Director: John Llewellyn Moxey

Starring: Patricia Jessel, Dennis Lotis, Christopher Lee, Tom Naylor, Betta St. John, Venetia Stevenson, Valentine Dyall, Ann Beach, Norman Macowan, Jimmy Dyrenforth, Fred Johnson, Maxine Holden

It’s 1692. A mob approaches the Raven’s Inn of Whitewood, Massachusetts. Through the fog filled streets they arrive at the Inn and pull Elizabeth Selwyn (Patricia Jessel), an accused witch, from inside. The mob quickly condemns her, tying her to a stake outside the Inn and setting her alight. Lucifer grants Elizabeth a reprieve of sorts, while the witch and an accomplice in the crowd promises to serve Lucifer a rain begins to fall. The rain dampens the flames, giving her enough time to issue her curse on the crowd before being engulfed by the flames.

Burn the witch!

Hot on the heels of Mario Bava’s Black Sunday (aka Mask of Satan, 1960), the opening scene in City of the Dead is very reminiscent of that of Black Sunday. In Bava’s classic Barbara Steele places her curse on the crowd before the Mask of Satan is hammered to her face. The mask from Black Sunday is replaced with the more conventional burning at the stake in City of the Dead. While there are many similarities between the two films, including the opening scene, and the dual/reincarnated role of the witches in each film, there are also many differences too. City of the Dead seems to concentrate far more on the witchcraft element which was established in the first few frames, where as Black Sunday concentrates on the resurrection of the vengeful witch after centuries of being dormant.

City of the Dead was produced by Vulcan Productions, which was soon to be known as Amicus Productions. The two producers involved in City of the Dead, Milton Subotsky and Max Rosenberg, formed Amicus in the early 60s soon after City of the Dead was released. Amicus went on to produce classic horror titles like, Dr. Terror’s House of Horrors, The House That Dripped Blood, Asylum and Tales From The Crypt. They were in direct competition with Hammer films during the 60′s and early 70′s, although Amicus’s output was largely based in (then) current times. Something which Amicus were able to do very effectively to a lot of success. Hammer’s output was largely period horror, and they often had real difficulty translating their gothic brand of horror to a more modern time.

The power of Christopher Lee compels you

Part of Amicus’s success, and a reason for its continued cult following is not only because of the quality of the films, but also because the studio produced films with recognizable faces. The use of Hammer favorites Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee worked very much in their favor. Amicus’s association with Christopher Lee obviously began early on, as he also happens to have a starring role in City of the Dead.

When the film returns to modern times, Professor Alan Driscoll (Christopher Lee) is giving a lecture on Witchcraft in the 17th century. He recommends a student, Nan Barlow (Venetia Stevenson) travel to Witchwood, MA to do some first hand research for her senior paper. When Nan’s brother shows up, Dick (Dennis Lotis), quickly gets in an argument with the professor over the plausibility and reality of witchcraft. Dick believes in things he can see and touch, not fairy tales, where as the professor lectures to him that the “basis of fairy tales is reality, and the basis of reality is fairy tales”. It’s not long before we realize that battle lines are being drawn as there is a little more to the professor than meets the eye. This is Christopher Lee after all.

Whitewood doesn't have White Witches!

We are quickly alerted to the fact that Whitewood isn’t the nice place to visit as Nan travels there to do her research into the occult. Nan is warned away from Whitewood by a gas station attendant (Jimmy Dyrenforth), who warns her that God fearing folk don’t travel to the place.

On her journey, she meets a strange figure who bares an uncanny resemblance to Elizabeth Selwyn’s partner in crime. She gives him a rid into town, but he mysteriously disappears from her car when she arrives. The town appears deserted, but guests are arriving from out of town, walking the town with no direction and staring vacantly at the newcomer. Not the small town welcoming one would expect. There is a constant fog that engulfs Whitewood. It is actually hard to tell if there is ever a daylight hour, the black and white nature of the film and the constant fog add to the brooding and oppressive atmosphere of Whitewood and the film in general. One of the films real strengths.

After Nan arrives at Whitewood, she boards at the Raven’s Inn, which is run by one Mrs. Newless. She informs Nan that all the rooms are full, but when Nan mentions her professors name Mrs. Newless remembers she does have one room left after all. She explains to Mrs. Newless what she is doing in town and it is suggested she visit the church.

The welcoming Whitewood

At the church Reverend Russell (Norman Macowan) is as unwelcoming as the other folks in town. The Reverend is obviously scared and guarded. No one worships at the church any longer, and he claims the devil is watching over the town, evil having overcome good. He advises her to leave the town “before it is too late”.

The door is closed on her face, and she is left to the strange figures in town. She finds refuge in a small Antique store, where she finally meets a friendly face. Patricia Russel (Betta St John) is in town the organize the antique store after her grandmother, who originally ran the store, died. Turns out her father is the Reverend. She loans Nan a book on witchcraft, and Nan returns to the Inn to do some work. At the Inn Nan hears chanting and goes to investigate… at this midpoint, we are graced with the somewhat surprising demise of the central character that comes at us like yet another film from the same year, Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho.

The rest of the film centers on Nan’s home, and the people that remain there. Nan hasn’t been heard from for a couple weeks and the people back home become worried and begin their hunt for her, ultimately uncovering the evil in Whitewood.

