31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN DAY 31: NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD 1968 (GENIUS)

Simply THE GREATEST MOVIE EVER MADE.

This is a Halloween night staple for me and has been so for many years. There is simply no film that captures the spirit of Halloween frights better than the George Romero classic.

I am still waiting for this to be released on Blu-ray, but in the meantime I have the Genius disc which wil have to do. The image on the disc is better than I have ever seen this film.

The film has gotten a 4K restoration and I have put some pics up from that restoration.

Well anyway, this is ALWAYS my top pick for the season and as I said at the beginning of this, I consider it the greatest film ever made.

31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN DAY 30: VAMPIRE AND THE BALLERINA 1960 (DVD-R)

This wonderful little Italian horror film is a staple for me around Halloween.

Released on Oct. 31st, 1962 here in the US, this film deals with an old castle inhabited by a very lovely and buxom female and her servant.

Also involved is a troupe of women who are staying at the estate of a friends father. They get mixed up with the couple in the castle, unaware that they are vampires.

The film is quite memorable for dancers who are built more like strippers, which is a plus and for the performance of Walter Brandi as "Herman" the supposed servant to the woman of the castle.

The final death scenes of the two vampires are not soon forgotten and they rival anything Hammer did a few years earlier in "Horror Of Dracula". The beautiful black and white photography enhances the movie quite a bit.

All of the women in this film are beautiful and the vampire played by Brandi is both vicious and sadistic. I cannot understand why this film has never been released to digital media in the US, but I do keep my fingers crossed that someday it will.

I highly recommend this for the Halloween season. It's damn near perfect.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO.....

Henry Winkler is 71, and Adam Copeland is 43.

31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN DAY 29: THE DEVIL'S MISTRESS 1966 (SINISTER CINEMA)

An odd film indeed, but one of my personal favorites.

Four cowboys who have apparently stolen some money are heading thru Apache country trying to get to safety when they come across a lonely cabin that is apparently abandoned.

Suddenly without warning a stranger appears at the door and offers the hungry men food and drink. They are served by his daughter Liah who is a mute.

Three of the men start eating and consume the food like starving men. The other is suspicious and asks where the food came from since there is no farmland and no running water.

They leave, but not before two of the men, Charlie and Joe decide to kill the man and rape Liah.

Soon the men start dying one by one and it becomes apparent that something is terribly wrong. Liah is actually taking the mens souls from them via kisses and the final victim she also cuts his heart out and throws it in a fire.

Orville Wanzer directed this shot in New Mexico oddity that I have always liked. Sinister Cinema has finally made this available again and I couldn't wait to see it.

In the several years between seeing this film for the first time and now, I still consider it to be one of the oddest films I have ever seen, but that is it's appeal. Another good one for the season in my opinion.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO....

Gabrielle Union is 43, Kate Jackson is 68, and Ana Foxx is 28.

RIP JOHN ZACHERLE 1918-2016

A very sad day for monster kids everywhere.

The Cool Ghoul has died at the age of 98. During the 50's and 60's Zacherle hosted horror films on TV in Philadelphia and New York.

Over the years Zach became a legend amongst horror movie loving kids and adults. I have grown up watching the man host films, but mainly on VHS or DVD as I wasn't in the East at the time Zach was popular.

In 1958 he recorded a record called "Dinner With Drac" which made it into the top 40. As a matter of fact it was a top 10 hit.

His DVD called "Horrible Horrors" is something I cherish and will always love.

His death comes as no surprise as he has been ailing for some time. Zacherle will be missed there is no doubt. A true LEGEND has passed on. RIP COOL GHOUL. Long live SHOCK THEATER.

31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN DAY 28: THE SHE CREATURE 1956 (LIONSGATE), TARANTULA 1955 (UNIVERSAL), RETURN OF DRACULA 1957 (MGM

A 50's triple feature of terror for your Halloween pleasure.

The first feature is THE SHE CREATURE from AIP in 1956. This is one of my favorite films from my childhood. Chester Morris is Lombardi, a master hypnotist who has a young woman accompany him. Her name is Andrea, and Lombardi controls her completely.

He brings a reincarnation of her very first form from millions of years ago and uses the monster to kill people. Sexy Marla English is Andrea and every scene she is in is well worth watching.

The monster is a sight to behold and a magnificent creation of Paul Blaisdell. Tom Conway, Lance Fuller, Cathy Downs and Ron Randall round out a great cast. Good Saturday afternoon fun and a Halloween staple, at least for me.

The second film is TARANTULA from 1955, and one of my all time favorite 50's sci-fi films.

