31DAYS OF HALLOWEEN DAY 31:MAN WHO THOUGHT LIFE 1969 (SINISTER CINEMA)

One of the best films I have seen in a while.

I'm not disgarding every other movie I have watched lately, but this one really stands out.

This nifty thriller was made in Denmark. The story revolves arounf a weird character named Steinmetz (John Price) who is arrested and put in a mental hospital after accosting several people with a mouse in his hand.

It's at the hospital when Steinmetz meets Dr. Max Holst (Preben Neergaard). Steinmetz refuses to explain anything to Holst until he is released from the hospital.

Odd things such as cigars and cognac keep appearing in Steinmetz's room without explanation. One day the entire staff finds that Steinmetz has left the hospital and gone back to his mansion.

Steinmetz tells the doctor that he has a unique mind and demonstrates his ability by making cigars and cognac appear out of thin air. He also tells the doctor that he wants him to perform a brain operation on him and make his abilities better.

Holst refuses because he knows that the kind of power Steinmetz has can destroy the world. Steinmetz then creates a double of the doctor and that's when Holst finds himself fighting for survival as well as trying to stop Steinmetz.

This is one of the most original films I have seen, and it works on every level. It's a slow burn and it does have a very satisfactory conclusion.

The movie has English subtitles which are very easy to read and I implore you not to let the fact it's not dubbed stop you from watching one of the best films to ever be made.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Berwick Kaler is 79.

31 DAY OF HALLOWEEN DAY 30: DEADLY FRIEND 1986 (SHOUT FACTORY) BLU-RAY

This is a movie that has been treated badly by critics and horror fans alike.

I would actually call this a blueprint about how movie makers get screwed by the studios and how bad censors are when it comes to certain things in movies.

It's a great little story about a genius young man named Paul (Matthew Labyortwaux) who moves into a new neighborhood with his mother and befriends a beautiful girl named Samantha (Kristy Swanson).

Both Paul and his mother suspect she is being abused by her father, and one day he goes too far and kills her. Paul is beside himself and he takes a robot brain chip and implants it in Samantha's brain.

With this she comes back to life and seeks revenge on everyone who was cruel to her and to Paul. Samantha has some unique kills including the infamous basketball scene. More on that in a bit.

You can tell that there was a lot of tampering with this movie as it teeters between being a straight horror film and a twisted tale of Paul and Samantha loving each other. Upon initial release, director Wes Craven made the film as a bizarre love story and when screened for test audiences, it was panned.

Warner Brothers hated it and ordered more gore and horror. Craven disliked the idea and disowned the movie. Then to top everything off, the movie went to the MPAA 13 times before it was approved after re-editing and such.

The uncut version I have includes the extended basketball scene where Samantha kills a gun toting old woman named Elvira (Anne Ramsey) by throwing a basketball at her head and with such force it explodes the woman entire head and her body walks around the room spurting blood everywhere. It's a scene not soon forgotten.

I enjoyed this film and you might enjoy it as well if you haven't seen it. Swanson has always been a favorite of mine, so maybe I'm partial to it because of her.

31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN DAY 29:A VIRGIN AMONG THE LIVING DEAD 1972 (SINISTER CINEMA)

This is a very odd film from Jess Franco.

I have had many chances to see this movie, but never did, at least until now, and it's not too bad. Far from Franco's best, but no where near his worst.

The main attractions in this film are the beautiful scenery and the beautiful women Franco always seems to have in his movies. Christina Von Blanc stars as as Christina, a beautiful young woman who returns to he family estate for the reading of her father's will.

Upon arrival in the town she asks where the house is and is told nobody lives there. When she gets to the house she meets her family members, and what a weird group they turn out to be.

They never smile and they act like they are hiding a secret.It is really no secret to the viewer and there are plenty of bizarre set pieces in this movie as well as Howard Vernon acting crazy. He and Christina have several wierd as hell conversations. You gotta see the film to understand.

The movie ends on a rather twisted note and reminded me somewhat of "Carnival Of Souls" mixed with "Night Of The Living Dead" and a few others I have seen.

I enjoyed to movie, but I will say it isn't for everyone. There is a lot of nudity, but not a virgin to be found. Von Blanc looks great in and out of clothes.

The rest of the cast includes the director himself as a mute servant of the "family", Anne Libert, Britt Nickols, Rosa Palomar, and Paul Muller.

Easily recommended for Franco fans as well as fans of totally bizarre cinema.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Ana Foxx is 37, Richard Dreyfuss is 78, Gabrielle Union is 53, and Kate Jackson is 77.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Christie Hemme is 45

31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN DAY 28: RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD 3 1993 (LIONSGATE) BLU-RAY

The second sequel to the original.

This time the comedy is pretty much left behind and the story takes a different turn. It still concerns Trioxen gas, but goes in a more bizarre place.

Kent McCord stars as Colonel John Reynolds, a man who has been experimenting with 2-4-5- Trioxen to see if the dead can be made into unkillable soldiers. His son Curt (J. Trevor Edmond) is a constant thorn in his side, but he loves him anyway.