The coven gathers

While the dead might not be holding their secrets from us in City of the Dead, the film works very well from the 60′s framework. We might not be so forgiving of a film made today that is as predictably plotted, but the steady pace and the atmosphere generated from the unusual town helps maintain our level of interest. The shift in focus of the film half way through was perhaps the most surprising part, and something that made this viewer sit up and take notice a little more. There doesn’t seem to be a thought to killing characters on the side of good, unlike many films of the period, so both sides of the aisle take knocks by the time the film has reached it’s conclusion.

Today, any film that apparently basis itself or shares so many similarities from another, would be a poorly produced and obviously rushed affair. City of the Dead on the other hand manages to do something quite different from it’s contemporaries – Black Sunday and Psycho – and in doing so creates a slightly unique experience. Unfortunately, City of the Dead, is not quite as highly regarded as either film, in fact it is widely overlooked, which is a shame as it’s a worth film.

The UK Redemption release of City of the Dead reviewed here is basically the same as the US version released by VCI in 2001. There are 2 minutes of restored footage that was removed from the US version of the film, known as Horror Hotel; a lengthy interview with Christopher Lee, as well as interviews with Venetia Stevenson and John Moxley; photo galleries and more. The film is presented at 1.66:1, with Dolby 2.o Mono audio track.

The Blood Trilogy will feature: Audio commentaries by Herschell Gordon Lewis and David Friedman, Outtakes, “Carving Magic” with William Kerwin and Harvey Korman, theatrical trailers, galleries of exploitation art. Basket Case is a version restored directly from the original 16mm negatives, and will be presented in it’s original 1.33:1, as filmed. This will be the first time the film as been released in this form. The disc will also be loaded with extras: New video introduction by Henenlotter; Audio commentary by Henenlotter, producer Edgar Ievins and actress Beverly Bonner; rare outtakes and behind-the-scenes footage; 2001 In Search Of The Hotel Broslin video short; gallery of Basket Case exploitation art and behind-the-scenes photos; two theatrical trailers, plus TV spot; two rare Basket Case radio spots.

Both discs are surprising cheap. So are must have releases.

Also released by Something Weird on the 27th of September is the documentary on all things H.G. Lewis titled, the Godfather of Gore. This release is a DVD and will feature: Over an hour of deleted scene, rare Lewis short Hot Night At The Go-Go Lounge, H.G. Lewis trailer reel, and gallery of H.G. Lewis exploitation art.

Criterion, who have recently released some interesting titles on Blu-ray, are gearing up for another couple of must have releases in early December – just in time for Christmas! Fritz Lang’s M, and Roman Polanski’s Repulsion are other titles Criterion have previously released on Blu-ray. Guillermo del Toro’s Cronos is getting the deluxe treatment from Criterion with a wealth of extras that will include a 1987 short, Geometria, which was recently finished by Guillermo. David Cronenberg’s masterpiece Videodrome starring James Woods, and Debbie Harry is also heading to Blu-ray. Both are in stores December 7th.

Severin Films are kicking off 2011 and a bang, or should that be a bump in the night? They are set to release Alejandro Jodorowsky’s excellent Santa Sangre on Blu-ray and DVD on January 25th, 2011. This title has been out of print for some time now and the release will include deleted scenes, several documentaries, audio commentary and more.

Although reviews of Dario Argento’s most recent cinematic effort didn’t receive very favorable reviews (like most of his recent works even though many haven’t been nearly as bad as some might make us believe) from critics and fans alike, Giallo, finally see’s a Stateside release from Maya Home Entertainment. Not sure what the DVD contains in the way of extras, but I wouldn’t be expecting too much here even though it’s got a pretty hefty price tag for a single disc DVD. Giallo hits stores October 19th.

After the disappointing way in which the initial release of the Tarantino/Rodriguez doublebill, Grindhouse, was packaged (the two films, Planet Terror and Death Proof, being released seperately without all the trailers which were shown during it’s theatrical release) things are finally being put right by Vivendi Home Entertainment. Grindhouse will be released as 2-Disc Blu-Ray Special Edition will feature the full theatrical experience on Disc 1, while Disc 2 will include a whole host of bonus material – some exclusive to this blu-ray release. Included are extended trailers with audio commentary, numerous making of documentaries and much more. Unfortunately it appears that this release does not include the extended versions of the films released previously, but the theatrical versions. Vivendi’s release hit stores October 5th.

Also in stores October 5th is the first Blu-ray release of William Friedkin’s legendary The Exorcist (1973) via Warner Brothers. This 2-Disc release features the Extended Director’s Cut and the Original Theatrical Version. Also included are some new special features with never before seen footage.

Lorna, The Exorcist (1974)

Directed by Jess Franco

Release Date: 31st August 2010

Starring: Pamela Stanford, Guy Delorme, Lina Romay, Howard Vernon, Jess Franco

The first of Mondo Macabro’s Jess Franco titles was originally due for release today, but has been pushed back due to what MM claim to be circumstances beyond their control. Lorna won’t see a release now until the end of August – which feels a long time away! The release will feature a new HD transfer from the original negative, a documentary, English/French audio options and gallery.

Lorna is a powerful witch who helps a man win handsomely while gambling at a casino. This win put puts him on the path to the rich life. When he returns to the same casino 20 years later with his daughter, guess who is there. Lorna. And she wants to be paid back – the price being his daughter, Linda!

Sinner: The Secret Diary of a Nymphomaniac (1973)

Directed by Jess Franco

Release Date: TBC

Starring: Howard Vernon, Doris Thomas, Anne Libert

The new sleeve design for was unveiled earlier this month, but there aren’t too many details yet on its release date, or extras included in the film.

