And now he has done me another solid, by taking the time to set up an interview with legendary Director Chuck Russell (A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 3: DREAM WARRIORS, THE BLOB, THE MASK, et al.) about his latest directorial effort, WITCHBOARD. This remake of the Kevin Tenney classic received a limited theatrical release just a few weeks back, and has yet to make it’s Blu-ray and digital debut. But it’s sure to find an audience if it’s as good as Robert says it is.

Here’s his non-spoilery thoughts on the film:
I was thoroughly impressed with WITCHBOARD – while comparisons to the 1987 film can’t be helped, I believe this reimagining stands on its own and is a marked improvement over the original, carving out its own identity rather than feeling like a retread. The film takes a fresh spin on the story, starting with the discovery of a pendulum board by Emily (Madison Iseman) that quickly becomes a deadly obsession.

One of WITCHBOARD’s strongest aspects is its effective use of practical effects, expertly enhanced by subtle touches of CGI. Charlie Tahan shines as Richie, bringing a memorable charm to the film, while David La Haye delivers intense performances as the bishop in the film’s expository flashbacks. Personally, my only criticism is that Richie could’ve used more screen time. Overall, WITCHBOARD is a wild ride that’s definitely a worthwhile watch for horror fans.

Hopefully this film marks Director Chuck Russell permanent return to the horror genre!

Anyway, without further ado gang, here’s Robert’s interview with Chuck! Enjoy!

Note: This article was originally posted over at my Patreon on July 31, 2025! To gain early access to articles like this (and other exclusive content), please consider becoming a Vault patron! All proceeds go towards the rising costs of operating and maintaining this website, and its appendages!

When you ingest as much cinematic trash as I have, you begin to view the world a bit differently. Suddenly up is down, black is white, bad is good – the lines between heroes & villains blurs, and answers are sought to an endless series of unresolved plot threads. While thinking on such things, I’m often confronted by these two simple words: “WHAT IF?”

This eternal question is what fuels this fledgling column, which aims to explore my skewed view of various films and pop culture ephemera. Hopefully along the way you will be entertained as I conjecture on a multitude of topics in an attempt to give you pause after you scoff at my often groundless hypotheses!

For my latest WHAT IF entry, I take a look back at Toho Co. Ltd.’s oft-overlooked 1970 kaiju bash SPACE AMOEBA. The film begins when a space probe called the Helios 7 returns to Earth and splashes down near a tropical paradise called Selgio Island. However, it turns out that there is a mysterious stowaway onboard: the titular space amoeba!

The blue-hued amorphous mass begins bonding with, and mutating, local sea-life resulting in a trio of giant creatures: Gezora, a massive squid that can travel on land and freeze whatever it captures in its tentacles, Ganimes, a gigantic stone crab with mighty claws and bubbly projectile saliva, and Kamoebas, a titanic Matamata turtle with patented accordion neck attack!

The three kaiju terrorize the natives of Selgio, as well as a group of researchers, until they are all defeated through various means. Gezora is set aflame, one Ganimes is blown up with some WWII-era ordnance, while a second crab kaiju takes a volcanic bath with Kamoebas during their brief scuffle at the film’s climax.

Additionally, a human host for the space amoeba, Makoto Obata (Kenji Sahara) was gifted with super strength, as well as the power to communicate via ESP! Makoto was forced to work against his fellow humans until the creature’s “spell” over him is broken, allowing him to sacrifice himself to destroy it.

Obviously fire and intense heat proved effective against the alien’s kaiju forms, but another interesting weakness that is discovered later in the film is ultrasonic sound waves! Thanks to the unexpected intervention of dolphins and bats, the intelligent amoeba loses control of its hosts and humanity is able to to repel the attempted invasion!

SPACE AMOEBA suffered from budget cuts and behind-the-scenes drama that caused a rift between director Ishiro Honda and Toho’s producers. Maybe that’s part of the reason why it didn’t make a huge splash in Japanese theaters. Though the film would eventually make its way to the U.S. in a slightly truncated form the following year as YOG, MONSTER FROM SPACE, it was up against stiff competition, surrounded by other more notable films like THE OMEGA MAN, JOHNNY GET YOUR GUN, NIGHT OF DARK SHADOWS, and THE MEPHISTO WALTZ!

However, “YOG” did get some play on late-night TV on programs like Chiller Theatre and Son of Svengoolie, and made it to VHS in the late 80s/early 90s before it faded into relative obscurity. SPACE AMOEBA was eventually rediscovered in the early 2000s, thanks to the internet and Media Blasters giving the film its DVD debut, but sadly it still seems like this tropical sci-fi adventure hasn’t quite found its audience all these decades later.

But… WHAT IF one of Marvel Comics’ most enduring characters was inspired by this Toho classic? WHAT IF a certain “lethal protector” owes his early origins to the likes of Gezora, Ganimes, and Kameobas?

Thirteen years after SPACE AMOEBA premiered in U.S. theaters, Marvel Comics unleashed their Secret Wars mini-series, in which the cosmic being known as Beyonder kidnaps various heroes and villains from Earth, and transports them to “Battleworld.” Lasting for about a year and featuring dozens of fan favorite characters, the popular Secret Wars storyline (which is currently being adapted into a major motion picture from Marvel Studios, and slated for a December 2027 release!) famously unveiled Peter Parker’s new black & white Spider-Man costume!

The suit design was dreamed up by a fan named Randy Schueller, who sold his idea to Marvel for $220. Eventually, various writers and artists developed a backstory that Spider-Man’s new duds were in fact a sentient alien creature called a symbiote. It imbued Spidey with nearly unlimited organic webbing, increased his speed and strength, and allowed him to adapt to any situation. (e.g. The suit could change into normal street clothes at a moment’s notice.)

Eventually it is discovered that the suit is alive and trying to form a permanent bond with Parker, who eventually uses the sonic vibrations of a cathedral bell to force the symbiote to separate from his body. And as all of you reading this know, the sentient black goo from space eventually bonds with disgraced reporter Eddie Brock and turns into Venom! Sometimes a villain (with an axe to grind against Spider-Man), and sometimes an anti-hero, the Venom symbiote imbues its host with superhuman abilities, increasing both their physical size and strength.

And interestingly enough, Venom’s main weaknesses (which are shared by most of his fellow Klyntar) happen to be intense heat/fire, as well as sonic attacks! Now this is entirely speculation on my part, but it seems to me that there’s more than enough similarities to make me believe that someone at Marvel (be it David Michelinie, Tom DeFalco, or any number of artists) may have been partially influenced by seeing Toho’s SPACE AMOEBA!

Naturally I have zero evidence to back this up (which is typical of yours truly) but hear me out! In the 1970s, Marvel Comics was headquartered in New York City (on Madison Avenue). And the “YOG” cut of SPACE AMOEBA premiered in NYC on August 4, 1971. So the odds of one of these (then) twenty-year-old guys popping into a theater on nearby 42nd street to see a newly released Japanese giant monster movie is probably better than average.

And while I certainly understand that there have been occasions where creators develop a film or story that is incredibly (though unintentionally) similar to somebody else’s work, (e.g. James Gunn claimed to never have seen NIGHT OF THE CREEPS prior to writing/directing SLITHER) I truly think it’s plausible that any one of Venom’s creators could have cribbed a few ideas from a rather silly monster movie that few are likely to remember.

So what say you gang? Does my theory hold any water? Could I have just revealed a long-forgotten conspiracy? Or is this just purely a crazy coincidence that’s been living rent-free in my brain for the better part of five years? Let me know by leaving a comment below, and thanks for taking the time to hop down this rabbit hole with me!

Well it was just a matter of time: The JURASSIC PARK franchise has spawned another film, this time helmed by Gareth Edwards, whose previous efforts include MONSTERS, 2014’s GODZILLA, ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY, and THE CREATOR. JURASSIC WORLD: REBIRTH takes place five years after JP: DOMINION (ugh) and has a special team (led by Scarlet Johansson) venturing to an island full of saurian monstrosities created by the long defunct inGen Corporation, this time to extract dino-DNA in an effort to create some sort of medical breakthrough.

I’ve heard mixed reactions thus far, but I’m sure it’ll be a great popcorn flick that will properly kick-off the already crowded Summer blockbuster season. And seeing how Edwards has proven to be capable of effectively utilizing digital effects, I’m sure that at the very least, the dinosaurs (and dinosaur-adjacent beasties) will look fantastic on the big screen!

