Book Review: The Art of Hammer

One of the books I’ve been anticipating most is The Art of Hammer: The Official Poster Collection from the Archive of Hammer Films. Not only am I a fan of Hammer horror and all its lurid but classic films, but I also love poster art! Poster art was, and still continues to be, a major marketing force in cinema, and for good reason. In Hammer’s heyday, posters and handbills were generally the first thing people saw in regards to a film and would greatly influence their decision to see it.  To this day, studios spend a large chunk of change on marketing, which includes poster advertisements. So besides just looking pretty, posters serve a greater purpose in promoting a film.

This, and more, is explained in the introduction by author Marcus Hearn. This informative section gives a brief overview of Hammer Films, its poster artists and the importance of utilizing their posters for marketing. After this short but informative overview, the book moves into showcasing Hammer’s beautiful posters. The level of craftsmanship on these posters is very impressive, considering most of them were hand-painted or hand-crafted, not something you see very often nowadays. The posters are organized by decade, from 1950 to 1979, and really show why Hammer is almost as well known for its promotional posters as it is for the films themselves.

The Art of Hammer showcases the studios’ iconic posters with nearly 300 examples, both familiar and rare, drawn from Hammer’s own archives as well as from private collections worldwide. There are unforgettable images contained in this gorgeous book, from films like Dracula, The Gorgon, Curse of Frankenstein, Devil Rides Out, The Satanic Rites of Dracula, To the Devil a Daughter, Vampire Circus and many, many more! Besides posters of horror films, this book also features comedies, that are perhaps lesser known, that were released by Hammer studios. My favorite posters in the book were the foreign ones, which were just wild in the interpretations of the films! However, my absolute favorite poster was a black and white one for Dracula Has Risen From the Grave, which features a buxom beauty with two pink band-aids over bite marks on her neck! I love the cheeky vibe of this poster!

The Art of Hammer: The Official Poster Collection from the Archive of Hammer Films is a real treat for both fans of both the golden age of Hammer and poster art fans. The beautiful coffee table book showcases some of the best iconic posters from Hammer Films and not only that, it is masterfully made! The pages are glossy, thick and the book itself is huge! It is wonderful to see the colorful posters in such a large format that really pays them the respect they deserve. This is a book that will definitely grace your living room table for years to come.

A while back we reviewed another fascinating book from Marcus Hearn called Hammer Glamour that was filled with stunning photographs of the starlets from Hammer movies. I was extremely impressed with the book, and it looks like Hearn has done it again with The Art of Hammer. There is just an unequivocal joy to flipping through the colorful pages of glossy Hammer posters!

The Art of Hammer is being released November 23rd, 2010 and would make a breathtaking gift for that special person in your life this holiday season!

Buy it on Amazon!

Book Review: The Loving Dead by Amelia Beamer

Every month I wade through a glut of zombie novels, some of them good, some so-so and some downright awful. From my towering books-to-review stack I recently chose Amelia Beamer’s The Loving Dead to check out. It sounded intriguing enough as a group of regular twentysomethings find themselves at the epicenter of a sexual transmitted zombie virus in San Francisco.

From the back cover:

Kate and Michael, twenty-something housemates working at the same Trader Joe’s supermarket, are thoroughly screwed when people start turning into zombies at their house party in the Oakland hills. The zombie plague is a sexually transmitted disease, turning its victims into shambling, horny, voracious killers after an incubation period where they become increasingly promiscuous. Thrust into extremes by the unfolding tragedy, Kate and Michael are forced to confront the decisions they’ve made, and their fears of commitment, while trying to say alive. Michael convinces Kate to meet him in the one place in the Bay Area that’s likely to be safe and secure from the zombie hordes: Alcatraz. But can they stay human long enough?

It took me a while to get into The Loving Dead, I think perhaps because of the first-person perspective that kept switching between Kate and Michael. However, about 50 pages in I fell into the flow of the novel and started to enjoy it. If you are from California, you will definitely enjoy the references to Trader Joe’s (I love this grocery store!) and readers familiar with the Bay Area will appreciate all the landmarks mentioned in the novel (The Coliseum, Alcatraz, Golden Gate, etc.). These details definitely added to my enjoyment of the book. However, just because you aren’t from California doesn’t mean you can’t appreciate The Loving Dead. Besides its witty and plentiful pop culture references (iPhone apps, Twitter, BoingBoing, Indiana Jones, blogs), it’s got sex, violence, romance, zombies and plenty of nail-biting action! Plus, it has an amazing conclusion that I definitely didn’t see coming.

Most importantly, though, it does something different with zombies. Making the zombie virus sexually transmitted was a brilliant move on Beamer’s part and really makes the novel stand apart from every other zombie book out there. This is a great social commentary on today’s generation – hordes of slobbering, horny twentysomethings not giving a damn about consequences for their sexual actions. Not to mention that we get to read about sleazy zombies who want to hump you just as bad as they want to eat you.

The Loving Dead is Amelia Beamer’s debut novel and I’m excited to report that this is one of the “good” zombie novels I’ve read this past month. Despite a shaky opening I found myself thoroughly enjoying the unique storyline and loving the new approach to the zombie virus.

If you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to cuddle up with a zombie, look no further than the kinky The Loving Dead. It’s a hip and twisted new zombie novel that’ll have you all tied up!