After arriving in the big city, Linda – a naive country girl – is sexually assaulted on a ferris wheel and quickly spirals into a depression of drugs and sex. She eventually plots her revenge by framing her rapist with murder by committing suicide. The story is slowly revealed using flashbacks and Linda’s diary entries. Look out for a real Franco classic hitting DVD.

Another title that has been announced by Mondo Macabro is The Perverse Countess, although no other information has been made available as to its release at this time. The release of these films, from an era where Franco was at a creative high, look set to put Mondo Macabro back on the map where significant releases are concerned. Let’s hope there’s no end in sight…

SATAN’S BABY DOLL (1982)

Directed by Alan W. Cools

Release Date: OUT NOW!

Severin Films released Satan’s Baby Dolls in the US a few years ago. This year saw the first release of this film on DVD in the UK. It seems that the Shameless version is actually longer than that released by Severin, so definitely worth picking up. Included in this new version is an extended scene of nun masturbation, and extended scenes of lesbian.

Extras include a collector’s poster of the original artwork for the film, Mariangela Giordano biography, alternate scenes, theatrical trailers, Shameless trailers, and optional English subtitles. A release well worth investing in!

LOVE GODDESS OF THE CANNIBALS (1978)

Directed by Joe D’Amato

Release Date: 28th June 2010

Shameless have managed to pass Joe D’amato’s cannibalistic jungle rump uncut. This sleaze fest is intact and includes the cock fighting scene which is something that normally falls fowl of the BBFC – it wasn’t staged by the filmmakers which is why it managed to make it past the censors. The Shameless release will also restore some short footage removed from other releases.

In the way of extra’s the disc includes alternate title sequences,; theatrical trailers, Shameless trailers
, reversible sleeve featuring original artwork, unique collector’s poster of the original artwork for the film, English and Italian audio options with optional English subtitles.

BEAST IN SPACE (1980)

Directed by Al Bradley

Release Date: 26th July 2010

The Shameless release of this classic sci-fi sleaze fest is another ‘Rebuilt’ version comprising of the XXX version of the film, with the hardcore segments removed to included the strongest softcore version currently available. In the UK ‘softcore’ version is the beastly erect penis, and a slightly longer scene of the rape of Sirpa Lane. The version submitted to the BBFC was passed uncut.

Severin previously released The Beast In Space in the USA in two versions: A XXX version with the hardcore scenes intact, and a softcore version for those with slightly less prurient sensibilities.

No word on extras yet.

Director: Aristide Massaccesi

Starring: George Eastman, Annie Belle, Charles Borromel

Aristide Massaccesi, or Joe D’Amato as he is more widely known, died in 1999 leaving behind a legacy in horror and exploitation cinema that has to be seen to be believed. D’Amato’s work was often not very well executed – it is a real stretch of the imagination to call any of his films masterpieces – most would probably label his work inept. But there was definitely a passion for the cinema he created, or a desire for the next pay check, either way, for those that enjoy European horror and exploitation he was something of a dream filmmaker. His output was filled with the kinds of scenes that would give the uninitiated nightmares, and the rest of us wet dreams.

Aristide began his career as a cinematographer, working on a handful of spaghetti westerns before trying his hand at direction. He continued as a cinematographer through out his career, working on Massimo Dallamano‘s awesome What Have They Done to Solange? (1972) and performed the duty through the majority of his own work. As far as most of us are concerned his directorial career truly began with 1973′s giallo, Death Smiled at Murder, although he was directing films a year earlier. It should also be noted that he played a significant role in the development of Italy’s last best hope for horror, Michele Soavi (although even that seems to have fizzled out), producing Michele’s directorial debut Stagefright (1987). Although Aristide bestowed his talents on several different genre’s, the two he seemed too return his hand to the most were horror and erotica (or straight up pornography), blurring the boundaries between the two genres to varying degrees. Unfortunately, there was not enough straight up horror in his extensive catalog of directorial efforts, but what films we were graced with are not easy to forget.

A film that Aristide is perhaps best known for is the legendary Anthropophagus Beast (1980), featuring as it does a scene that goes beyond bad taste, and which has turned the stomachs of many an unsuspecting viewer. The scene in question is that of a towering Luigi Montefiori (aka George Eastman) who plays a character with cannibalistic tendencies that rips the baby from the womb of a very heavily pregnant woman, and then proceeds to chow down. This film also contains the climatic scene of George eating his own intestines. So, it is with little surprise that Anthropophagus Beast lives in infamy. That does not mean Anthropophagus Beast is a good film, it’s actually a fairly boring affair. It takes quite a while before anything of any significance happens. It is also a very flat, one dimensional film, much like Porno Holocaust (1980) and Erotic Nights of the Living Dead (1981), which were made around the same time and both featured George Eastman in the lead role.

As bad as Anthropophagus Beast might be, it’s still a memorable film which deserves a place on the shelf of any self respecting fans’ collection. There was much excitement when Beast was released by Shriek Show in it’s uncut form, and there should be much rejoicing once more, for Mya Communications have released the follow up to Anthropophagus Beast, Absurd (1981), or as it is titled for this release, Horrible (the title coming from the French language release).