Believe it or not, I’m looking forward to [eventually] seeing JP: REBIRTH, mainly because I’m a total sucker for dinosaur flicks! And its’ release has me reminiscing about a time in my life where the daily grind of adulthood seemed so far away and inconsequential. A time when my future as a famous paleontologist seemed so damned certain.

So let’s take a trip back in time to the early 1990s, an erea where Nintendo was battling Sega for video game supremacy, the Beanie Baby craze was in full swing, the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers premiered and became a surprise hit, and Blockbuster Video conquered the home video rental market. Prepare to immerse yourself in my Jurassic memories!

I don’t quite recall what caused by childhood obsession with dinosaurs (I’m leaning towards seeing the original KING KONG at an early age), but I was hooked on everything and anything involving the long extinct creatures that preceded humanity. I drew thousands of sketches, built several plywood dinosaur skeleton kits, constantly checked out dinosaur books from the local library, and watched multiple dinosaur-themed cartoons including DINO-RIDERS, DINOSAUCERS, and DENVER: THE LAST DINOSAUR.

Thanks to the video store boom at the time, dinosaur movies were on a regular rotation on one of several TVs in our house, with such classics as BABY: SECRET OF THE LOST LEGEND, MY SCIENCE PROJECT, PLANET OF THE DINOSAURS, THE LAND THAT TIME FORGOT, and a healthy dose of GODZILLA movies all fueling my imagination! I even had a VHS tape called DINOSAURS! A FUN-FILLED TRIP BACK IN TIME, that I watched constantly.

It was a bizarre half-hour educational video that features Fred Savage as a procrastinating kid trying to figure out a topic for his science project that is due the following day. (Dinosaurs, duh!) The video contains an incredibly catchy musical number (“Mezozoic Mind“), and a fantastic claymation climax where an ill-tempered T-Rex goes on a killing spree!

In fact, and this is a little embarrassing, I was so dinosaur crazy that I earned the nick-name “Jordinosaur” in middle school. While it was made up by kids that were trying to bully me, I proudly made the moniker my own. I even had my own “Jordinosaur” letterhead thanks to my 6th grade English teacher, Ms. Vitale, who apparently saw potential in yours truly’s writing ability. She was a really supportive teacher, and she made a lasting impression on me.

I sometimes wonder what she’d say if she found out I spent half my life writing about movies on the web, just for fun. Would she applaud my efforts? Make corrections to my grammar syntax, and point out spelling errors? Or would she just lower her head in shame because of all of that wasted potential? I guess I’ll never know…. which is probably for the best.

In early 1993, I started reading Michael Crichton’s JURASSIC PARK, which had a “Soon to Be a Major Motion Picture” blurb on the cover. I had learned through some sort of print media that Spielberg’s adaptation of the book was coming out that Summer and I was losing my mind, especially after I saw some production photos in a one-off DINOSAUR magazine that was published by STARLOG! (Which I still have to this day, though it’s not in great condition.)

But before JURASSIC PARK could blow everyone’s collective minds, an upstart named Roger Corman was rushing to get his own dinosaur film out to the masses and capitalize on all the JP buzz, namely CARNOSAUR! Adapted from a book that was full of sex, violence, and rampaging dinosaurs, Corman’s low-budget film would turn out to be a far cry from its source material. But it contained dinosaurs, so I just had to see it!

And wouldn’t you know it, according to my beloved TV Guide, CARNOSAUR was set to premiere on Cinemax (for one night only, which was pretty damned odd) shortly after it’s small theatrical run in mid-May of ’93! The only problem? It was going to be on way after my bed-time! (Argh!) However fate stepped in that night in the form of growing pains. Crying and unable to sleep because of the throbbing ache in my calves, I was given some Tylenol by my mom who, God bless her, sat up with me to watch Corman’s R-rated indie creature feature.

The Carnosaur novel that the film is very loosely based upon, features an eccentric British Lord who clones dinosaurs for his private zoo using DNA from fossil fragments and injecting it into chicken eggs. Eventually his secret is discovered thanks to an intrepid reporter, and the dinosaurs end up getting released to create carnage in the nearby sleepy village of Warchester, leading to a cool showdown between the British military and rampaging dinosaurs!

Meanwhile the film has a mad scientist, played by three-time Academy Award Nominee Diane Ladd, who releases a deadly virus that kills men and causes women to give birth to dinosaurs. (?!!!!) Her ultimate goal is to wipe out humanity and clear room for her cloned critters. The film concludes with a battle between the lead character “Doc” Smith (piloting a skid-steer loader) and a Tyrannosaurus Rex, before taking a surprisingly dark turn at the end that is almost reminiscent of George A. Romero’s THE CRAZIES.

Needless to say, I was disappointed with CARNOSAUR, citing that the book had way more than two dinosaurs. My mom on the other hand was clearly relieved that the movie was over, judging by her disgusted reactions to the gory bits throughout the film. Looking back, I don’t think she realized what she was getting herself into, and I really don’t think she approved of me watching that movie. Regardless, she didn’t complain once and took one for the team because the movie kept me distracted from my pain.

As June 11th, 1993 neared I was pumped to see JURASSIC PARK, but crestfallen to learn that all screenings at both of our local multiplexes were SOLD OUT for the weekend! My mom assured me that she would take me to see it the following week, but that didn’t improve my morale. I knew that come Monday morning, most of my classmates would be talking about the movie and rub it in that “Jordinosaur” didn’t get a chance to see it. When Friday came, I went to school as usual but was obviously dejected that I was about to miss out on the movie event of the year.

I don’t recall what class I was in that day, but I do remember the pang of fear I felt when I suddenly heard my name called out over the loudspeaker to report to the principal’s office. My mind raced. “What did I do? Am I in trouble? Why does the principal want to see me?!” I worriedly walked downstairs to the ground floor of (the former) East Scranton Intermediate School, towards my impending doom. Then I suddenly saw my mother walk out into the hallway with the principal.

Confused, I asked why she was there. “Oh, you have a doctor’s appointment today that I forgot about. So I came to pick you up.” In my preadolescent mind, I was now certain that I was about to have the worst day of my life! First I can’t see JURASSIC PARK and now I have a surprise visit with our family doctor?! I was not a happy camper, and I quietly brooded in the passenger seat as we traveled up the Scranton/Carbondale Highway towards the Viewmont Mall in Dickson City, PA.

I looked up at the sign outside the Mall’s parking lot for the (now long gone) Viewmont Mall Cinema, and saw my beloved JURASSIC PARK emblazoned above the other unimportant films currently playing. And that’s when it dawned on me that we weren’t heading in the direction of the doctor’s office. Moments later, my mother revealed that she had done the unthinkable: She had LIED to pull me out of school and was taking me to see JURASSIC PARK! WHAT?! It was unbelievable! I was shocked! Dumbfounded! Awestruck even!

This woman obsessed over my perfect attendance at school and always highlighted the importance of honesty. And now she had just pulled the wool over my eyes to whisk me away in secret to see the movie that had consumed my every thought for weeks! She had broken her own stringent rules to surprise me and brighten my day! To me, it was the ultimate act of parental love and I’ll never forget it.

I will also not forget how I had to keep shushing her during the movie. My mom is one of those “talk at the screen” types, and I had to keep reminding her to be quiet as she commented on the natural beauty of Isla Nublar (portrayed in the film by Kauai, Hawaii), reacted loudly to the now taken-for-granted special effects in the film, and leaned over every so often to ask me “what kind of dinosaur is that?”

A few hours later as I walked out of the movie theater, I realized two things: I have an incredible mom and I NEEDED TO SEE THAT MOVIE AGAIN! And I did, at least twice more in theaters that Summer! (Including once at the Circle Drive-In where it was paired with CONEHEADS!)

Regardless of how good or bad JURASSIC WORLD: REBIRTH is, I’m glad to see that the public’s infatuation with dinosaurs is still alive and well. If anything, a new big-budget dino-epic every three-to-four years means that I can regularly reminisce about some great times with my mom. And heck, maybe I’ll eventually create some new dinosaur-themed memories with my own son. I guess only time will tell!

Bears have been a mainstay in cinema for decades, often populating children’s films and frequently utilized as furry plot devices to create some thrills, tension, or laughs in movies of all genres! But I personally feel that bears have been severely underutilized when it comes to Horror cinema – you can count nearly every bear-centric horror/thriller on both of your hands! That’s why I’m so danged excited to see a new, and completely over-the-top killer bear flick in theaters, namely COCAINE BEAR!

