Black Death (2011)

According to Wikipedia, the Black Death was one of the most devastating pandemics in human history and is estimated to have killed 30% – 60% of Europe’s population, reducing the world’s population from an estimated 450 million to between 350 and 375 million in 1400. This has been seen as having created a series of religious, social and economic upheavals which had profound effects on the course of European history. It took 150 years for Europe’s population to recover.

The death and pestilence spread by this deadly plague was of Biblical proportions, and it seems that the dark mark it left upon history would be the perfect material for a horror film. Lucky for us, Magnolia Pictures’ Black Death has risen to the occasion.

The year is 1348. Europe has fallen under the shadow of the Black Death. As the plague decimates all in its path, fear and superstition are rife. In this apocalyptic environment, the church is losing its grip on the people. There are rumors of a village, hidden in marshland that the plague cannot reach. There is even talk of a necromancer who leads the village and is able to bring the dead back to life.

Ulric (Sean Bean), a fearsome knight, is charged by the church to investigate these rumors. He enlists the guidance of a novice monk, Osmund  (Eddie Redmayne) to lead him and his band of mercenary soldiers to the marshland, but Osmund has other motives for leaving his monastery. Their journey to the village and events that unfold take them into the heart of darkness and to horrors that will put Osmund’s faith in himself and his love for God to the ultimate test.

Black Death is a gripping film dealing with issues of faith, temptation, redemption, salvation…all huge issues back in the Dark Ages and still relevant today. It has a bit of Wicker Man-feel, only because of the dark secret the blissful and untouched village hides. It also has a much more somber feel and isn’t a film to take lightly. I liked how the film subverted the usual Christian vs. Pagan dynamic and made the pagans vicious instead of their usual hippie-dippy selves.

Speaking of viciousness, the film also boasts some wicked medieval battle scenes, complete with swords, maces, axes and even an iron maiden, among other torture devices. Despite the bloodshed being far and in-between, I was surprised how bloody the film actually was, especially in contrast to the subdued tone of the film and stark beauty of the cinematography.

The film looks stunning, from the cobblestoned streets of medieval Europe to the dark woods the characters travel through to the sun-dabbled village they finally arrive at. The mostly cold and bleak visuals echo the overall ominous atmosphere of the film. The grand scope of the cinematography makes me wish I had seen Black Death in a theater, but even on the smaller screen its grandiose scope wasn’t lost.

I liked the storyline because it had an epic feel and because of the themes it explored. As mentioned previously, I liked how the Christian vs. Pagan dynamic was flipped, with the pagans persecuting the Christians instead of the other way around. I also liked how the film showed unwavering faith in the characters as they were faced with temptations and challenges. The film ends on a brutal, downbeat note that was definitely disturbing and shows how evil can corrupt even the most faithful.

The actors gave performances equally intense to the storyline and visuals. Sean Bean is especially good as the God-fearing Ulric, but I also liked Eddie Redmayne’s performance as the conflicted Osmund. In my opinion, though, Carice van Houten stole the show as the village’s necromancer Langiva.

Director Christopher Smith has crafted another unique film with Black Death and is definitively one of the most versatile directors of the horror genre. He gave us the spooky Creep, the darkly humorous Severance, the intense Triangle and now the bleak Black Death. His films are always engaging, entertaining and original, and Black Death is no exception.

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Book Review: The Black Act by Louise Bohmer

The Black Act by Louise Bohmer is a novel that opens a brand new whimsical world for fantasy and dark literature lovers. This novel establishes a whole new exciting mythology full of new creatures in a unique world.

The book explores the themes of forgiveness vs. condemnation, the strength of family vs. the strength of fate and doing what is right vs. the pull of the forbidden. The black acts discussed in the book span many generations of a particular witch family and show how one particular “black act” has cursed them.

The present day story opens with young witch, or Wise Women-in-training, twins Anna and Claire. They are being raised in the sacred valley of the mythical Wood People to learn how to use their inherited magical gifts for good. Yet a shocking ancestral secret threatens to unravel their peaceful existence. Anna starts having violent visions of her past kin while Claire starts acting out more and more and even starts secretly seeing a satyr in the woods.

As Claire threatens to bring the era of the Wise Women to a violent end through her actions, we get the backstory of the twins’ ancestors and see what black act marred their lineage and what exactly must be done to stop the curse.