Leo G. Carroll is Prof. Deemer, a scientist working on a formula to help feed the world. His experiments get out of hand and his deranged assistant attacks him and knocks him out. In the fight, a tarantula injected with the growth serum escapes and so out story is set.

John Agar and lovely Mara Corday are terrified by the ever growing monster that stalks the countryside eating people and cattle.

Jack Arnold handled the directing chores and I don't think movies come any better than this. Again, good Halloween fun.

Lastly we have RETURN OF DRACULA from 1958. This just came out on Blu-ray, but I still have my standard DVD. This is a very understated film.

Francis Lederer is Count Dracula. he kills an artist heading from a communist country and coming to the US and assumes his identity. He moves in with the dead man's family in a small California town.

The family writes off his strange behavior as nothing but adjusting to life in America, but soon things start happening that they just cannot ignore.

The family cat is found dead and rained of blood, a young blind girl in a parrish house dies mysteriously. Rachel thinks that her "Uncle Bellac" is a nice guy until she learns the real truth.

The relationship between Rachel (Norma Eberhardt) and her "Uncle Bellac" is explored here and turns very twisted, which is something most people miss when watching the film.

This is a fun film and one well worth pulling out on Halloween.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO.....

Christy Hemme is 36.

31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN DAY 27: THE PIT 1981 (KINO) BLU-RAY

Fantastic and twisted little cult gem comes to Blu-ray....finally.

Sammy Snyders is Jaime a very disturbing young boy with no friends, well except for Teddy his Teddybear. His parents are going out of town to look at a new house so they can move and they hire an attractive young woman to watch over Jamie while they are gone.

From the get go Jamie has strong sexual desires for her. Her name is Sandy and Jamie tells her that he has a secret out in the woods, but she pretty much waves it off as childhood fantasies.

Over time Jamie starts stealing money to get meat to feed some bizarre creatures in a pit in the forest. He calls them "Trollologs". When he runs out of money he gets an idea from Teddy to get rids of the people that have tormented him by feeding them to the creatures, and he proceeds to do just that.

I won't go any further so as to not ruin your enjoyment of the film if you've never seen it. Snyders does an excellent job as the very twisted and sexually perverted little boy.

This was director Lew Lehmans' only feature film and he handles it expertly. There are a lot of disturbing things in this film which was made in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin and it makes for excellent viewing during the Halloween season.

The Blu-ray from Kino is long overdue, but I have never seen this film look better. There are some extras which include interviews with Sammy Snyders and Jeannie Elias who plays Sandy the babysitter. Highly Recommended!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO....

Lara Parker is 78, and Jayne Kennedy is 65.

31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN DAY 26: THE STRANGER WITHIN 1974 (WARNER ARCHIVE). THE NORLISS TAPES 1973 (ANCHOR BAY)

Two classic TV terror for the season.

First up is STRANGER WITHIN which stars Barbara Eden as a young woman who finds out that she is pregnant, the only problem is her husband George Grizzard has had surgery to prevent that.

She begins acting strangely. Some of her odd behaviors include pouring tons of salt on her food, keeping the house below 50 degrees and drinking tons of coffee which is scalding hot.

Her doctor cannot figure it out, but her husband calls in a hypnotist and it's discovered that aliens impregnated her and that her behavior is controlled by her unborn child.

This is a pretty cool film written by Richard Matheson based on his short story. The ending is somewhat predictable, but who cares this is a fun ride.

The second film is a Halloween staple that I have written about a few times on here. This movie THE NORLISS TAPES premiered on Feb 21, 1973. I was 10 and my mother celebrated her birthday watching this with me.

Roy Thinnes is David Norliss, a writer who is working on a book to debunk the supernatural. He gets involved with a beautiful woman named Ellen Cort (Angie Dickinson) who after a terrifying nighttime encounter with her dead husband is seeking answers.

Norliss agrees to help her and they soon uncover a horrible secret that Ellen's husband has kept hidden. He had agreed to bring a demon into this world in exchange for eternal life.

There are the usual superb shocks in this Dan Curtis directed film and it moves briskly. One of the most terrifying films made for TV back in the day, it had an impact I will never forget.

The rest of the stellar cast includes Dpon Porter, Robert Mandan, Michele Carey, Stanley Adams, Claude Akins (as the sheriff much like in THE NIGHT STALKER), and the stunningly beautiful Vonetta McGee. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED anytime, but great for the Halloween season.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO.....

Jaclyn Smith is 71, and Dana Kimmell is 57.

31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN DAY 25: THE ASTRO ZOMBIES 1969 (KINO) BLU-RAY

Probably the film Ted V. Mikels will always be remembered for.