Inspired by Elizabeth Banks’ new film, I put together the following list of movies featuring some truly bad-ass bruins. While the majority of them predominantly feature Grizzlies (the “champagne of bears”), I’ve included a few deep cuts to spice things up, including movies featuring ancient curses, monstrous mutants, and various species of ursine antagonists! So before you head out the multiplex this weekend to watch a bear dismember people after ingesting enough coke to make Tony Montana envious, perhaps “paws” for a moment and check out a few of these “bear necessities” first!

WARNING: THERE WILL BE SOME SPOILERS AHEAD!

BACKCOUNTRY (2014)
Available at Amazon: Blu-ray | DVD | Digital

Based upon a harrowing true story, BACKCOUNTRY was the feature film debut of Writer/Director Adam MacDonald. The movie follows Alex (Jeff Roop) and Jenny (Missy Peregrym), a young couple on a weekend camping trip in the Canadian wilderness. Alex wants to find a place that he recalls visiting in his youth (a nice little romantic spot with a waterfall where he plans on asking for Jenny’s hand in marriage) so he takes his would-be fiancee off the beaten path, ignoring numerous warning signs that a bear is lurking nearby. The film eventually culminates in a vicious attack where our two protagonists have their tent invaded by a very large and ravenous Black Bear (portrayed in the film by two bears named Chester & Charlie), leading to a rather bleak climax that’ll leave you thinking twice about camping in the deep woods!

BERSERKER (1987)
Available at Amazon: Blu-ray

Made during the Silver Age of the slasher film craze, BERSERKER features six college friends who head to a cabin in Utah to party. During the day they have a blast swimming in a pond, riding around on a three-wheeler, and drinking brewskis but as night falls someone, or something, begins stalking them. Soon the killing and maiming begins, but is the culprit the constantly meandering Bart the Bear, or has the local legend of the “Nordic Curse of the Viking Berserker” become a reality?! While it isn’t exactly good, and far from being iconic, BERSERKER does manage to be a rather unique entry into slasher sub-genre. At the very least, it’s the only film you’ll ever see a man dressed in an S&M bear outfit wrestle with a grizzly!

CLAWS (1977)
Available at Amazon: Nope! Out of print. Watch a VHS-rip for free on YouTube!

Shot on location in Alaska, CLAWS was clearly made to cash in on a certain other killer bear movie that we’ll be getting to shortly. When three poachers shoot and injure a grizzly, the wounded animal runs off and begins a reign of terror in the surrounding countryside declaring open season on loggers, campers, hunters, and Boy Scouts! Seeking to end the carnage, a hunter named Jason Monroe (Jason Evers) goes after the rampaging bear, recruiting Alaska Forest Commissioner Ben Jones (Leon Ames), and “Alaskan Native” Henry (Anthony Caruso) to help him. As the film reaches its climax, we are treated to a surprisingly entertaining duel to the death between our gun-toting/axe-wielding protagonist and an apex predator! Though it has a plodding pace and drags in spots, CLAWS is an interesting addition to the eco-horror sub-genre that has unfortunately been out of print for quite some time.

THE EDGE (1996)
Available at Amazon: Blu-ray | DVD | Digital

When their plane crashes in the wilds of Alaska, billionaire Charles Morse (Anthony Hopkins), photographer Robert Green (Alec Baldwin), and assistant Stephen (Harold Perrineau) swim from the wreckage, soon realizing that they are stranded without food or survival gear. To make matters worse, the trio soon gain the interest of a massive Kodiak bear (Bart the Bear in one of his final onscreen roles). Using skills that he gleaned from reading various books, Charles tries to lead his compatriots to civilization but tensions begin to rise as the bear becomes bolder, and certain secrets are gradually revealed. THE EDGE is a taut thriller with wonderful performances, and a beautiful score by Jerry Goldsmith. While it is far from being a b-movie, I felt that I would be doing the film a real disservice if I failed to mention it in this list!

GRIZZLY (1976)
Available at Amazon: Blu-ray | DVD | Digital

William Girdler’s cinematic entry into the realm of natural horror is an unforgettable classic, and set the standard for all of the murder-bruin films that followed. In his aptly-titled GRIZZLY, a one ton, 18-foot tall monster of a bear (portrayed by Teddy) gets a taste for human flesh after snacking on some hikers in a National Park. Soon more (female) victims are claimed, forcing a trio of heroes to unite in a quest to track down and kill the ravenous carnivore: Helicopter pilot and guide Tom Stober (Andrew Prine), Chief Ranger Mike Kelly (Christopher George), and naturalist/bear expert Arthur Scott (Richard Jaeckal). The film ends with a climactic stand-off, with Mike Kelly as the last man standing after he turns the tables on the nearly triumphant Grizzly with the aid of a bazooka!

Hot on the heels of JAWS (which it borrows from quite a bit), GRIZZLY, which was shot for less than a million dollars, raked in a whopping $39 million at the box office and put director William Girdler on the map! Sadly it was also one of the last films that he would ever complete. Just two years later, Girdler would die in a helicopter accident in the Philippines while scouting locations for a new film. Lucky for us, he managed to finish DAY OF THE ANIMALS (which features an amazing sequence where a shirtless, and murderously insane Leslie Nielsen attempts to wrestle a bear) and most of THE MANITOU. The totally unhinged ending of that film was done after Girdler’s untimely death, which I guess is what he would’ve wanted?

But the GRIZZLY story doesn’t stop there Vault Dwellers….

GRIZZLY II: REVENGE (1983/2020)
Available at Amazon: Blu-ray | DVD | Digital

Seven years after GRIZZLY (briefly) became the most financially successful independent film of all time, a sequel went into production entitled GRIZZLY II: REVENGE (aka GRIZZLY II: THE PREDATOR and GRIZZLY II: THE CONCERT). Though the film takes place in Yellowstone National Park, the principal photography was completed in Hungary in 1983. The production ran out of money, so GRIZZLY II would remain unfinished and unreleased… until 2020! New footage was shot and (jarringly) edited with the old footage to produce a ahm…. complete narrative (?) which revolves around a big concert at Yellowstone just as a Grizzly goes into kill mode after poachers shoot and kill its cub. The enraged Grizzly goes on a rampage, and the main characters desperately try to stop it, or the concert, before the bear descends upon the unsuspecting concert crowds. I haven’t seen this one myself yet Vault Dwellers, but by most accounts GRIZZLY II is pretty awful. However it does boast Charlie Sheen, George Clooney, and Laura Dern in very minor roles so it’s got that going for it!

GRIZZLY PARK (2008)
Available at Amazon: Blu-ray (Region B) | DVD

Boy this is an odd one gang, but kind of fun! As eight troublesome “teens” are taken to the titular GRIZZLY PARK to serve out a week of community service for their crimes, a serial killer named Butch (Jeff Watson) just so happens to escape and make his way there to hide out. But things take a strange turn when a Grizzly bear (Brody the Bear) butchers Butch and then begins mauling and dismembering the wayward teens. In the end, no one makes it out of the woods alive, except for kindly “Ranger Bob” (Glenn Morshower). As the film wraps up, authorities believe that Butch killed everyone while donning a bear costume (that was smuggled there by the kid nick-named “Trickster”), when in reality it was Ranger Bob and his Grizzly companion who were the real culprits! I saw this movie when it came out on DVD years ago,  and although I can’t remember much about it, I do recall enjoying it. Methinks it’s time to revisit GRIZZLY PARK!

INTO THE GRIZZLY MAZE (2015)
Available at Amazon: Blu-ray (Region B) | DVD | Digital

Beckett (Thomas Jane) and Rowan Moore (James Marsden) are estranged brothers: One is fresh out of prison after doing time for murder and looking to start over, while the other is a Sheriff’s deputy with a deaf-mute nature photographer/conservationist wife named Michelle (Piper Perabo). Naturally these two come together when a fig bucking Grizzly bear (Bart the Bear 2!) lumbers out of the Alaskan “Grizzly Maze” (that doesn’t actually exist?) and starts munching on the locals. Lashing out due to poaching and logging in its perceived territory, the “Red Machine” claims multiple victims before its final showdown with the Moore brothers. INTO THE GRIZZLY MAZE has a heck of cast (along with Marsden, Perabo, and Jane, there’s also Billy Bob Thornton and Scott Glenn!) and delivers plenty of carnage thanks to SAW V director David Hackl. While it does enough right to warrant a look, INTO THE GRIZZLY MAZE is an ultimately forgettable entry into the natural horror sub-genre that sometimes focuses a bit too much family melodrama, and showcases some dodgy CGI.