Bohmer has created an enchanting and intriguing new world with the novel The Black Act. I love how she revisited many mythological creatures, like satyrs, and magically inclined humans, like witches, but added her own unique spin on them. The satyrs became these mysterious creatures literally made out of the elements of the earth, like bark, vines, dirt, moss and mushrooms. The witches had their own complex history of how and why they came to be and their own set of sacred oaths. I particularly loved the history of the whole land and how the Wood People (the mythological creatures) and the Dalthwein Clans (the humans, including the Wise Women) had fought many battles because of the hatred from a long ago human king before forming the fragile peace they have now. The rich history really wraps the story together and pulls you further into the complex mythology.

The novel is written deftly by Bohmer and she enthralls you with not only her unique mythology but also her engaging writing style. Her highly detailed descriptions of the Wood People make them both fascinating and frightening and her human characters are so developed that you feel like you know them. The book pulled me in from the opening pages and I finished it in merely two sittings!

The only thing I wasn’t too fond of was the last part of the book, where the two main characters of Anna and Claire, whom I cared about and emotionally invested in, are suddenly dropped and the rest of the tale is told by their descendant. Plus, the villains of the book, the ghosts of the two evil men who committed the first black act and started the curse, just don’t suffer enough for all the turmoil and death they’ve caused. I wanted their ends to be sweetly satisfying, but they get off far too easily and didn’t satiate my hunger for their blood!

Despite this issues, I still thoroughly enjoyed The Black Act and think that fantasy and dark literature fans will be enthralled with Louise Bohmer’s debut novel. I cannot wait to see what Bohmer does next with the memorable mythology she has created!

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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!

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Book Review: Dark Lullaby by Mayra Calvani

Dark Lullaby is a modern-day dark fairy tale, but not like your typical Disney happily-ever-after BS. Instead, this dark tale is like traditional folklore from Eastern Europe, dark, unsettling, mysterious and shocking. The supernatural villain in this book is unlike anything I’ve ever heard of or seen before in the horror genre, creating an aura of exotic mystery along with the distant setting of Turkey.

The tale starts with Gabriel fresh out of a three year relationship with Liz. The two remain close friends and have met up at a local bar for drinks and philosophical discussion of good vs. evil. The alluring and mysterious Kamilah soon joins them, and Gabriel is entranced by her beauty as well as her discussions on human nature. Liz gets a bad feeling about Kamilah, but Gabriel soon falls head over heels in love with her. Though he can’t deny there is something unsettling about her, he just can’t seem to get her out of his mind.

Though his twin sister, Elena, is having a stressful pregnancy across the pond in Europe and Gabriel is supposed to be at the birth in a week, he agrees to go with Kamilah to her home land of Turkey for a little R and R at her family’s cottage deep in the woods. When he arrives with Kamilah in Turkey, he feels cut off from both his sister and Liz and begins to feel more unsettled by Kamilah’s petulant child-like behavior and unnerved by several strange occurrences. Gabriel begins to believe that Kamilah wants harm to come to both Elena’s unborn child and Liz. Is Kamilah someone…or something…truly evil and what are her true intentions?

Though author Mayra Calvani has written many books over a wide span of genres, this was my first encounter with the woman’s writing. Though I felt that the opening pages of the book, where Liz and Gabriel are having a philosophical debate, were a bit weak, I was soon transported into a frightening story that had a tendency to crawl under my skin and squirm long after I put the book down.

The foreboding atmosphere of the novel was really helped by the location of exotic Turkey. It really felt like the family cottage of Kamilah, surrounded by primordial forest, was straight out of an enchanted fairy tale. Then there were the quaint, cobblestone streets of the local town and the dazzling blue of the Black Sea in the distance to add to the location’s mystique. All the supernatural events that occurred to Gabriel after their arrival in Turkey felt very apropos in such a mysterious locale.

I also thought the intriguing characters added a lot to the story. Gabriel, with all his talk of reason, is a very emotional man at heart and during his trip with Kamilah his emotions are used against him to draw him further into her tangled web. Kamilah, though a whiny brat, knows how to get her way and has a very dangerous presence. I also liked the subplots involving Elena, suffering anxiety and a sense of dread during her last few weeks of pregnancy, and Liz, suffering psychological torment at the hands of an unseen assailant. Other characters stood out as well, including a Turkish witch that tries to warn Gabriel what Kamilah really is and a young boy and his abusive father whom Gabriel feels a special connection to.

As for the scares, there are many scenes that will give you chills! One that hits you hard is close to the beginning of the story where Gabriel thinks he sees something horribly strange…Kamilah’s feet on backwards! Other favorites include creepy scenes in the Turkish woods when Gabriel follows the sounds of babies crying to some very disturbing trees, an unexpected attack from a swarm of bees and a stunning finale.

