Kingdom of the Spiders (1977)

America under attack by spiders and even William Shatner cannot save the day.

Walter's (Woody Strode) prize calf dies mysteriously, the local cowboy vet Dr "Rack" (Shatner) investigates. With the cause of death a mystery he calls in expert Diane (Tiffany Bolling), though as she is a girl Rack seems to have trouble taking her seriously, or is more interested in getting into her pants than anything else. Basically this is Captain Kirk in a Stetson.

Diane discovers that the calf was killed by incredibly potent spider venom, soon tarantulas are everywhere and people are dying fast. Rack, Diane and a few others end up holed up at a lodge surrounded by millions of tarlantulas...

This is a standard spider attack film, including plenty of shots of people opening hatches above their heads (for some reason) and spiders falling on them. Shatner is Shatner, which will probably make or break the film for you. I think its great, even though i hate spiders!

Hands of a Stranger (1962)

An interesting premise but drowned in a sea of overacting.

A man is gunned down in the street, later that night a rising young pianist called Vernon (James Noah) is being taken home after a concert when his smugness is interrupted by a terrible car crash leaving him with mangled hands. Dr Harding (Paul Lukhather) decides he can save the young pianist's hands and career by transplanting the hands from the man killed earlier. Afterwards, the operation appearing to be successful, both Vernon and his creepily close sister Dina (Joan Harvey) both react bizarrely when told about the transplant...

They act like Dr Harding cut Vernon's hands off and stuck them on his head! Later on is when the trouble really starts though, and the killings and revenge begins. Has Vernon been given the hands of a killer? 

This could have been a decent film, it has a Noir look and a decent (if unoriginal) story. However, the acting is awful and the film spends too long getting going with too much conversation and not enough action (baby).

The Power (1984)

Low wattage horror thrills.

A mysterious idol, which gives the holder demonic power, and also tears the holder apart ends up in the possession of a bunch of American High School kids (naturally!) They witness mysterious goings on in a crypt while using an Ouija board. Later on the guard at the crypt is mysteriously killed. Journalist Sandy (Suzy Stokey) isn't really interested in the kids' story though her ex Jerry (Warren Lincoln), who for some reason is in town, becomes really interested...

Jerry becomes the next person to possess the idol, and become transformed into a deranged beast while life around him is torn apart...

Not a bad horror film though somewhat disjointed. The start of the film, setting up the story of the idol, is like three separate films or the film makers couldn't decide how to start the film so filmed all three ideas. The horror is good, with plenty of poltergeist action and some average prosthetics. The story doesn't make a lot of sense (of course).

Dark Tower (1987)

A rather strange horror, not without some bright spots though few and far between.

Carolyn (Jenny Agutter) is the architect of a rather horrible looking new skyscraper in Barcelona. Mysterious happenings which result in grisly deaths and plenty of gore. Investigator Dennis (Michael Moriarty) brings in a paranormal investigator in Dr Gold (Theodore Bikel) after he suspects something really weird is going on. Dennis thinks that Carolyn's missing presumed dead husband might be behind the evil spirit...

Not the best horror film by any means, the film is rather cheap and not very cheerful. It is also rather disjointed and illogical. The horror thrills though are frequently quite exciting if ridiculous. 

The Comedy of Terrors (1963)

A comedy horror romp that skirts a little too close to the edge between hilarious and terrible.

Smug undertaker Waldo (Vincent Price) is horrible to everyone including his assistant Felix (Peter Lorre) and his wife Amaryllis (Joyce Jameson). He is also trying to kill his father-in-law Amos (Boris Karloff). However, Waldo has a problem, there isn't enough business and he has a big bill to pay given to him by Mr Black (Basil Rathbone). 

If enough people arn't dying in the town then Waldo has a dark and depraved way to solve that... kill people himself!

An interesting black comedy with a superb cast. It does include some truly delicious wickedness (i like the joke that Waldo reuses the same coffin over and over, tossing the occupant out when everyone has gone and taking the coffin home for a clean!) At times though the film is a little too goofy and cheesy. The cast makes it worthwhile.

Daughters of Satan (1972)

A rather average Satanic horror film though makes the best use of a limited budget.

James (Tom Selleck) is an art dealer living in the Philippines with his wife Chris (Barra Grant). One day he finds a mysterious painting at an antique shop owned by Ching (Vic Diaz). The painting appears to show the burning of some witches, one of which looks exactly like his wife! The painting freaks Chris out, and James too as she seems to know a lot about what the painting shows...