Available from Amazon!

Book Review: And Falling, Fly by Skyler White

And Falling, Fly is a beautifully poetic work by author Skyler White. I first became acquainted with Skyler through Women in Horror Month and her intriguing interview made me want to check out her novel.

And let me say, as much as I was impressed by her interview I was doubly impressed by And Falling, Fly!

The description from the back cover:

In a dark and seedy underground of burned-out rock stars and angels-turned-vampires, a revolutionary neuroscientist and a fallen angel must pit medicine against mythology in an attempt to erase their tortured pasts…but at what price?

Olivia, vampire and fallen angel of desire, is hopeless…and damned. Since the fall from Eden, she has hungered for love, but fed only on desire. Dominic O’Shaughnessy is a neuroscientist plagued by impossible visions. When his research and her despair collide at L’Otel Matillide – a subterranean hell of beauty, demons and dreams – rationalist and angel unite in a clash of desire and damnation that threatens to destroy them both.

In this fractured Hotel of the Damned, Olivia and Dominic discover the only force consistent in their opposing realities is the deep, erotic gravity between them. Bound to each other finally in a knot of interwoven freedoms, Dominic and Olivia – the vision-touched scientist and the earthbound angel, reborn and undead – encounter the mystery of love and find it is both fall…and flight.

And Falling, Fly is captivating and masterfully written by author Skyler White. In fact, writing is so fluid, graceful and imaginative that I just couldn’t put the novel down! I am usually one that loathes too much romance in books I read, but I actually enjoyed the love story between the two leads and it fit quite well into the over-arching story. With elegant prose, amazingly complex characters, intriguing forays into neuroscience, magical surroundings and even some nice philosophical and religious ponderings, and Falling, Fly is a wondrous book to have the pleasure to read!

Of course, this is a dark fantasy novel so besides the love story it features its fair share of bloody action – usually revolving around a clan of vampire sisters (whom Olivia belongs to). Their beauty is sharply contrasted against their ferocity as they feed on others’ desire and fear. In actuality, these vamps are actually fallen angels, but plenty of other demons haunt the pages (and other characters) of the book. The novel also takes place in a hotel otherwise known as Hell run by a kindly old man named Gaehod. Here he tries to help those that have fallen, but most don’t want the assistance and are content to do nothing but to waste away their eternity there.

I loved White’s description of the otherworldly L’Otel Matillide – it’s unlike any other Hell I’ve ever read about. Instead of a gigantic pit of fire, the Hell in and Falling, Fly is quite well-appointed and set up like a hotel. Though deep underground, it has a garden (complete with an apple tree and a serpent) with a river running through it, a night club where “guests” can indulge their every desire and endless rooms to explore. Sure, it might sound more like heaven, but it is a self-imposed prison for the lost and forsaken. There are also achingly beautiful descriptions of the Irish countryside, and White’s writing style and voice brings anything she describes to vivid life!

Like the setting, the story is just as complex. The backstory of Dominic being a “Reborn” (or one that is reincarnated but is cursed to remember his past lives) and trying to block his memories with neuroscience was extremely interesting. I also like how this tied into the ending of the book and how his desire to lose his memories threatened to defeat him in the end. The backstory of Olivia is just as thought-provoking – she desired to be loved and accepted just as she is so that she might re-gain her angel wings.

From its sophisticated, intelligent writing style to its compelling characters to its reinvention of vampire lore, And Falling, Fly had me hooked from page one. It’s a book that’s hard to put down once you start reading and extremely rewarding once you reach its end.

And Falling, Fly is a gorgeously penned dark fantasy novel that has piqued my thirst for more novels in this vein from Skyler White. It’s the perfect novel for hopeless romantics, sinners, saints and those in the mood for a completely different vampire novel.

Highly recommended!

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Book Review: Hellbound Hearts edited by Paul Kane and Marie O'Regan

Hellbound Hearts, edited by Paul Kane and Marie O’Regan, is an eerie anthology based on the Hellraiser films and the original novella The Hellbound Heart by Clive Barker. Inside the pages of Hellbound Hearts you’ll find short stories from such famous names as Neil Gaiman, Steve Niles, Sarah Langan, Mick Garris, Kelly Armstrong, Christopher Golden and many, many more.

The book begins with an introduction from the man himself, Clive Barker, who without none of this would be possible. He goes on to speak of the legacy his novella and ensuing Hellraiser films have left in their wake, but is wary to take credit for creating a “mythos”. And yet, here we are, with countless well-known writers eager to feed from this mythos and produce their own tales of pain and pleasure. As Pinhead might say, the Hellraiser mythos will be legendary, even in HELL (where it’s probably already quite popular!)!

All of the short stories contained within the anthology are truly splattacular, but I do have a few favorites that stuck out as noticeably as Pinhead’s nails sticking out of his cranium. My absolute favorite of the bunch was Sister Cilice by Barbie Wilde. Wilde is best known for her portrayal of the female Cenobite in Hellbound: Hellraiser II, but she is also an accomplished dancer, performer and writer. Her short story absolutely stunned me with its simplicity yet complex character. It tells of Sister Nikoletta, who though appears devout, has violent sexual fantasies and is slipping further and further away from the faith. She one day discovers an old tome called the Grimorium Enochia that tells how to call the Cenobites and enter their world of exquisite pain. The story sounds simple enough, but the character of Sister Nikoletta is so conflicted and perverse that I was just drawn into the story and it stuck with me long after I had finished the anthology.