Curt steals his dad's ID card and he and his sexy girlfriend Julie (Melinda Clarke) sneak into a military base and see John working on one of his experiments. Disaster ensues and John loses his job and is going to be transferred. Curt refuses to join his father and storms out of the house with Julie.

Curt and Julie are involved in a motorcycle accident and Julie is killed. Curt uses his brain and what he saw during the experiment and he actually brings Julie back to life.

This chamges everything as Julie comes back to life, but is slowly turning into a brain eating zombie. I know this sounds ridiculous, but it actually works on all of the levels it was intended.

One really develops a sympathy for Julie and Curt. I loved the character of Julie. I knew a few young women like her back in the day, and they were always fun to be with. The rest of the cast includes Sarah Douglas, James T. Callahan, Abigail Lenz, and Michael Decker.

If you're looking for something different, you might try this movie if you haven't seen it already. After seeing it I am sorry I avoided it for almost 30 years.

31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN DAY 27: BEAST FROM HAUNTED CAVE 1959 (FILM MASTERS)

Another Film Masters release of a Filmgroup picture.

A beautiful upgrade for a classic 50's horror film.

A group of three men and one woman plot the robbery of gold bars in a small South Dakota town and plan their escape by going on a cross county ski trip before anyone knows what has happened.

However, they find themselves stalked by a wried monster that to this day I don't really know what the hell it is. It wraps its victims in cocoons and drinks their blood.

Monte Hellman directed this Gene Corman produced film that was shot in the very cold South Dakota Black Hills. The films moves quickly, and once again you have either the TV version or the theatrical. I always prefer the theatrical.

It's creepy and entertaining, and if for some reason you haven't seen this yet, I suggest you do. 50's horror fans should be pleased with this presentation.

The cast includes Frank Wolff, Sheila Noonan, Mark Forest, Wally Campo, Richard Sinatra, and Chris Robinson as the monster.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Jayne Kennedy is 74.

RIP JUNE LOCKHART 1925-2025

The very well known actress has passed away.

June Lockhart is known by everyone who reads this, I will guarantee it.

In her career of 80 years she appeared in almost 180 movies and TV shows. Her two most famous roles will always be her 6 year stint as Ruth Martin on "Lassie", and her 3 year run on "Lost In Space" as Maureen Robinson.

June made hundreds of other appearances in such TV shows as "Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea", "Happy Days", "Ellery Queen", "Adam-12", "Goodyear Playhouse", "Science Fiction Theatre", "Gunsmoke", "Have Gun Will Travel", and "Darkroom".

Her movies include "She Wolf Of London", "T-Men", Sergeant York", "Son Of Lassie", "Strange Invaders", "Curse Of The Black Widow", and "Who Is Black Dahlia?" just to name a few.

I grew up watching June in almost every TV show and movie that interested me. She was always a welcome face in the sometimes madcap world of films and TV.

June Lockhart passed away on Octiber 23, 2025 at the age of 100.

31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN DAY 26: THE DARK 1979 (MVD)

I have written about this one before, but I got a hankering to see it again and talk about it.

This movie was produced by Edward Montoro and Dick Clark for Film Ventures. I've always loved this movie since I first saw it back in the early 80's.

The movie opens with the brutal killing of a young woman walking alone at night. According to the police her head has been ripped off. Enter her father, a writer named Roy Warner (William Devane) who demands action from the police.

The officer in charge of the case is Dave Mooney (Richard Jaeckel) who sent Roy to prison in the past. Warner rides Mooney as the killings continue and the police seem powerless to stop them.

A beautiful TV news reporter Zoe Owens (Cathy Lee Crosby) is on the story for the press and she, along with Roy, do their own investigation and discover that the killer isn't even human.

This film had Tobe Hooper start directing and the John Cardos took over, hence the fact that it seems like two different stories molded into one. I started out as a zombie story and morphed into an alien with laser beam eyes.

I still like this movie a lot and always will. It's one of my favorites. The rest of the cast includes Biff Elliot, Keenan Wynn, Warren Kemmerling, Casey Kasem, John Bloom and Vivian Blaine.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Jaclyn Smith is 80.

31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN DAY 25: LATE AUGUST AT THE HOTEL OZONE 1966 (SINISTER CINEMA)

A classic film that is very obscure.

This is a wonderful, but downbeat 1966 film made in Czechoslovakia and it centers around a small band of women who are some of the very last survivors of a nuclear holocaust that happened about 30 years beforehand.

They are led by an older woman who teaches them different skills and keeps the band going in search of food. They happen upon a very lonely man who is living at an old hotel called The Ozone.

It is here that the old leader of the group finally passes away and everything ends on a rather shocking note. However, it's not really at all to suprising considering these are humans we are seeing here.

I will not spoil anything here. I found this to be a superior film and it will hold your attention even though there is really no action or explotative elements.

It is, at times. bleak, depressing and shocking, but that is exactly what makes it work so well. This is a highly recommended movie, and one you should try and see.

The print is subtitled in English. SEE IT!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Ciara is 40.

