Souls Chapel

Director - Jake C. Young (Daylight to Dark, The Dark Room)

Starring - Andrew Pierson (Tulsa King, Punk Shark), Brian Bremer (Pumpkinhead, Coffintooth), and Niko El Santo Zavero (Robot Ninja, Axegrinder 7: New Blood)

Release Date - 2026

Genre - Horror/Western

Tagline - "Kentucky's most haunted legend"

Format - Streaming (Online Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     When I was in college I found myself really getting into the few horror westerns that I added to my collection when the local Hollywood Video was going out of business.  The movies Dead Birds, The Burrowers, The Dead and the Damned, and Ravenous were all cheap buys as the video rental giant was trying to liquidate as much as they could.  Honestly, I enjoyed them and still check them out from time to time when I want something different to watch.  I always keep an eye out for a horror western when I'm movie browsing but I rarely find them.  A few weeks ago I received a press release for a supernatural horror western.  The movie, Souls Chapel, caught my eye but the title and artwork didn't do much for me.  However, I quickly agreed to check it out when I was offered the chance.  

     The film follows a drifter who is on the hunt for gold when he finds himself in the middle of a snow storm.  He tries to seek sanctuary in a small church but soon finds himself at the mercy of the town priest, his nun, and their followers.  Things go from bad to worse when he learns that there are supernatural forces at play in this small town and the church is at the center of it all.

     I went into Souls Chapel kind of excited.  It's been a minute since my last horror western and that film in particular was very underwhelming.  I was hoping that this one would finally scratch that itch that I didn't know I had but it fell short.  I seriously wanted to like it but it was too stretched out and not enough going on to hold my attention.  It was a great looking film but it just didn't have anything to say.  The acting in this one is a bit uneven and inconsistent.  Some of the cast shows inexperience while those that have appeared on camera prior to this shows a lot of inconsistency.  In some of the scenes we have some great performances where the cast is really dialed in while other scenes feel rushed.  The characters themselves are somewhat cliched but a few do shine through the cracks, most importantly, the woman in white and the nun.  The story for this one is stretched way too thin for the run time we have.  The movie uses pointless scenes full of dull dialogue to bloat the run time.  A good portion of the film could be trimmed down making the story more streamlined.  The movie should have took the story and went straight through it instead of all these unnecessary scenes.  Finally, the film has some blood and a few deaths but neither are that memorable.  The effects are minimal and the deaths are not that imaginative.  Genre fans will want more and will be very disappointed by this.  Overall, Souls Chapel is an interesting idea that just didn't find it's way.  The story reminded me a little of the series Wynonna Earp but just wasn't able to give us the fun characters or a story to follow.  I wanted to love it but it just wasn't for me.  

Vampire Time Travelers

Director - Les Sekely (Night of the Living Date, I Know What You Did in English Class)

Starring - Lynne Baker, Ali Elk (Of Light and Darkness, Hollywood Homicide), and Kat Facchino (Beverly Hills Bordello, Vampire Night)

Release Date - 1998

Genre - Horror/Comedy

Tagline - "Bite her in the butt"

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     I was raised on 80s and 90s vampire flicks.  I watched movies like Fright Night, The Lost Boys, My Best Friend is a Vampire, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Children of the Night all the fucking time when I was growing up.  I absolutely fucking loved them and the release of Blade catapulted my love for vampire flicks.  Sadly, as time went on I found myself more interested in zombies and slashers instead of vampires.  Fast forward to a few years ago when a friend of mine on Facebook made a post talking about the late 90s vampire comedy Vampire Time Travelers and how the VHS he just got was his favorite movie in his collection.  The title peaked my interest but the artwork was lame as fuck so I had no interest in it.  Move to a few weeks back and Visual Vengeance announced that they would be release Vampire Time Travelers on blu.  I thought the title sounded familiar but couldn't remember why it was.  I shot them a message and they were kind enough to send a copy over for review.  It wasn't until I was watching it that I realized this was that movie and how much fun it actually was.  I want to thank MVD and Visual Vengeance for sending this one over!

     The film follows a group of girls pledging a sorority.  What they don't know is that this particular sorority stopped a vampire from taking over the world recently and her sister is hellbent on revenge.  Now she is going through the sorority one by one biting them on the ass and turning them into time traveling bloodsuckers.