Mikels, who passed away a few days ago made this little gem and released it on the world in 1969.

John Carradine is Dr. DeMarco who is currently in hiding while creating a race of what he calls Astro Men. Problem is, DeMarco has been using parts of dead bodies to make his creations and now the government is looking for him in order to stop him.

Meanwhile one of his creations had escaped and is on the loose killing people in various graphic ways. Also, you have spies from other countries hunting DeMarco as well in order to steal his plans and dominate the world.

The US Government agents are played by Wendell Corey, Tom Pace and Joe Hoover. All three are good in their roles, and I have read a lot of criticism of Corey, but I can't see anything wrong with his performance.

The very gorgeous Joan Patrick is Janine, the love interest of Pace and an almost victim of the killer Astro Man. One the other side of the coin you have Tura Satana as Satana, a very tall and voluptuous spy who leads two others, Juan (Rafeal Campos) and Tiros (Vincent Barbi). These three will stop at nothing to find DeMarco.

This movie is a hell of a lot of fun and the new Blu-ray from Kino is wonderful. The film never looked so good. I would recommend this very highly for the Halloween season. It's got monsters, a small amount of gore, and Tura Satana in some damn sexy dresses!

A Ted V. Mikels masterpiece. Ted is gone now, but thank God the legacy lives on.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO....

Ciara is 31, Leigh Christian is 71, and Rosa Mendes is 37.

31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN DAY 24: ISLAND OF TERROR 1966 (SINISTER CINEMA)

One of my all time favorite films.

Peter Cushing, Edward Judd and Carole Gray are three people that travel to a small island off the coast of Scotland to investigate a mysterious death and find themselves fighting for their lives as well as the lives of everyone on the island.

A local scientist who was working on a cure for cancer accidentally created a new life form in the shape of bone eating silicate monsters that seem to be indestructible.

The sounds these monsters make when eating human bone works very well and it always gave me nightmares when I was younger. The lead actors are all top notch and add a very high degree of realism to the proceedings.

I am still awaiting the Blu-ray release of the film here in the US. It is lone overdue. Anyway, this film is a perfect movie for Halloween, and is a damn near perfect horror movie.

There are some very scary scenes in this film and some will not be soon forgotten, especially when Cushing gets his hand cut off to save his life. RECOMMENDED!

31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN DAY 23: DICK TRACY'S DILEMMA 1947 (SINISTER CINEMA), DICK TRACY MEETS GRUESOME 1947 (SINISTER CINEMA)

Two more Dick Tracy thrillers but this time starring the actor best associated with the role in the 40's, Ralph Byrd.

In this fast paced little outing Tracy and Pat Patton investigate a fur robbery and what seems like an insurance swindle.

It's soon revealed that the furs have been stolen by a savage killer who uses a hook on his right hand to kill all those who get in his way. Several murders occur and Tracy and Patton manage to link everything together.

Several new Chester Gould characters are introduced in this film including 'Sightless" and "Vitamin Flintheart". Kay Christopher plays Tess Trueheart and does a fine job. Lyle Latell returns as Pat Patton.

The main criminal in this film is "The Claw" and he is played by Jack Lambert who was very good at playing heavies in the movies. This is a good little film and fits in well with the Halloween season.

The second film is "Dick Tracy Meets Gruesome" from 1947 and this has Byrd returning as Tracy and Boris Karloff as the lead heavy called Gruesome.

It seems that Gruesome and his friend have found out about a scientist and his experiments with a strange nerve gas that paralyzes people for a short time. Gruesome intends on using it to make himself rich.

When the gas is used to rob a bank, Tracy and Pat Patton are called in. Karloff is great as the lead villain and the rest of the cast in this final Tracy film are just as good. They include Milton Parsons as Dr. A Tomic, Skelton Knaggs as Xray and this time Tess Trueheart is played by gorgeous Anne Gwynne.

All of these Tracy films from Sinister are excellent in quality and all are good for the Halloween season, especially the final one.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Sam Raimi is 57.

31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN DAY 22: DOLL OF SATAN 1969 (SINISTER CINEMA)

I liked this film a hell of a lot.

This Italian made Euro horror film stars the gorgeous Erna Schurer as a young woman named Elizabeth who travels to a castle for the reading of a will left by her wealthy uncle.

He leaves the entire estate to Elizabeth. After the will reading she begins to hear many stories and legends surrounding the castle, and soon after that some people start dying.

Elizabeth then starts to have weird hallucinations which seem a little too real. One of them has her taken to a torture chamber and whipped and burned.

