Saint Drogo

Director(s) - Michael J. Ahern (Death Drop Gorgeous), Christopher Dalpe (Death Drop Gorgeous), and Wayne Gonsalves

Starring - Brandon Perras-Sanchez (The Spine of Night, Hollow Lake), Michael J. Ahern, and Matthew Pidge (Death Drop Gorgeous)

Release Date - 2023

Genre - Horror

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

    I grew up during an odd time in American history in an even odder area.  I've been a lifelong Appalachian resident which has it's own folklore, religions, and superstitions.  This gives those of us a unique view if you are not raised Christian.  I've been an atheist my entire life but that didn't stop me from being curious about all the different religions and so on that can be found along the creeks and hollows of my state.  I also grew up during the tail end of the Satanic Panic era and the Jonestown Massacre happening just a few years before I was born.  When I was little I saw other cults, like the Branch Davidians, getting a lot of news coverage for their deaths and so on.  I've never been a religious person but religion has always been an interest of mine along with being a major fear.  I'm not bashing those that have found religion.  Hell, my wife is a practicing Christian but I would be lying if I said I wasn't afraid of fanatics and what they would do in the name for their religions.  That's why I've always had a soft spot for religious horror and movies centered around the occult.  A couple months back I received the press release for Monster Makeup's Saint Drogo.  I shared it on the site and they were kind enough to send over a copy of the film for review.  I wasn't able to get to it right away but I added it to my list to review as soon as I could.  I want to thank them for sending this one over!

     The film follows a gay couple in a strained relationship as they head to P-Town during the small town's off season in search for their missing friend.  The man in question is the ex of one of the men who was working there during the summer.  However, both men started having horrible dreams about him and decide visit him there when they fail to contact him.  They quickly befriend a local who takes them around to various spots in hopes of finding him but are unable to do so.  This frustrates his ex who starts to alienate himself from his boyfriend and the local who has now turned to drugs and sex all night.  This leads him further into the secrets of the small town where he finds himself drugged and at the center of a huge party the wealthy locals are throwing.  

     I went into Saint Drogo completely blind.  The title alone made me think that the film was going to be a religious horror tale that would be heavy on Catholicism.  However, I was very wrong with that assumption.  The movie itself reminded me a lot of Richard Griffin's Beyond the Dunwich Horror with a lot of bearded men kissing...which is kind of funny when you think about it.  Honestly, this is well made horror movie that does a wonderful job at telling a story while creating tension and atmosphere.  The acting in this one is great which is very impressive when you consider how little on camera experience most of the cast has.  It was awesome seeing Johnny Sederquist (Ninny Nothin).   It has been a few years since I last saw them in a film and it was great seeing them here even though the role was small.  We also get a small role from co-director Wayne Gonsalves who really impressed me with his role in Death Drop Gorgeous.  His experience in front of the camera is very limited but he is very comfortable in his roles.  His dialogue is natural and feels genuine.  With that being said, Brandon Perras-Sanchez, Michael J. Ahern, and Matthew Pidge carry the film.  The supporting cast is fantastic and deserve praise as well but these three make the film what it is.  Their characters are very well written and they bring a lot of personality to their roles.  I hate that I'm not taking the time to mention everyone in the film for their acting but I'm lazy and it is what it is.  The story for this one is not what I was expecting at all and loved every minute of it.  We follow a couple in a rocky relationship.  One of the men is very inconsiderate and clearly still hung up on his ex while the other man is trying hard to have a social life and support him the best he can.  They take a "vacation" to a coastal town in the off season just to look for said ex and meet a guy interested in them both and a strange drug.  We then move into strange occurrences, a secret the town is hiding, and a gay orgy ritual ceremony before we finally meet the title character.  Its a story that sounds boring as fuck on paper but is executed exceptionally well.  The dialogue, characters, and story telling holds your attention through each scene and the pay off at the end is well worth it.  Finally, the film starts out with an amazing scene with some great gore before making the carnage take the back seat until the last leg of the film.  While the film does have a small body count, it make sure that the few deaths we do see count.  They look absolutely amazing and the last death in the film is sure to leave viewers feeling squeamish.  Overall, Saint Drogo is not what I expected but I fucking loved it.  I hate that it took me so long to see it but now that I have I can see myself revisiting it several more times before the year is out.  I highly recommend it!