More mysterious events begin to occur. Some elements of the painting disappear, and their likenesses appear in real life. These include a vicious black dog and a stern maid (Paraluman). James begins to think the painting is possessed, Doctor Dangal (Vic Silayan) knows there is witchcraft at play but the coven led by Kitty (Tani Guthrie) deal with him. Now she wants Chris to deal with James...

The film has plenty of suspense and creepy moments. It also has some rather racy scenes involving naked women being whipped. Ultimately the plot is a bit disappointing especially towards the end, however this is a reasonable watch. 

House of the Long Shadows (1983)

An enjoyable horror romp with a twist, also the last time Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing appeared together in a film.

Annoying American author Ken Magee (Desi Arnaz Jr) is set a curious bet by his publisher (Richard Todd), he is given 24 hours to write a novel and will win a $20K bet if he succeeds. As he needs peace and quiet, he is offered the use of a remote empty mansion in Wales. Reaching the mansion in a storm is not that easy but Ken makes it, and he sets up his typewriter. However, he immediately hears noises... the mansion is not empty after all.

In fact there is soon a whole dining room full of people there, including a man who claims to be the housekeeper (John Carradine), as well as some former inhabitants (Vincent Price and Peter Cushing) and a man (Christopher Lee) who is wanting to buy the mansion. However, there is a dark secret in the house involving a murder, and an imprisoned beast. Ken is joined by secretary Mary (Julie Peasgood) to try and discover the secret, and survive once the bodycount starts to rise...

This is a terrific film with it's cast of horror legends and a real old skool horror feel, it may be a bit slow to get going but once the action gets started it is pretty relentless. The film does have a rather large twist at the end which some will feel is inspired but others might feel a bit of a cop-out. 

The Town That Dreaded Sundown (1976)

A low-budget but highly entertaining horror made in a semi-documentary style (and based on real events).

It is 1946, a small town in Texas is rocked by a series of attacks by a masked maniac. Courting couples are not safe in their cars on Lovers Lane, he even starts attacking couples in their own homes. Top policeman Morales (Ben Johnson) is bought in to lead the investigation, though assisted by Deputy Ramsey (Andrew Prine) and Patrolman Benson (Charles B Pierce) he doesn't really get very far...

Just like the real case in fact, the murders were never solved and to this day the identity of the maniac is unknown. If the police investigation shown here is accurate then you can see why as they didn't really do a lot. This is an enjoyable horror/crime film with some decent thrills. There is a little bit of goofy humour added too for some reason which doesn't really add anything, luckily this nonsense is kept to a minimum.

Rats: Night of Terror (1984)

One of a number of Italian Mad Max rip-offs, though this time the gang of raggedy marauders from the bad lands, in their beat up old vehicles, have to face... rats?

The group, led by Kurt (Ottaviano Dell'Acqua), arrive at a mysterious abandoned town that seems to be only inhabited by rats. They discover an underground science base with fresh food and flashy light bleepy tech. However, then the rats start to attack. In various gruesome ways too, the gang desperately battle for survival with their guns, tankettes and flamethrowers. Unfortunately as the gang seem to collectively have less brain cells than bullets the rats outwit them time and time again. Help is on the way, well they think anyway...

This really is a strange film, the gang really are inept. Characters like Deus (Tony Lombardo) and Duke (Henry Luciani) are pretty one dimensional and wouldn't last five minutes against the New Barbarians for example. Video (Gianni Franco) provides some moments of really strange humour. Violent, rather nasty and pretty weird.

Die Monster Die! (1965)

An enjoyably creepy horror film.

Stephen (Nick Adams) arrives in a remote English village, asking for directions to the country house where his fiancé lives... but no one will tell him! He somehow finds his way there anyway and receives a cold welcome from his future father-in-law Witley (Boris Karloff) but Susan (Suzan Farmer) insists Stephen stays. The house is a really weird one, with ghastly howls and mysterious movements at night.

Finally, Stephen and Susan discover a greenhouse full of enormous plants and hideously deformed creatures. Stephen suspects radiation from a strange glowing green rock is causing the mutations...

The film is a grower, the horror and suspense starts off low-key and implied rather than shown. The film loses some of it's power when we do see what is behind the horrifying noises to be honest as they sometimes look a bit ridiculous. A decent horror film from the period though with a little room for improvement.

Diary of a Madman (1963)

A classic horror performance from Vincent Price.