Another of my favorites was Only the Blind Survive by Yvonne Navarro. This tale really stuck out because it is steeped in Native American lore. It tells of a Native American warrior that stumbles across an odd sand painting in the desert and runs back to his village to tell the elders as it is one of the signs that a gate to evil will soon be opened. Spirit warriors must face off against the evil that slithers from the gate, and the tribe’s people can only be saved if they cannot see the creature, which is known to feed on fear after someone sees it. This take on the demonic was probably the most unique of all the stories considering its far removed setting and Native American setting.

I also wholeheartedly enjoyed Kelly Armstrong’s The Collector, about a puzzle solver who gets herself involved with an online puzzle contest whose final test is solving a very peculiar puzzle box. The delicious twist at the end definitely made this one of my favorites! Other standouts included The Confessor’s Tale by Sarah Pinborough, Every Wrong Turn by Tim Lebbon, A Little Piece of Hell by Steve Niles and The Dark Materials Project by Sarah Langan.

It is truly amazing how Clive Barker’s work could go on to inspire so many different terrifying tales. Each and every one is worth reading and it was painful to try and pick out just a few to talk about when all of the stories are so stellar. Each of the authors captures the aesthetic and themes of the Hellraiser mythos, all the while tweaking it just enough to make it their own. What truly makes this anthology so exciting is how many different directions authors can go with Barker’s legacy. From Native American lore to the future of science behind “Shadow DNA”, there is really no limit to how writers can reinterpret and retell the Hellraiser mythos. And, yes, I disagree with Mr. Barker because he truly HAS created a mythos with distinct stories, rules and characters that are instantly recognizable and that I think will stand the test of time.

Horror fans that relish shocking literature as well as Cliver Barker and Hellraiser fans are sure to enjoy Hellbound Hearts. Don’t torture yourself, get your copy today!

Buy it on Amazon!

Book Review: Hammer Glamour by Marcus Hearn

Titan Books is releasing the gorgeous hardbound coffee table book Hammer Glamour on September 29^th, 2009 and I was lucky enough to get a sneak peek at the lasciviously luscious book! Here is the description from the book’s dust jacket:

Over 50 years ago, with the release of The Curse of Frankenstein and Dracula, Hammer Film Productions ushered in a whole new era of blood and barely retrained cleavage in glorious colour, mixing sex and horror with a style and panache that made the small British company world famous.

As well as making international stars of Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee, Hammer quickly became renowned for the stunning actresses who graced its films. Whether it was an exciting new discovery making her screen debut, an exotic foreign beauty, or a Hollywood star, glamour was an essential part of the Hammer formula. From Barbara Shelley baring her fangs, to Ingrid Pitt baring all – not forgetting Raquel Welch in a fur bikini – Hammer knew that “sex sells”.

Bursting at the seams with an astounding collection of rare and previously unpublished photographs from Hammer’s archive and private collections worldwide, and featuring many exclusive new interviews, Hammer Glamour is both a lavish celebration of Hammer’s female stars and a fascinating insight into a bygone era of movie publicity.

Filled with sensual, full-color photographs, Hammer Glamour is like stepping back into Hammer’s heydays of the 1950s,  ‘60s and ‘70’s where horror was filled with voluptuous sex kittens and cheesecake pinups. These sirens of sinema oozed sexuality yet also a certain innocence and playfulness. Hammer certainly didn’t show much restraint when it came to nudity, especially when censorship was relaxed in the 60’s and 70’s, but despite this their leading ladies all exude a sense of style, classiness and timeless beauty.

Where most Hammer books usually just focus on famous leading men like Christopher Lee or Peter Cushing, it’s refreshing to see the ladies of Hammer horror get their recognition in Hammer Glamour. The book evokes a bygone era of glamour and sensuality. I also appreciated the many different looks of the actresses featured within the pages; whether girl-next-door or exotic, blonde or brunette, short or long locks, every actress featured within the pages of Hammer Glamour celebrates the diversity of glamour!

Hammer favorites featured in the book include “glamourpuss” Stephanie Beacham (Dracula A.D. 1972), exotic Martine Beswicke (One Million Years B.C., Slave Girls, Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde), classical blonde beauty Veronica Carlson (Dracula Has Risen From the Grave, Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed, The Horror of Frankenstein), vampy twins Mary and Madeleine Collins (Twins of Evil), “buxom redhead” Hazel Court (The Curse of Frankenstein, The Man Who Could Cheat Death), “smoldering sexpot” Vera Day (Quatermass 2), beautiful brunette Caroline Munro (Dracula A.D. 1972, Captain Kronos Vampire Hunter), coquettish Kate O’Mara (The Vampire Lovers, The Horror of Frankenstein), iconic Ingrid Pitt (The Vampire Lovers, Countess Dracula), bombshell Barbara Shelley (The Camp on Blood Island, The Secret of Blood Island, Dracula Prince of Darkness, Rasputin the Mad Monk, Quatermass and the Pit), nymph Madeline Smith (Taste the Blood of Dracula, The Vampire Lovers, Frankenstein and the Monster From Hell) and, perhaps the most well-known of them all, the stunning Raquel Welch (One Million Years B.C.).

