The late 70s and early 80s were considered the golden age of the slasher film. With a saturated market of low-budget slashers, a lot of well-crafted horror movies did not get the attention that they normally would have. The Ghost Dance is a slasher that revolves around a Native American killer with supernatural elements that…
The Cat and The Canary (1927) [Eureka! The Masters of Cinema Series] Blu-ray Review
The Cat and the Canary is a 1927 silent film based on a stage play by John Willard. The film version is described as being in the “horror/comedy” genres. There are multiple film adaptations of this play, one including Bob Hope. The 1927 version was directed by Paul Leni, a German director responsible for Waxworks,…
The Warrior and the Blind Swordsman/The Warrior and the Ninja [Mondo Macabro] Blu-ray Review
The Warrior series started off with a bang. When I saw the opportunity to review the sequels, I jumped at the chance. Mondo Macabro released them both in a Blu-ray double feature. The first of these sequels is “The Warrior and the Blind Swordsman”. The character of Jaka Sembung is back but the movie focuses…
The Warrior (1981) [Mondo Macabro] Blu-ray Review
The Warrior is an Indonesian fantasy/action film about a noble warrior (Jaka Sembung) fighting for all of the right reasons against the oppressive Dutch Colonial Government. Not only is he a super-human fighter, he is also a symbol to the people struggling against colonial rule. Unable to capture the resistance leader, the Dutch representative hires…
A Chinese Torture Chamber Story Part 1 and 2 [Vinegar Syndrome] Blu-ray Review
A Chinese Torture Chamber Story Part 1 and 2 (ACTCS1 and ACTCS2) are a pair of movies that use torture as the centerpiece of the film, as implied by the titles. They were Category 3 films made by the Hong Kong film industry, which was a severe rating indicating graphic sex, violence, or triad rituals….
Super Soul Brother and the Films of Rene Martinez, Jr. [AGFA] Blu-ray Review
There are many categories of movies. I like to think of it as a four-square matrix. One axis is good/bad in terms of technical execution. The other axis is good/bad in terms of enjoyment. So, there are movies that are well executed and entertaining (good/good) and movies that are poorly made and boring (bad/bad). Occasionally,…
I am a Nymphomaniac/I am Frigid…Why? [Blu-ray] Mondo Macabro Review
I am a Nymphomaniac is a 1970 French erotica film that is very light on eroticism. Sandra Julien plays the main character (Carole) who suffers a head injury and suddenly starts craving sex. While she is a beautiful woman, the movie keeps sabotaging itself and destroying any sensuality by having the main character feel shame…
Mary Jane’s Not a Virgin Anymore & the Films of Sarah Jacobson [AGFA] Blu-ray Review
Sarah Jacobson was a director that explored a lot of feminist themes in a less narrative driven style. Think of Richard Linklater’s less story focused work. While making a splash and generating interest in the 1990s, she died young due to cancer. Her body of work only includes one feature length film and a handful…
Santa Claus Conquers the Martians & Other Holiday Hallucinations! [AGFA and Something Weird release] Blu-ray review
Santa Claus Conquers the Martians (SCCTM) is a notoriously bad movie. The first time I watched it was a Rifftrax Live event where a trio of comedians mocked the film in front of an audience. The event was hilarious. In the recent joint release between AGFA and Something Weird, the movie stands alone, and it…
Sex Apocalypse [Mondo Macabro] Blu-ray release
The year is 1982. The country is Spain. Carlos Aured is shifting from the horror genre to a new genre exploding in popularity, the rated “S” sex film. Under General Franco, Spain had strict obscenity laws and once he passed away, the law became much less censorious. Aured put together a film provocatively titled “Sex…