After a funeral, a group of people assemble to hear the departed last wish, to have his diary read. It reveals a dark tale as Magistrate Cordier (Price) is possessed by a dark force called the Horla which led him to commit terrible crimes. A respectable man, Cordier is possessed after visiting a condemned prisoner. It begins a tragic chain of events as he falls in love with a model Odette (Nancy Kovack), though the fact she is already married to an artist (Chris Warfield) is a complication.

Possessed by the dark force, Cordier kills Odette with the husband ending up condemned for the crime. Cordier knows he must take desperate measures to stop the evil...

A very well constructed horror with a story that builds and builds. It has a number of creepy and supernatural scenes though it is the psychological aspects of the film that are to the fore and really elevate this into something special.

Scared to Death (1980)

Remarkably good sewer monster thrills.

Some kind of deranged super strong maniac is killing random women, not that unusual in LA of course but the police are baffled by this case... no wonder because the assailant isn't human! Ex-cop and now novelist Ted (John Stinson) is finally persuaded by his old buddy (David Moses) to help investigate the case. His girlfriend Jennifer (Diana Davidson) arranges to meet shy nerd girl Sherry (Toni Jannotta) who has vital information on the attacks but before she can meet her at a former research centre she ends up the latest victim (though survives).

Ted is told by Sherry that the attacks are being made by an artificial life form which lives on human spinal fluid. Ted and Sherry head into the sewers to find... and ultimately get chased by the creature...

Although the story is fairly generic (and an early Alien inspired film), this is an entertaining film that rises above the obvious cliches and makes the most of the low budget (the monster itself when we see it is pretty cool). 

The Raven (1963)

A comedic horror-magical romp that reeks of ham.

Sorcerer Dr Craven (Vincent Price) is disturbed by a talking raven! He discovers that the raven is a fellow wizard who has had a spell put on him, after much messing about a potion turns the raven back into Dr Bedlo (Peter Lorre). He tells him the evil Dr Scarabus (Boris Karloff) did it, Craven and Bedlo head off to Scarabus' castle along with Craven's daughter (Olive Sturgess) and Bedlo's son (Jack Nicholson).

Dr Scarabus is a most accommodating host though Craven is shocked to find his beloved wife Lenore (Hazel Court), thought lost, is there alive and well! Scarabus and Lenore have concocted an evil plan to lure Craven to the castle to steal his powers...

It is all very silly and rather campy. At times it can be unbearable but the great cast keeps the film going. The raven is very impressive, but they are very intelligent birds of course.

The Four Skulls of Jonathan Drake (1959)

A decent horror B-movie involving ancient Indian curses and shrunken heads!

Jonathan Drake (Eduard Franz) is an anthropologist investigating a South American Indian curse that has befallen his family. Male members of his family die aged 60 and their heads go missing, this happens to his own brother (Paul Cavanagh) and Jonathan is next! The missing head brings in Lieutenant Rowan (Grant Richards) of the police. He is sceptical that something supernatural is going on, but when he discovers the mysterious Dr Zurich (Henry Daniell) is apparently a man who died two hundred years ago, and has a secret basement lair including bubbling cauldrons and shrunken heads...

The story is low budget (which shows sometimes) but has an interesting premise and is a perfectly acceptable little film. Most of the action comes from Zurich's Indian assassin Zutai (Paul Wexler) though try not to laugh when his "deadly" blade is obviously rubber and wobbles about during the fight scenes!

Sisters of Death (1976)

Rather low-rent but intriguing revenge horror.

Years before a strange female secret society initiation involves a game of Russian roulette with fake bullets, only someone adds a real bullet to the mix... Now the members of the society receive mysterious letters inviting them to a reunion. The girls, including Claudia Jennings and Sherry Boucher, arrive at the rendezvous point where they are met by two sleazy guys (Paul Carr and Joe Tata) to take them out to a secluded ranch.

Alone at the ranch (though the two guys soon return hoping for nookie) the girls find a welcome laid out for them but no host. An electrified fence is activated stopping anyone from leading. The host reveals himself as the father (Arthur Franz) of the girl who died in the game of Russian roulette and now he wants to know which of the others switched the bullets. The deaths begin, in various gruesome ways including by garot and rattlesnake. The scene is set for a final showdown... and a number of interesting twists.

The film doesn't really make much sense and includes a number of obvious and well-worn horror tropes. The initial set-up is novel though but the characters are all rather interchangable. A flawed but perfectly enjoyable romp.

She Demons (1958)

Rather hokey Nazis in the jungle horror nonsense.

Fred (Tod Griffin) and Jerri (Irish McCalla) are shipwrecked (along with a couple of racial stereotypes) on a remote island after a storm. After a brief setting up scene where they become an incredibly annoying couple, they discover a drowned young girl with horrific facial disfigurements. Fred, Jerri and Sammy (Victor Sen Yung) head into the island's interior where they discover native girls (who don't look very native at all) and their captors... Nazis! 