Dark Lullaby is a quick-paced, fun summer read for when you need a good chill! Its basis in Turkish mythology makes it unique and the splendid setting of Turkey doesn’t get much more exotic! The supernatural tale has plenty of nightmarish imagery to keep you up at night, but the “thriller” aspects of the story make it a good read for horror fans and non-horror fans alike! There is just enough romance and intrigue to interest those who aren’t necessarily horror fans, but also enough supernatural elements and scares to keep the spooky kids entertained.

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Attack of the Vegan Zombies! (2009)

Most zombie movies feature flesh-eating zombies. I mean, it’s almost a given that zombies crave human flesh and their sole purpose is to hunt down and feast on humans. What if, though, zombies went vegan and instead of craving fresh meat they wanted to devour plants? Well, Attack of the Vegan Zombies tackles this whole different approach to zombies…and does a pretty entertaining job of it!

Struggling wine-makers Dionne (Christine Egan) and her husband Joe (writer/director/producer Jim Townsend) haven’t had a very successful year with their winery. Their grape crop is horrible, and if something isn’t done soon they will lose their winery. Dionne asks her mother (H. Lynn Smith), who is a powerful witch, to cast a spell so they have a burgeoning crop next year. Unknown to Joe, who is passed out from drinking wine, they use a bit of his blood in the ritual.

A year later, the vineyard is flourishing and they have a bumper crop. They hire some college students, who are accompanied by their professor, to help harvest the grapes. Unfortunately, because the blood used in the ritual was tainted with alcohol, the vines have become super-aggressive and start killing people and draining them of their blood. The victims, in turn, stagger back to life as zombies…who want nothing more than the grapes and wine that the vineyard has produced. Only problem is that everyone at the winery drank the wine…so the vegan zombies are coming after them, attracted by the wine pumping through their veins!

I really loved the unconventional idea of “vegan” zombies, an idea in horror films that hasn’t really been explored. Though I imagined Attack of the Vegan Zombies to be a comedy about hordes of zombies attacking fields of crops and leaving destruction in their wake, like locusts, it was much different than that. It didn’t just stick to slapstick veggie jokes, but had a well-developed story that didn’t just rely on one-liners. I was expecting an over-the-top horror-comedy, but instead Attack of the Vegan Zombies delivered a well put together and unique zombie film.

What first grabbed me when I popped the disc in was the superior quality of the film. Though the film was made on a small budget, the production values are impressive! Indie filmmakers take note – THIS is what your films should aspire to look like! Every shot was carefully composed, the lighting (even in night-time scenes) was amazing and overall the film just had a professional sheen to it. Major props to director Jim Townsend for making such a visually engaging and enjoyable film.

The story, written by Jim Townsend, was also well done. The dialogue was believable and the back story of the mutant vines and zombies was very well established. The first half of the film is a little slow, but it does a good job of leading up to the last half. In retrospect, I really enjoyed the slow build-up, especially since it gave me a chance to get to know the characters better. Oh, and what characters they were! Most of them were pretty normal – Dionne, Joe, Dionne’s mother, the professor, etc. – but a few were delightfully over the top!

I was also impressed by most of the acting. Jim Townsend (this guy does it all in this movie!) and Christine Egan were fantastic as married couple Joe and Dionne. They were very natural and believable in their delivery. My two favorites, though, were John Kelly and Walter Smith as the two nerdy college students. When I spoke earlier of over-the-top characters, these two are who I was speaking of! Their over-the-top portrayals were just hysterical and a laugh-a-second. I looked forward to every time they popped up on screen. I wish the same could be said about the two actresses that played the lesbian college co-eds, but their acting was at best sub-par and at worst grating.

The special effects makeup was pretty decent, and even the fact that the zombies were little more than actors slathered in green paint didn’t hamper my enjoyment of the film (and in the context, the zombies being green actually makes sense!). There wasn’t much gore to speak of, but nonetheless the film worked even without any major blood splatter.

Attack of the Vegan Zombies really impressed me. Super multi-tasker Jim Townsend, who wrote, directed, produced and acted in the film, has created a very enjoyable, very unique zombie film that will no doubt become a cult favorite. I had a blast watching this film and think you will too!

For more info, check out: www.attackoftheveganzombies.com

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Book Review: Evil Ways by Justin Gustainis

It’s been a while since I’ve had the pleasure of reading a good occult-themed horror novel. Luckily my dry spell has been broken by Justin Gustainis’ Evil Ways, the second book in his Quincey Morris Supernatural Investigation series.