Harvest Brood

Director - Joe Meredith (South Mill District, Variant)

Starring - Cidney Meredith (Variant II, Teratomorph), Robin File, and Anthony Leroy

Release Date - 2025

Genre - Horror

Format - Streaming (YouTube)

Rating (out of 5): 

     Several years ago I befriended artist and filmmaker Joe Meredith on social media after I saw several posts for one of his films.  I can't recall which film that was exactly by this point but I do know that I've been fortunate enough to review all of his films up to this point.  Well, that was until he released his newest film Harvest Brood for free on YouTube during Halloween.  I quickly shared the news on the site at the time but I wasn't able to check it out immediately due to the fact that I had already planned out my October horror binge.  However, I did toss it on my watch with for immediately after.  I'm glad I did because this one may just be my favorite film of his.

     The film is a documentary about a small town in Alabama that experienced a killing spree in 2006 with connections to local lore surrounding a strange family deep in the woods.

     Joe Meredith has a style of his own.  His movies and art is very unique and instantly recognizable with his movies being some of the most visceral that I've been fortunate to see.  Honestly, South Mill District is a film I often recommend to genre fans looking for something on the gruesome side of horror.  Harvest Brood did not disappoint.  I'm not really a fan of mockumentaries and found footage but this one holds your attention from beginning to end very well without the dull dialogue and pretentious acting.  The acting in this one is very well done.  We do get some of the acting that you would expect from a found footage type film with small talk and not a lot of emotional depth.  Luckily, these scenes are few and far in between.  The rest of the film is acted very well with some seriously fantastic performances from a cast with very little experience.  The story for this one is the kind of movie that I love with a family deranged mutant living in the woods killing people that cross their paths.  I've lived in Appalachia my entire life and any film with that kind of story instantly has my attention.  However, there is only so many ways you can spin a story like this so giving it the mockumentary spin to it does make it stand out from the rest.  With that being said, it's not as dull and boring as most other faux documentary and found footage flicks that I've reviewed in the past.  The film does a great job with the pacing and doesn't leave a lot to our imaginations.  Finally, the film is just as gruesome as I've come to expect from Joe and company.  We have a lot of fantastic practical effects that looks great.  If you've seen one of Joe's films then you know exactly how amazing his effects look and this one is no exception.  Honestly, I have no idea why this film is still on YouTube and not flagged.  Overall, Harvest Brood is another great film from a filmmaker with a true love for the genre.  The film doesn't do anything revolutionary for the genre but it does deliver on everything many of us love about horror.  I highly recommend checking it out.  

Baba Yaga

Director - Corrado Farina (They Have Changed Their Face, Fumettophobia)

Starring - Carroll Baker (Baby Doll, Kindergarten Cop), George Eastman (Antropophagus, Erotic Nights of the Living Dead), and Isabelle De Funes (Pont Dormant, Esprits de Famille)

Release Date - 1973

Genre - Horror

Tagline - "The psychedelic shocker based on the erotic comics of Guido Crepax"

Format - UHD (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (Out of 5):

     I was really looking forward to this set when I received it for review.  Not only was Terror-Creatures from the Grave a movie, at the time, I had always wanted to watch but never had the chance but because it featured the 1973 film Baba Yaga.  Baba Yaga is one that I had seen pop up in so many horror groups and message boards but I never had the chance to check it out.  This just happened to be the last film in the set and I had high hopes that I would be ending it with a bang.  

     The film follows a photographer who is almost hit by a car driven by a strange woman named Baba Yaga.  She soon finds herself in the middle of strange occurrences.  Her camera seems to be cursed anytime she tries to take pictures of a living subject, a weird doll given to her by Baba Yaga is doing strange things, and everyone around her seems to be pushed further and further away.  She starts to suspect that Baba is a witch and is using her powers to alienate the young photographer so she can seduce or possess her.