      I had no idea what this movie was about going into it but the title gave me a pretty good idea that it would involve vampires and some time traveling.  However, it wasn't until I got to the scene with the butt biting that I realized that this was the same film my friend had bragged about on VHS.  I love stupid movies and this one is easily one of the dumbest movies I had ever seen.  It was so much fucking fun and I can't wait to recommend it to people looking for stupid movies to watch the next time they want to pop an edible.  The acting in this one is not that great but I kind of enjoyed that quality.  It added to the overall no budget look and feel of the film.  The characters are a lot of fun and the cast, regardless if they are experienced or not, do a lot to bring their characters to the screen.  We have a lot of fun scenes with this cast and they make the movie as funny as it is.  The story for this one is a bit of a mess but that's what I love about it.  The movie is actually a sequel to Sorority House Vampires which was something I just discovered as I was typing this review.  The info I could find on it according to imdb states that that both movies were made in 1998 and featured different filmmakers.  I didn't watch the first one and I was still able to enjoy this one.  Back to this film.  We have vampires, bloodthirsty record execs, bitchy sorority chicks, ass biting, and so much more in this one.  With that being said, it's the amount of simple one liners and puns that makes this film so fun.  This movie is everything I would expect from a mid-90s direct to video comedy but it's actually a late 90s no budget horror movie.  Finally, if you are looking for some fun effects and memorable deaths then you are shit out of luck.  We have some simple and cheap visual effects and some not so impressive make-up effects but that is the extent of that.  The movie focuses more on story and humor than it does the death scenes.  Overall, Vampire Time Travelers is easily my new favorite movie.  I will be adding something from this to my horror sleeve in the near future.  I highly recommend snagging a copy of this one soon from Visual Vengeance.  

The Substitute

Director - Robert Mandel (ABC Afterschool Specials, The X-Files)

Starring - Tom Berenger (Major League, Platoon), Raymond Cruz (Alien: Resurrection, Aztec Batman: Clash of Empires), and William Forsythe (Dick Tracy, The Devil's Rejects) 

Release Date - 1996

Genre - Crime/Action

Tagline - "The most dangerous thing about school used to be the students"

Format - UHD (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     I pretty much lived at my local video store.  Dewey's Video was about a 15 or 20 minute ride from my home and I was there several times a week and always on Friday so I could get that extra day rental.  I was always checking out movies regardless of their genre.  Horror will always be my favorite genre but sometimes a movie from a different genre would catch my eye and I had to rent it.  This was also the time of the premium channels like HBO and Cinemax.  I loved movies and would often scour the TV guide looking for something to watch when I didn't have a movie from Dewey's to check out.  A few weeks back I received the press release for the crime action flick from 1996 called The Substitute.  This is a film I'm very familiar with after watching it several times growing up.  I can't remember if it was because I rented the tape from Dewey's or caught it on the premium channels.  Regardless, it had been a long time and I couldn't wait to check it out again.  I shot them a message and they were kind enough to send over a copy of the UHD release for me to check out.  

     The film follows a former soldier turned mercenary who turns to teaching when his fiancée is attacked by a gang at the inner city school she teaches at.  He goes undercover to get revenge on the gang only to learn that they are working with the principal and a known drug dealer to push their product onto the students of the school.  He turns to his former team to infiltrate the group and put a stop to them.

     The Substitute is one of those mid-90s action flicks that takes a simple action story and tosses it in an urban setting.  These became extremely popular after films like New Jack City was released and I've always enjoyed them for the most part.  The Substitute is not as dark and gritty as a lot of the others but it more than makes up for this with better writing.  The acting in this one is great.  We have a fantastic cast that features some seriously heavy hitters.  Major League is one of those films that I watched all the fucking time as a kid and I always thought Tom Berenger was fantastic in it.  It wasn't until I revisited The Substitute now that I realized how fucking fantastic he is.  Honestly, he carries the film to me.  His character is pretty cliched and not that original but he does an amazing job at bringing him to life.  Ernie Hudson is great as the film's antagonist.  I don't know of another film where he is the villain and I love seeing the charisma he brought to the role.  We also have great performances from Luis Guzman, Raymond Cruz, William Forsythe, Glenn Plummer, and several more.  This film does not have a weak link in regards to cast.  The story for this one is is  bit more complicated than a lot of the other action flicks at the time.  We have a school gang that is selling drugs provided by the principal while a mercenary and his team infiltrate the school to stop them.  It is a bit goofy and busy but it works.  We have characters that are well written and the scenes unfold perfectly.  Finally, we get a lot of gun fights and some minor explosions but those looking for a lot of fun deaths and fantastic gore will be very disappointed.  Overall, The Substitute is one of those mid-90s action films that many people might look over but is actually pretty fucking fun.  I genuinely love this movie and it was great revisiting it in 4K.  I highly recommend checking out this release from Vestron Video.  