Deranged Nazi scientist Osler (Rudolph Anders) is trying to use the youth of the young women to restore the looks of his beloved Mona (Leni Tala) who was horrifically disfigured in an accident. Osler however, when he sees Jerri, considers ditching Mona or at least using Jerri for his mad Nazi medical experiments...

The film isn't that bad at all though let down by some of the main cast who are a little bland. For a 1950s horror with a little mild exploitation it could be a lot worse.

The Incredible 2-Headed Transplant (1971)

A weird and pretty low-rent horror.

Mad scientist Roger (Bruce Dern) has a secret, which he is keeping especially from his wife Linda (Pat Priest). He is conducting strange medical experiments on animals, grafting a second living head onto their bodies. Meanwhile a psychopathic murderer Cass (Albert Cole) has escaped from the asylum. He reaches Roger's home and wrecks havoc. Finally Roger and his assistant Max (Barry Kroeger) gun him down... then of course Roger and Max decide that they now have the perfect opportunity to take their experiments to the next level...

They graft Cass' had onto the body of huge but simple Danny (John Bloom). Naturally the creature escapes and begins a killing spree. The police are assisted by one of Roger's friends Ken (Casey Kasem - yes that one!) Roger and Max are also out to hide their evidence. As for Linda, well she gets attacked and menaced by the monster and ends up put in a cage by her husband. I suspect their marriage doesn't have long for this world...

A cheaply made piece of drivel. The film is fun (for all the wrong reasons of course). The story is pretty much by the numbers and the two headed effects rely on clever camera angles or puppets. Albert Cole is superbly and completely over the top as the paychopath.

The Black Torment (1964)

Dark Devilish sorcery is happening on a country estate, or is it?

Sir Richard Fordyke (John Turner) returns to his father's estate with his new bride Elizabeth (Heather Sears) to find things are not right. A young girl has been killed and her last words were Richard's name. The tenants are becoming rebellious, especially as Richard has apparently been seen on horseback being chased by his dead ex-wife!

Mysterious happenings at night further raise the tensions. Suspicion falls on Sir Richard although he maintains he was in London wooing Elizabeth. Richard begins to question his own sanity as his assistant Seymour (Peter Arne) or her father's carer Diane (Ann Lynn) wonder if there is something Devilish going on.

An intelligent psychological horror, you might guess what is really going on before too long and before Richard who is a little too overwrought, but this is a very well structured and made film. 

The Halloween That Almost Wasn't (1979)

Rather surreal and rather weird, there isn't much to this TV movie but at least it's short enough to not outstay it's welcome... just.

Dracula (Judd Hirsch) has heard a terrible rumour that Halloween is to be canceled (maybe it's not woke enough?) He summons his fellow monsters including the Mummy, a Zombie, Frankenstein's Monster (John Schuck) and the Witch (Mariette Hartley) to find out how these rumours started. He discovers that it is the Witch who is responsible, she doesn't want to be a witch anymore and won't fly over the moon. Can Dracula force her to change her mind and save Halloween?

It is all rather silly, and pretty absurd. What the Witch really wants is to disco dance with the Count, which of course dates this film somewhat. A light hearted romp, the humour is pretty corny but (sometimes) hits the mark.

Retro Puppet Master (1999)

A really bizarre and grotesque horror film, a prequel in the long-running Puppet Master series.

Toulon (Guy Rolfe) and his puppets, possessed by the spirits of dead people, is in Switzerland. He tells a story about how it all started, going back to Egypt - which for some reason is all blue. The ancient sorcerer Afzel (Jack Donner) has stolen the secret of life from the god Sutekh. He heads to Paris (which is also all blue, no reason for this is ever given) pursued by Sukekh's mummies. Afzel is attacked outside a theatre where young Toulon (Greg Sestero) and his friends hold creepy puppet shows.

Afzel teaches Toulon how to transfer the spirit from the dead to a puppet (of course!) The mummies of Sutekh now also go after Toulon too, they kill his friends. Toulon places their spirits into his puppets to create an army to fight evil! The mummies force Toulon into a showdown on a train by kidnapping Ilsa (Brigitta Dau), a girl Toulon likes...

Very strange film indeed. The film is very macabre in look and feel, and very atmospheric. The pacing and acting is often fairly off, sometimes the puppets move with more fluidity. It all adds to the weirdness and the enjoyment.