     I went into this one only knowing that it starred Carroll Baker and had very little to do with the Baba Yaga folklore.  With that being said, this slow burn film didn't really give me that Italian gothic vibe nor did it feel like I was watching a horror title.  I seriously wanted to like it but this was one that had me absolutely bored to tears.  The acting in this one is great even from a cheesy mid-70s campy aspect.  The entire cast, aside from Baker, delivers what I would consider a reasonably grounded performance that works very well for a more modern horror title.  With that being said, Baker is extremely theatrical in her performance and stands out in every scene she is in.  I loved her performance but I feel that she was underutilized.  The story for this one is not enough to hold the viewer's attention over the full runtime of the film.  A photographer finding the most important aspect of her job becoming cursed and her entire life being pushed away as a witch forces her way into her life is a pretty solid story but the way it was shot leaves a lot of room for pointless scenes and a lot of dull dialogue.  This is one of those films that I find myself watching the clock more than I do the film.  We don't have enough going on to hold your attention.  Finally, if you want a bloody flick then you will be disappointed.  The movie is character driven instead of blood, gore, and atmosphere.  Overall, Baba Yaga is nothing like I expected.  It feels more like a supernatural drama rather than a horror tale.  I seriously wanted to like this one but it bored me to tears.  Skip it.  

The Devil's Wedding Night

Director - Luigi Batzella (When the Bell Tolls, The Beast in Heat)

Starring - Mark Damon (Crypt of the Living Dead, Stuck on You!), Rosalba Neri (The Girl in Room 2A, The Arena), and Esmeralda Barros (Kong Island, Paid in Blood)

Release Date - 1973

Genre - Horror

Tagline - "Satan is coming!"

Format - UHD (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     I get in a good bit of movies to review and they usually fall into two categories which are movies I had seen before and movies that are new to me.  I love getting in both because if it's a movie I had seen before then it means I get to revisit a movie I like or I get to see why I didn't like it originally.  This is just to see if my taste in film has changed or the circumstances during my initial viewing impacted how I saw the film.  However, this set has tricked me on two separate occasions.  I thought Terror-Creatures from the Grave was going to be a first time viewing for me and then I realized I had seen it years ago but didn't remember it.  Goes to show that we are all getting older.  The third film in the set, The Devil's Wedding Night is another film I thought I had never seen before but once I hit play I quickly realized that I had seen the film but not in it's original form.  Many years ago I snagged several copies of Elvira's Movie Macabre on DVD from the FYE near my college for $1 a piece.  These unopened films were well worth the price and were the first time I had watched a lot of these movies.  Sadly, I didn't remember the names to a lot of the movies she hosted but it was clear this was one I had previously seen.

     The film follows a set of twin brothers who split up momentarily so one of them could go the Transylvania in search of an ancient ring with untold power.  He makes it to castle Dracula where he meets a young widow and her emotionless servant where she soon seduces him.  Sometime later his twin brother comes searching for him but she knocks him out and hides him in the dungeon while telling him that his brother had left sometime ago.  He is able to see through her lie and discovers that she is a vampire and uses the power of the ring to lure virgins to the castle to feed upon.

     The Devil's Wedding Night is a movie that is pretty enjoyable for the most part but it does lag in several scenes.  I don't know why I thought this movie had a different title but do we really intend on watching the movies hosted by Elvira or are we watching it just to see her and hear her horrible puns?  The acting in this one is probably the worst of the set so far.  While it's not the worst I've seen, their performances are very stiff and awkward to watch.  The characters are pretty cliched if I'm being honest which may be why the cast didn't bring a lot of energy to their roles.  The story for this one is different especially for a vampire flick centered around the mythology of Dracula.  We follow his bride who is using an evil ring to lure virgins to the castle who finds herself in the company of twins at different times... so we could have one person play both parts.  It's solid and works for an early 70s gothic horror tale.  With that being said, some of the scenes are a bit bloated which threw off the film's pacing at random times throughout the run time.  I don't know if these were added last minute or just padding the run time but they stick out like a sore thumb.  Finally, those wanting a lot of carnage and a high body count will be very disappointed.  The film has some vampire fangs but that is about the extent of the practical effects.  Overall, The Devil's Wedding Night is a bit of a misleading title but it's enjoyable.  I actually dug it and could see myself revisiting it again.  Check it out!

Night of the Damned

Director - Filippo Walter Ratti (Crazy Desires of a Murderer, Mondo Erotico)

Starring - Pierre Brice (Star Maidens, The Valley of Death), Patrizia Viotti (Amuck!, Death Falls Lightly), and Angela De Leo (Zorro in the Court of England, Julliette de Sade)

Release Date - 1971

Genre - Horror

Format - UHD (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     It looks like my trip through 60s and 70s cinema is still going strong after watching Terror-Creatures from the Grave along with Sexomania, Lady Desire, The Odd Job, Negatives, and Sparrows Can't Sing.  I had just finished Terror-Creatures from the Grave in the Danza Macabra Volume 4 set and decided to keep on going with the next film in the set which happened to be the 1971 film Night of the Damned which was originally titled La Notte Dei Dannati.  I want to thank Severin for sending this one over for review!