The killer is finally unmasked at the end and all seems to go back to normal. This is a fun film and perfect for the Halloween season. The print from Sinister comes from a European Blu-Ray and the picture quality is stunning. it may be the best print I have ever seen from Sinister.

The only drawback is it's in Italian with no subtitles, but that really wasn't too much of a distraction for me. Erna is a simply beautiful woman and one of my favorite Euro actresses. I will watch anything with her in it.

Highly recommended and one of the best releases of the year.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO.....

Catherine Deneuve is 73, and Suzanne Snyder is 54.

MORE COMING ATTRACTIONS....

The long awaited book about one of the greatest movies ever made has finally been published!

ROBOT MONSTER DIARIES by Kevin Scott Collier is now available from Amazon. It retails for $12.95 and is chock full of rare interviews and photos.

I cannot recommend this book enough. it is a MUST HAVE. You can even see a preview of the book on Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YhIFKE65Q8">

COMING ATTRACTIONS......

Some great news from Kino Lorber!!

Kino has just announced two very rare films coming to Blu-ray.

The first is DIMENSION 5 starring jeffrey Hunter as a secret agent who can slip into the past or the future via special device. This film also stars Robert Ito, Harold Sakata, Linda Ho and the ultra sexy France Nuyen.

This is one of my all time favorite 60's films. I do own the Sinister Cinema DVD, but will have to get the Blu-ray upgrade.

The second film is one of my 20 favorites of all time....CYBORG 2087 which stars Michael Rennie as a cyborg sent back in time to prevent his own creation. This is the film I believe THE TERMINATOR ripped off, but with a much bigger budget, of course.

This film also stars Wendell Corey, gorgeous Karen Steele, Warren Stevens, Eduard Franx and Adam Roarke. It looks like 2017 is starting out to be a banner year for Blu-ray releases.

31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN DAY 21: MONSTER DOG 1984 (KINO) BLU-RAY

Bizarre film starring Alice Cooper.

Cooper plays a rock star named Vince Raven. He, his girlfriend and others return to his hometown to shoot a rock video only to meet up with terror.

What kind of terror you ask? It seems that several local residents have been found torn to shreds and the local sheriff blames a pack of wild dogs.

The dogs are being controlled by a "Monster Dog" that I prefer to call a werewolf, and soon the dogs are stalking Vince and his crew, killing them one by one.

it also seems that Raven has some dark family secrets and it all culminates in an ending that may disappoint some, but most horror fans will be pleased. Make no bones about it, this is an odd little film and some of it isn't well done, but it does have loads of atmosphere.

Cooper's voice is dubbed over, bit it really fits who he is and it works well. Kino makes this Blu-ray look excellent and this film really deserves a bigger audience. It's a good Halloween film.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO....

Paula Kelly is 73, and Jack Taylor is 80.

31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN DAY 20: DICK TRACY 1945 (SINISTER CINEMA), DICK TRACY VS. CUEBALL 1946 (SINISTER CINEMA)

Great little films that may not have monster in them, but they are fun for the season anyway, and some of the Tracy villains are very bizarre.

This is a four film set from Sinister Cinema and I will talk about the first two films here and the others at a later date. The first film is DICK TRACY from RKO in 1945.

Morgan Conway took the title role in this tight little crime drama in which Tracy and his partner Pat Patton (Lyle Latell) find themselves at odds with a killer known as "Splitface" (Mike Mazurki).

Tracy must put the clues together in a string of murders before the body count piles up further. Mazurki is excellent as always and Conway does a good job as Tracy, but the real joy is gorgeous Anne Jeffries as Tess Trueheart. I have always thought she was a beautiful woman, and seeing her in this is a bonus as far as I am concerned.

The rest of the cast includes Milton Parsons, Trevor Bardett and in her film debut, Jane Greer.

The second film is DICK TRACY VS. CUEBALL from 1946. Conway again returns as Tracy. This time Tracy and Patton are on the case of a killer who has stolen diamonds from a fence before they can be sold. He continues killing people he thinks are trying to swindel him.

Dick Wessel is Cueball and he does an excellent job of acting like a psycho killer tinged with paranoia. Anne Jeffries returns as Tess as well as Latell reprising the role of Pat Patton.

Byron Folger, Milton Parsons and Skelton Knaggs round out the superb B-movie cast. Both of these films are fun, fast paced and good for this or any other season.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO.....

Scott Hall is 58, and Diana Lorys is 76.

31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN DAY 19: BEAST OF THE YELLOW NIGHT 1971 (SINISTER CINEMA)

A John Ashley classic.

Ashley plays a man being hunted by soldiers in the opening scenes. Satan (Vic Diaz) saves his life only if he agrees to become a servant.

