Shock Cinema Volume One (1990)

...aka: Shock Cinema

...aka: Shock Cinema, Vol. 1

Directed by:

Robert Hayes

The popularity of home video was reaching its zenith when this documentary was released, so it was the right time to finally hear from some of the directors, writers and producers actually making all of those low budget horror/exploitation films. Unfortunately, this is little more than a 'talking head' piece that's unlikely to be of interest to many people out there... even someone like me... who loves movie trivia and hearing all about the behind-the-scenes goings on of even cheap, bad and/or obscure genre films. So what's the problem? I would say it boils down to three things. First, the film lacks titles at any point aside from the opening and closing credits. All of the interview subjects are briefly introduced at the very beginning (via narration) and as it cuts back-and-forth between them it's difficult to remember exactly who is who. Another problem is that although the film does try to loosely structure the interview snippets, it's still as shapeless as soup. Third, there are no trailers, no film clips and the only narration is at the very beginning. This is simply an hour of people sitting in front of a camera talking about their careers and that just grows tiresome.

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One aspect they did get right is gathering together the right people. Charles Band, as head of Empire Pictures and then Full Moon, is undoubtedly one of the most crucial horror filmmakers and distributors of the video revolution. Then we have prolific filmmakers such as former taxidermist and grocery bagger Fred Olen Ray, whose own company American Independent Pictures was responsible for some popular B-movie titles during its day (HOLLYWOOD CHAINSAW HOOKERS, anyone?), and David DeCoteau, who discusses getting his big break on the Corman production GALAXY OF TERROR and then his first chance to direct from the Band-financed DREAMANIAC (1986) five years later. Jeff Burr discusses his 1986 debut THE OFFSPRING, as well as the butchering of LEATHERFACE: TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE III ("New Line has utter contempt for the genre"), while Scott Spiegel talks about his work on EVIL DEAD 2 (1987) and his slasher INTRUDER (1988).

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We also hear from the likes of writer/director C. Courtney Joyner (Burr's former college roommate, who calls a slasher film he wrote - NIGHT SCREAMS (1987) - "awful"), Christopher Roth (who edited KILLER KLOWNS FROM OUTER SPACE and many FOR films), Ernest D. Farino (a very talented title maker and fx artist, who also sometimes directs and also animated the Pillsbury Doughboy) and lesser-knowns such as Daniel M. Peterson (director of VAMPIRE KNIGHTS and GIRLFRIEND FROM HELL), J.R. Bookwalter (THE DEAD NEXT DOOR) and Mark Thomas McGee (EQUINOX). So what do they talk about? Mainly how they got started making films, their influences, who gave them their big break (in most cases it was either Corman or Band), getting screwed out of money, on-screen violence and what to do if you're an aspiring filmmaker.

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Scream Queen Brinke Stevens produced and appears as the on-screen hostess. She's seen only at the very beginning standing near the Hollywood sign and does a brief voice-over introducing the interview subjects.

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Originally released on VHS by Cinema Home Video, the entire Shock Cinema series (four parts in all) is now being distributed by Tempe Entertainment on DVD in a two disc set. This first part is also contained as a bonus on the documentary SOMETHING TO SCREAM ABOUT.

★★

Dracula A.D. 1972 (1972)

...aka: Dracula 1972

...aka: Dracula 1972 DC

...aka: Dracula Today

Directed by:

Alan Gibson

Review coming soon.

★★

Ugetsu monogatari (1953)

...aka: Tales of a Pale and Mysterious Moon After the Rain

...aka: Tales of Ugetsu

...aka: Ugetsu

Directed by:

Kenji Mizoguchi

Review coming soon.

★★★1/2

Entity, The (1981)

Directed by:

Sidney J. Furie

Review coming soon.