     The film follows a man who receives a strange letter from an old friend.  Fearing he may be in danger, he quickly makes the trip to his castle where he finds him on his deathbed.  He is convinced that he has been cursed but his new bride doesn't believe that to be the case.  He starts to investigate his friend's property and uncovers something rather strange.  Several centuries before, his ancestor had a woman burned at the stake for being a witch and had his family line cursed.  Sadly, he soon dies and those close to him starts to die gruesome deaths and are drained of their blood.  As he keeps investigating, with the help of the police, he uncovers the truth and the true evil stalking the property.

     Night of the Damned was a new one for me and I was really looking forward to checking it out.  Terror-Creatures from the Grave set the bar pretty high for me in regards to Italian gothic horror and, sadly, Night of the Damned did fall short.  It has some solid moments but the overall film was a bit of a drag if I'm being honest.  The acting in this is solid enough and is what you would expect from an early 70s film.  The cast is a bit dramatic and most of the scenes have that theatrical flair that is a bit cheesy in film but I dig it.  It fits the film and makes it feel like a slightly sleazy play.  The story for this one has a lot going on for such a simple plot.  The movie is basically a guy is cursed and the curse eventually kills him.  However, we have a Countess Bathory angle, so much character development, and a lot of backstory.  However, the film's pacing and extremely drawn out scenes with painstaking dialogue makes the movie feel a lot longer than it really is.  The movie could have used a little tighter writing and even tighter editing.  Finally, don't go into this one expecting a blood bath.  The death we do get mostly take place off camera and leave the rest up to our imagination or we get the aftermath which is not that impressive by any standards.  Overall, Night of the Damned is a movie that has a fantastic story but just doesn't live up to it.  It's too long for it's own good and could have used a lot of editing in my opinion.  This is one I would recommend skipping.  

Terror-Creatures from the Grave

Director - Massimo Pupillo (Bloody Pit of Horror, Django Kills Softly)

Starring - Barbara Steele (Nightmare Castle, Shivers), Walter Brandi (The Vampire and the Ballerina, The Playgirls and the Vampire), and Mirella Maravidi (Behind the Mask of Zorro, Three Bites of the Apple)

Release Date - 1965

Genre - Horror

Tagline - "They rise from dank coffins in the DEAD OF NIGHT to inflict AN EVIL CURSE OF DOOM, murdering their victims in an ORGY OF SLAUGHTER!"

Format - UHD (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5): 

     It seems like I've found myself reviewing a handful of films from the middle to late-60s up into the 70s.  It's not often that I get to review films this old and really look forward to it but it is strange that I've had so many to review the last week or so.  My friends over at Mondo Macabro sent over the Greek sexploitation flicks Sexomania and Lady Desire.  At the same time the fine folks over at Severin sent me copies of The Odd Job, Negatives, and Sparrows Can't Sing.  It wasn't much longer after that I received their Danza Macabra Volume 4: The Italian Gothic Collection box set with even more 60s and 70s fun.  I couldn't wait to check it and went with the first film in the set which is the 1965 film Terror-Creatures from the Grave.  Like always, I want to thank Severin for sending this one along.  

     The film follows a lawyer who visits the estate of a doctor after receiving a letter telling him the exact date and time to be there.  The letter was intended for his partner but he was away on business.  He decided to go in his place because the letter seemed very important.  However, once he arrives he discovers that the doctor passed way almost a year ago to the date and the remaining family, his daughter and her step-mother, have just returned to the villa after being away.  He soon learns that the doctor died after a horrible fall and was once a spiritualist who thought he had command over the spirits on the property which once served as a dumping ground during the black plague.  As he questions why his partner was asked to be there by a doctor no longer living, he uncovers that everyone that signed as a witness to his death has died horrible accidents besides two and soon learns that it was not an accident and his partner was involved with a murder.