I especially liked reading about these ladies’ early films, careers and later lives in the informative biographies that author Marcus Hearn has masterfully written. Reading through the actresses’ biographies you also get a sense of the Hammer studios’ timeline and rise to success as well as its eventual decline. I really love how Hearn gave the reader both an idea of the actresses’ lives while also giving the reader a history of Hammer and how the filmmaking business was run back then.

Besides the insightful antidotes, the real stars of the book are the stunning photographs. Voluptuous vamps, sexy starlets, pouty pinups…the glamorous photographs have it all! Whether promotional pictures for films where the actresses are decked out in corsets and flowing dresses or glamour shots where they are modeling bikinis, all of the photographs are richly decadent!

Overall, Hammer Glamour is a rich book overflowing with the phenomenal female stars of Hammer horror films. It’s full-color pages filled with photos are stunningly gorgeous and its biographies on the stars, with exclusive interviews, give the perfect overview on their lives and careers as well as giving us a peek into the bygone golden era of Hammer films.

Hammer Glamour is a must-buy book for all fans of Hammer cinema, the history of horror and horror’s infamous leading ladies of years past.

Order it on Amazon!

Bad Habits (2009)

Bad Habits is a stylishly filmed Australian flick that harbors a much more complex, surreal storyline than its nunsploitation roots would lead you to believe. It is a film that is elevated far above the usually trashy, exploitative films that it pays homage to.

The synopsis of the film, from the official site, is as follows:

Sister Marie Fenche (Sandra Casa) is a woman on the verge of collapse. Barely able to distinguish reality from fantasy, Marie’s life is thrown into turmoil when she awakens one morning, alone in a room with a corpse in the bathtub. Is she being set up or did she kill the man herself? The truth is not even Marie knows for sure.

Bad Habits is a journey straight into the subconscious of its protagonist; a place where reality and fantasy intermingle so completely as to be entirely indistinguishable. Marie’s only grounding in this confused world is Jamie (London Gabrielle), an innocent young nun who is both equally enamored and repulsed by her.

Jamie can only help so much, however, and Marie’s world comes crashing down when she encounters a mysterious stranger who triggers dark and dangerous memories.

Unable to sleep and addled by pills Marie releases her final grip on reality as her dementia leads her deeper and deeper into a world of violence, sex and drugs.

Bad Habits’ story, written by Dominic Deacon (who also directed), is a mysterious, surreal and nightmarish trip through the fractured mind of the lead character, Sister Marie Fenche. The film isn’t just a crude, perverse exploitation flick, but goes deeper to examine the confused mind of Marie. Sure, there are lesbian nuns, nudity, drug use, sex scenes and bloody murders, but the flick is far less exploitative than it touts itself to be.

The character of Sister Marie Fenche is so interesting because she has no moral compass. As a nun, she is supposed to be holy, but she is anything but! She drinks, fights and fucks her way through each night without a single care for the consequences. She is addicted to heroine, pills and Lord knows what else. She can’t tell the difference between right and wrong or reality and fantasy. She kills indiscriminately, but does it all while looking damn good!

Speaking of looking good, Bad Habits has a very stylish noir/pulp thriller look to it despite its low budget. The film has an amazingly polished and professional look to it as well. The film’s grim tone is set by the gritty atmosphere of the film. Each scene is bathed in shadows and shades of gray and blue. The only breaks in the bleak atmosphere are the jarring splashes of red as blood flows from the multiple murders that occur in the film. It’s not that the film’s focus is on gore, but we do see our fair share of slit wrists and throats, stabbings, shootings and so on.

For a low budget film, I was mostly impressed with Bad Habits. Even the acting by everyone involved was top-notch, something usually unheard of in no-budget film. Despite this high praise, the film did have its problems. The biggest problem was the pacing. The film is broken up into three segments, the first called “Lizard in a Woman’s Skin” (a nod to the Fulci film), the second “So Sweet…So Perverse”, and the last and final part “Crazy Hot”. I felt that breaking the film up into segments was pretty unnecessary, especially since most of the film is surreal anyway and the audience never knows if what they are seeing is real or just a figment of Marie’s fractured mind. They also break the film up and slow down its already languid pace.

Overall, Bad Habits is a much more sophisticated film than it gives itself credit for. Despite some pacing problems, the film is beautifully filmed, expertly acted and contains a mysterious, interesting story. The surreal quality of the story reminded me a lot of David Lynch’s experimental films, quite an accomplishment for an independent film!

Visit Bad Habits’ Official Site!

Book Review: Sacrifice by John Everson

Sacrifice is author John Everson’s astounding sequel to his debut novel, Covenant, but it works extremely well as a stand-alone book as well (I have never read Covenant, though after Sacrifice I am eagerly going back to read it!).

With Sacrifice, Everson delivers a nonstop assault on the senses, mixing sex, violence, taboos (a nun becomes a sexually charged, sadistic killer, the hero falls in love with our 15-year-old heroine), solidly developed characters, a frenzied pace and scads of grisly ritualistic killings. There are so many perverted, debased acts in the novel that it definitely isn’t for everyone, but even I, who usually thinks that mixing sex and violence tends to be more exploitative than scary, enjoyed Sacrifice and its shocking tableaux.