Quincey Morris and his partner, white witch Libby Chastain, are investigating a series of child murders where the victims’ organs are removed…while the children are still alive. These ritualistic murders are occurring throughout the country and obviously being perpetrated by an organized group of black magic practitioners. Equally troubling are the murders of many white witches throughout the United States.

It is obvious that those behind the ritualistic killings are extremely skilled in black magic and preparing to unleash hell on earth, unless Morris and Chastain, along with their allies, FBI agents Fenton and O’Connell and assassin Hannah Widmark, can stop them before they complete their ritual on Walpurgis Night.

Evil Ways is a quick read, made all the more enjoyable by Gustainis’ effective handle on prose, dialogue and characterizations. Gustainis wrote Evil Ways so that it stands on its own and you don’t have to have read the first novel in the series to grasp the characters’ relationships and motivations. The characters are fleshed out just enough for newbies, but not overly so where fans of Gustainis earlier work would feel like the information is repetitive. The writing style is quick and snappy, and filled with witty (and believable) dialogue between characters.

It is obvious that Gustainis did some pretty hefty occult research before writing the book. The novel is filled with spells, symbols, rituals, incantations that all operate under a certain set of rules (for example, white witches cannot harm anyone with their magic). Gustainis was extremely consistent with all the tenets of magic and because of this consistency made the novel that much more believable. It is hard to pull off a novel about witches, wizards and the occult without coming off as cheesy, but this is definitely one of the best fiction books I’ve read on the subject and was a definite joy to read. The spells cast and rituals performed got downright nasty (resurrecting victims as zombies and sending them to attack someone) and some were very inventive (conjuring a water sprite in the shower to attack some hit men).

I also enjoyed the wide variety of characters. There were many different storylines happening simultaneously to all the characters in the book that helped quicken the pace of the novel. Something was always happening to someone, whether it was the evil wizard Pardee preparing for Walpurgis Night, the white witches that were being hunted down, the hit men doing the witch hunting, investigators Fenton and O’Connell trying to get to the bottom of the child murders, badass assassin Hannah Widmark or the colorful Morris and resourceful Chastain. Even the characters that were only around for a chapter were well developed!

If you are looking for a fast-paced, intense, thrilling and fun book to read, look no further than Evil Ways. I am definitely going to keep my eye on Gustainis’ future novels and plan on going back to read Black Magic Woman!

Available from Amazon!

Witchfinder General (1968)

Known as one of the best British horror films, Witchfinder General (aka The Conqueror Worm) was recently re-released stateside by MGM on DVD. Though I don’t think it lives up to the title as one of the best British horror films, it certainly showcases the evil, cruel and sadistic nature of man during England’s infamous witch trials.

In civil-war torn England circa 1645, Cromwell’s Roundheads are fighting against King Charles’ royalist troops. The land is in upheaval, full of lawlessness, distrust, religious persecution and superstition. It is in this unpredictable atmosphere that Matthew Hopkins (Vincent Price), otherwise known as the Witchfinder General, travels from town to town along with his assistant Stearne (Robert Russell). The two men obtain confessions from accused “witches” (usually just unpopular townsfolk) by viciously torturing them. Hopkins and Stearne do this for money, but also for the pleasure of watching others’ displeasure. If they cannot obtain a confession by torture alone, the two perform “tests” (such as seeing if the accused will float or sink in water) to prove they are the Devil’s servants.

Meanwhile, a young soldier named Richard Marshall (Ian Ogilvy) is planning on marrying Sarah (Hilary Dwyer), niece to a Catholic priest (Rupert Davies) in quaint Brandeston. On a short leave from duty, he visits the two and receives the uncle’s blessing for the marriage. He happily takes his leave to go back to his post, but unbeknownst to him he gives directions to the Witchfinder General, who is on his way to Brandeston to condemn the Catholic priest!

After gathering the mob who accused the unpopular priest (he is Catholic while most of the townsfolk are Protestant) of working for the Devil, Hopkins and his assistant invade the priest’s home and brutally beat and stab him. Sarah pretends to be but a lowly servant girl and offers herself to Hopkins to save her uncle’s life. The torture stops, but the priest is thrown in prison to rot. When Hopkins’ bloodthirsty assistant learns of the “understanding” between the Witchfinder and Sarah, he violently rapes her. After Hopkins finds out about this, he wants nothing more to do with her and the torture of the priest reconvenes. The priest is eventually hung, leaving Sarah distraught and dishonored.