31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN DAY 24: CASTLE OF EVIL 1966 (VINEGAR SYNDROME) BLU-RAY

A oretty much unliked film finally comes to Blu-ray.

I remember seeing this when I was very young and liking it. Then I obtained the VHS from NTA Video and later made a bootleg from that tape.

Now it finally comes to Blu-ray, and I was anxious to pick it up. I like it, but I do admit it's a very slow burn that really has a nothing burger ending.

Several people are transported to an isolated island where a millionaire inventor named Kovec lives. He has invited them all to his island for the reading of his will.

Kovec has created a robot in his mutated image and has it programmed to kill them all. It's an old dark house thriller with a robot killer instead of a masked killer, and that is it's only difference.

The cast is my main reason for liking this so much. The cast includes Virginia Mayo, Scott Brady, Hugh Marlowe, David Brian, William Thourlby, Shelley Morrison and the gorgeous Lisa Gaye.

From what I gather not too many horror fans like this movie, but I do think you should give it a try if you haven't seen it. Vinegar Syndrome has done an excellent job with the 4k transfer.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Caprice Bourret is 54, and Barbara Wilson is 89.

31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN DAY 23: BURIED ALIVE 1989 (MGM)

Strange little movie that the makers claim was based on Edgar Allen Poe stories.

A beautiful young woman named Janey (Karen Witter) arrives at a school for delinquint girls known as Ravenscroft for a teaching position.

The place is run by Gary Julian (Robert Vaughn) and he is havng problems since a student has just disappeared. We see what happened to the student in the opening scenes of the film, and it's pretty well done.

As Janet becomes more involved with the school she discovers some terrifying things as more young women go missing and she has some pretty wild visions in her dreams about the killings and the mysterious killer.

It's not a bad film, but it just doesn't seem to have much direction. It's all over the place. The director, Gerard Kikoine seems to have only directed French porn films before this and it shows.

I do like the fact that Ravenscroft achool only has gorgeous women in it. That makes the film a little better. The ending is way over the top, but well done and Vaughn does a good job as a man who may be going slowly insane.

I am a fan of Karen Witter and enjoyed seeing her in this since I loved her in "The Vineyard". The rest of the cast includes Donald Pleasence, Ginger Lynn, Nia Long, and John Carradine in what would be his final movie. It was released two years after he passed away.

All in all not a bad film, but it could sure use some direction. The only ties it has to Poe are black cats and people buried behind walls. This movie is also obsessed with ants....lots of ants, which you have to see in order to understand it.

The final shot in the film leaves things open for a follow-up, but that never happened.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Sam Raimi is 66, "Weird Al" Yankovic is 66, and Jasmine St. Claire is 55.

31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN DAY 22: RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD 2 1988 (SHOUT FACTORY) BLU-RAY

This is an ok sequel to the original, but it comes nowhere near it's classic status.

James Karen and Thom Matthews return in this follow-up film, but as different chsracters in name and job only. They play two grave robbers who get infected when gas from a broken cannister is released and begins, again, reviving the dead.

I have to admit the only reason I checked this movie out was because of Suzanne Snyder. I will watch anything she is in.

There is plenty of zombie action and some gore, but the comedy really takes over and it's a huge subtext to the film itself. There is a scene in the movie where the character played by Matthews even says to Karen "I feel like this is a dream, and we've both done this before".

If you're a horror fan I assume you've already seen this zombie epic, but if you haven't I recommend you do. Just keep in mind it's not up to the original.

The rest of the cast includes Michael Kenworthy, Thor Van Lingen, Jason Hogan, Marsha Dietlein, and Mitch Pileggi.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Catherine Deneuve is 82, and Suzanne Synder is 63.

31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN DAY 21: CRAWLERS 1993 (SHOUT FACTORY) BLU-RAY

This is one bizarre movie.

The main plot of the movie is about a nuclear plant that is dumping their waste in a forest and it starts mutating the roots of the trees.

These roots come alive and begin killing people. A man who works at the plant suspects something evil is going on, but his boss keeps him from speaking out. His boss even has him thrown in jail by the corrupt Sheriff.

Lots of killings take place until the locals of the nearby small toen decide to take things into their own hands and destroy the menace. Many are killed in the battle until a man shows up with an army of bulldozers and wipes out the monsters.

The ending is an open one, but no sequel was ever made. Fabrizio Laurenti and Joe D'Amato both directed this feature and because of financial trouble the movie was never released to theaters, but directly to video in 1993.

The movie has been so maligned and I have to be honest with you, I liked it. It's really no worse than any other low budget monster film. I have seen much worse.

This was filmed in Utah and released with seceral different titles including "Creepers", "Contamination .7" and "Troll 3". That last one is a mystery to me.

The cast includes Wanja Mary Sellers, Jason Saucier, Eddy Eby, Bubba Reeves and Chelsi Stahr.

Look, if you get a chance, check it out. You might like it. Once again I stress, don't judge this by what you read online.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Jack Taylor is 89.

31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN DAY 20: BLOOD ROSE 1970 (SINISTER CINEMA)

Very odd, but entertaining French horror feature from 1970.