From the book’s back cover:

They’re coming. They are a race of sadistic spirits known as the Curburide, and they are about to arrive in our world, bringing with them horrors beyond imagination. The secret to summoning – and controlling – them has fallen into the hands of a beautiful, sexy and dangerously insane woman.

Ariana has dedicated her life to unleashing in our realm through a series of human sacrifices, erotic rituals of seduction and slaughter. As she crosses the country, getting ever closer to completing her blood-drenched mission, only three figures stand in her way: an unwilling hero who has seen the horrors of the Curburide before, a burgeoning witch…and a spiteful demon with plans of his own.

The book is a nonstop thrill ride, and I had a hard time putting the book down once I started it. It immediately throws you into the intrigue of Ariana and her sexually-charged but viciously executed conquests as well as the story of our reluctant hero Joe, who is trying to escape a past encounter with the Curburide and has been burdened with the demon Malachai. When Joe picks up young Alex, who has been able to see and communicate with dead people her whole life and has her own dark past, it’s not long before Malachai reveals they must work together to stop the Curburide. Ariana is no longer working alone, though, and has picked up Jeremy, a man who is finally ready to release all his pent-up tension and aggression. There is a lot going on within the novel, and never once does author Everson allow you to catch your breath. He keeps it all steadily forging forward until you reach the unbearably tense climax, where I felt like I just couldn’t read fast enough to get to the conclusion!!

Everson does an excellent job developing all the characters, including the villains. Even though Ariana is a horrible person for wanting to unleash the Curburide on the world, I still felt inexplicably drawn to her and wanted to see what she would do next. I also very much enjoyed her back story about being a nun and finding out about the Curburide. Her sidekick, Jeremy, was also fleshed out enough where I could understand his actions and why he ultimately chose to join Ariana. Unlike most other novels, time is taken to tell the story from Ariana and Jeremy’s (the villains) side as opposed as just telling it from Joe and Alex’s (the heroes) perspective. As for Joe and Alex, both of their pasts are complex and time is taken to tell about both, without ever slowing down the fast pace of the novel. Both of their pasts contain tragedy that they are both trying to escape. There is also the awkward budding romance between Joe and Alex, which is unnerving and creepy since Alex is only around 15 and Joe is in his late 20’s. I could have done without this inappropriate romance, but in a way it made the characters of Joe and Alex more real as they each faced their temptations.

The aspect that Sacrifice never falters in is its shocking descriptions of gore. The ritualistic killings are disturbing by themselves, but what happens after the victims’ throats have been slit is even more disgusting! Let’s just say that the Curburide thrive and gain power from sexual perversion and Ariana definitely wants to please them. Besides spending a little quality time with the bodies, there is also a very specific arrangement of their organs she must adhere to in order for the ritual to work. By the time she’s done with them, the floors, walls and even ceiling are coated with bits of grue and different bodily fluids.

Sacrifice is a thrilling and shocking piece of genre fiction that deserves to be on every horror fan’s shelf. It’s got enough gore and perversion to shock even the most deviant of minds, but it also has well-developed, realistic characters and an extremely engaging and fast-paced storyline. John Everson is an excellent horror author and I don’t hesitate to call him the future of horror fiction!

Buy it on Amazon!

Book Review: Deep Inside by Polly Frost

I’ve never been a big fan of written erotica, looking at it as too tacky, sleazy and repetitive for my tastes. Horror-themed romance novels were the absolute worst, usually featuring one-dimensional males with rippling muscles and flowing tresses and maidens in distress that needed saving (and sometimes a good spanking). And why do they always seem to feature seductive vampires in the lead roles, intent on sucking more than just blood?

So, I stayed clear of the whole “horror erotica” genre, until I received Polly Frost’s Deep Inside in the mail. Great, I thought, now I have to give it a go! Yet reading Deep Inside, something was awakened deep inside me that had me begging on my knees for more after each short story. Frost has crafted ten tantalizing tales that each feature strong, well-drawn characters, kinky situations that will pique anyone’s interests and satisfying supernatural twists that give her stories a very unique outcome.

As mentioned, Deep Inside features ten separate short stories that explore the twisted and horrific side of sex, with plenty of bizarre yet enticing situations to tease readers with. Frost injects her stories with dark sensuality and black humor. One particular example would be a dominatrix who is slowly losing control of her life and career. Frost’s dialogue is sharp and witty one moment, then down and dirty the next. She covers everything from tentacle porn to voodoo dildos to erotic asphyxiation with aplomb.

My personal favorite stories included “The Pleasure Invaders,” about a tentacled alien race that turns out to be the ultimate in ecstasy, “Viagra Babies,” about sexually superpowered humans who were created by a generation of Viagra abusers, “Visions of Ecstasy,” about a psychic that can see other’s sexual futures but not her own, and “Deep Inside,” about dildos infused with magic to make them feel like the real thing…but with chaotic consequences.

Frost’s writing is deliciously naughty, an indulgent experience that will push you to the brink but keep you satisfied with a commanding writing style. Frost avoids clichés and stereotypes – there are no “throbbing members” or other repetitious language in her novel, only highly original, unique and kinky vignettes that share their pages with engagingly horrifying story lines.