Richard soon discovers what has occurred and hoofs it back to Brandeston. There, he and Sarah have an impromptu wedding before he sets out to track down the Witchfinder General for revenge!

There is no question that Witchfinder General is full of sadism and brutality. Its depictions of unjust and unfair witch trials are appalling and extremely hard to watch, especially if you keep in mind that these things actually happened. Still, despite its cult status as one of the best British horror films ever made, it still has several flaws that dampened my enjoyment of this film.

The pacing is probably the number one problem, and the film feels like it starts and stops, starts and stops one too many times. Scenes seem to drag on and on as the film meanders to its maddening end. There are several instances that I was overwhelmed with boredom and just wished the film would get on with it already! The script (based on a book by Ronald Bassett and written by Tom Baker) should have been considerably tightened up to flow more smoothly and tell the story better.

Witchfinder General is not all bad, though. Fans of British horror films will probably eat it right up. It also features great acting, especially by the usually (marvelously) over-the-top Vincent Price, who puts on a very subtle and cruel performance as the Witchfinder General. The rest of the cast does a marvelous job as well, including Ian Ogilvy as the heroic Richard, Hilary Dwyer as a strong but very frightened Sarah and of course Robert Russell as the reprehensible and sadistic Stearne.

Another positive of the film is the unabashed cruelty portrayed. The film looks unflinchingly at the horrors experienced by accused witches and, to this day, it’s quite hard to watch. The ludicrous tests for witchcraft (including the sink or float theory mentioned above), along with the vicious torture of the accused all culminated in hanging, being burned at the stake, or some other unthinkable act. This film really explores the evils people are capable of inflicting on their fellow human beings, which, in the realistic setting of witch trials, is truly terrifying.

Also worth mentioning is that this was director Michael Reeves last picture before his drug overdose (a reputed suicide) at age 26. He had only made two films before Witchfinder (The She-Beast with Barbara Steele and The Sorcerers with Boris Karloff). It was reported that he had some fantastical arguments with Vincent Price while shooting the picture!

Witchfinder General may not be the best British horror movie ever, but if you are a big fan of British horror films or a witch trial history buff it will definitely deliver. As for the rest of us, a rental will probably suffice to view Price’s sadistic portrayal and the brutal (and all too real) torture of innocents.

Available from Amazon!

Skin Crawl (2007)

Skin Crawl tells the tale of the Warbeck sisters, who 300 years ago were persecuted by corrupt town officials. When their younger sister is taken from them, raped repeatedly and killed, her sisters swear revenge on all those that would harm their family in the present and future. Fast forward to present day where married couple Margaret (Debbie Rochon) and Howard (Kevin G. Shinnick) are having some trouble with their relationship. Before Margaret heads to work, she tells Howard they need to “talk.” All the passion has gone out of their marriage and Margaret thinks Howard is having an affair. Margaret is right…as soon as she leaves Howard calls up Sadie (Julian Wells), whom he has been secretly seeing. Howard tells Sadie he thinks Margaret is going to divorce him, leaving him nothing of her vast wealth. Sadie comes up with the ingenious plan to have Margaret killed so Howard gets the money. Howard commits to the plan and has Margaret brutally murdered while he gets in a little hanky panky with Sadie. From there, we get to see how everything happened through different characters’ perspectives. First we follow Margaret on the fateful day of her death, then Howard, then Sadie and even the two hired guys that kill Margaret. After a few twists and turns the Warbeck curse takes effect to punish those who murdered Margaret, a descendent of the Warbeck witches!

I wasn’t expecting much from this Shock-O-Rama release. Low-budget tales about witches usually just turn out to be an excuse to showcase breasts bursting from corsets and a group of busty babes bent over a cauldron, which just isn’t my cup of tea. Luckily, Skin Crawl was nothing like this and was actually a great film! The story hardly focused on the witch-aspect at all, which I was grateful for. Instead, it really focused on the days leading up to and the day of Margaret’s murder. The film goes back in time and repeats scenes (mostly in fast forward so the audience isn’t bored) from a different character’s perspective. This way we get a new spin on each character and their motivations, desires and secrets. It is a great technique that gives each of the characters more depth and makes the events much more horrifying.