When we talk about follow up films, we think of… a sequel. Absurd, is no sequel to Beast, it simply features George Eastman once again playing a homicidal maniac that likes to kill people. In Beast he was cannibalistic, in Absurd he has escaped an institution of some kind, the product of medical experiments which have left him an insane maniac who kills without reason. Absurd is often referred to as Anthropophagus 2, but this was a simple marketing ploy to cash in on the success of Beast, which was actually fairly successful upon its original release. In general, Absurd is a much better film than its predecessor, and even manages to build a little tension here and there (although tension could easily be confused with a bout of impatience).

Mikos Stenopolis (George Eastman) is on the run after escaping an institution where he was the test subject of some strange medical experiments which went horribly wrong. Mikos is now on the loose and is super human – his body can regenerate itself after any injury. While this doesn’t sound too bad, the real problem is that he doesn’t regenerate properly which turns makes him a little loopy! The only method to dispatch Mikos is with the old Zombie technique – something through the head.

After Mikos escapes the institution he quickly winds up in hospital after impaling himself on a gate and spilling his guts to a poor family in the house beyond. We all know what is soon to happen once his body regenerates itself on the operating table in front of the doctors. The doctors are obviously oblivious, although seriously impressed by his amazing healing powers. It’s not long before Mikos is up and about, making his escape and clocking up a body count.

While Mikos is making his escape the police, or rather, Sgt. Ben Engleman (Charles Borromel), is investigating the case in an attempt to figure out the identity of this strange man. After questioning the family who’s house Mike spilled his guts in, the Sgt. finds a weird looking Greek guy wondering the streets. When the Sgt. sees the man at the hospital a short time later, and finds a Greek coin in Mikos pocket he quickly brings the man in for questioning. It turns out that the strange man (Edmund Purdom) is a Priest, and he proceeds to tell them all about Mikos.

While the shifty Priest and the Sgt. are having a nice chat, Mikos is up and about putting a drilling device through the head of an attending nurse – in one side and out the other! Then he stumbles on some guy cleaning floors and goes in for the attack. In the other room Mikos happens upon a bandsaw, and as if he were remembering his days in wood shop class he turns on the saw and pushes the poor cleaners head towards the blade. Much blood splatters, so don’t sit too close.

The Priest is a very unconventional Priest. Not only is he a mad scientist, but he’s a little sadistic too. He thinks Mikos is some demon type thing, and wants a gun to blast his head off – doesn’t seem like he’s into the old holy water gig. The police are happy to oblige, seemly believing all the drivel the Priest has been sprouting. Since the police are short staffed they will stoop to just about any lengths, even providing him with a vehicle. And so the search begins…

As we journey alongside Mikos’ and witness his trials and tribulations the film quickly travels full circle, ending up as it does, at the house that Mikos arrived at in the first few frames of the film, but this time there are just two lone kids inside, ripe for the plucking.

Unfortunately, even though there are some interesting and gruesome murders in the final part of the film, it is also the point at which things go awry. When Mikos is blinded by one of the kids he stalks around the house searching for the little devils, and it just seems like a ploy to increase the running time of the film while he lumbers around for what feels like an eternity – it feels as if we are watching the film in slow motion. A good portion of the films finale takes place in the house, and sticks heavily to stalk and slash territory, taking it to its limits. This is an inherent problem with stalk and slash films in general, and perhaps the fault should not be rested solely on the shoulders of Absurd. Even the highly regarded Halloween (1978) is painfully slow at times, lacking as it does the complexity often associated with the giallo films of Italy.

Although, Absurd is firmly planted in stalk and slash territory, it’s inspiration seems to be heavily weighted by Lucio Fulci. The early 80′s output from Fulci was is a high point in his career, and wasn’t ignored by other Italian filmmakers. The structure of City of the Living Dead (1980), House By The Cemetery (1981) and the masterful Beyond (1981), is disjointed and lacking a firmly coherent plot. Absurd, is fairly similar in this manner, in that plot devices seem to just occur without explanation, and the gore sequences don’t sit snugly with the plot devices. City of the Living Dead seems to be perhaps the heaviest influence here. The murder by table top power tool – even though a saw in this film rather than a drill – seems to be a little more than a pointer to City. The two protagonists investigating the crime also seem a familiar Fulci device, something which is featured in all of the previously mentioned Fulci films. The similarities continue with the same kind of visual atmosphere.

So all in all this is a second rate Fulci movie, but it’s an enjoyable effort, and manages to keep the viewer engaged; far more so than Anthropophagus Beast which relies solely on the promise of over the top gore. Absurd, while has it’s moments is a much lighter affair, and stays clear of any of the more controversial or stomach turning elements that made Beast a classic of European horror cinema. It’s surprising that Absurd has taken so long see the light of DVD, as it is far from a low point of Massaccesi’s career – you can all decide what that actually means.

Even though Mya Communications should be commended for getting this film out, it’s a fairly bog standard release – as most of Mya’s releases are. The film is presented full screen, with an English and Italian mono language track, but no subtitles. There are no extras on the disc. Some of the footage in the film was restored from a different source and the quality is a lot lower than the rest of the film, which does look very nice. So while a not great release, we finally get to see the film, it’s a shame Mya didn’t do more with it – like using it’s proper title a if nothing else creating a decent sleeve.

As with all methods of censorship, the creation of the list, which was later to be referred to as the Video Nasties list, was just a simple method of avoidance. Those in high positions that can affect real meaningful social change and address the real issues facing society prefer to avoid those difficult and often politically unpopular issues and find solace in laying blame on an easy target. In this case, the lurid titles and sleeves of a number of horror titles really got people worked up – I say sleeves and titles, because many of the titles that came under scrutiny weren’t even viewed by those that were objecting. Much like a modern day witch hunt, they seemingly used the same kind of methods to deem a film a video nasty as those methods use to condemn a woman to the fate of a witch back in the 16th century. Blind, irrational hatred is never far from the surface it seems.