THE NIGHT OF THE GRIZZLY (1966)
Available at Amazon: Blu-ray | DVD | Digital

I guess you might say that this Western is the progenitor of killer bear cinema. THE NIGHT OF THE GRIZZLY stars Clint Walker as Jim Cole, a retired lawman who inherits a ranch from his deceased uncle. Though he’s got a positive outlook, Jim has to contend with a greedy land baron named Jed Curry (Keenan Wynn!) that wants his property, a bounty hunter named Cass Dowdy (Leo Gordon) who still has a chip on his shoulder after being arrested by Jim years earlier, and a mean-spirited grizzly bear called “Satan” (Bozo the Bear) that has been terrorizing the locals and murdering their livestock with glee! After suffering the loss of some pigs, a prize bull, and most of his cattle, Jim and his cohort Sam (played by Don Haggerty, the father of Dan “Grizzly Adams” Haggerty!) attempt to hunt down Satan, but the bear proves too wily for them! Eventually Satan claims Sam, and attempts to snack on Jim’s son Charlie (Kevin Brodie). In a surprising turn of events, Cass Dowdy ends up sacrificing himself to save the boy, which allows Jim to get off a clean shot to end Satan’s reign of terror!

PROPHECY (1979)
Available at Amazon: Blu-ray | DVD | Digital

I absolutely adore John Frankenheimer’s eco-horror classic, to the point where I lobbied for its Blu-ray release back in 2019! The film stars Robert Foxworth as the cynical Dr. Robert Verne, who is sent by the EPA to the forests of Maine to write a report on the impact that a paper mill is having on the local Native American population and surrounding environment. After conducting some tests, Dr. Verne discovers that the entire area, and everything living in it, has been polluted with methyl-mercury.

This revelation explains a lot of the high-strangeness going on in the region, including the existence of a giant mutant grizzly bear that the Indians refer to as Katahdin (Kevin Peter Hall)! Eventually the doc, his wife (Talia Shire), and the rest of the film’s ridiculously impressive cast (Victoria Racimo, Armand Assante, Richard Dysart, et al.) find themselves being hunted by the enraged mutant, and flee through the forest to a cabin in order to make a final stand against the deformed creature! PROPHECY is a film that takes itself way too seriously, but I can’t help but love it for so readily embracing its ludicrous plot. If you see one mutant monster bear movie this year, make sure it’s PROPHECY! If you see two then make sure the other is ANNIHILATION, which briefly features a horrifying CGI bear-strosity!

UNNATURAL (2015)
Available at Amazon: Currently out of print. Watch for free on YouTube!

Produced as part of the last batch of After Dark Films’ 8 Films to Die For, UNNATURAL features a genetically altered Polar Bear that escapes from a secluded lab in the Alaskan wilderness. After making short work of the lab staff, the bear makes a beeline straight for a nearby cabin full of people (including James Remar and Sherilyn Fenn), who must fight to survive against the scientifically-manufactured bi-polar bear! Much like PROPHECY, there’s not a real bear in sight: the creature is brought to life via a man in a none-too-convincing Polar Bear suit. (There’s also some animatronics, or puppetry, utilized here as well.)

A lot of the scenes are filmed to purposely obscure the bear so you mostly just catch glimpses of it during nighttime scenes, or as it peeks out from under the cover of pine trees in broad daylight. Though UNNATURAL’s running time is just under ninety minutes, the movie sure feels a lot longer, but it’s all almost worth it for the awesomely ridiculous finale where the mortally wounded Markos (Remar) charges the bear on a snowmobile that has an ice auger mounted to the front. The cherry on top is Markos’ dying words that he utters to Dr. Hanna Lindval (Fenn), the woman responsible for creating the beast: “Please stop what you’re doing. It’s…. unnatural.” While the doc shows sorrow after Markos’ sacrifice, as the film ends we see her doing an infomercial (with Ray Wise!) for the genetics company she works for!

YELLOW FANGS (1990)
Available at Amazon: DVD (Region 2) OR watch it for free on YouTube!

Just as BACKCOUNTRY and COCAINE BEAR were inspired by true stories, Japan’s YELLOW FANGS (aka RIMEINZU: UTSUKUSHIKI YUUSHA-TACHI) is also based upon actual events, most notably the 1915 Sankenbetsu Brown Bear Incident. A large Ussuri Brown Bear woke early from hibernation and terrorized a village in Hokkaido for a full week, claiming seven victims before finally being brought down by an expert bear hunter. The film nearly follows this story, but tosses in a MULAN-esque sub-plot about a young girl that would rather buck tradition by hunting down the woman-eating bear (called “Red Spots” by the villagers) than settle down and get married.

Directed by Sonny Chiba (with a little guidance from legendary filmmaker Kinji Fukasaku) YELLOW FANGS is an entertaining period piece that stumbles a bit when the star attraction isn’t on the screen! But when “Red Spots” shows up, things immediately get cranked to eleven, and the proceedings instantly become jaw-droppingly entertaining! The bear (portrayed by a man in a costume) proves to be frighteningly intelligent, has a real mean right hook, and is eventually defeated in a brutal two-on-one battle during an energetic climax that literally brings the house down! Definitely file this one under “must be seen to be believed!”

HELL OF THE LIVING DEAD (1980)
Not Rated / Color / 99 minutes
Directed by Bruno Mattei
Also Known as: Night of the Zombies
Purchase it: Amazon.com (DVD) | Amazon.com (Blu-ray) | Amazon.com (4K UHD) |  Amazon.com (Digital)

WARNING: THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SOME MINOR SPOILERS!

It’s been over four years since the world lost James “Doc Terror” Harris, one of the greatest champions of Italian Horror cinema that I had ever known. To honor the memory of my much-missed friend, I decided it would be a fine idea to review a fright flick hailing from the boot-shaped land of pizza and pasta. But as the saying goes, “the road to Hell is paved with good intentions” and (unfortunately for me) I must’ve added a new paving stone when I selected Bruno Mattei’s notorious HELL OF THE LIVING DEAD.

I originally discovered HELL’s existence (Ha!) several decades ago thanks to a review at BadMovies.Org, under the film’s alternate title NIGHT OF THE ZOMBIES. At that time I was a teenage Horror sponge that was eagerly soaking up everything the genre had to offer. I had just started up this website and was working nights at a Suncoast Motion Picture Company that was populated by a gaggle of horror nerds. So it was inevitable that I would eventually stumble across a VHS tape of NIGHT OF THE ZOMBIES and review it.

Having just revisited my old [terrible, eye-searing] “review” of this film, it is quite obvious that I absolutely abhorred Bruno Mattei’s zombie disasterpiece, which makes me wonder why I own it on Blu-ray (I keep lying to myself by saying that it’s because RATS: NIGHT OF TERROR is also included on this disc), and why I thought it’d be a great idea to revisit it. Why? WHY?! WHY DID I PUT MYSELF THROUGH THIS TORTURE AGAIN?!?! ARRRGGH!

HELL OF THE LIVING DEAD starts off by establishing a factory/research center filled with technicians and scientists in white lab coats. Dubbed a “Hope Center,” this secret research facility is ground zero for a program codenamed “Operation Sweet Death.” As scientists continue running tests on their equipment (i.e. randomly pushing colorfully lit buttons on a large console), two employees in protective suits are in the middle of a safety check. The two men come across a dead rat which has apparently caused a small gas leak in one of the pipes. But before they can report their findings, the rat returns to life and attacks!

The zombie rodent manages to kill one of the unlucky workers who, during the scuffle, ends up blowing open a valve and unleashing a green-hued gas into the air. Said gas fills up the Hope Center, turning any who succumb to its deadly effects into ravenous zombies. The film then shifts gears to a hostage crisis occurring somewhere in Barcelona, Spain (?) where a group of “eco-terrorists” have barricaded themselves into a building with numerous hostages. Their demand? That all Hope Centers across the globe be shut down! With the perimeter secured by local police, a squad of Interpol agents secretly infiltrates the building.

Made up of Osborne (Josep Lluís Fonoll), Vincent (Selan Karay), Zantoro (Franco Garofalo), and led by Lieutenant Mike London (Jose Gras), the commandos quickly sweep in and take out their targets with extreme prejudice before any hostages can be killed. As the leader of the failed terrorists breathes his last, he warns of impending death, doom, and devouring. But before they can contemplate the man’s final words, the blue-jumpsuited Interpol agents suddenly find themselves on the island of New Guinea. Wait, what? How did they suddenly appear halfway across the world?!