The acting in the film is wonderful as well. Debbie Rochon plays the defeated and sad wife who just wants to save her marriage with a lot of emotion and realism. She really pushes herself in the role of Margaret and gets out of her comfort zone. When Margaret is murdered, you really feel for her character which is always a sign of an excellent actor. Though Kevin G. Shinnick doesn’t necessarily look like someone who would be married to a beautiful woman like Margaret, his malicious intent becomes apparent as the film progresses. Julian Wells plays Sadie with evil glee and was a pleasure to watch on screen. Look for cameos by Misty Mundae and Ruby Larocca as well!

As writer and director, Justin Wingenfeld does a great job with his first feature project. He really has an eye for directing the action within a shot and the talent to write a story that holds it all together. Wingenfeld succeeds in creating a suspenseful, intriguing film that only gets better as it goes on. Even though budgetary constraints hampered some aspects of the film (the beginning comes to mind), Wingenfeld still manages to create an entirely enjoyable film!

Skin Crawl’s ending is something to be reckoned with as those who have hurt Margaret are punished by something that has risen from the grave. Loads of maggots and cockroaches follow in the wake of this dead thing. Sadie’s demise in particular is quite a sight to behold! We also get to see Rochon playing something she never has before! I don’t want to spoil the surprise, so you’ll just have to watch and find out for yourself! Kudos must go to Wingenfeld for crafting such an entertaining and gripping ending.

The extras on the disc include an enjoyable featurette called “Under Your Skin” which features interviews with Debbie Rochon, writer/director Justin Wingenfeld and more. It was great to hear Rochon and Wingenfeld talk about the experience of making this film! Also included are trailers for other Shock-O-Rama films and a commentary track featuring Wingenfeld and producer Michael Raso.

Skin Crawl is a highly enjoyable low-budget film that’s got betrayal, murder, revenge, double-cross and plenty of bloody bugs!! It comes highly recommended from yours truly.

Available on Amazon!

The Witches Hammer (2006)

I’ll be honest, when I first saw the cover for The Witches Hammer, all I could think was, “Oh brother…not another Blade/Underworld rip-off!” Thankfully, The Witches Hammer may look similar to these two vampire flicks, but it turns out to be a very unique, entertaining and fun film!

On the brink of death, Rebecca (Claudia Coulter) is resurrected by shadow organization Project 571 and genetically engineered to be a vampire. She must leave behind her old life, in which she was wife and mother, to be trained as a master assassin to fight against the forces of evil. A year after honing her fighting skills, she is sent into the field on various missions, one of which gets her shot in the head. Fortunately, vampires can only die from exposure to sunlight, decapitation or a stake through the heart, so she is alright, until she finds her entire team at Project 571 slaughtered. Witches Edward (Jon Sidgwick) and Madeline (Stephanie Beacham) kidnap Rebecca and want her to acquire the Malleus Maleficarum, a book written by enraged witch Kitanya (Magda Rodriguez) in the Middle Ages. The book contains spells to release the souls of the damned and into our world. Rebecca must find the book before it lands in the hands of Hugo Renoir, a vampire intent on using the spells contained in the book for evil. Also after the book are vampire couple Charlotte (Sally Reeve) and Oscar (Jason Tompkins) and Spanish vampire assassin Victor (Miguel Ruz). Can Rebecca put her past behind her and save mankind from an ancient evil?

The Witches Hammer seems to have it all – vampires, witches, ninjas, demons, even a midget! Yet, with so many different characters and twists, it never gets bogged down but instead glides (or perhaps I should say roundhouse kicks) effortlessly through to the end. The story, written by director James Eaves, is evenly paced, featuring both adequate action and character-driven scenes. Each of the characters get great development as the story delves into each of their backgrounds. Flashbacks are used to tell Kitanya’s story, as well as the very amusing story of over-eater Charlotte and how she became a vampire in Victorian London. The mythology of the Malleus Maleficarum is adequately described, and everything is tidily wrapped up at the end.

For a low budget film, the action sequences are extremely well done. Rebecca fights numerous demons, witches, vampires and even ninjas with different types of weapons (guns, swords, knives, staffs, etc.) and different styles of martial arts. I was astounded at the quality at the action sequences, as most indie films don’t have the budget to pull off believable fights and end up looking silly. The fight scenes in The Witches Hammer, on the other hand, look professional and not at all cheesy. The various types of martial arts used are most impressive, especially when Rebecca fights a ninja that has the ability to split into three ninjas and disappear/appear at will.