★★

Xie (1980)

...aka: Che
...aka: Evil
...aka: Hex

Directed by:
Chih-Hung Kuei

Chun Yu Yeung (Wang Jung aka Wong Yung) is a sadistic bastard. Bitter because he married into the wealthy Chan family during a period of financial decline, Chun Yu treats his poor wife, Madam Sau Ying (Tanny aka Tien Ni), like a dog. He beats her, berates her and spends all her family money on booze, gambling and prostitutes. He's also driven away all of the hired help by treating them badly, which especially sucks for Sau Ying because she's stricken down by a lung infection and could use the extra help. As she sinks into a depression, Sau Ying finds an unsuspecting ally in Yi Wah (Szu Chia Chen), a determined young woman whose mother was the Chan family maid years ago. Yi Wah, who initially stopped in just to visit, sees Sau Ying is desperate for help and decides to take on servant responsibilities. She's subjected to torment from her new master, but stands her ground and refuses to let him bully her.
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One stormy night, Chun Yu threatens to sell his wife's precious jade bracelet (a family heirloom) and at the end of the fight, the ladies end up drowing Chun Yu. They dump his body in a nearby lake and decide to go about their business. Sau Ying is tormented by nightmares about her dead husband returning to life. A foul smell leads the villagers to drain the lake, but Chun Yu's body is nowhere to be found. Any of this sound familiar? Yep, the entire first half of this film is basically an overwrought exact replica of the French suspense class LES DIABOLIQUES (1955). Once you realize that, it should come as no surprise to discover that Chun Yu and the new maid are actually conspiring to drive the wife mad to get their hands on her money. Their plan works, Sau Ying dies and then her murderers spend the second half being haunted by their victim.

Despite a rough start, things do get enjoyably strange and frenetic during the second half when Madam's vengeful ghost shows up. She scolds men trying to burn her furniture, kills a bird and shows up as a skull-faced apparition spewing blood. During the finale, a completely nude woman with super-long red fingernails does some crazy exorcism dance that goes on for longer than five minutes while some old female mystic beats her with a shoe and spits "black dog's blood" on her! There's also nude body painting, a decapitated talking head, a reanimated crawling hand, a real snake getting chopped up with a cleaver, a guy being beat to death with a stick and ears being ripped off. Toward the end, you might notice a few ideas were pinched from KWAIDAN (1964) and, while nothing great, this Shaw Brothers production is fairly entertaining, lively and colorful, and the whole thing looks pretty good.

The DVD is from Intercontinental Video. A pretty straight genre feature, it was followed by two unrelated comic horror sequels: HEX VS. WITCHCRAFT (1980) and HEX AFTER HEX (1982).
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★★1/2

House That Cried Murder, The (1973)

...aka: Bride, The

...aka: No Way Out

...aka: Scream

Directed by:

Jean-Marie Pélissié

Barbara (Robin Strasser) has been spoiled rotten by her rich Daddy (John Beal). He's even recently given her enough money to design and build her own shingle-covered, Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired dream home out in the country. Barbara's in love with handsome but arrogant David (Arthur Roberts) and even though David works for her father and does good work for her father's firm, Barb's pop doesn't approve of them being together. He seems to have his reasons, but finally caves in and lets his daughter marry him against his better judgment because what bratty Barbara wants bratty Barbara gets. Turns out, Daddy was right. Immediately after Barbara and David tie the knot, and I mean immediately after (during the wedding reception!), David sneaks upstairs to mess around with his former girlfriend Helen (Iva Jean Saraceni). Barbara walks in on them, freaks out, grabs a pair of scissors, stabs David in the arm, marches outside covered in blood, laughs insanely before her wedding guests and them drives off in her car.

Several weeks pass and Barbara is nowhere to be found. David is surprised that her father hasn't fired him yet and wants to meet him for a drink. There, his father-in-law alludes to the fact that he may have pissed off the wrong woman. Apparently, as a child Barbara used to lock herself in her bedroom for long periods of time, had a cruel streak and at one point slowly cut a chicken's head off! David returns home, where he's shacking up with his lover, and then strange things begin to happen, starting with bizarre phone calls from a woman claiming to be David's answering service. While David is at work one day, Helen is tormented by an unseen figure who leaves behind a chicken head on her pillow and frightens her with a skeleton dummy prop. She immediately packs her bags and takes off, leading David all alone to venture into the kooky house that Barbara built.

This one has slipped between the cracks over the years; undeservedly so for the most part. It's a pretty neat and mostly satisfying little thriller that benefits from decent performances, a spooky music score, a standout nightmare scene full of weird camera angles and distorted sounds, several well-directed horror sequences and a clever finale that's as hilarious as it is eerie. The major problem with this one is that the current available prints (both Brentwood's release THE BRIDE and the UK release NO WAY OUT) are in ghastly condition and cut by around 12 minutes. Still, even in butchered form, this is worth a look.