I wouldn’t normally nitpick something this inconsequential, but there’s almost nothing leading up to the instant change of venue, other than a throwaway line of dialogue from Mike London about “going on vacation to a tropical paradise!” Typically you’d have a short expository scene explaining the whys and hows (e.g. a higher up briefing Mike and his team), or even some stock footage (which Mattei LOVES using) of a plane or helicopter landing with some narration or dialogue laid over it. But nope, they are just awkwardly there and it’s definitely more than a bit jarring.

Shortly after their surprise teleportation to New Guinea, Mike London and his team cross paths with news reporter Lia Rousseau (Margie Newton) and her cameraman Max (aka Pierre, played by the very Frank Zappa-looking Gabriel Renom) moments after their fellow travelers (an arguing couple and their soon-to-be-bitey son) become zombie chow. The reporters and their Interpol entourage then travel deeper into the jungles of New Guinea to escape from small pack of zombies. Along the way, they come across oodles of stock footage, as well as a tribe of natives that takes them in after Lia jogs into their village wearing nothing but body paint.

But their respite is short-lived and soon Lia, Mike, and the others are once again on the run after a chaotic nighttime zombie raid in the village. They manage to escape to a seemingly abandoned plantation but are again accosted by more of the undead, resulting in the death of Osborne, who gets munched during an improvised dance routine. The remaining members of the group flee to a nearby beach by daybreak where they board a conveniently-placed raft, and head towards the Besòs Power Plant in Barcelona… err… I mean the Hope Center that we saw during the film’s opening sequence.

Once inside, they wander around the seemingly empty facility only to be rapidly picked off by zombies until only Lia and Vincent remain! Seconds after they are cornered by their reanimated companions, Lia makes a “startling revelation” about the actual purpose of the Hope Center before meeting her eye-popping demise. The film then wraps up as a young couple get ambushed by zombies elsewhere in the world (wait… the zombies set a trap?! We’re doomed! All doomed!), assuring us that the undead menace is no longer limited to the second largest island in the world!

HELL OF THE LIVING DEAD was one of fifteen films that Bruno Mattei and Claudio Fragasso partnered on between 1980 and 1990. And while Mattei is listed as the director of HELL, Fragasso supposedly shot a large portion of the film himself and directed the cast members because Mattei was more adept at editing footage than he was at working with actors. According to Fragasso himself, there was a behind-the-scenes agreement where Mattei essentially told the young screenwriter “We work together, but I’m going to be credited as director.” Yeesh. This sounds more like a group project in high school where one person does the bulk of the work while everyone else takes credit, than it does a fair and equal partnership.

But perhaps that worked out best for Fragasso in the long run because HELL OF THE LIVING DEAD is a chore to sit through and remains one of my least favorite Italian zombie films. From its terrible pacing (this movie feels a HELL of a lot longer than 99 minutes), to the blatant overuse of stock footage from numerous sources (which include DES MORTS, NEW GUINEA: ISLAND OF CANNIBALS, and THE VALLEY), to the sheer idiocy of the main characters (they absolutely refuse to shoot zombies in the head!), every frame of this movie is dripping with glorious ineptitude!

Initially conceived by screenwriter and Assistant Director Claudio Fragasso as a strange mashup of Romero’s DAWN OF THE DEAD and 1973’s SOYLENT GREEN, HELL OF THE LIVING DEAD’s premise had to be substantially cut back because the co-producers in Spain didn’t come through with the necessary funds. Because of this, Mattei and Fragasso had to make due with what they could: The S.W.A.T.-style jumpsuits worn by the leads were tailored from material that was found in a dumpster, the bulk of the extras portraying zombies were migrant workers and gypsies, and oh, did I happen to mention the relentless parade of stock footage that was inserted into the film to pad the running time and give the illusion that everything was taking place in New Guinea?! (Ugh!)

Claudio Fragasso initially wanted Goblin to compose new music for HELL OF THE LIVING DEAD but it (like so many other things) was not in the budget. He instead used his limited resources to cobble together a soundtrack using several of Goblin’s tracks from Romero’s DAWN OF THE DEAD (aka ZOMBI), Joe D’Amato’s BUIO OMEGA (aka BEYOND THE DARKNESS), and a bit of Luis Bacalov’s score from BLOOD AND DIAMONDS. The end result is an eclectic mix of music that actually works quite well with the proceedings, and gives HELL OF THE LIVING DEAD a much-needed boost.

The cast of HELL OF THE LIVING DEAD is clearly doing their best with the nonsensical script, with the two standouts being Margie Newton and Franco Garofalo. Margie’s news reporter character has the two most memorable moments in the film, namely her topless jog/meet & greet with some natives and her demise at the climax, while Franco absolutely shines as the increasingly frantic Zantoro. From yelling at his comrades for wasting ammo (“You gotta shoot ’em in the head!”), to playing “keep away” from the undead (thought up on the spot by Franco), to having silent improvved moments of madness with a crazed look in his eyes, Zantoro is the one character you want to see make it past the finish line!

To create the film’s rotting, shuffling corpses, and the gory wounds they inflict upon their victims, HELL’S director(s) hired Giuseppe Ferranti (makeup f/x artist on MONSTER SHARK, BIRD WITH THE CRYSTAL PLUMAGE, NIGHTMARE CITY and over a hundred other films) and Antonio Balandín (special effects technician on both CONAN movies, David Lynch’s DUNE, and SOLARBABIES). While the bulk of the makeup and gore effects in the film often involve extras sploshed with gray-tinted body paint and fake blood, Ferranti and Balandín managed to create some great little moments of onscreen carnage in the film, including several exploding zombie skulls, Margie Newton’s tongue being torn out before her eyes are popped out of her skull, and a cat that makes a surprise exit from the innards of an old woman’s corpse.

Suffice it to say Vault Dwellers, I am still not a fan of this movie all these years later though I have to admit that it does have a strange charm all of its own, which is likely a result of Mattei and Fragasso’s can-do attitude. These guys raided dumpsters, squeezed every ounce of production value they could out of a power plant, put their cast through a grueling shooting schedule (while also giving them a surprising amount of creative freedom), and sprinkled it all with copious amounts of stock footage in an effort to breathe life into the quasi-class warfare horror epic that was originally envisioned by Fragasso.

While I do in fact look at HELL OF THE LIVING DEAD through kinder eyes these days, I cannot in good conscience recommend it to casual viewers. This is strictly a film for fans of Italian Horror cinema, (bad) zombie flicks, and/or die-hard Bruno Mattei (and Claudio Fragasso) enthusiasts, and I’m being shockingly generous in giving it a rating of:

THE NIGHT COMES FOR US (2018)

When I first saw the trailer for Timo Tjahjanto’s THE NIGHT COMES FOR US, I immediately added it to my NetFlix queue… and promptly forgot about it. Then, nearly two years later, I finally sat down after picking it at random off of my enormous watch list, and boy was I glad I did!

Set in a dark underworld of crime and horrendous violence, THE NIGHT COMES FOR US is the redemption tale of a Triad assassin named Ito (Joe Taslim). He’s part of an elite group of killers known as the Six Seas, but is now being hunted as a traitor after killing his own men instead of murdering a child named Reina (Asha Kenyeri Bermudez).

Seeking refuge and aid from the members of his old gang, Ito brings down the fury of the Triads upon them. This leads to a series of arterial-spraying and bone-shattering fights that continue to escalate and become incredibly (and sometimes hilariously) more violent, as they fight to protect young Reina from her ruthless would-be killers.

While the plot is paper-thin (and doesn’t really follow through 100% on the whole redemption arc) don’t worry too much about it because you will become lost in the bone-snapping martial arts battles and gory gun & knife fights. Necks, backs, and limbs are broken – people are sliced, diced, stabbed, disemboweled, set on fire, blown up, and riddled with dozens of bullets. And just when you think the violence has plateaued, THE NIGHT COMES FOR US somehow manages to up the ante!

The cast in this film is great and there are some real standout characters – in particular, Zack Lee’s Bobby frequently steals the show during the film midpoint of the film where he and two others battle a horde of knife/axe wielding henchmen. An old friend (and “brother”) of Ito, Bobby is hilariously over-the-top a times and doles out a fair amount of punishment before he goes down fighting, and earns himself a bit of redemption for his past misdeeds.

Joe Taslim’s Ito is certainly a force to be reckoned with in this film – he sells his character’s brutal, single-minded nature quite well. His foil in THE NIGHT COMES FOR US is another former gang member/brother named Arian (THE RAID films’ Iko Uwais), a rising member of the Triads. Arian is an accomplished fighter who’s seems almost as unstoppable as Ito.  Although he is slightly torn by his mission to kill Ito and the others who are protecting Reina, Arian’s unquenchable thirst for power drives him to a final bloody showdown with his former friend.