The Video Nasties list gave way to the Video Recordings Act, and it suddenly became illegal to own or sell any of these titles. All video recordings now had to be classified. Police spent tax payers money running around raiding the stores who were selling or renting the titles, but it didn’t stop there. The homes of private individuals who were suspected of actually owning these Video Nasties were raided. To put some perspective on the issue, this all happened as real criminals were allowed to walk the streets while the police put their efforts into rounding up films that were just harmless entertainment. Most other countries in the world saw these kinds of films as harmless entertainment, and those other countries were not crumbling under the weight of video’s on the shelves. It begs the question of just what really was behind the video nasty fiasco. Some have claimed the mainstream studios weren’t all that crazy about the sales these small independent labels received from their exploitative titles, but that’s a conspiracy theory unto itself.

All this happened in the early 1980′s when the video market was beginning it’s boom. The Video Recordings Act was put in place in 1984, and it is still in effect today – although it recently had to be adjusted after the European Commission deemed the original bill unenforceable. The censoring body which plays moral guardian in the UK is the BBFC, and it is their job to ascertain what the video and cinema viewing public are capable of handling without turning into homicidal maniacs. But time has been unkind to the BBFC. Their stance on the Video Nasties and other titles (such as The Exorcist and Texas Chainsaw Massacre which received outright bans from the video market for decades) has had to change. They have been forced by current mainstream horror cinema to stay somewhat current with modern, more extreme trends. The new breed of horror cinema has made most of the Nasties seem like Saturday morning cartoons, with a much more realistic portrayal of horror and violence than most of the alleged Nasties put together. Still, there are a few titles on the Nasties list that pack their mighty punch, but for us it is the altogether different style of film making that gives the Nasties their charm, and power. They just don’t make them like they used to.

In an effort to look at the bright side of these dark days. Censorship always creates a certain kind of demand from those looking for the forbidden, those of us not content with what the mainstream tries to force down our throats. And this is just what happened. Normally, a list such as the Video Nasty list isn’t par of the course, and we’d have to compile a list of our own. The moral guardians were in one sense kind to us, they gave us a list of specific titles that really offended them. Oh, the irony of it! What else could you ask for? We should have been sending them flowers!

As the video’s disappeared from the shelves, becoming unobtainable by the masses, the titles quickly entered cult status. When a title gains that cult status, it basically lives forever, and it is obvious the moral guardians weren’t aware of the beast they were breeding. Many of the titles on the Video Nasty list are films that should have disappeared into obscurity, and in all likelihood would have been forgotten had it not been for a little help from our friends at the BBFC. Titles like Night of the Bloody Apes (1969), Beast in Heat (1977), and Island of Death (1975) shouldn’t have survived like they did. Although, unfortunately others films like Dead and Buried (1981), and Living Dead at the Manchester Morgue (1974) didn’t receive the wider attention they should have.

I might be giving too much weight to the significance of the Video Nasties list, but the list really is the perfect snap shot of an under appreciated genre. A list only someone on the outside could compile. The genre is never going to be perfect, for every Texas Chainsaw Massacre there is an Attack of the Killer Tomatoes. This is exactly what the Video Nasties list is, a mixed bag of delights. It should be embraced, and it quickly becomes the starting point for those looking to stumble into the excesses of the genre. The list spans the golden era of horror and exploitation cinema, from Herschell Gordon Lewis’ Blood Feast (1963) through to Xtro (1983). Three decades of decadence.

The video nasty list doesn’t present us with everything the genre has to offer, but it’ll quickly lead you down a multitude of different avenues, opening the door to Zombies, Cannibals, Nuns, Nazi’s, Slashers, Stalkers, Perverts and more… While we might all be familiar with the majority of the titles on the list, there might still be some leftovers to discover. Over a series of posts in the coming weeks I’ll be briefly going over the titles in the Nasties list, and we can journey through the list together, wading our way through the blood, brains, and bodies (in various states of dress) as we discover our own personal Nasty.

The Video Nasties List Part 1

Anthropophagous Beast (1980)
(aka Anthropophagus; The Man Eater, The Grim Reaper; Maneater – Der Menschfresser; The Savage Island)

Joe D’Amato’s slasher movie madness is perhaps one of the highlights of the Nasties list, not because it is a good film, but because of a couple really unique scenes that have to be seen to be believed. The first of which is when cannibalistic madman George Eastman rips the fetus out of a pregnant woman and chows down. George doesn’t care where it comes from, and if you need any further proof, later in the film he eats his own intestines! Now that’s what I call hardcore cannibalism! I don’t think there are many films that include such memorable set pieces, it just unfortunate that those scene really are the highlight in an otherwise pretty boring movie, but at least there’s something to look forward too. The film also stars Tisa Farrow, sister of Rosemary’s Baby Mia Farrow. Horror fans will recognize Tisa from her previous appearance in Lucio Fulci’s far more entertaining Zombie Flesh Eaters.

