Recent Additions: June 2020

Instead of the usual layout here, I’m going to discuss these below because a number of these need to be discuss together.

100 Bloody Acres (2012) and Scare Campaign (2016)

The Cairnes brothers are a successful editor and director in the Australian TV industry. They know their craft and work with some great people.

Their first feature was the horror comedy 100 Bloody Acres, which everyone should see. It features a twisted sense of humor that should appeal to anyone who enjoys horror generally.

Scare Campaign is kind of odd. It’s really well made with a great performance by Josh Quong Tart. But I find the plot predictable. But I eagerly await their next film. These guys are great!

2 Young 2 Die

David Palmieri is a successful grip in Hollywood and on the side he makes micro-budget (mostly) horror films. Such people are really inspiring because they could just relax in their careers. But he continues to put out films.

I’ve only seen 2 Young 2 Die (AKA Axegrinder). It was one of his first films. It features some good gore and a plot that kind of makes sense. I’d definitely like to see more of Palmieri’s work.

City of the Living Dead (1980) and The Beyond (1981) and The House by the Cemetery (1981)

This is Lucio Fulci’s “Gates of Hell” trilogy and it is amazing. Every horror fan should own them. And of course that means that they haven’t been released together, as they ought to be.

Check out my article, The Gates of Hell Trilogy. It also includes a thorough round-up of the available versions. Sadly, City of the Living Dead has been released really well only outside the US. If you only get one, I think The Beyond is the best. And most other people agree.

Housebound (2003) and The Seekers (2003) and Platoon of the Dead (2009)

I originally bought Platoon of the Dead when Tempe Video was closing down. It’s a good micro-budget zombie film. So I decided to look into the work of director John Bowker. There’s a double DVD with Housebound and The Seekers.

I hope to write an article looking at the progression of Bowker’s career. These two earlier films aren’t as good as Platoon. But they are still worthy and The Seekers was pretty fun.

The Birds (1963)

I grew up with The Birds. Because it was filmed locally, every time it came on TV, we had to watch it. I still enjoy it — especially Suzanne Pleshette and the bird-lover, Ethel Griffies.

BloodRayne: The Third Reich (2011) and Blubberella (2011)

These two Uwe Boll films were made at the same time. BloodRayne is a standard Nazi action film and Blubberella is a parody of it. They are both solid films, but the main reason to watch BloodRayne is that you will better enjoy Blubberella.

Death Ship (1980)

Death Ship feels so much like it was made for TV but it wasn’t. It has its moments. I didn’t much like it but to be honest, I really don’t like George Kennedy.

The Funhouse (1981)

I love The Funhouse. It’s scary, has interesting characters, and looks fantastic. Wayne Doba as the “monster” is great. And I quite like Elizabeth Berridge. This is one of Tobe Hooper’s best.

The Ghost and Mr Chicken (1966) and The Incredible Mr Limpet (1964)

Don Knotts has not aged well for me. I find him kind of annoying. Yet these films work remarkably well. The Incredible Mr Limpet is the lesser of the two. It’s got a strange Cold War kind of plot that seems tacked on. Still, the animation is good and it’s sweet.

The Ghost and Mr Chicken is a surprisingly scary film. I don’t have any children, but if I did, I’d definitely use it to infect them with the Horror virus.

Hell of the Living Dead (1980)

Hell of the Living Dead is a Bruno Mattei “me to” film. It’s not great. But it features some awesome gore. Frankly, I’ve always found the conflict in Day of the Dead kind of annoying and it’s the same here.

It Came From Outer Space (1953)

It Came From Outer Space is a great science fiction film from the people who brought us Creature from the Black Lagoon. It’s nice to get away from the usual “invasion” films of that time.

Pizza Man (1991)

Pizza Man is LF Lawton’s follow-up to Cannibal Women in the Avocado Jungle of Death. It’s equally funny. Sadly, Lawton doesn’t make these kinds of films anymore.

Poison Sweethearts (2008)

Poison Sweethearts is a series of short films — mostly about women who are pushed too far. It’s roughly horror but presented in a very artistic way. It’s worth a watch. I really liked one of the shorts.

The Unseen (1980)

This is one of those “Great horror films you’ve never seen” type of things. I’ve gotten tired over the years of having plots where I’m trying to figure out who the killer is. There’s none of that here. And the story is heartbreaking. I highly recommend The Unseen.

V/H/S (2012)

V/H/S brings together a number of fine filmmakers to create a bunch of connected shorts. What’s not to like? Even the poor lighting and limited resolution is used for great effect. I need to check out Siren, which was spawned by this film.