If you are looking for a series of short stories that blend horror and erotica, Polly Frost’s Deep Inside is your one-stop shop for x-rated Twilight Zone-type stories.

Available from Amazon!

Lemora: A Child's Tale of the Supernatural (1973)

Can you remember when your innocence was lost? Did it happen all at once or did it happen more gradually? Most of you probably haven’t heard of Lemora: A Child’s Tale of the Supernatural, that was originally released in 1973, but this film about the loss of innocence and what “growing up” really means is one that deserves to be seen!

In the South in the late 1920s or early 1930s lives a girl named Lila Lee (Cheryl “Rainbeaux” Smith). Her gangster father kills her adulterous mother in a jealous rage and Lila is sent to live with a pious reverend. Lila is raised by the reverend to be a God-fearing lady and she is also part of the church choir. One day, Lila receives a mysterious letter from someone named Lemora (Lesley Gilb), who says her father is on his deathbed and wishes to see her. Lila slips quietly away in the night and catches a bus to go find her father. During the ride through the dark forest, the bus is beset by wild and bloodthirsty people (who by all appearances look like zombies). Lila escapes, only to be stuck in a cell-like room when she arrives at Lemora’s home. She soon meets Lemora and her pack of gypsy-like children.

Things begin to get stranger and stranger, as Lila notices there are no mirrors in the house, her father is nowhere to be found and black-hooded men do Lemora’s every bidding. Lemora is more than loving towards her, but when Lila figures something isn’t quite right, she tries to flee. Can she make it out through the woods that are populated with the bloodthirsty zombies? Can she escape Lemora’s black-hooded minions? Most of all, can she escape the draw she feels towards Lemora?

Lemora: A Child’s Tale of the Supernatural is a lush, Gothic fairy tale for adults. The theme of the loss of innocence is predominant throughout the film, but there are many other themes and layers to this intelligent and engaging film.

Directed and written by Richard Blackburn (who also stars as the reverend), Lemora is a film appreciated by few but one that deserves a much larger audience. The book Fangoria’s 101 Best Horror Movies You’ve Never Seen says, “Combine Alice in Wonderland and Night of the Living Dead – and throw in a vampire element – and you have Lemora…”

With Lemora, Blackburn has created an enchanting yet frightening film that shows the perils of growing up as a young woman. Lila Lee is presented as wide-eyed innocence personified until she leaves her “safe” environment of her home/church. In her first encounter with the outside world (just outside her house as she tries to catch a ride to the bus station) she is lasciviously propositioned by a man. As she continues her journey to Lemora’s house deep in the woods, all the men she comes across are lewd and vulgar. The zombies in the woods are the most base representation of men; they are interested only in her flesh and devouring her whole, literally!

The dangers only increase when she reaches Lemora’s house, which appears at first to be a safe haven. Lemora appears to be kind and caring, but we soon find out she is no better than the men that Lila met on her journey. There are heavy lesbian overtones (when giving Lila a bath, Lemora comments, “What an exciting figure you have.”). Lemora wants Lila to submit to her and to stay with her forever. Lemora makes it seem that if Lila becomes one of her kind, she will have power and will no longer have to put up with panting paramours. Will Lila’s innocence be lost?

Lemora is not only a beautiful and mesmerizing film that has a dream-like atmosphere, but it also has many layers of meaning to it. It is very original and deserves to be seen. Synapse Films released the film on DVD in 2004, complete with an uncut and uncensored widescreen transfer that was approved by Richard Blackburn, along with commentary from the director, Lesley Gilb and producer Robert Fern, a still gallery and the original shooting script. The film was released in 1973 and was a drive-in and late-night television favorite. Though it is only rated PG, Lemora offers a uniquely odd look at the coming-of-age tale.

Available on Amazon!

All the Colors of the Dark (1972)

All the Colors of the Dark is a trippy, hallucinatory film starring the gorgeous Edwige Fenech and is directed by Sergio Martino.

After suffering the loss of her unborn child in a car accident, Jane (Edwige Fenech) has frequent, reoccurring nightmares of a horrifying event from her childhood. Her live-in boyfriend Richard (George Hilton) tries to tell her it’s all in her head, but Jane can’t help but feel that the murderous man in her nightmares is following her in real life. After a visit to the psychiatrist that her sister (Nieves Navarro) suggests, the madman follows her home. Now everywhere she turns, his piercing blue eyes seem to find her. When Jane becomes friends with a neighbor (Marina Malfatti), the neighbor suggests she attend a sabbat to get rid of all the bad energy. When Jane arrives to the ceremony, she is startled and horrified to find a devil-worshipping cult. They make her drink dog’s blood, then proceed to rape her in an initiation that also involves getting a tattoo. Jane is now under the cult's control and they make her do some horrible things. The blue-eyed man is still around, too, and is trying to kill her. Things only get worse from there, as Jane can’t seem to tell between reality and her nightmares. Is the cult controlling her or is everything in her head?