Last House on the Left (1972)
(aka Krug and Company, Sex Crime of the Century)

Wes Craven’s directorial debut is probably his most powerful film to date, and was the beginnings of a different kind of film making. On a young girls first day as that of a woman, her sixteen birthday, she heads to see an Alice Cooper style band in the big city with a street wise friend. Things don’t go quite as planned when they try and score some weed for the occasion. They are captured after being lured into the dragon’s den by the young dealer they approach. They end up being tortured at the hand of the criminals. Last House is a very powerful film, we are as tortured as the girls on the screen as they are forced to kiss each other or piss their pants for the amusement of the gang of thugs. Things don’t end nicely though, especially for the thugs when the young girls parents find out what has happened. Last House is a film of legend, and it lives up to it’s legend. This is a pure example of a film that they just don’t make anymore… gritty, grim, gruesome, and powerfully shocking. Last House recently suffered the remake syndrome, but the original cannot be surpassed so why waste your time?

Blood Bath (1971)
(aka A Bay of Blood, Antefatto – Ecologia del delitto, Bloodbath, Carnage, Chain Reaction, The Last House on the Left, Part II, Twitch of the Death Nerve)

Blood Bath, or A Bay of Blood or Twitch of the Death Nerve – however you want to refer to it – is part giallo and part – what will later be termed as – the slasher film. The late great Mario Bava’s masterpiece was one of his final films, and way ahead of it’s time. So no, Halloween (1978) is not that revolutionary after all, and Friday The 13th lifts most of it’s murder set pieces from Blood Bath. So throw those turkey’s away and get yourself a copy of this far superior film! The film revolves around the inheritance of a bay and its surrounding area. After the murder of the Countess which is made to look like suicide, her family are all out for themselves and the inheritance she leaves behind. Things don’t quite go to plan for the family, but especially not for a group of kids out for a good time that get caught in the middle of the proceedings – one gets a knife to neck, another to the face and two lovers are speared to their bed in an eternal embrace. While most slasher films get boring very fast, Blood Bath manages to hold the viewers interest with its giallo-esque greed and murder theme. This is a very dark and nihilistic film which leaves very few of the cast remaining… but then everyone has what’s coming to them in one gore drizzled way after another!

SS Experiment Camp (1976)
(aka SS Experiment Love Camp, Lager SS Adis Kastrat Kommandantur; Horreur Nazis)

Another one of those highly offensive but highly entertaining German concentration camp films, where the poor inmates are poked and prodded in the name of science and German perfection. This one is a particularly fine example, although male viewers might cringe at the testicular transplant scene, even if the things are the size of eggs. The greatest moment comes when one of the German soldiers used in the sexual experiments yells “what have you been doing with my balls?” at a camps commandant, who was the lucky receiver of the poor officers bollocks. This film isn’t nearly as shocking as people like to make out, and is also better made than you might think. It is still complete and utter schlock, and I for one would have it no other way. If paired with the superior Ilsa, She Wolf of the SS (1975) this is all that you really need from the Nazi Camp sub-genre, but if like myself, you have a certain weakness for strong female characters and insanely pointless experiments there are dozens of these films out there to keep you shamefully engaged.

Killer Nun (1978)
(aka Suor Omicidi, Deadly Habits)

Anita Ekberg stars in this odd mix of nunsploitation and the giallo genre. Strangely enough this odd blend works extremely well. Once all the bland elements of a nunsploitation movie have been removed we are left with the more risque elements which is what we watch them for anyways, and then add to that all the excessive murders of a good giallo… It really does sounds like a nice combination, doesn’t it? Killer Nun is meant to be based on a true story – yeah we’ve heard that before so I’m not sure who they think they are kidding – and tells the tale of a slightly demented Sister Gertrude (Ekberg). She believes that she is on death’s door, so much so she becomes addicted to morphine, and in her fragile state, heroin. In her perilous journey into drug addiction she stoops at just about anything in an effort to get her next fix – this includes sneaking out for some kinky sex, and sadistically murdering anyone that gets in her way. Sister Gertrude is quite simply off her rocker, and we can only sit back and enjoy every minute of it. Also starring Joe Dallesandro (Flesh for Frankenstein, Blood for Dracula).

Director: James Bryan

Starring: Nick McClelland, James P. Hayden, Mary Gail Artz, Tom Drury

James Bryan’s Don’t Go In The Woods was caught up in the video nasty fiasco in the UK and it’s such a disjointed, ineffective affair that it’s really hard to see what the stink was all about. It’s even harder to understand just why Code Red decided that it needed the deluxe treatment it has received, but I guess we should never complain about bad low budget horror films being given a second chance, especially on a grand scale.

Don’t Go In The Woods tell the story of four unsuspecting campers who take a hike in the woods, little do they know that there is a maniac that lives there, and he ain’t happy. Now, I could stop here, and I probably should because there really isn’t much more to the story than this. Really. And it’s not long before we have to witness one unsatisfying massacre after another before this boring movie comes to a close.

While the group of campers try and make it to a cabin in the woods elsewhere a bird watcher dressed in stereotypical (for the early 1900′s maybe) bird watcher garb sudden looses a couple of limbs. The slicing and dicing happens from off camera and far to fast for us to actually witness anything except the poor dudes arms flying off, with blood spraying in their wake.

All the while the campers are being lectured on the ways to survive in the woods by an obvious experienced camper (okay, so the script writer just wanted to get in some knowledge of camping, because it sounds like it comes straight out of a Campers 101 book) and one of his pieces of advice is… “Never, never go in the woods alone”. Okay, so here is one of my gripes with the movie, because “alone” even got added to the title in some territories… most of the people that die in this movie don’t go in the wood alone, they are accompanied by one or more people. So if we are going to take that piece of advice literally, it is the worst piece of advice imaginable, you probably stand more chance of surviving if you are alone.