Amityverse

Director(s) - Chad M. Campbell (Jeanie's Face Exploded, Chillermania! The Story of Michigan and American Chillers), Curtis Everitt (Shark Balloon, Doll), Ron Ford (Grass Hook Massacre, Twisted Fates), Evan Jacobs (Backrooms Bigfoot, The Pickleball Exorcist), Chad Knauer (Murder Clown 1985, Skeleton Cop), Jt Kris (The Arkansas Pigman Massacre, Ghosts of Amityville), Josh Spiegel (Witching Hour, The Last Amityville Movie), Blaize Tudor (The Exotic Zoo of Terror, Cocaine Witch), Douglas Waltz (Invisible Shark, The Basement of Baron Morbid), and Andy Wolf (Monster Mansion Memories)

Starring - Armand Arekian (Tales from the Aether, Dummy), Jace Blalock (Meanboat, Santa Crawls), and Paul Bradford (Skate to Hell, Gobblefoot)

Release Date  - 2025

Genre - Horror

Format - Streaming (Tubi)

Rating (out of 5):

     Sometime last year I took a few days to watch the original run of Amityville Horror films.  I had seen them before but it had been years so I decided to revisit them.  I've always liked these films, for the most part, and really enjoyed myself watching them again.  I tend to stay away from the indie and no budget Amityville "sequels" unless it catches my eye because I don't really care for most of them.  With that being said, I do enjoy Amityville Vibrator and Amityville Christmas Vacation.  A few weeks back I received a press release from my friends over at SRS Cinema announcing the upcoming release of their indie horror anthology Amityverse.  I brushed it off like I do most of the Amityville films until I saw it on Tubi while I was browsing for something to watch.  I decided to pull the trigger and check it out.

     This anthology features ten stories ranging from evil mimes, killer clowns, the famous Skeleton Cop, serial killers, and more.

     I went into Amityverse with an open mind and found myself not having a good time.  It had some interesting segments that I liked but the overall film was a tough one to finish.  I hate writing reviews like this, especially about an indie flick, but it was clear that these were done quickly with very little care.  The acting in this one is uneven.  Some segments offered up some decent performances while others felt very rushed and insincere.  I've reviewed indie, no budget films for years and while some of these segments are among the better acted I've seen, others are very rough.  The stories in this one varies from clever and fun to very confusing and unwatchable.  The Skeleton Cop and Death Toilet Reprise are my two favorites in the film but they are still far from perfect.  Personally, the segments are just too short and don't stay around long enough to really get any traction.  They are all rushed and feel incomplete for the most part.  Finally, the film has some practical and visual effects but neither are enjoyable.  The deaths are very lackluster and add nothing to the films while the effects are noticeably cheap.  Overall, Amityverse feels like a no budget anthology that just tried to cram as many segments as it could without focusing on quality.  I seriously wanted to like this one but it was not enjoyable at all.  Skip it.  

The Paranormal

Director - Todd Norris (Call Me Snake, Nighty Night)

Starring - Josh Anderson, Dave Byerley, and Davide Baldin 

Release Date - 1999

Genre - Horror

Tagline - "They knew the movie was bad... they didn't know it would kill them"

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     The 90s was the decade that I gound my love of horror.  It started with my grandma letting me watch Tom Savini's remake of Night of the Living Dead and then showing me the original immediately after.  It wasn't long after this that my love for reading, at the time, sent me down the path of horror with R.L. Stine's Goosebumps and Fear Street along with several collections of Appalachian ghost stories and Stephen King from my local library.  Horror also took hold with my T.V. as well with Goosebumps, Are You Afraid of the Dark?, Tales from the Crypt, and so much more.  I know the 90s is easily one of the most hate decades in regards to horror but it's a decade I cherish.  I'm always open to check out horror from the 90s and when Visual Vengeance announced the release of 1998's The Paranormal, I knew I had to see it.  I once again want to thank MVD and Visual Vengeance for sending this one over!

     The film follows a paranormal investigator who is sent back to his hometown to investigate a movie theater that was said to be the site of unexplained phenomenon.  What he thinks would be a routine investigation but finds himself, along with some others there for the investigation, locked inside the theater when it hit midnight.  Now they have to figure out what is going on and why everything paranormal happening in the theater is connected to an old zombie movie.