Philippe Lemaire stars as an artist named Frederic, who, after his wife is involved in an accident and is severly burned, dedicates his life to getting her a new face.

They live in a secluded mansion and his wife Anne (Anny Duperey) is slowly losing her sanity. Frederic hires a beautiful nurse to take care of Anne, and they begin a small affair that Anne quickly stops with murder.

Frederic soon learns that a dis-credited doctor named Romer (Howard Vernon) can restore Anne's face. He blackmails the doctor into helping him, and both soon start to scout around for attractive women to kidnap and use in the experiments.

This is a well made film that comes to a very bleak conclusion for all involved, and it really held my attention. It's essentially a remake of "Eyes Without A Face" and has been done many times, but this was very entertaining and had some original ideas as well.

The print is beautiful and it is dubbed into English. The rest of the cast includes Olivia Robin, Elizabeth Tiessier, and Michael Charrel.

If you get the chance you might want to check this one out. It's billed as the first "sex horror film" whatever that means.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Diana Lorys is 85.

31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN DAY 19: LEGEND OF BLOOD CASTLE 1972 (SINISTER CINEMA)

Somewhat lackluster Spanish horror, but not without merits.

Lucia Bose stars as Countess Elizabeth Bathory, a woman who finds that her maids blood can make her skin look young again.

She falls in love with a young soldier, but keeps on killing young women so she can remain young and not lose her looks. This is a very slow burn film that never really picks up pace, but it's very gothic and has some great set pieces.

I love the scenes in the court room where a corpse is on trial by the superstious people for being a vampire. it's absurd and yet totally on track with the rest of this movie.

Jorge Grau directed this and he handles everything very well, but I wish it has been a little faster moving. Ewa Aulin is gorgeous as always in her role as a servant girl and some of the slight gore effects look very good.

I recommend this for horror fans, but it may not please everyone.

RIP SAMANTHA EGGAR 1939-2025

The England born actress has passed away.

Eggar appeared in over 100 films and TV shows during her 60 year career.

Some of her TV credits include "She Spies", "The Saint", "Columbo", Starsky And Hutch", "Hawaii 5-0", "Darkroom" and many, many more.

Samantha Egger also had an impressive list of movie credits including "Dr. Dolittle", "Demonoid", "The Brood", "The Uncanny", "Welcome To Blood City", "The Severn-Per-Cent Solution", "Light At The End Of The World", "The Dead Are Alive", "The Collector" and "Young And Willing".

The multi talented Samantha Eggar passed away on October 15, 2025 at the age of 86.

31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN DAY 18: LEONOR MISTRESS OF THE DEVIL 1971 (SINISTER CINEMA)

This is a very rare film that was never released to theaters in the USA.

This Spanish thriller centers around a man played by Michel Piccoli whose wife Leonor (Liv Ullman) dies in an accident and on the same day he marries another beautiful woman named Catherine (Ornella Muti).

He has a couple of children with her and yet over the 10 years that pass after Leonor dies, he still misses her. One day he sells his soul to Satan to have her back and then sees her out of her tomb and walking around.

He and Leonore get back together, but it's soon discovered that she is a vampire looking for children to kill. The small village is soon overrun with the deaths of many children.

I don't know why this movie is so underrated and so obscure. It's a great, slow burn horror that eventually reaches a climax you don't expect.

Ullman and Piccoli are both great in their respective roles as the man who refuses to believe the truth about his walking dead wife and said dead wife who needs to kill children.

Check this one out if you have the chance. It's a winner.

HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY TO...

Missy Hyatt turned 62 on October 16.

31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN DAY 17: IT'S ALIVE 3: ISLAND OF THE ALIVE 1987 (WARNER)

The third and final film in the series is the most bizarre by far.

Michael Moriarty stars as Stephen Jarvis, the latest man to father a mutant baby. The movie opens in a courtroom where Stephen's baby is broung in chained in a cage!!

After a volatile court drama in which the baby gets out of its cage, the judge (Macdonald Carey) orders all of the mutant children across the country be moved to an isolated islane where people don't live.

Jarvis has a hard time in the real world as he loses job after job because of his mutant baby, and women, when they discover who he is are repulsed. This is really brought out on a scene between Jarvis and a hooker (Laurene Landon).

After 5 years pass Jarvis goes back to the island with a group of scientists and everyone gets killed but Jarvis. The mutant children are full grown now and they have him pilot the boat back to where they were born...the good old USA.

This is where the movie gets really weird. Jarvis jumps ship and is captured by Cubans. After a short time the Cubans return Jarvis to American shores and wish him well!! It's hilarious.

The final has the mutants seeking Jarvis and his ex-wife Ellen (Karen Black) because they are dying from measels and have given birth to a mutant of their own, and they know Jarvis will take care of it.

This is easily Larry Cohen's most outrageous film in the trilogy. It goes everywhere, and what a ride. Moriarty is over the top as usual and his stint as a shoe salesman is classic.

The rest of the cast includes James Dixon, Gerrit Graham, Art Lund, Ann Dane, and Neal Israel.