The acting is solid throughout, with special mention going to Stephanie Beacham playing Madeline. Her polished, commanding performance was a treat to see and lends a lot of credibility to the film. Beacham is a veteran of film and TV, and starred in many horror films in the 1970s and onward, including Dracula A.D. 1972 with Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee. Claudia Coulter as Rebecca did a bang up job, but at times it felt as if she was holding back. Sally Reeve and Jason Tompkins as mismatched vampire lovers Charlotte and Oscar brought some excellent comedic relief to the film. Fortunately, the comedic elements weren’t over-the-top but instead fit quite nicely with the script.

Shot on 35mm, the film looks amazing. Director Eaves made an excellent choice to shoot on 35mm film, as it gives the film a much more polished and professional look. Scenes are shot stylishly and effectively by Eaves. In particular, the action sequences looked terrific.

The Witches Hammer is a fun, entertaining horror film that doesn’t rely on nudity, sex or excessive gore to titillate the audience. Instead it relies on a cohesive, interesting story, insane action sequences, entertaining characters and a great mythology. The Witches Hammer delights at every turn. Looks like this is proof UK indie horror is back…

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LovecraCked! The Movie (2006)

LovecraCked! The Movie is an anthology of short films inspired by the stories of H.P. Lovecraft that are bound together by a running gag of an investigative reporter (Elias) trying to find out more information on the famous writer. The movie is a comedy/horror and the results are a mixed bag. The investigative reporter bits and some of the shorts play like Troma-esque movies (Lloyd Kaufman is featured as an interviewee in one of the reporter segments) and get old fast, while some of the shorts have a much more creepy and satisfying tone.

- “The Statement of Randolph Carter,” directed by Jane Rose. It had a definite old school, ‘50s feel to it, but still came off as campy to me. I didn’t care for it that much, but it was still a good opener to stories inspired by Lovecraft.

- “The History of the Lurkers” (directed by Justin Powers) in which a punk rocker has the ability to summon evil and so he does...The problem being that the lurkers he summons turn out to be trench coat-wearing, porn shop-frequenting pervs. While the story was pretty original, it got old quick and dragged on too long.

- “Remain” directed by Ashley Thorp, was probably the strongest film in the bunch. Filmed with a stop-motion technique, it presents a man who paints a picture that comes to life. Definitely creepy with an excellent mood; I’d like to see more what this director can accomplish.

- The forth short was entitled “Bugboy” and was directed by Tomas Almgren. It tells the tale of a jilted lover transforming (literally, in a giant cocoon) into something more sinister. Shot in black and white, this film looked absolutely amazing and was both creepy and icky in a sticky sort of way.

- “Witches Spring” directed by Brian Barnes, was predictable and stale. A guy hooks up with a woman via the Internet, figuring he will just have some fun, but it turns out she’s a witch and is planning on using him in a ritual to retain her youth.

-The sixth short was directed by Simon Ruben and was called “Alecto”. This was another superb short that tells the tale of a man tormented by a song played on the violin. The film itself was haunting and eerie as it slowly unfolded.

- “Chaos of the Flesh” was another excellent entry. It was directed by Grady Granros and shot in black and white. A man is in the forest when he sees another man carrying an unconscious girl over his shoulder. He follows the pair to a tree stump and sees that the man is intent on cutting off the girl’s head. The two scuffle and finally the girl is saved…but she is no girl! She’s actually a demon…

- Next, we get a porno thrown into the mix, which was quite odd. It was the infamous (softcore version) of “Re-Penetrator” directed by Doug Sakmann. Dr. Hubert Breast reanimates his love interest and they proceed to have zombie sex…complete with lots of blood and internal organs, of course.

- The ninth and final short was an animated music video called “And This Was on a Good Day” directed by Brian A. Bernhard, which was probably the least entertaining.

Between each short the investigative reporter would come back for a silly segment. Sure, this was sometimes amusing, but the gig got old fast and less funny each time around. The humor was akin to Troma with a twinge of Monty Python thrown in.

My final verdict? Some of the shorts were quite excellent, but the failed reporter segue and some of the lesser shorts ruin it. If you are interested in checking out some short horror movies, by all means pick it up…but don’t say I didn’t warn you about the many duds throughout this anthology.

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Black Sunday (1960)

Black Sunday (aka The Mask of Satan) is an amazing gothic masterpiece by director Mario Bava. It evokes a feeling of tension and dread throughout, contains an engaging story and features beautiful cinematography. It's hard to believe that this is Bava's first feature, as it is so well done. It brings to mind the classic black and white Universal films, filled with fog, beautiful women and men, menacing monsters and gorgeous sets. The ominous mood is set from the opening scene all the way through to the finale.