Director Sergio Martino crafts a delirious, nightmarish film with All the Colors of the Dark. The ominous, freaky tone is set straightaway with Jane’s disturbing nightmares and continues throughout the picture with murders, satanic rituals, orgies, creepy stalkers and frightening flashbacks. Giallo and Italian exploitation regulars Fenech, Hilton, Ivan Rassimov, Malfatti and Navarro put on their usual great performances and the rest of the supporting cast do a wonderful job as well. I was especially impressed with the frightfully creepy, dirty and just unpleasant-looking people that made up the satanic cult. Imagining those people touching me (let alone groping and raping!) gave me the willies!!

My favorite part of the film, though, was the direction by Martino. He really created a disorienting atmosphere that made you feel like you were in Jane’s shoes. Just when I thought I had things figured out, I was surprised and left thinking, “What’s going on?!” There are also some very sleazy moments and copious amounts of nudity. Fenech bares all, as usual, and the other lovely ladies of the film won’t disappoint you sleazehounds out their either.

My only complaints were that the film does drag a little bit in parts and the ending left something to be desired. The ending left many unanswered questions as to what actually occurred, but I believe it was done on purpose for the viewer to make up his or her mind. It did bother me a little, because I couldn’t quite figure out what was real and what wasn’t.

Nonetheless, All the Colors of the Dark is a definite must-see for those that appreciate gialli and Italian exploitation.

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Masters of Horror - Pelts (2006)

I was really disappointed with Dario Argento’s first episode from the Masters of Horror series, entitled Jenifer (review). To me it didn’t even feel like an Argento film and I was really let down. Considering this, I was apprehensive about watching his contribution to season two, but luckily Argento’s signature style is back with Pelts.

Jake (Meat Loaf Aday) is a sleazy furrier, hiring illegals to work in his foul-smelling shop and frequenting strip clubs, where he is obsessed with stripper Shana (Ellen Ewusie). Meanwhile, Pa Jameson (John Saxon) and his son Larry (Michal Suchanek) illegally trespass on recluse Mother Mayter’s (Brenda McDonald) property to trap some raccoons. After trapping a large number of raccoons, they realize that the pelts are the finest they’ve ever seen. Jameson calls Jake to tell him about the pelts and to offer to sell them. Spending too much time with the pelts, Larry begins to covet them, eventually murdering his father and killing himself. Jake arrives at the Jameson’s home to find the shocking scene, but he too becomes enamored of the pelts and decides to take them. He plans on making a coat and having Shana wear it in the next big fur trade show. Things soon go awry as anyone who gets close to the pelts is met with horrific death.

Argento has definitely crafted a fine, very bloody, erotic episode for season two of the Masters of Horror series. Stylistically, the movie is beautiful, utilizing bright colors and key lighting, which are part of Argento’s signature style. The gore is great here and really pushes the envelope as blood flows freely and often. Some sequences to enjoy include: a man getting his brain bashed in by a baseball bat, someone sticking their face in a bear trap, suffocation through self-inflicted stitching up of mouth, nose and even eyes, a self-evisceration and a man skinning himself.

I loved that there were clever little nods foreshadowing events in the film. When we see Jake attack Shana the first time, it is just a prelude to what comes after. It’s the same when the Jameson’s find that a raccoon has escaped a trap by chewing off its own foot…something like that happens later on.

The story, while original, is a bit far-fetched, but then again Argento’s strength lies in gorgeous and gory imagery. The explanation for the “curse” of the raccoons is not explained quite enough as well, but the imagery more than makes up for it. The characters are well fleshed out and the actors all do a fine job. Meat Loaf’s performance seemed a bit subdued, but it was still great to watch him play the sleazy furrier. I loved seeing John Saxon as the drunken trapper as well.

With scenes taking place in the strip clubs Jake so often frequents, a lot of female nudity is to be expected. Lap dances, pole dances and lots of boobies are seen. I find a lot of female nudity unnecessary, but with one of the leads being a stripper it is to be expected in this film. Nonetheless, I really enjoyed this episode.

Argento definitely upped the ante for the Masters of Horror series with Pelts. It delivered buckets of blood and gore with ample style to back it all up. A tale of obsession that quickly turns into possession, this is one of the better episodes I’ve seen from the series and reminds me why I’m so enamored of Argento. Now, let’s hope that Argento’s La Terza Madre, one of the movies I’m anticipating most, will deliver as well!

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Black Dahlia Movie (aka The Devil's Muse) (2007)

January 15^th, 2007 marked the 60^th anniversary of Elizabeth Short’s (The Black Dahlia) horrific murder that, to this day, continues to captivate the world. Recently, there has been a slew of Black Dahlia movies, the most prominent being Brian De Palma’s film as well as Ulli Lommel’s Black Dahlia. I was uninterested in seeing either, but then I received a screener from Ramzi Abed for his film entitled Black Dahlia Movie. Much to my surprise, it was filmed way before either of the above mentioned movies. Ramzi Abed's Black Dahlia Movie is a genuine, gorgeous and surreal film that must be seen to be believed.

A serial killer is on the loose, reenacting the Black Dahlia murder over and over with victims who look like Elizabeth Short. Meanwhile, a movie is being filmed about the famous case. The director (Ramzi Abed) is in the process of casting for the lead role, the role of Elizabeth Short. Lisa Small (Kristen Kerr) auditions for the part and soon becomes immersed in Elizabeth Short’s life. Her descent into the seedy Hollywood underbelly leaves her feeling like she is reliving Short’s own tragically short life. These three different threads in the film are woven together to form a surreal, nightmare world.