THE NIGHT COMES FOR US is set in, what is predominantly, a “man’s world,” but contains multiple kick-ass female characters. Elena (Hannah Al Rashid) and Alma (Dian Sastrowardoyo) are lesbian lovers and members of the Six Seas. Elena nonchalantly slashes her way through the majority of her opponents, while Alma seems to have a little more fun with her victims – her weapon of choice is a strand of razor sharp piano wire with a weighted ball at the end and she uses it to devastating effect.

There’s also the mysterious “Operator” (Julie Estelle), who is on a mission to eradicate the Six Seas and their leader. She is the film’s ultimate bad-ass because she bests Ito in a one-on-one fight, and holds her own against a group of Triad thugs led by Elena and Alma who arrive to kill poor Reina near the film’s final act.

The fight choreography, camerawork, and editing in THE NIGHT COMES FOR US is fantastic! Once again, Indonesian filmmakers put us Americans to shame by creating well-crafted fight scenes where you can see everything and never miss a second of the action! Though there is a clumsy “Go-Pro/Over the Shoulder” sequence when Ito is hacking his way through an army of foes, it is mercifully short and never done again.

I don’t have much more to say about THE NIGHT COMES FOR US, other than I definitely give it a big recommendation! What the film lacks in plot and substance, it more than makes up for in action and pure carnage! If you’re a bit on the squeamish side (doubtful, knowing what most of you Vault Dwellers watch) or have issues with a film putting a child in jeopardy (some of you parents may wince during moments where crazed killers slash at or try to shoot a child), you may want to give this movie a pass. But if I just said all the right things, then definitely give this Timo Tjahjanto masterpiece a look because it is more than worthy of:

AFTER MIDNIGHT (2020)
Rated TV-MA | Color |  83 minutes
Directed by Jeremy Gardner  and Christian Stella
Also Known  As: Something Else
Purchase it: Amazon.com (Blu-ray) | Amazon.com (Digital)
Review originally posted to our Patreon on March 9th, 2020.

WARNING: THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SOME SPOILERS!

About five years ago I received a Blu-ray copy of a film called THE BATTERY from Scream Factory for reviewing purposes – it was my first experience watching something created by Jeremy Gardner. Having already watched and reviewed numerous low-budget post-apocalyptic zombie flicks, I was shocked to find that this film had substance! And heart! Needless to say, I was pretty impressed with THE BATTERY, and gave the film (and its Blu-ray release) a fairly positive review! So when I found out that Jeremy made a low budget creature feature, I just had to check it out!

AFTER MIDNIGHT (formerly SOMETHING ELSE) was written and co-directed (and edited) by Gardner, who also stars in the lead role of Hank. When we first meet him, he’s dozing on a couch (that is barricading his front doors) with a shotgun across his lap. Apparently every night since his girlfriend Abby (Brea Grant) vanished, some mysterious creature continues to claw at the door to come in. Hints are dropped early on in the film that the nightly visitor has something to do with Abby’s disappearance, but as the film chugs along we learn that apparently isn’t so.

Several weeks earlier, Abby up and left for a class reunion in Miami, and then just stayed to take a break from her long-term relationship and enjoy the culture, night life, and cuisine in the big city. The only problem is, she never told Hank… or answered his increasingly frantic phone calls. This is kind of shocking because we are bombarded with Hank’s happy memories of the love they shared, which initially made me think that the creature haunting him either killed Abby or was Abby. (Spoiler: I was wrong on both counts.)

So why the cold shoulder from Hank’s lady friend? Well it seems that their relationship is on the rocks because they both wanted different things: Abby yearns to leave their podunk town behind to get married and start a family – Hank on the other hand is obviously in no rush to have children, and was pretty content with his lot in life. (Ack! I feel personally attacked by this movie!)

Essentially what we have here is a failure to communicate, which is what Hank and Abby finally start doing when she returns. But it seems like it may be too little too late. They’ve both hurt each other: Hank by dismissing Abby’s emotional needs – Abby by leaving Hank alone to wonder where she is and if she’s okay. (She also left him to run their business by himself on top of battling an unwelcome nighttime visitor that no one believes exists.) Yes it truly does seem that this once idyllic love may be over.

The final act of the film wraps things up rather quickly, and takes place at the forever fixer-upper that Hank and Abby call home. A small group of friends arrive to celebrate Abby’s birthday, and engage in some drunken karaoke, until Abby’s brother (the local cop) addresses the “elephant in the room:” Hank’s monster. Hank surprisingly stands up for himself, pours his heart out to Abby, and then ends up going mano y mano with the film’s mystery creature in front of Abby and his dinner guests, before finally doing the unthinkable.

AFTER MIDNIGHT takes a bit too long to get going, and focuses the vast majority of its running time on Hank and Abby’s crumbling relationship. The film is shot and edited well, and features several good performances, but the plot does meander a bit in the first half. Thankfully things do start to move along nicely throughout the remainder of the film, right up to Hank’s (anti)climactic duel with his nocturnal tormentor. Speaking of which… I was quite disappointed that the much-touted monster had so little screen time and so little bearing on the story – it almost feels tacked on.

In fact, all these days later and I still haven’t come up with a satisfactory reason of why the creature was even included. Is it a cryptid or an alien that is drawn to Hank’s negative emotions? Is it a physical manifestation of the growing toxicity in his relationship with Abby? Does it even symbolize anything?! I have no idea! All I do know is that it has a really cool design, and severely underutilized! (How can you emblazon the creature on the movie poster, but only show it on the screen for like, sixty seconds?! Gah!)

AFTER MIDNIGHT is a well-made indie film that is definitely worth watching, though it kind of strings you along with the promise of monster hijinks, kind of like how Hank was likely stringing Abby along, giving her hopes of marriage and babies to keep her in his life. Wait…. did I just finally figure out the point of the creature’s existence in the film?! Is it merely there to make us feel like Abby?!

My misgivings about its distinct lack of monster aside, AFTER MIDNIGHT is a solid effort from Jeremy Gardner that shows us what’s it like in a relationship when the “honeymoon is over.” Though I didn’t like it nearly as much as THE BATTERY, this film managed to keep my interest and therefore gets my recommendation, and a rating of:

13 GHOSTS (1960)
Not Rated / Black & White / 84 minutes
Directed by William Castle
Also Known as: 13 Fantasmas
Purchase it: Amazon.com (DVD) | Amazon.com (Blu-ray)

WARNING: THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SOME MINOR SPOILERS!

While I haven’t yet seen the bulk of William Castle’s directorial efforts, the handful that I’ve watched have stuck with me through the years. From the skeletal shenanigans of  HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL (filmed in EMERGO!), to Vincent Price’s panicked ravings of “Scream! Scream for your lives!” at the climax of THE TINGLER (filmed in PERCEPTO!), I swiftly became a fan of the gimmickry that was typical of Castle’s cinematic exploits. So it’s no surprise that I had a blast while revisiting his 1960 effort, 13 GHOSTS! (Filmed in ILLUSION-O!)

As the film begins we meet the Zorbas, a down-on-their-luck family whose furniture is being repossessed because the absent-minded patriarch of the family, Cyrus (Donald Woods), forgot to pay the bills. But fate steps in later that evening as Cyrus, his wife Hilda (Rosemary DeCamp), daughter Medea (Jo Morrow), and plucky young son Buck (Charles Herbert) are sitting together on the floor in their empty home, celebrating Buck’s birthday.

Moments after Buck makes his birthday wish (for a house full of furniture, natch) and blows out his candles, there’s a knock at the door with some mixed news: Cyrus’ eccentric uncle Dr. Plato Zorba has passed away and left his nephew a fully furnished mansion to live in! The only downside? The house comes with a peculiar caretaker named Elaine Zacharides. (Margaret Hamilton – yes that Margaret Hamilton!) Oh, and it’s haunted by eleven spirits that Dr. Zorba had collected from all over the world!

Understandably skeptical of their new home’s status as a haunted house, the Zorbas move in immediately and discover that they do indeed have some spectral tenants. But there’s also a mystery afoot! You see, Plato Zorba was quite wealthy and before his untimely demise he had expertly hid his remaining fortune somewhere in the house! Though the Zorbas are unaware of this (at first), somebody else knows that there’s money hidden in them thar walls and they will resort to anything, even murder, to get their greedy paws on Plato’s dough! (Pla-dough?)