     Terror-Creatures from the Grave is a title that I've always loved but never took the time to actually watch.  Honestly, I love the title and always thought it was a fucking phenomenal name for a horror punk band.  However, it wasn't until I hit play on the film that I realized that I had seen the film before.  Many years ago I was sent the Nightmare Castle release from Severin and this film just happened to be one of the special features on that release.  I don't remember watching it but I remembered the film very well which is weird considering I really enjoyed it.  It's a beautifully shot film that does a fantastic job at building tension and atmosphere.  The acting in this one is pretty well done.  It is definitely a product of it's time with some overdramatic performances but that is to be expected from films of the time.  The characters are very well written and while many of them are a bit cliched, the cast does a great job at portraying them.  The story for this one is one I really dig.  We have a conspiracy around an accidental death, a little bit of history mixed in with the black death, and then the supernatural aspect.   It starts out almost like a slasher before switching gears and hitting us with a great supernatural tale set against the fantastic gothic architecture and brooding atmosphere.  It works for the most part.  A few of the scenes are a bit slow with one or two being just filler that do absolutely nothing for the plot.  A little bit of trimming could have fixed the pacing in this one.  Finally, the film has a few deaths with some make-up effects but nothing that stands out.  The black death victims look like lepers but they don't look bad.  While the make-up effects are decent, nothing in this regard really stands out or is memorable. Overall, Terror-Creatures from the Grave is the kind of film that I really enjoy.  I love well put together gothic tales done in black and white.  This one really sells the atmosphere and I adore the story.  I highly recommend checking this one out!  

     

Night of the Living Dead

Director - Tom Savini (Tales from the Darkside, Creepshow)

Starring - Tony Todd (Candyman, The Man from Earth), Patricia Tallman (Dead Air, Army of Darkness), and Tom Towles (House of 1000 Corpses, Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer)

Release Date - 1990

Genre - Horror

Tagline - "There is a fate worse than death"

Format - UHD (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     Most horror fans that I've met over the years can tell you what triggered their obsession with the genre.  Mine was a product of the time I was raised.  I was born in the mid 80s and raised in the 90s so Goosebumps was my first love.  I was constantly harassing my dad to get me the books when they would hit store shelves.  However, it was watching Tom Savini's remake of Night of the Living Dead sometime during the early 90s that got me hooked on horror movies.  I watched it for the first time with my grandmother while my dad was out of town.  I loved it and asked if we could watch it again and she said no.  Instead, she showed me the original George A. Romero classic and my fate was sealed.  A few weeks ago I was sent the Savini remake on UHD for review which included the director's cut.  I had never seen this version of the film and had to see it.  I want to thank Columbia Pictures for sending this one over!

     The film follows a young woman, Barbara (Tallman), who finds herself fleeing through a cemetery when the dead come back to life.  Seeking refuge in a nearby farmhouse, she finds another group looking for safety.  However, tension comes to a boil when they struggle to agree on what they should do next resulting in altercations eventually resulting in the death of many of them at the hands of each other and the living dead.

     George Romero's Night of the Living Dead is one of the most important films in horror history and a pivotal zombie film that would forever change the sub-genre.  The film spawned several sequels, remakes, and unofficial sequels over the decades since it's original release but it's damn near impossible for me to watch the film without immediately watching Savini's remake or vice versa.  I love both of these films equally and the fact I was sent this film on UHD with the director's cut included is surreal.  I never expected this when I start writing reviews and sitting here banging on my keyboard for this movie is an amazing feeling.  The acting in this one is top notch.  There is no weak links.  We have some of the best zombie actors I've ever seen in a film.  I recently binged the entire Walking Dead universe and while there is some stellar performances among the dead in the show, none hold a candle to the cast playing zombies in this one.  The main cast is amazing as well.  They bring the same intensity as the original while keeping most of the original character's personalities intact.  This is a fantastic cast and their performances are one of the many reasons this film is essential viewing for genre fans.  The story for this one is damn near a shot for shot remake of the original with some minor changes but nothing that I would consider important.  We have most of the essential characters returning with the same personalities, the same locations, social issues, and struggles with the undead the original faced.  The minor changes are fun ones that many will not notice but people that have seen this one dozens of times will see them.  Finally, this one has some great make-up effects along with some unforgettable practical effects.  The make-up effects look great.  The zombies have a unique look with more focus on looking dead over rotting.  The deaths are great as well.  While the people don't really die on screen, the zombie deaths use great gags and look fantastic.  Overall, Night of the Living Dead is a must see for genre fans.  While the original is going to always be my favorite, this film is a strong 2nd.  The director's cut does add some to the film but the movie is damn near perfect as is.  Please check it out.