He does and then the movie moves ahead to 1971 and the Ashley character is married to a beautiful, stunning blonde played by Mary Wilcox. Their marriage is on the rocks because he cannot tell her of his curse and it seems he cannot have sex with her for fear of turning into what he really is, a grotesque monster.

At night he roams the streets killing innocent people and being chased by Det. Lt. Campo played by Eddie Garcia. This is a fun film with very good acting and great Philippine locations.

Vic Diaz was a regular staple in almost every Philippine movie I have ever seen and his presence is always a pleasure in these films. The print from Sinister is ok and I want to thank Greg Luce for carrying this little gem.

It may not be the most scary thing for Halloween night, but it's damn good fun.

COMING ATTRACTIONS......

Garagehouse releasing is bringing an ultra rare film to Blu-ray!

the 1970 softcore sexploitation horror film THE SATANIST is coming soon. The release day is set for Oct. 31, and this is one not to be missed.

Directed by Zoltan G. Spencer, this long unseen film last played in theaters in 1970 and hasn't been seen since! The plot revolves around a writer who is recovering from a nervous breakdown and his wife as they move to the country and become involved in an ancient satanic ritual. Pat Barrington stars.

Also on this disc is the long unseen film entitled SISTER IN LEATHER from the same director. Some good stuff for fans of obscure films.

31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN DAY 18: THE LOVE BUTCHER 1976 (SINISTER CINEMA)

My oh my!!

This film is one hell of a ride!! A mild mannered gardener named Caleb works for various couples around a small California community. The community has been rocked by several gruesome murders of housewives.

Caleb has an alter ego named Lester who is totally insane and thinks he is Gods gift to women. Lester is the one who is killing these women and he does so after seducing them. this trick works with all but one woman who sees thru his insanity, but she is also killed by having a garden hose shoved down her throat and then turned on full blast.

Caleb and Lester are always fighting to see who will be superior and when a young woman is kind to Caleb, Lester takes over and kills her. Her death is very disturbing because we really begin to like the character and what Lester does is very disturbing.

I hadn't seen this film in years and it still works very well. Don Jones directed this little gem which actually predates the slasher films of later years.

Acting kudos go to Erik Stern as Caleb/Lester. As Lester he is unforgettable. Stern died here in Boise on Nov. 6th 2012. How I would have liked to have an interview with him about this film.

Good Halloween shocks.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO.....

Dawn Wells is 78, and Chuck Berry is 90.

RIP TED V. MIKELS 1929-2016

The low budget film world has lost a true giant.

Ted V. Mikels the man who brought us great films such as "Girl In Gold Boots", "The Corpse Grinders" and "The Astro Zombies" has died at the age of 87.

Mikels had a very long and varied career which most people were not aware of until the wonderful documentary on his life appeared on "The Incredibly Strange Film Show" back in the 90's.

His film career started in 1963 with the film "Strike Me Deadly" which he produced. He went on to make many, many low budget films and most of them are loved by "Monster Kids" everywhere.

I have seen every one of these little gems and Ted had a way of making them all entertaining. A unique man with a very unique life has left us.

Ted will be missed by all film fans but he has left a great legacy of films behind for us to enjoy. RIP Ted.

31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN DAY 17: THE VAMPIRE (1957) CASA NEGRA...THE VAMPIRE'S COFFIN (1958) CASA NEGRA

Two Mexican classics that are perfect for Halloween.

The Vampire is credited as the horror film that started the entire cycle of Mexican horror films of the 50's, 60's and 70's.

German Robles is perfect in the role of Count Lavud, the Vampire. The story is basic and simple. A beautiful young woman, played by Ariadna Welter comes to her home town after the death of her Aunt. At the deserted train station she meets Dr. Enrique (Abel Salazer).

The two travel to her home and find many mysterious goings on. It turns out that Lavud wants her to sell her newly acquired land to him.

It is soon apparent that Lavud wants Welter's character of Marta for his own and Dr. Enrique, as it turns out fights for her life.

This is a fun film and Casa Negra gave us a beautiful print. We have the option of the English dubbed version or the subtitled version, and again, the print is fantastic. If you can find this little gem, it is well worth your time to do so.

The Vampire's Coffin from 1958 picks up where the first film left off. Dr. Enrique has helped Marta overcome the trauma of her episode with Count Lavud. One of Enrique's colleagues steals the body of Lavud and a thief takes the wooden stake out of the body and before you know it the Count is stalking a hospital and again looking to claim Marta for his own.

Both of these films are perfect Halloween viewing as they are classics of the genre and moody as hell. Highly Recommended!!