A pretty annoying couple who are obviously all American tourists checking out the woods are only on screen for a few short seconds before they are dispatched – thankfully. The husband decides to climb some rocks, but the maniac pulls him down where by he falls to his death. The wife gets massacred hacked and slashed. It’s at this point we realize that this is going to be a seriously depressing and unsatisfying movie. Everything happens in such a fashion that we see the murders, but we may as well not. We don’t witness the perpetrator, it’s just blood flying and/or limbs. It’s like a seriously pathetic example of Dario Argento playing the gloved hands of the murder in his classic giallo movies. But Argento does that for a reason, he knows how the hands should move. In “Don’t Go..” it’s just stupid. It makes the movie look even cheaper than it is, and it makes for such a disjointed affair that when the maniac does make a physical appearance, the poor editing of the separate elements – the maniac and the killing – make it look like the maniac could have been in a completely different movie.

In the local town the Bird watcher has been reported missing so the police decide to investigate by taking a plane over the location, I’m not sure really what they expect to see from a plane as it’s pretty high up and there are trees everywhere! They obviously don’t see anything and decided to give it a few more days before doing much more, but since the bird watcher has only been missing for several hours it’s not surprising at all.

Over the past night the campers have been telling each other scary stories to set the mood, and a couple of love birds in a camper van have been slaughtered. Dick after taking a stroll in the dark to look for a peeping tom, and his wife/girlfriend after being rolled down a hillside in their camper van that bursts into flames at the bottom – you can still here her scream well after the camper is engulfed in flames.

Even though Return of the Jedi wasn’t made for another couple years, the maniac (Tom Drury) looks like an over-sized Ewok, dressed in rags and beads, and is probably enough hair for a couple Ewoks. The acting is nothing to speak about. Lots of growling and other such feral noises, lumbering around and poking sticks at the camera. He might not have been given any lines, but surely more could have been done with this but the fault here lies in the script and direction. This jungle bunny obviously doesn’t like his territory invaded, but I have to wonder, why now? Surely campers and hikers have been wandering in those woods for years, decades even. But then, that’s a flaw that isn’t unusual in these types of Slasher movies.

Shamefully, the film even tries to inject some humor. This humor falls flat on its face. A girl roller skating in the woods, rolls into a cop, and then shakily down the rest of the hill only to fall into the bushes – or something. Then a guy in a wheelchair who is – hiking? – falls over after struggling to make it up some hills. To top it all off, when the wheelchair bound guy makes it to the top of the mountain his head is poorly sliced off just as he’s enjoying the view. Evil Dead 2 this isn’t…

At this point there is barely any point in getting back to the campers, there has been no characterization throughout the movie, and the murders aren’t anything to speak about either – blood does not make an interesting murder – so what is there? I’m not really sure… but if you like scenery just sit back and look at the back drop of Lambs Canyon in Utah. It’s actually pretty nice looking. Just remember not to go there alone… or is that as a group… maybe it should be Don’t Go In The Woods Without Protection – I’ll leave it up to you what kind of protection.

Code Red should be commended to taking the trouble with this poor excuse for a film. The print actually looks pretty good, it having been taken from the original negatives. There are a boat load of extras, and it’s obvious James Bryan is thrilled someone is interested in his movie because he provides a couple different commentaries. Still this is probably only worth picking up if you are a fan of this era of horror cinema, or slasher movies.

Starring: Mariangela Giordano, Karen Well, Peter Bark

Burial Ground is a film that lives in infamy among horror fans, not for the skill of direction or the strength of the story, not even for an excess of gore scenes – if that was the case it would be a sorry state, for Burial Ground is lacking to varying degrees in all departments. What Burial Ground is best known for turns out to be one of the few highlights of the film, a scene in which a child rips his mothers breast clean off with his young teeth, in an incestuous zombie feast. It’s not unusual for a horror film to have it’s moment of glory and recognition from one lone moment of triumph that last but a few seconds. There are many such examples. Another being the legendary video nasty Anthropophagus Beast, a film with two such highlights; the killer performing an abortion and consumption of a late term pregnancy, and the consumption of one’s own intestines. Classic stuff in both cases.

One could say that it’s a shame for a whole movie to be considered, and raised to cult status on such flimsy merits, but that’s what keeps things interesting; it can take so little to make something memorable, but there is a journey to get there, no matter how painful, and when the peak of the gory crescendo is reached we experience a moment of joy that allows us to forget the boredom or the ineptness of the other 85 minutes. Perhaps this is shameful justification for bad horror films, but there is usually some kind of silver lining even if it is like a needle in a haystack at times.

Now, that is not to say that the other 84 minutes of Burial Ground is a total waste of time, but it wouldn’t be fair to say it’s a rip-roaring journey in horror heaven, or the gore-fest that some might allude to. The story is a simple one, an evil is unleashed on an unsuspecting group gathering at a castle who then become victims of this evil, and for the most part it is handled effectively and manages to be entertaining.