Producer and co-writer John Grissmer would go on to make SCALPEL (1976) and the slasher BLOOD RAGE (1982). Lead actress Strasser is a popular and well-known soap opera star, who has played Dorian Lord on One Life to Live ever since 1979. Beal (who passed away in 1997) had the lead role in 1957's THE VAMPIRE and also played a supporting role in AMITYVILLE 3 (1983). Roberts - making his film debut here - would go on to become a 'B'/exploitation film regular, beginning with his turn as the alien-vampire in Jim Wynorski's remake of NOT OF THIS EARTH (1988).

★★1/2

Non aver paura della zia Marta (1988)

... aka: Broken Mirror, The
... aka: Don't Be Afraid of Aunt Martha
... aka: Murder Secret, The
... aka: Non aver paura della zia Marta - The Broken Mirror

Directed by:
Mario Bianchi

Lucio Fulci Presents yet another middling low-budget Italian horror-gore flick without much to recommend it. Little Richard Hamilton is traumatized when his mother (Anna Maria Placido) jumps to her death from a window immediately after visiting his deranged Aunt Martha (Sacha Darwin) in a nuthouse. Thirty years pass and adult Richard (Gabriele Tinti) receives an invitation from his estranged aunt, who has finally been released from the St. George Mental Health Clinic and would like for her nephew to visit. Richard packs up his stuff and decides to take his family; wife Nora (Adriana Russo), teenage daughter Georgia (Jessica Moore) and young prankster son Maurice, along. His older son Charles decides to meet them all there later. Once they arrive, Aunt Martha is nowhere to be found, but a suspiciously friendly "caretaker" named Thomas (Maurice Poli) lets them know she'll be along eventually. In the meantime, they're advised not to enter a certain room that Martha keeps locked.

By the next day, dear auntie still hasn't arrived. Instead, a gloved psycho pops in to say "Hey!" and starts hacking his or her way through the family. Mom goes into town to do some shopping and dad takes a walk, leaving Georgia all alone to face a bloody Psycho shower stabbing. Young Maurice gets decapitated with a chainsaw and, when mom finally returns, her head gets lopped off with one slam of a wooden trunk lid. Richard stumbles onto a secret cemetery with five tombstones already brandishing the names of his family members. When he returns home the shocking (not really) family secret to what's going on is finally revealed.

Though not incompetently made, this film suffers from three major problems. First, the dubbing and dialogue are both horrendous. That probably won't bother the Euro-horror target audience in the least, but I figured I'd point it out, anyway. Second, it takes forever to rev up. Almost an hour has passed before a drop of blood has been spilled and the film does little to keep our interest in the meantime. Finally, the whole shebang is too predictable. The mystery killer's identity couldn't be any more obvious and the motive is uninteresting. The film also tries to wedge in some supernatural ghost / haunting stuff at times but it doesn't work at all. On the plus side, the gory moments are alright. I liked seeing a little kid suddenly getting his head chainsawed off. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know I'm a sick-o, but that mean-spirited stuff puts a smile on my face.

Lead actor Tinti was married to Emanuelle series star Laura Gemser and appeared in all manner of exploitation and horror films from the early 50s until his death in 1991. Some older viewers may remember those days in the 80s and early 90s when cable channels used to import much of their erotica from Europe. Two of the more popular titles during this time were Eleven Days, Eleven Nights (1986) and Top Model (1988), both of which starred the busty Moore (who sheds her clothes twice in this one). Poli and Darwin both put in appearances in Fulci's gory black comedy TOUCH OF DEATH in 1988. Speaking of Fulci, he was a producer and "supervised" this production. Director Bianchi, a prolific porno director, also made the very sleazy possession flick Satan's Baby Doll (1980).

As far as the Lucio Fulci Presents advertisement tag is concerned, I can't make heads or tails of these movies as a connected series. Some seem to be made for TV, some are theatrical releases (or were meant for theaters but never made it there). Fulci himself serves as director / writer on some of these, but not most. One site I went to claimed the titles in the series are Hell's Gate (1989), MASSACRE (1989), THE RED MONKS (1988) and this one. However, I read an interview where Fulci claimed the series also includes Bloody Psycho (1989) and Escape from Death (1989) as well as three films he himself directed. I'm just... confused. Clips from many of these movies (Murder Secret included) later showed up as filler in Fulci's NIGHTMARE CONCERT (1990).

★★