As the film progresses we get a little casual Quija board usage, the discovery of a secret lab, and the introduction of Zorba’s greatest scientific achievement: The “ghost viewers!” By wearing this pair of large boxy goggles, the characters in the film can actually see the spirits, which include an angry chef that killed his wife and her lover, a lion and his headless tamer, and (gasp!) Plato Zorba himself, who somehow inadvertently became Ghost #12!

This is because Plato’s death was the result of foul play, and the culprit behind his murder is now trying to oust the Zorbas from the house in order to more easily seek out the hidden moolah without attracting any attention. Since there aren’t too many other characters in the film it’s rather easy to figure out who the villain is, but I won’t ruin the “shocking twist” for you Vault Dwellers. However I will say that the film finally lives up to its title once the would-be thief finally gets their comeuppance during the climax!

13 GHOSTS was the fourth film that William Castle self-financed after parting ways with Columbia Pictures, and featured the “Illusion-O” process, which was one Castle’s better theatrical gimmicks. While the film was shot entirely in black & white, the footage during the Illusion-O sequences was tinted blue, and the ghosts were tinted red. Utilizing the cardboard and cellophane “ghost viewers” that were handed out at the door, audience members could peek through the blue cellophane to see the ghosts, or through the red if they became “too frightened.”

While I agree that the Illusion-O concept seems rather silly, having experienced it for myself, both at home (on DVD) and on the big screen (in 35mm!), I’ll admit that it proved to be a fun way to make the film more interactive. (Plus the ghost viewers make for a pretty nifty souvenir!) But does the film hold up on its own when Castle’s Illusion-O is stripped away? Believe it not, it does! Penned by Robb White (a Castle regular), the screenplay for 13 GHOSTS is competent but hackneyed: In a lot of ways it feels like HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL lite. Both films involve a haunted house, a whodunit subplot, and characters vying for a small fortune.

Despite using a similar formula for the plot structure of this movie, White makes enough changes to keep things interesting. Plus it certainly helps that 13 GHOSTS has a fairly decent cast. Donald Woods (THE BEAST FROM 20,000 FATHOMS, DIMENSION 5) is good as the forgetful father who finds himself pulled into a mystery by a relative from beyond the grave, and both Jo Morrow (big sis Medea, the film’s eye candy) and Rosemary DeCamp (Momma Zorba) do the best they can with their small roles.

Martin Milner is also very good as Benjamen Rush, the friendly lawyer with a dark secret, but all of them are eclipsed by Charles Herbert (THE COLOSSUS OF NEW YORK, THE FLY) who portrays Buck Zorba. He proves to be both a likeable and precocious young protagonist, and has to be one of the better child actors I’ve seen in just about any film. Also present here is Margaret Hamilton, who ends up being more of a distraction than anything else. Her extended cameo is a constant reminder of “Hey look! Remember her?! It’s the Wicked Witch of the West from THE WIZARD OF OZ! She has a broom! Do you get it?! DO YOU GET IT?!!?!”

Oddly enough it’s the titular spirits of 13 GHOSTS that prove to be the film’s biggest shortcoming. These superimposed specters were brought to life using people in costumes, a real lion (the notoriously gentle and loveable Zamba), and various props hanging on wires. (And judging by how thrifty William Castle could be, I wonder if the “flaming skeleton ghost” was actually the same prop used in HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL?) Sadly most of the dozen specters featured in the film fail to propel the story forward, or elicit any genuine chills or thrills. In fact, I’m pretty certain no one would notice if the majority of the ghost/Illusion-O footage was edited out.

Still, 13 GHOSTS was a financial success when it was released to theaters in 1960, earned itself a remake in 2001, and has cemented itself as a minor classic in William Castle’s diverse filmography. With it’s unique gimmick, cast of likeable characters, hint of intrigue, and smart (albeit formulaic) script, the film certainly does not fail to entertain. 13 GHOSTS is rarely scary, but often amusing, and I feel pretty comfortable giving it a rating of:

Note: As of my posting this review, 13 GHOSTS is available on Blu-ray from Mill Creek Entertainment (in a double feature with another Castle classic, 13 FRIGHTENED GIRLS). However, all of the colored Illusion-O sequences are missing from this release – the entire film is in black & white. This is also the case for more recent DVD releases of the film. So if you want to enjoy the film in the way it was originally intended, you’ll have to purchase the Sony/Columbia Pictures DVD release from 2001. However, even if you score one of these, there isn’t a guarantee that it’ll come with reproductions of the heralded “ghost viewers,” so you make have to order one off of eBay, or (if you’re handy) just make your own!

FRIGHT NIGHT PART 2 (1988)
Rated R / Color / 104 minutes
Directed by Tommy Lee Wallace
Also Known As: Noche de miedo II
Purchase it: Amazon.com (Blu-ray) | Amazon.com (DVD)
Guest review contributed by Ryan Brewer.

WARNING: THIS GUEST REVIEW CONTAINS SOME SPOILERS!

FRIGHT NIGHT PART 2 picks up three years after the events of the first film: Surprisingly, the vampiric Jerry Dandridge (Chris Sarandon) took the rap for all the deaths in FRIGHT NIGHT and was branded a serial killer. Charley Brewster (William Ragsdale) is presently at college and has a new girlfriend named Alex (Traci Lind). She is a real upgrade considering his high school love interest was Marcy Darcy from Married With Children. (Editor’s Note: Contrary to Ryan’s opinion, I personally found Amanda Bearse to be somewhat attractive in the first FRIGHT NIGHT!) Charley also keeps in touch with his vampire-slaying friend Peter Vincent (Roddy McDowell), who is doing quite well hosting his revived midnight movie horror show.

Ah yes, things are just going great for our two heroes, but that is all about to change once Regine (Julie Carmen) rolls into town. Posing as a “performance artist,” Regine is actually the bloodsucking sister of Jerry Dandridge, and has come to exact revenge on Charley and Vincent! And she has brought along a trio of hench-creatures to help: The physically imposing, and bug-ingesting ghoul Bozworth (Brian Thompson), the lycanthropic Louie (Jon Gries, who also played the “Lock me up! I’m a werewolf!” guy in THE MONSTER SQUAD), and a silent roller-skating vamp named Belle (played by longtime Hollywood dance choreographer Russell Clark).

Together they concoct a plan to ruin Peter Vincent’s career, and turn Charley into a vampire so that Regine can torture him for all eternity! Eventually Peter musters up the courage to take on Regine and her crew, and teams up with Alex to rescue Charley from eternal damnation! Will Regine’s evil machinations come to fruition, or will Peter and Alex come out on top?! To find out you’ll just have to watch FRIGHT NIGHT PART 2!

First off I am officially calling this film the DIE HARD 2 of horror sequels. FRIGHT NIGHT PART 2 follows all of the same beats established in the first film but manages to up the ante. The original movie features one lead vampire and a ghoul, while this followup begins with three vampires and a ghoul. (Editor’s Note: While Louie is considered by many to be a werewolf, he is actually a vampire.)

The ghoul in this movie, Bozworth (named because of the actor’s resemblance to Brian Bosworth), is a definite stand-out with cool as ice Brian Thompson playing the character. This guy is a real Renfield, eating bugs whenever he finds them, and declaring an insect’s genus and species before munching on their sweet chitin. It is also worth mentioning Roddy McDowell as Peter Vincent – He is excellent in this film, and brilliantly reprises his role as the cowardly but resilient vampire killer!

My only complaint about this movie is that some of the goofy comedy bits don’t quite work, but other than that FRIGHT NIGHT PART 2 has my blessing! If you have never seen this sequel, check it out! The special effects do not disappoint, and should be a real treat for those of you exhausted by today’s bland CGI shenanigans! I really enjoyed Tommy Lee Wallace’s sequel to the Tom Holland original and think it deserves a rating of:

While you can watch an HD copy of FRIGHT NIGHT PART 2 on YouTube (CLICK HERE), most of ya’ll know that the movie is not currently available on DVD or Blu-Ray in the U.S. Seeing as how I been wanting to own a widescreen presentation of this movie for years, I finally took the plunge and ordered the movie from Spain via Amazon/es. The disc came in this week and I finally had a chance to check it out….

BLU-RAY REVIEW

Packaging: FRIGHT NIGHT PART 2 comes in a standard Blu-ray amaray case, and its cover art features the same design as the original theatrical one-sheet. I prefer this design over the white cover found on the U.S. VHS & DVD releases – it definitely looks right at home sitting next to my Blu-ray copy of the original FRIGHT NIGHT.