31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN DAY 16: THE MACHINE STOPS 1965 (SINISTER CINEMA)

Very interesting BBC TV show.

This is an episode of "Out Of The Unknown" and it's just as good as any of the others I have talked about here, and yes, there will be more comiong in the future.

This is based on a story by M.R. James abd it concerns a people in the far future who live underground and their every need is tended to by a machine.

Every need is met and everyone lives in his or hers own room without a care in the world. A young man named Kuno (Michael Gothard) wants to make a trip to the surface.

While this isn't forbidden, it isn't looked upon very kindley, but Kuno is curious. As if this isn't problem enough, one day the machine just stops working.

This was shot on videotape in 1966, and the quality is very good for what it is. I have never seen an episode of this show that I didn't like.

The story is very relevant today and it holds up well. I recommend this as I do all episodes of the series, if you can find them. The rest of the cast includes Yvonne Mitchell, Nike Arrighi, Jonathan Hansen, and Lucy Hill.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Erin Brown is 46, Christopher Mitchum is 82, and Kevin S. Tenney is 70.

RAMBLINGS...

Well, we are in the middle of the Halloween season and I have a ton of movies to watch on both disc and streaming.

It seems that TUBI always offers up some great stuff, and this time of the year is even better. I have quite a few of the Roger Corman "Poe" series to watch this year including my favorite...The Tomb Of Ligeia.

Most of these are films I've written about before, but who knows, I may write about them again here soon. Some of you have noticed that some posts do not have pictures anymore.

That will be the way things are until I can get some weird computer glitz taken care of. It will not allow me to upload any pictures to the blog. Why? Who knows, I am not computer savvy.

Everything in time I guess. Anyway, I hope you all have a great Halloween and find some terrific things to watch. I know my plate is full.

Thanks again for reading.

31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN DAY 15: WAR OF THE PLANETS 1965 (WARNER ARCHIVE)

Another of the "Gamma 1" quadrilogy.

This is the second entry in the series of 4 films made in Italy back to back in the mid 60's.

Tony Russel is Cmdr. Mike Halstead and this time he and the crew of Gamma One are faced with a very bizarre race of invaders.

After the weird and enjoyable "Wild Wild Planet" this is a comedown, but it's still a good film in my opinion. The aliens are blobs of green flashing lights and they either take over a human body or kill the host.

Halstead and a few others fight the invasion in order to save the cosmos from utter and total destruction. The plot moves along well, but some of the actors are not given much to do.

Lisa Gastoni returns as the beautiful Lt. Connie Gomez and that is a plus, but again, her role isn't developed as in the previous movie, but the movie never fails to entertain. In my opinion actor Michel Lemoine, who is one of the possessed eathlings, steals the show with his facial expessions and over the top acting.

This was followed by "War Between The Planets". The rest of the cast includes Franco Nero, Carlo Guistini, and Linda Sini.

I really recommend all four films in this series. They are fun Italian science fiction.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Lynn Lowery is 78, and Chesty Morgan is 88.

31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN DAY 14: DEVIL'S PARTNER 1958 (FILM MASTERS)

Film Masters continues it's excellent remastering of 50's horror.

This is a lesser known effort, but a very effective one. Ed Nelson stars as Pete, an old man who sells his soul to the devil and he comes back as a much younger man who calls himself Nick Richards.

When he arrives in the small town of Furnace Flats, NM odd things start to happen. There are several killings and some of them have been committed by animals like snakes and horses.

Nick also plans to get rid of David Simpson (Richard Crane) who happens to be engaged to lovely Nell Lucas ( Jean Allison) so he can have her for himself.

It doesn't take long for Nick's plans to become discovered, and then the police and several citizens must stop Nick.

I never saw this film until to late 80's when it was on VHS and it's always remained a favorite. The cast really shines and the music by Ronald Stein is perfect for this kind of a movie.

It was filmed in 1958 but not released until 1961 when Roger Cormans Film Group picked it up. The rest of the cast includes Edgar Buchanan, Byron Foulger, Joe Hooker, and Spencer Carlisle.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Udo Kier is 81, and Stacy Keibler is 46.

MORE HAPPY BIRTHDAYS...

Judy Bamber is 89.

31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN DAY 13: CREATURE FROM THE HAUNTED SEA 1960 (FILM MASTERS)

I have never seen this Roger Corman gem looking better than it does here.

Everyone know the plot about a bunch of criminals on a boat who are stalked by a sea monster after stealing part of the Cuban Treasury during the Castro revolution.

I swear this movie must have cost Roger Corman about 3 dollars, but it is a hell of a lot off fun. Fil Masters has remastered this little gem and it looks very good.

Antony Carbone stars as Renzo Capetto, a gangster who helps steal part of the treasury and then has his own plans on how to use it. He and his motley crew decide to kill off the Cuban soldiers one by one using the legend of a sea monster to get the job done.

Soon he and the others come to realize that the monster is real. This is part comedy and part horror and everything works well, at least it does for me.

The rest of the cast includes Betsy Jones Moreland, Robert Bean, Beach Dickerson, Robert Towne and Sonia Noemi Gonzalez. There are both the theatrical version and the TV version on this disc.