The film opens with Princess Asa Vajda (Barbara Steele) being accused of witchcraft. She is branded with the mark of Satan, then a hideous mask (called the mask of Satan, with sharp spikes on the inside) is pounded into her face before she and her servant (who has suffered the same fate) are both burned at the stake. Before she is executed, she vows revenge on the family of her brother, the prince, who has condemned her.

A few centuries later, we meet Katia (again, Barbara Steele), the descendant and splitting image of Asa. She lives in the Vajda castle with her brother and her father. Meanwhile, two traveling doctors stop at the now ruined church where "the witch" was laid to rest. The two decide to scope it out, and accidentally awake Asa, who is hellbent on revenge against the Vajda's. She in turn summons her servant and the two begin to terrorize the Vajda family. The two traveling doctors soon get involved with the family, one falling under Asa's spell and the other falling in love with Katia. Soon the killings begin, with the victims sporting two puncture marks on their necks. Asa has returned with vampiric powers and will stop at nothing for revenge against the family who destroyed her.

A great moody, atmospheric film that was nothing like what I was expecting. Truth be told, with Bava as the director I was expecting a giallo along the lines of Blood and Black Lace, filled with lots of blood, violence and exploitative shots of women. On the contrary, Black Sunday takes a more classic (and classy) approach, bathing everything in shadows and fog. It has its share of sadistic scenes, especially the torture scene at the beginning of the film, but everything is engulfed in a dream-like, fairy tale atmosphere that I found truly refreshing.

I'm glad I finally got around to seeing one of the classic films of horror cinema...check this out if you enjoy classic films with a gothic atmosphere and want to see where horror got its start!

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The Woods (2006)

The Woods was quite a pleasant surprise, though the film did have its problems. The film, especially the answer to the mystery, is predictable and some parts are a bit baffling. Nonetheless, I enjoyed the film very much.

In the 1960s, Heather (Agnes Bruckner) is dropped off at an isolated all-girls boarding school by her unfeeling, selfish mother (Emma Campbell) and doormat of a father (Bruce Campbell). Heather is sent here because she tried to burn down her own home. Her mother is exasperated with her behavior and wants to be rid of her. Heather is taken in by headmistress Ms. Traverse (Patricia Clarkson) and given a special test, which contains many strange markings and symbols, to obtain a scholarship. Heather just blows it off, but to her surprise, she passes the test and is given a scholarship.

Heather soon befriends strange outcast Marcy (Lauren Birkell), and makes an enemy of the popular girl, Samantha. Heather soon begins to hear strange voices that seem to originate in the woods that surround the school. She has nightmares of a student that attempted suicide as well as visions of girls in old fashioned garb being chased through the forest. She learns that many years ago, three girls appeared out of the woods and were taken in by the school. The other students tormented them and it was discovered that they were witches. After being mercilessly chased through the forest and beaten, the three witches gain control of the other students through witchcraft and chop the headmistress to bits with an ax.

When Heather's friends begin disappearing and strange things occur, she wonders what evil is at work in the school and the woods and sets out to uncover the mystery.

Again, this movie has some flaws, but I still enjoyed it. The small details used throughout, like leaves in the teacher's hair and vines that permeated the school grounds inside and out, really add to the mysterious atmosphere. I also like the fact that the cast was mainly female. The actors all do a good job, especially Patricia Clarkson as the icy headmistress and Lauren Birkell as Marcy. Bruce Campbell's portrayal as Heather's father is very different than what most people are used to seeing him in, but, it's Bruce Campbell and I think he makes anything more enjoyable just by his presence.

There are some definite creepy moments in the film, but hardly any big scares. I prefer a pervading creepiness to cheap, jump scares, though, so it works just fine for me. The ending is a bit of a mess and I wish Heather's powers were used more in the film, but the strong acting, characters and eeriness won me over in the end.

Lucky McKee is the director of this film, and he also directed the quirky and disturbing May. I loved May, and while The Woods doesn't have its black humor, it is still a very fine film by McKee. If you are a fan of May, or enjoy atmospheric horror, I would definitely check The Woods out.

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Summer of Fear (1978)

Summer of Fear was worth watching just to see Linda Blair with a huge 'fro! This 1978 made-for-TV movie (I wish they had movies like this on TV nowadays!) concerns a cousin who comes to live with Rachel's (Blair) family on their ranch due to a family tragedy. Soon, Rachel comes to suspect that her cousin Julia is an evil witch! This is a fun movie to watch that has no real scares. Nonetheless, it did keep me entertained! Pure fluff...

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