Audio & Video: This Blu-ray of FRIGHT NIGHT PART 2 is a Region Free import from Spain, that at first appeared to be a legit pressed disc, but is more than likely a BD-R LTH. (A Low-To-High Blu-ray Recordable Disc.) It offers up both English and Spanish audio tracks. Track #1 is in Spanish (Dolby Digital 2.0) and since Dora The Explorer wasn’t a thing when I growing up, I decided to watch the film with the alternate English 2-channel DTS track. The audio was good with no hiss, snaps, crackles, or pops. It was not super dynamic in any way, but the music in the film had plenty of fidelity and I could always hear what all the characters were saying.

Up until now, I have only seen FRIGHT NIGHT PART 2 in fullscreen, so seeing it in a (2.35:1) widescreen presentation was a revelation! The picture quality is very good: Nothing earth-shattering mind you, but good nonetheless. During closeup shots of the characters, you can see sharp detail on the fabric of their clothing, and clearly see their pores and skin imperfections. There is no denying that this is a legitimate HD transfer!

Now for the bad news: There were several instances of judder in the picture during the playing of the disc. The first of which was at the 07:38 mark (as seen HERE), and lasted f0r only a split second. Two similar errors occur later on at these time stamps – 1:12:27 and 1:43:36. The film doesn’t freeze up, and it didn’t cause a  “hiccup” with the audio, but it is still a bit distracting.

I tested this Blu-ray disc in three different players to see if the errors persisted: My PS3 would not boot up the movie, but I have had that issue with foreign discs in the past. FRIGHT NIGHT PART 2 played fine on my Sony 4k player and my Seiki blu-ray player but I still experienced the same problem at the time intervals listed above. I can’t say for sure if this issue is on all of the discs, so if you own this disc, please provide confirmation for us in the comments section below!

Extras: The original theatrical trailer.

Final Verdict: Though I was a little disappointed with this release, I guess I can’t complain too much since the disc was fairly inexpensive (it cost a little over ten dollars). And since I have no idea when we’ll get a stateside release, this Blu-ray will just have to do. Despite the lack of extras and minor video imperfections, I’m just happy to own a physical copy of FRIGHT NIGHT PART 2, and have decided to give this Spanish Blu-ray release a (rather generous) rating of:

Momo: The Missouri Monster (2019)
Not Rated / Color / 82 minutes
Directed by Seth Breedlove
Purchase it: Amazon.com (Digital) | Smalltown Monsters (DVD)

WARNING: THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SOME SPOILERS!

When I was growing up, I was so much more receptive towards the existence of paranormal phenomena, cryptids, and things that went bump in the night. Nessie lurked at the bottom of Loch Ness, THE AMITYVILLE HORROR was a true story, and Bigfoot and its ilk were most definitely stomping around the heavily-forested portions of the United States. I watched Unsolved Mysteries, reruns of In Search Of…, and eagerly devoured books filled with ghost stories and eyewitness accounts of Bigfeet, UFOs, and sea serpents.

But now that I’m an adult, I no longer put much stock in tales of missing links, ghosts, and monsters. I mean sure, I want to believe, but in this age of increased technological visibility where everyone has a camera, and satellites watch us from miles above the Earth, it has become increasingly difficult to believe that such creatures exist. But it is fun to speculate, and always interesting to hear tales of legendary creatures like MOMO: THE MISSOURI MONSTER.

Momo (the shortened form of MissOuri MOnster) hails from the small town of Louisiana, Missouri, which sits alongside the Mississippi River. The creature was allegedly seen my numerous people in the Summer of 1972, and would forever become a part of local legend that persists to this day. In particular, the foul-smelling, three-toed, seven-foot tall hominid terrorized the Harrisons, a family that lived near Marzolf Hill (aka Star Hill). Their tales of a hirsute beast (and lights in the sky) created a sort of mass hysteria in the otherwise peaceful town.

To calm the populace, the local Chief of Police, Shelby Ward, scoured Star Hill with a group of armed men and found no trace of any creature, but that didn’t stop outsiders from visiting. Hoping to catch a glimpse of Momo, cryptozoologists (and even UFO experts) descended upon Louisiana. But as quickly as the mysterious beast had appeared, it suddenly vanished, leaving many to wonder if the Harrisons had lied, were the victims of a prank, or if Momo was real but not of this Earth.

Nearly fifty years after the “Summer of Momo,” Lyle Blackburn (author, Rue Morgue columnist, musician, and cryptid enthusiast) ventures to Louisiana as part of his “Cryptid Casefiles” series to shed some light on the short-lived invasion of the Missouri Monster. Blackburn’s portion of MOMO is done in pure documentary style: He interviews locals who share their personal experiences (and opinions), or recount the stories they have heard. And while conducting his investigation, the film cuts back and forth to a “previously unreleased” 1975 film entitled MOMO: THE MISSOURI MONSTER.

Directed by Seth Breedlove (who did nine cryptid docs prior to this one), MOMO is a cool little film that hearkens back to “Bigfoot-sploitation” classics like THE LEGEND OF BOGGY CREEK and THE CREATURE FROM BLACK LAKE. It also never existed until this year. (That’s right Vault Dwellers – MOMO is a faux film!) With an estimated budget of sixteen grand (according to IMDB), and a relatively small cast and crew, Breedlove produced a fun narrative about a hairy invader from outer space.

Though shot on digital, MOMO: THE MISSOURI MONSTER was film-looked to give it a 70s grindhouse feel: The footage looks grainy and a bit washed out, and specks and scratches were added to complete the effect. Coupled with the atmospheric soundtrack composed by Brandon Dalo, the illusion of MOMO’s “drive-in movie origins” is fairly convincing, even during scenes utilizing green screen and digital effects! As for Momo itself, it is (thankfully) brought to life via an actor (Ken Rose) in a monster suit!

Unfortunately, as good as the production values are, there isn’t a whole lot of meat to MOMO: THE MISSOURI MONSTER, and I can’t honestly fault the filmmakers for that. It’s just the result of a finite number of Momo stories, and the fact that many of the people who experienced the disturbances firsthand are deceased. (As of 2008, Edgar Harrison, his wife Betty, and his son Lewis, who were all at the epicenter of the strange events, are no longer with us.)

Still, Lyle Blackburn makes do with his interview subjects, who are comprised of Momo skeptics (who simultaneously vouch for the integrity of the Harrison family), Matt Huntington – Chronicler of the Strange, and Snookie Ward, the daughter of Louisiana’s former Momo-hunting police chief. But the most interesting interviewee of the bunch has to be Gail Suddarth. As Momo fever ramped up in town, she claims to have created the infamous three-toed Momo-print discovered on her family farm that drew media attention and even fooled experts!

While the documentary portions of this Small Town Monsters production are well done, it’s truly Seth Breedlove’s simulated creature feature that won me over in the end. MOMO: THE MISSOURI MONSTER offers up an extraterrestrial origin for the beast, who is characterized as equal parts curious and aggressive. The creature makes a general nuisance of itself as it stalks the Harrison family, assaults a pair of young picnickers (stealing a peanut butter and jelly sandwich in the process), and offends many a nose with its fetid stench!

As MOMO builds to its conclusion, Edgar Harrison (Adam Duggan) ventures up to Marzolf Hill one night with Chief Ward (Cliff Barackman) and a group of armed volunteers, to flush out Momo. Undaunted by strange phenomena (e.g. lights in the sky, animalistic roars, and a monstrous voice warning them to “Stay out of my woods!”) the men continue their search. But in the end it is Edgar who stumbles across their quarry after recklessly charging into the forest. Having abandoned the others, Edgar comes face to face with Momo leading to final confrontation that will decide the fate of the town, and his family!

Currently I have not seen any of the other cryptid documentaries created by the Small Town Monsters team (which include investigations into THE BRAY ROAD BEAST, THE FLATWOODS MONSTER, THE MOTHMAN OF POINT PLEASANT, and THE BOGGY CREEK MONSTER!), but if they are on par with MOMO: THE MISSOURI MONSTER then I’ll gladly give them a watch! Seth Breedlove’s documentary/docudrama combo is very polished, and offers up some interesting historical perspective on the town and its furry claim to fame. Will it make a Momo-believer out of you? Probably not. But as I stated earlier, it’s always fun to speculate!

Though I’m not likely to revisit MOMO: THE MISSOURI MONSTER any time soon, I do very much recommend it (particularly to cryptozoology enthusiasts and fans of Bigfoot cinema) and hereby give this indie documentary a rating of: