoslavian horror film produced and directed by Ákos Ráthonyi [as Akos von Ratony] from a screenplay co-written with Kurt Roecken. It stars Adrian Hoven, Carl Möhner, Erika Remberg and Wolfgang Preiss.

The film’s original title is Der Fluch der grünen Augen (“The Curse of the Green Eyes”). It was released by Richard Gordon in the US on a double-bill (“Twice the thrills! Twice the chills!”) with Italian film Tomb of Torture.

Inspector Frank Dorin (Adrian Hoven) is sent to a remote village to investigate a number of mysterious deaths and encounters local superstition, racism and a suspicious professor in the local castle…

Buy: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk

Reviews:

“Like most Eurohorror, Cave is long on atmosphere and short on any logical narrative sense or structure. Like a dream (or nightmare), characters react to missing bodies and vampires living in caves with a disquieting complacency.” Films from Beyond the Time Barrier

Basically an atmospheric bore, Cave of the Living Dead still has several things to recommend it including some nice homages to early German horror films (notably Nosferatu) […] There’s also Karin Field who flashes her curvy figure (from behind) while stripping down to a pair of black panties, then throwing on a see-through negligee that she parades around in for several moments.” George R. Reis, DVD Drive-In

“Though Hoven is an engaging enough presence as the omnipresent Doren, perhaps the major mystery about Der Fluch is that Von Ratony got hold of an iconic figure like Wolfgang Preiss yet gave him so little to chew on. The Professor is a sketchy character; engaged in research that’s presumably intended to reverse his own vampirism, he never gets the opportunity to elucidate it slightly.” Jonathan Rigby, Euro Gothic

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

“The humour is slightly off-kilter, as I mentioned, full of bungling characters and a Lothario lead. It doesn’t work brilliantly, but this might be due to the poor dubbing and translated dialogue. That said there is something pleasingly groovy, despite the uncomfortable moments, about the film – perhaps due to the swing jazz soundtrack.” Taliesin Meets the Vampires

Choice dialogue:

Landlord: “And what am I left with? Just the wine…”

Village doctor: “They gossip so much in the village, particularly about foreigners. And when the other one is black they have great material.”

John, the manservant: “Say, Inspector, do you think vampires like black blood?”

Inspector Frank Dorin: “Either coffins are cheap around here or they haven’t got enough beds!”

Main cast:

Adrian Hoven (producer of Mark of the Devil and director of its sequel), Erika Remberg (Circus of Horrors), Carl Möhner, Wolfgang Preiss (Mill of the Stone Women; The 1,000 Eyes of Dr. Mabuse), Karin Field (The Demons; Legend of Horror; Web of the Spider), Emmerich Schrenk, John Kitzmiller.

Running time: 81 minutes

IMDb | Image credits (big time!): Zombos’ Closet

Plot keywords:

inspector | village | grotto | murder | innkeeper | doctor | castle | professor | caves | witch | villagers | underwear | panties | nylons | well | snake | vampire