The TV version is about 12 minutes longer as they had to shoot extra scenes so TV stations could fill and hour and a half time slot. This is highly recommended and worth a look.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Ashanti is 45.

31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN DAY 12: WHISTLE AND I'LL COME FOR YOU 1965 (SINISTER CINEMA)

Top notch horror based on a story by M. R. James

Presented by Omnibus Productions, this thriller stars Michael Hordern as Prof. Parkins, a man who arrives at a secluded inn for peace and quiet.

One day while on a picnic/walk he discovers an old whistle and cleans it off. He blows into it and that is when the terror starts.

He is followed and haunted by an evil spirit. The script is tight and the story is very well presented. The Professor is terrorified at the spirit and even though we never get a good look at it, we know damn well it's there.

This was a BBC presentation, and it runs 42 minutes. There is no time for the story to go anywhere but into total terror. I know there have been two more remakes of this, but none capture the creepiness of this, the original.

If you're a fan of well told ghost stories, this is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Deborah Foreman is 63, Robin Askwith is 75, and Susan Anton is 75.

31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN DAY 11: BERSERKER 1987 (VINEGAR SYNDROME) BLU-RAY

Weird late 80's horror film.

This movie gets bashed a lot, but I actually found it entertaining.

The plot involves six young people who rent a cabin in the woods and are suddenly stalked and killed by a legendary Viking warrior whose spirit seeks revenge.

Revenge against what we don't know, but it doesn't matter much. The warrior dresses in a bear mask and claws and does manage to kill of few of the teens. The reluctant Sheriff of the small community close to the campground seems to know more than he lets on about the legend.

It's an odd package of a movie. The killer is revealed to be something I wasn't expecting, and I won't spoil it here. If you're a fan of weird 80's horror, you might like this.

The cast includes George "Buck" Flower, Joseph Allen Johnson, Valarie Sheldon, Shannn Engemann, Greg Dawson and the gorgeous Beth Toussaint.

31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN DAY 10: IT'S ALIVE 2: IT LIVES AGAIN 1978 (WARNER)

Fun sequel to the original from Larry Cohen.

In this follow up Frederick Forrest stars as Eugene Scott, a man, who along with his wife is expecting a baby. His wife, Jody (Kathleen Lloyd) has a baby shower, and that's when the trouble starts.

One of the guests is Frank Davis (John P. Ryan) who fathered the original mutant baby. He warns both of them that the baby Jody is carrying is going to be a mutant, and that the authorities are already watching the house.

Jody does indeed give birth to a savage mutant that immediately attacks the doctors in the delivery room. The babies are becoming an epidemic and the Government is trying to stop the babies when they are born, but things get a little out of hand.

As usual, there are a lot of subtexts including parenting, abortion, Government cover-up and love of children. These are handled very well, and the film proves to be a powerful condemnation of everything but parenting and love.

Director Cohen always made interesting movies, and he brings back a lot of people from the original film which makes it a winner. The cast also includes John Marley, Andrew Duggan, James Dixon, Eddie Constantine, and Glenda Young.

The film is a great example of what can be done on a very modest budget. These aren't for everyone, but for Cohen fans and fans of off the wall horror, these are all winners.

I hadn't seen this for decades and had forgotten that Euro star Constantine was in this. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN DAY 09: BLOOD DELIRIUM 1988 (VINEGAR SYNDROME) BLU-RAY

This is one wild and bizarre ride.

This Italian shocker stars John Phillip Law as Saint Simon, an artist whose greatest inspiration in his life is his wife. When she dies he goes off his rocker and starts to believe he is Vincent Van Gogh.

He just can't get feeling into his paintings until he meets a young woman named Sybille (Brigitte Christensen) who is the splitting image of his dead wife.

He traps her in the castle as he begins to paint again, but then he finds he needs real blood to paint so Simon and his necrophilic butler named Hermann (Gordon Mitchell) seek victims.

There are some really sick scenes in this movie and most of them involve Mitchell's character of Hermann. He is seen trying to have sex with the corpse of Simon's wife, he disembowels people and eats some of them, and he rapes a local young woman and kills her.

There is a lot of over the top acting from both Mitchell and Law, but somehow it works in this Italian version of the old HG Lewis movie "Color Me Blood Red".

This was a first time viewing of this Italian horror, and I did enjoy it, but it's not for everyone. I can recommend it to hard core Italian horror fans. The presentation from Vinegar Syndrome is top notch as always.

31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN DAY 08: REPTILICUS 1962 (SEVERIN) BLU-RAY

After years of reading about it I finally got to sit down and check out the Danish version of the movie.

I first saw this as a very young child back in the early 70's and loved it. My opinion hasen't changed. I LOVE this movie and for years I read about the original version, and as usual it was all negative.

How happy I was when I saw that Severin was coming out with the US version and the Danish version. As I said, this is going to be about the Danish one.

There is a lot of difference between the two including the famous shots of Retilicus flying and causing destruction all over the world. Each scene was filmed twice. Once with a Danish cast, the other with all the same actors but in English.

