House on Haunted Hill (1959) stands as one of producer/director William Castle's greatest achievements, a testament to the fact that he stood on par with his peers in the field of cinematic fear-making and creep-inducing goodness. Possessed of all the right ingredients: a foreboding mansion, Vincent Price, a promise of money, and more spooks and creeps slithering along the hallways than you can shake a poltergeist at, Haunted Hill is one of the finest chillers of the old dark house variety...
Contributed by Jose Cruz | Read More
Corruption (1968) takes the 'mad doc-Frankenstein' principle (popularized by writers Anthony Hinds and Jimmy Sangster in a series of early '60s Hammer flicks), and updates it here for contemporary London. Nothing about this Brit horror movie is transcendent. But it is polished, well acted, and never boring. Cushing excels in an attack scene on a gal aboard a busy train. And there's a nice bit with a houseguest who discovers a dead noggin in the freezer...
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A German krimi based on a novel by Edgar Wallace, The Curse of the Yellow Snake (1963) isn't anything to get excited about. This humdrum thriller is hampered by a silly subplot concerning an arranged marriage between leading man Clifford (Joachim Fuchsberger) and his girlfriend Joan (Brigitte Grothum), and weakened by some irritating comedy from blathering aesthete Samuel (Eddi Arent). Still, there is a decent knife-in-the-back scene to be had here...
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Beware! Take cover! It Came From Out of the Closet! With its tongue planted so firmly into its own cheek as to punch right through that piece of desiccated flesh, Fred Dekker's Night of the Creeps (1986) is a zombie horror/sci-fi pastiche which takes a bite out of nearly every well-tread subgenre and chews it all together into a smooth retro-pulp to spit back down our beak. (And it's all so gay!)
Contributed by Clay McLeod Chapman | Read More
Director Victor Halperin's White Zombie (1932) works extremely well, despite being initially panned by critics upon its first release. Having been shot in only eleven days, the picture is marvelously steeped in a strange and foreboding atmosphere, and features an iconic performance from Bela Lugosi as the notorious Murder Legendre. The whole endeavor works almost on the level of a dream, with beautiful and haunting images flitting before our very eyes...
Contributed by Jose Cruz | Read More
Don't miss Chords of Fear, our exclusive interview with Canadian horror film composer Paul Zaza. From his distinctive, chilling score for Bob Clark's Murder by Decree (1979), to his lively disco soundtrack for Paul Lynch's Prom Night (1980) to his moody cues for the cult slasher Curtains (1983) and beyond, we discuss key highlights from Zaza's prolific career. Added bonus: listen to some of the music while you read the interview!
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For Nail Guns, Snakes and Sleestaks, we spoke with actor Wesley Eure about his work in such genre outings as the original grindhouse ditty The Toolbox Murders (1978) and the snake thriller Jennifer (1978), not to mention his colorful memories of appearing on the Krofft Saturday morning classic Land of the Lost. (And in amongst it all, we touch on Lucille Ball, Amy Johnston, Ron Palillo and Days of Our Lives!)...
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Never Take Candy from a Stranger (1960) is a relevant thriller from Hammer Films. Peter Carter (Patrick Allen) and his family move to a small Canadian town where Peter's been hired as the new school principal...But the Carters are unaware there's a sexual predator on the loose in the community! What starts off as a gripping drama soon builds to a bang-up conclusion, full of tragic and uncompromising results...
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Well, lookee here, Terror Circus (1974) is a low budget grindhouse flick that's surprisingly good! Andrew Prine plays Andre, a loner who lives out in the Nevada desert and lures helpless young women back to his remote home. There, the psycho ties them up and puts them in his barn, where they become "animals" in his imaginary circus show, with himself as Ringleader. And if they try to escape? If they misbehave? No problem...
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Horror soundtracks have run the gamut, sonically speaking. Many of them have proven surprisingly lush, beautiful, and evocative. In Murderous Medleys, Supernatural Suites we spotlight 20 terror scores to contemplate and enjoy. From such composers as Giorgio Moroder, Jerry Goldsmith, and Frank de Vol, this meticulous essay features cues from the soundtracks themselves, as well as an extensive photo gallery.
Contributed by Stephen Ryan | Read More
It's not hard to believe Die Screaming Marianne (1970) is an early effort from Pete Walker - the same director who would go on to helm the excellent Frightmare (1974) and the enjoyable House of Whipcord (1974). There's a similar feel in style & pacing, the city scenes are oh-so-veddy-British, and Anthony Sharp (from 1976's The Confessional) even shows up in a bit cameo...
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