[EDIT] Thanks Mark. The film does appear to be one big lark, and I'm not sure how I'll handle the narrative omissions, but it still sounds like something I should try.
Time for some more updates...
Kicking off with a Davey C triple bill of upgrades with my old dvd's included in the background.
Scanners should need no introductions to sci-fi/horror fans and this gorgeous Criterion edition was a long overdue addition - thanks Kathy. Same can be said of
Videodrome which I finally have uncut (yes the UK dvd is incomplete). I have to say the packaging is exceptional on these Criterion editions I don't care what Frank Henenlotter says about 'boring covers'. Lastly we have the director's cut of Clive Barker's
Nightbreed (in which David Cronenberg co-stars). I'm aware Shout Factory also released an ultimate blu ray edition which includes the original theatrical cut, but seeing as it costs $80 and I already own the dvd I decided to plump for the cheaper option and just hold on to my old copy. I haven't watched this extended cut (an extra 18 mins) of the film yet, but understand it's the definitive version considering the amount of studio tampering that blighted Barker's theatrical incarnation. I'm a big fan of the film (as well as his book
Cabal on which it's based) so hopefully Barker was right all along and this will be a big improvement.
I mentioned a guy called Andrew Prine in my last update and here are two of his movies from the seventies with a third unrelated horror tacked on for good measure. The first and best is the Dark Sky edition of Bruce Kessler's
Simon, King of the Witches (changed my avatar especially for this post). This is actually more of a counter culture, occult-black comedy than a horror film, and was mismarketed to cash in on the Satanic movie craze that was sweeping the early seventies (the film's intended title was just
Simon). Very low budget this is a satisfyingly original little curio that benefits hugely from Andrew Prine's charismatic, earnest performance as the titular
white magician who wreaks havoc on the establishment when they question his power. I like the fact Kessler never makes it an 'is he or isn't he?' (the real deal that is); instead choosing to focus on the flakey hippy party scene as Simon terrorizes the smarmy upper class with a strange red ball of light. It doesn't quite stray into the realms of satire as much as I'd like, and the narrative is a little too sketchy at times, but overall this is still worthwhile for cult cinema fans looking for something a little different. Love the sub
2001: A Space Odyssey psychedelic sequence too - on the extras Kessler claims it was specially created by some of the same effects team, though it looks more like something salvaged from Kubrick's cutting room floor.
Next up another Dark Sky release. Honeykid this one should be right up your street considering the proto-slasher, sexploitation credentials on offer. Andrew Prine co-stars as a particularly creepy serial killer who dresses like a sixties hipster and likes to bump off the titular glamour models with a straight razor. The film is separated into three acts each one dedicated to a different centerfold whom Prine's character stalks and kills (before he makes the mistake of targeting Tiffany Bolling's feisty would-be-victim that is) . Sleazy in the extreme, this is certainly a step up from many of the generic Italian Gialli doing the rounds around the same period (stuff like Andrea Bianchi's
Strip Nude for Your Killer and Giuliano Carnimeo's
The Case of the Bloody Iris). Unfortunately however the best thing about the movie, namely Andrew Prine, is frustratingly underused, and beyond the chapter gimmick, Peyser's direction is unsurprisingly pedestrian. Still, there's plenty of skin on display and Prine's performance elevates the film considerably.
Lastly we have Armand Weston's oddly titled
The Nesting which is sometimes mistaken as one of the original video nasties (it isn't) and has nothing to do with creepy crawlies or animals of any kind. Nope, this one comes off like a cut-rate rip-off of Michael Winner's
The Sentinel and Fulci's
The Beyond as Robin Groves moves into a unique looking octagonal house haunted by murdered prostitutes. Decent location aside, this has woefully stilted acting, and is permeated by a cheap atmosphere largely devoid of splatter and sleaze, save for the last fifteen minutes. Not a total loss, but I'd certainly recommend Winner's 1977 effort first (yes I think it's better than
The Beyond).
Seeing as we're on to haunted houses I couldn't resist posting these three which I picked up for a total of £4 a few months before leaving the UK (I found the sequels in Pound Stretcher of all places). The first is probably one of the most overrated horror films of all time and only did good business because the real life story had already captured the public's imagination. Slow and dreary it's still a compulsive must see for horror fans, if only for it's fame and reputation.
I'm aware Sir Toose mentioned the sequel recently and so will just concur that it's easily the best of the series. Damiani's film pretty much rectifies everything that was wrong with the original in that there's never a dull moment - talk about giving the audience (namely horror fans) what they want. Sure it's junky, but between ample amounts of splatter, creepy moving objects, skin crawling incest, over the top makeups (that ridiculous ending) and the likes of the aforementioned Andrew Prine showing up as a priest; not to mention a great nasty performance from Burt Young as the father, and you have a highly entertaining 80's trash classic.
Sadly Richard Fleischer's
Amityville 3 (originally 3-D) is one godawful cock up of a sequel that remarkably failed to kill off the series. The only one I hadn't seen; I always wondered what happened to Tony Roberts after the 70's but was shocked and disappointed to see him in this turd. Another victim of the early 80's 3-D craze (the godawful
Jaws 3-D was released the same year) this one's best forgotten. Incidentally these sequels are on the budget Highfliers dvd label and are both anamorphic widescreen.
Amityville II: The Possession looks really great with a clean transfer, whereas
Amityville 3 has a particularly horrible grainy VHS style transfer. No loss there then.
Talking of sequels, here's some more. I'm not going into details here save to say I really like the underrated
Psycho II &
III (I know Shout have since released swanky Blu ray editions) and couldn't resist this set for cheap. The
Poltergeist sequels are less impressive (II faring better than III during which star Heather O'Rourke famously died) and these were ultra-cheap purchases to finish my trilogy. I'll leave it there but if anyone wants to discuss them further I'll be happy to oblige.
Three more which I'll cover quickly.
End of the Line is a great overlooked allegorical horror I covered in the movie tab a few months back. Highly recommended stuff - horror fans need to seek this one out.
Jeepers Creepers was £1.99 second hand and should need no introductions. A nice throwback monster movie that nods Hooper's
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre as well as plenty of other stuff. Fred Dekker's
The Monster Squad is a fun
Goonies style throwback to the old Universal classic monsters, and looks nice next to my copy of his earlier
Night of the Creeps which is on my 100 favourites list.
Another quickie comment on these. I reviewed Mike Hodges'
Black Rainbow a couple of years back and understand this Anchor bay release is pretty hard to come by now. William Girdler's cheesy
Exorcist rip-off
The Manitou is a guilty pleasure fave' I've gushed about plenty of times on MoFo, and this OOP R2 edition is incredibly rare. I didn't even know it existed before finding this copy for £1.99 in a charity shop in Hyde, Manchester. I don't think my hands have ever moved so fast (no jokes please
). In the middle is yet another
Exorcist/
Omen reworking with Carl Schultz's 1988
The Seventh Sign. Incredibly mawkish, and yet another Michael Biehn career killer - he'd starred in William Friedkin's notorious serial killer flop
Rampage the previous year (I wish I could say that muddled film is underrated but it really isn't). Schultz's film has Demi Moore about to give birth to the Antichrist and Jürgen Prochnow rocking up as mushy-weirdo-stranger out to expose the truth and save the world. Loads of schmaltzy music with Biehn lost in the mix as Demi's husband (the two having absolutely no chemistry whatsoever). One of those see it to believe it turkeys this almost redeems it'self with the twist ending, but not quite.
Going to leave it there for now because I'm feeling lazy. More horror and upgrades to come...