This film was completely different than I expected it to be. Instead of another story of gumshoes trying to track down the murderer, this film is set in present day and really examines how women are still exploited in Hollywood, just as they were in Elizabeth Short’s day. I was impressed that Abed showed the seedier side of “making it” in Hollywood and what many women have to go through just to get their foot in the door.

Stylistically, Black Dahlia Movie plays like an art house film. Abed has a knack for contrasting the beautiful and the ugly, the new and the old. He creates a surreal, disjointed and uneasy atmosphere throughout the film, making it really feel like a waking nightmare. Macabre images are dispersed throughout the film and red and blue are used to portray strong emotions. Within a scene, the colors will suddenly go from natural to a blue or red tone. When shifting to the blue tone, it makes it feel like the film has gone back in time. These subtle changes give Black Dahlia Movie a style all its own, a style that works perfectly for the mysterious tale it portrays.

The acting in the film is superb, featuring many familiar faces of the Hollywood scene. The beautiful Kristen Kerr does an amazing job as the reincarnation of Elizabeth Short, effortlessly capturing how it feels to be a struggling actress in Hollywood. The rest of the cast includes Lizzy Strain, Masuimi Max, Gidget Gein, Trent Haaga, Sarah Scott, Julie Strain, Dame Darcy, Amie Decker, Robert Williams, Cinque Lee, Abby Travis, Courtney Cruz, Mark Borchardt, Lenora Claire, Caveh Zahedi, Charles Schneider, Bianca Abel, Lloyd Kaufman, Miss Santanica, Paul Bunnell, Will Keenan, Khris Kaneff, Eric Fleming, Casey Wickson, Michael Medaglia, Douglas Dunning and director Ramzi Abed, who all do a spectacular job of portraying Hollyweird.

This film is not, however, for everyone. Though it does feature some disturbing scenes of torture (disturbing in the sense that they are erotisized), it focuses more on the surreal atmosphere surrounding the killings, the film and Lisa herself. Patience is needed to view Black Dahlia Movie, but for me, it was well worth it. Abed creates a new experience for viewers, one that reminded me slightly of David Lynch's Blue Velvet.

A gorgeous and captivating film that captures the heart and soul, Black Dahlia Movie will leave you affected several days after watching it. It draws many parallels to the Hollywood of yesteryear and how it hasn't changed much today. A woman's sexuality is still exploited, and while some women embrace this and make it their own (like famous fetish pin-up/actress Masuimi Max) many others just become tragic victims like Elizabeth Short.

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Next Door (aka Naboer) (2005)

Some doors should never be opened...

John (Kristoffer Joner) and his long-time girlfriend Ingrid (Anna Bache-Wiig) have recently broken up and the break-up has left John vulnerable and broken-hearted. One day, his neighbor, Anne (Cecilie Mosli), asks him for a hand in moving some furniture in her apartment. It seems that her roommate Kim (Julia Schacht) was assaulted and now insists that a large armoire be moved in the front of the door. The women know of John's split with Ingrid, saying they heard everything through the wall, which makes John feel very uncomfortable. The next day he is asked by Anne to watch Kim while she runs some errands. John begrudgingly agrees but soon finds himself locked in the large and labyrinth-like apartment with Kim. He is continually drawn to the two women, who seem to know a disturbing secret from his past...

This brutal Norwegian flick plays beautifully and disturbingly from beginning to end. Though John seems like a normal, albeit heartbroken guy, we soon learn that he may like things a bit rough and kinky.After a tryst with Kim in which both she and John repeatedly punch, claw and violently fuck each other, John returns to his tidy apartment, only to be shocked at the amount of blood covering his shirt and face. Through some moments of déjà vu and flashbacks, we see that John has a sadomasochistic side which contributed to Ingrid’s split from him for another man.

Overall, I was quite impressed with this nasty little film from its story to the cinematography to the wonderful acting. Though I felt it was somewhat predictable, it still had me guessing up to the shocking ending.

The story, written by director Pal Sletaune, was well-written, emulating a Hitchcock style with a twist of Polanski’s The Tenant thrown in for good measure. It’s one of those is-this-all-real mysteries that, like I said before, had me guessing up to the end. The cinematography, along with the set design, was wonderful and I appreciated and enjoyed the visual cues that director Pal Sletaune employed. The film mostly takes place in only two locations, one being John’s apartment and the other being Anne and Kim’s place. The contrast between John’s bright, airy and organized apartment and Anne and Kim’s dark, cavernous and messy one is quite symbolic for the state of affairs but also adds to the growing dread as the film progresses.

The acting, especially by Joner, was extremely well-done. Joner captures John’s loneliness and isolation in the beginning of the film, which progress into confusion, anger and disorientation as the film continues. The three women in the film, Mosli as Anne, Schacht as Kim and Bache-Wiig as Ingrid, all do a stunning job in their respective roles. Mosli and Schacht play especially well as the manipulating and seductive next door neighbors.

Clocking in at a short 75 minutes, Next Door is chock full of violent eroticism, psychological mind games and sordid pasts. I highly recommend this film for people who enjoy films that question a character’s reality, such as Memento, The Machinist, The Tenant or Hitchcock films.

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