The only difference is blonde and gorgeous Marlies Gehrens replaces Bodil Miller as the female lead coming to help the Danish army defeat the monster. There is also a musical number sung by Danish comedy king Dirch Passer. Passer is in the US version as well, but only as handyman named Peterson.

There is also a side story involving the developing love affair between Svend (Bent Mejding) and Karen Martens (Mimi Henrich) as well as a few other sub plots.

One has to really see both films to know the difference. I don't care what has been written by all of the so called experts of cinema about this movie. I liked both versions, and I prefer the Danish version now that I have had a chance to see it.

It may not be the best monster movie around, but it beats all this modern crap by a mile. I would HIGHLY RECOMMEND this to any monster movie fan.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Stephanie Zimbalist is 69.

31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN DAY 07: THE CURSED MANSION 1963 (SINISTER CINEMA)

This is also known as "Tomb Of Torture".

It's been about 13 years since I saw this and my opinion has changed a bit. I enjoyed this a bit more than when I first saw it, but it is a little lacking in pace.

The movie opens on a strong note as two young women decide to explore a mysterious castle, only to be trapped in the torture chamber and tortured to death by a deformed madman.

You never see any of the torture on screen, which in my opinion is a big mistake. However the main part of the tale revolves around a young woman who believes she is the reincarnation of a dead countess.

A bumbling policeman and a reporter join the woman and there are a few more murders as well as attacks on people within the castle. Why is this taking place?

The answers are all revealed when the young women, Anna Darnell ( Annie Alberti) is taken to the torture chamber by the same deformed madman we saw at the beginning of the movie. It's up to the above mentioned reporter, George Dickson (Marco Mariani) and a swami named Raman (Antonio Boccaci) to rescue her and clear up the mystery.

This is the Italian language version of the movie with English subtitles and one short sequence in English. This is a movie that has been largely forgotten by Euro horror fans, and that is a shame.

It may not be the greatest movie, but I have seen much worse.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Judy Landers is 67.

RIP JIM MITCHUM 1941-2025

The son of actor Robert Mitchum has passed away.

Jim was the eldest son of actor Robert Mitchum and he appeared in about 35 movies in his career. Many of them are offbeat, and really very good, others are of the cult variety.

Jim made his acting debut in a 1949 film entitled "Colorado Territory" when he was a child and then made his screen presense known whe he appeared withhis father in the 1958 classic "Thunder Road".

Some of James' othe movies include "The Beat Generation", "Girls Town", "Massacre At Grand Canyon", "Two Lane Blacktop", "Monstroid" and ""The Ransom".

James Mitchum passed away on September 20, 2025 at the age of 84.

31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN DAY 06: WHITE REINDEER 1952 (EUREKA ENTERTAINMENT) BLU-RAY

A great folk horror movie based on a Lapp legend.

I have heard about this movie, but never had a chance to see in until now, and I wasn't disappointed at all. In fact I was highly impressed by this Finnish cinematic fairy tale.

A lonely Finnish newlywed goes to a shaman for some help with her lovelife, but get a very unexpected result. She is changed into a White Reindeer Vampire that feeds off of men.

Yep, you heard that right. However, this is handled in a very scary way and becomes a cautionary tale of "be careful what you wish for. you just might get it".

Of course, the snow covered landscape makes the tale even more creepy. What is also interesting is that there is not a modern item in sight in the Lap village. The only transportation are sleds pulled by reindeer or on foot.

After several victims are discovered the small village comes together to rid themselves of the supernatural evil. The changed woman named Pirita (Mirjami Kuosmanen) tries to have the curse lifted off of her, but she has already killed the shaman so there is nobody to help her.

The ending is both sad and very abrupt, as it should be I suppose. This is a classic work of film, and should be seen by fans of folk horror, or horror in general. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Britt Ekland is 83.

31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN DAY 05: INVASION OF THE SAUCERMEN 1957 (MYSTICAL POPCORN)

Of course, I have talked about this movie before.

This all time classic AIP sci-fi film has been very, very hard to find since the rights are owned by Susan Hart and it will never see a top notch DVD or Blu-Ray release.

For years I have had a bootleg copy I made from a VHS release from RCA in the 1990's. Now I have finally gotten a DVD from another company and it looks pretty good indeed. It's the last one I intend to get.

As everyone knows the plot revolves around aliens landing on Earth and raising havoc around "Lovers Lane" in a small mid-western town. The aliens inject alcohol into their victims and so nobody believes them when they say they saw aliens.

However, the invasion plans are stopped when two intrepid teens, Johnny Carter (Steve Terrell) and Joan Hayden (Gloria Castillo) discover they have been framed by the aliens in a hit and run and they discover strong light will destroy them.

There are some small laughs in this all time classic and the aliens have become rather iconic in the film world. Paul Blaisdell created the little monsters and once seen, they are never forgotten.

Edward L. Cahn handles the directing chorse in a very good manner. I've said this before, don't pass up a chance to watch this classic if you get the chance.