I’m not sure what it is with meddling archaeologists but when they read ancient texts stating something like “Here lies the foulest most evil force imaginable. We sealed it so it can’t escape”, the first thing they do is grab a pick axe. There seems to be a masochistic element to archaeology. When Professor Ayres disturbs a seal in an ancient crypt in a cemetery he unleashes a horde of deadly, slow moving zombies, who ignore his pleas of being their friend and chow down on his flesh. No gratitude at all…

The professor had summoned a group of friends to his castle so he could reveal his discoveries, and impress all, but when they arrive he’s not around… The guests make themselves at home, either by getting their kink on in the bedroom or out in the grounds. It seems any time any of the couples are alone they test the springiness of the hay. When they take their canoodling outside, the zombies are a little irritated and strike out. Hordes of them appear and start giving chase (by walking), the poor unsuspecting love birds fly away home.

There is some moral fiber to the film, if we really look for it. There is an all loving American dubbed Italian family. Children were not allowed by law to appear in films such as this in Italy, which is just as well in the case of Burial Ground, so to get around this they hired a strange looking actor called Peter Bark, who was in his 20′s and looks like a smaller Dario Argento (Mini Argento?). Peter plays Micheal the son of Evelyn (Mariangela Giordano – Malabimba, The Sect), and he is one seriously weird looking guy who seems well suited for horror films, even if he wasn’t to appear in anymore. Michael has a slightly strange relationship with his mother, he gets a little jealous of his mothers boyfriend (or husband, it’s never really stated). Luckily for Michael, father figure George (Roberto Caporali) is quickly dispensed with when a group of zombies break in to the basement of the castle and feast on him while Evelyn and Michael make their escape.

The zombie action in Burial Ground takes more the form of a cannibal movie. Lots of chewing on the stuff they rip from the stomach of their victims. But it’s not long before there are some more inventive methods of victim dispatchment. When three couples (for the sake of argument and exploitative purposes it’s safe to conclude Evelyn and Michael being a couple, even if I’m getting ahead of the film here) manage to group together once more after the zombie madness and hole up in the castle. They lock the doors and then go barricading the second story windows, you read that correctly… Second. Story. Windows. But in Star Trek tradition there are some disposable characters, house staff – butlers and maids. They send a maid off alone to shut some windows. While leaning out a window a zombie hiding in the bushes throws a large nail at her. The nail goes goes through her hand and pins her to the shutter, then the zombie brings out the scythe… Off with her head! When her body is found by one of the remaining bunch inside, he just tosses it out the window for the zombie to feast on. Again, what gratitude.

Perhaps one of the interesting things about Burial Ground are the zombies. They don’t look particular good, effects wise, but not the worst I’ve seen, and for the budget that this film would have had it’s actually probably far more impressive than what I’m giving credit for. What is different about the Burial Ground zombies is that they are actually intelligent. They will work together, and pick up weapons to attack the victims. At one point they use a battering ram to get into the castle. While this could look pretty stupid in most cases, it seems to work fairly well in this scenario.

After Michael’s mother saves him from a zombie attack by slicing a zombie head from it’s torso, he makes it plain just how much he likes her. Giving her breast a little petting and reaching up her skirt, but when his hands slip in to her underwear shes had enough! Michael is very disappointed, and runs off… only to be attacked by a recently deceased member of the group of friends who is now back as a zombie.

With just four of the group remaining, it’s a sad state of affairs when they decide that the best course of action is to let the zombies in, after all maybe it’s “not us that they are after”. Um… Guess they forgot about those that have been eaten? It’s about this point that the film really starts to drag a little. It’s obvious that the story really wasn’t that well thought out, although for the most part that is forgivable when there are some humorous lines to witnessed and some interesting zombie murders. The problem is that when the vast majority of the film is simply everyone running from the zombies it just gets a bit too repetitive, and not enough is done with it. The only thing that really keeps us going is to be finally able to witness Michael’s return as a zombie, and the sucking of his mother breast right off her chest. Yeah, pretty twisted, but who’s complaining?

Burial Ground is perhaps one of the darker, in tone, zombie films of the era. Things don’t end happily, and there are no real victories over the zombies. The poor unsuspecting victims in the film, just manage to get their way out of trouble by the skin of their teeth, but mostly it’s their skin in someone elses teeth. There is also an over-riding gothic feel to the film, helped by the well chosen location and the abandoned castle in which the film was shot. The location alone manages to push the production values to more respectable heights.

The film is a lot closer to Amando de Ossorio’s Blind Dead series than it is, say, to Lucio Fulci’s Zombie. It definitely reminds me of Return of the Blind Dead, where the cast are holed up in a building for the majority of the film, and make a stupid decisions to get themselves out of the troublesome predicament. The Blind Dead movies have that overbearing cat and mouse aspect going on between the living and the dead, which also permeates Burial Ground. It is that cat a mouse element which ends up detracting from the overall flow of both Burial Ground, and the Blind Dead films – there ends up being little else to keep the viewer truly engaged.

Andrea Bianchi output has been fairly sparse, surprisingly enough, even though his name is very recognizable – that probably comes from the notoriety of this film. Most interestingly to us, he previously directed the sleazy Strip Nude For Your Killer (1975), which is a worthwhile entry into Italy’s giallo genre. The rest of Bianchi’s catalog seems to be on the erotic side, including Malabimba (1979). Bianchi does manage to once again to show himself as a competent director, even if some of the exterior footage is a little shaky makes things look a little to low budget, whether intentional or not. And, although the film definitely has its flaws, it is an entertaining slice of euro horror which for once actually deserves some of the cult status it receives.

Shriek Show’s release includes: a theatrical trailer, still gallery, interviews with producer Gabriele Cristanti, and actress Mariangela Giordano.