The rest of the cast includes Ed Nelson, Raymond Hatton, Frank Gorshin, Lyn Osborn, Russ Bender. Doug Henderson, Jason Johnson, Jan Englund, Pat Lawler and Sam Buffington.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Laura Gemser is 75, and Nancy Barrett is 84.

31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN DAY 04: THE CREEPER 1948 (MYSTICAL POPCORN)

Strange little B horror film.

Onslow Steves stars as Dr. Jim Bordon, a dedicated doctor working on a mysterious serum.

There soon starts a series of violent killing in which the victims have been torn up by what appears to be claws. The police are baffled, as usual in these kinds of films.

Bordon's partner, Dr. Lester Cavigny (Ralph Morgan) wants the experiments with the serum halted, and this eventually costs him his life. Several more killing occur and it's revealed that Bordon has taken the serum himself and turns into a cat-like killer.

I had never really heard of this movie until I stumbled upon it on TV. It's not too bad of a film, and it's fun to watch, but the potential was missed by the film makers.

The rest of the cast includes June Vincent, Eduardo Ciannelli, John Baragray and Janis Wilson. You might want to check this out if you can find it. I would recommend it.

I finally got this movie on a good DVD and watched it again. I feel just as I did when I wrote the above short litte review.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Lori Saunders is 84 and Kyra Schon is 68.

RIP STANLEY MEADOWS 1931-2025

The British character actor has passed away.

Meadoiws appeared in almost 90 TV shows and movies in his career.

Some of the TV series he appeared in include "Out Of The Unknown", "Paul Temple", "The Avengers" and "The Saint".

His movies credits include "Performance", Night Caller From Outer Space", "The Terrornauts", "Masque Of The Red Death", "The Ipcress File", and "The Mummy" (1959).

Stanley Meadows passed away on September 16, 2025 at the age of 94.

31 DAY OF HALLOWEEN DAY 03: MUTANT SPECIES 1994 (TUBI)

Strange movie that I really cannot make up my mind on.

This film was running in so many directions I couldn't keep up. The plot involves a rocket that crashes in a remote area. On that rocket was biohazard material and so a small tactical group of soldiers is sent in to recover it.

They find the rocket and are ordered to destroy it. The leader of the men then turns and attempts to kill all of his men because everyone connected with the mission must die to keep it a secret.

The whole movie goes into high gear when one of the men is infected by the alien biohazard material and mutates into a savge killer beast that looks something like a dog and an alien.

I have to admit that the movie isn't boring, but as I said, it runs in too many directions and makes no sense. The final shot of the film leaves things open for a sequel that never came.

The cast includes Leo Rossi, Wilford Brimley, Denise Crosby, Powers Booth, Grant Gelt, Grant James, Jason Bostwick and Ronald McCall. If you wanna see something really odd, check this movie out and judge for yourself.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Neve Campbell is 52 and Pamela Hensley is 75.

31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN DAY 02: ATTACK OF THE GIANT LEECHES 1959 (FILM MASTERS) BLU-RAY

A classic 50's horror/sci-fi film.

I've written about this many times and finally someone brings this to Blu-ray in a very well done and remastered version.

Bernard Kowalski directed this Roger and Gene Corman production about giant leeches invading the swamp and a small town that must deal with it.

You probably all know the plot to this little gem already. This was a film I saw when I was very young and it always stuck with me. It must have been the monsters that did it for me. I like the way they look, even if it is cheap.

Yvette Vickers gives the standout performance as Liz, the slutty wife of storekeeper Dave (Bruno Ve Sota). Anyway, this was packaged with "Night Of The Blood Beast" on the Blu-ray from Film Masters, and it comes highly recommended as it is probably the best you'll ever see this movie look.

The cast also includes Michael Emmet, Ken Clark, Tyler McVey, Gene Roth, and Jan Shepard.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Tiffany is 54, and Romina Power is 74.

31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN DAY 01: NIGHT OF THE BLOOD BEAST 1958 (FILM MASTERS) BLU-RAY

It's so nice to see great little movies like this get remastered and looking so very good.

This wonderful late 1950's sci-fi film directed by Bernard Kowalski and produced by Roger and Gene Corman.

The plot concerns an astronaut named John Corcoran (Michael Emmet) who dies after his spaceship crashes back to Earth. The rescue team finds him and the damaged ship and discover that his body is not a typical dead body.

They rush back to their small lab facilities and discover that John is still alive, or being kept alive under what Dr. Alex Wyman (Tyler McVey) calls impossible circumstances.

Soon John returns to life and Dr. Wyman is killed by a mysterious creature that seems to have a connection with John. We and the screen characters soon learn that John had been impregnated with the alien offspring in order to invade the Earth.

This is a wonderful film that I have always loved and one of the extras on this disc is the Super 8 version of the film that I used to own. Film Masters has done a terrific job with the restoration of this movie and I can tell you it will never look better than this.

I have seen the movie dozens of times, but this was like an entirely new experience. If you're a 50's sci-fi movie fan this one is really highly recommended.

The rest of the cast includes Ed Nelson, Angela Greene, John Baer, and the gorgeous Geogianna Carter.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Michelle Bauer is 67, and Cindy Margolis is 60.