     This is one of the many movies I had never heard of prior to Visual Vengeance releasing it.  The press release for this one really peaked my interest and the artwork for the release sold me on it.  The movie was just as good as I had hoped and this release from VV is now among my favorite releases in my collection.  The acting in this one is solid which is surprising considering how inexperienced the cast is.  The cast works very well together and do a decent enough job at bringing their characters to life.  Also, they do a great job at showcasing their wide range of emotions that fit the scene.  The story for this one is not what I was expecting at all.  I knew it was going to be supernatural based story but I did not expect the movie subplot and how well it was going to play in the film.  The character development is a little off and the pacing has issues in some of the scenes but the overall story works.  Finally, the film has some make-up effects but that is the extent of it.  we don't get any memorable deaths or fun effects.  We get some classic movie magic and that is it.   Overall, The Paranormal is the kind of movie that I really enjoy watching late at night.  It's not that well made but it's fun for what it is.  Check it out on blu from Visual Vengeance.  

Colony Mutation

Director - Tom Berna

Starring - Joan Dinco, David Rommel (Downer), and Anna Zizzo 

Release Date - 1995

Genre - Horror/Sci-Fi

Tagline - "Don't be afraid of..."

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     Visual Vengeance quickly became one of my favorite boutique blu labels of recent years with their dedication to S.O.V. cinema.  I'll be honest, a lot of their films do not benefit from being restored and put on blu but it's awesome having a lot of these in my collection with many of them being stuck in VHS hell.  Some of these movies are proudly displayed in my collection.  A lot of them are movies I had never seen before and it was thanks to VV that I was able to finally check them out.  However, for every movie that I live, there is one that just didn't do it for me.  A few weeks back Visual Vengeance sent me the 1995 sci-fi horror mashup Colony Mutation from Tom Berna.  I had never seen this one before but I couldn't wait to dig into it.

     The film follows a man who is sneaking out on his hot scientist wife with another woman.  She learns of the affair when she gets his credit card bill and confronts him.  She slaps him and then throws a chemical her colleague is working at him before he beats her to death.  After hiding of her body, he tries to go about his life as if nothing happened but soon learns that the chemical he was hit with has altered his body.  His limbs are now carnivorous creatures with a taste for human flesh.  

     I went into this one knowing very little about it.  It looked like an attempt at the science gone too far films that many of us would watch on the Sci-Fi Channel before their rebranding.  While it does feel like that at times, the story is just different enough to make it feel like something somewhat unique.  It had some fun moments but loses itself during the last half of it's runtime.  The acting in this one is rough at times but I appreciate their dedication to their roles.  Most of the scenes feature dialogue spoken without conviction and a lot of their mannerisms are unnatural.  They are really into their roles but their lack of experience shows in every scene.  The story for this one is another science gone too far creating body horror.  We've seen this type of films before with films like The Blob and The Fly remakes.  I loved how the film started.  We have a cheating husband and a scientist who catches him.  In a fit of rage, she throws a chemical on him before he kills her before his body slowly changes into a flesh eating beast.  I really love how the film is written but it's the second half of the film where it loses me.  The whole body horror aspect is half-assed resulting in a poorly put together last act that has nothing enjoyable for the viewer to see.  Honestly, I feel this part was changed during filming for unknown reasons.  Finally, the film has several deaths but they are not as fun as they could have been.  The effects are very limited which is why I suspect the second half of the film is difficult to finish.  I love the idea behind his body/limbs being monsters but the way the films goes about it leaves a lot to be desired.  Overall, Colony Mutation is a movie that I was really looking forward to and was actually liking until the film lost steam.  The ending felt rather dull and out of place makes me think that it was changed on the fly.  I wanted to like it but it just wasn't for me.  Skip it.  

The Ugly

Director - Scott Reynolds (The Cult, When Strangers Appear)

Starring - Paolo Rotondo (Power Rangers Dino Charge, The Rule of Jenny Pen), Paul Glover (Spartacus, Power Rangers Ninja Steel), and Chris Graham (Power Rangers Beast Morphers, Hercules: The Legendary Journeys)

Release Date - 1997

Genre - Horror

Tagline - "Murder is in the eye of the beholder"

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     When I was in high school I snagged a horror documentary as a bonus movie with another horror title that I picked up somewhere.  I think it may have been Walmart at the time but I honestly can't remember.  Anyway, this documentary talked about several horror titles from the popular franchises like Child's Play and Friday the 13th but it also featured some other films that I had never heard of before.  One of those films is the 1997 horror film The Ugly from New Zealand.  A friend of mine decided to track down the movies from this for us to check out and got a VHS copy from eBay.  I remember digging it but also being a bit underwhelmed by it.  The documentary made it seem like it was a lot more gruesome than what it was.  Fast forward two decades to me checking my mail when I was surprised to find a copy of the new blu from my friends over at Unearthed Films and MVD.  This gave me the perfect chance to revisit it and, like always, I want to thank MVD for sending this one over for review!

     The film follows a psychiatrist who is sent into an asylum to interview a serial killer.  This starts out innocently enough when we learn that he was bullied by other boys and his mother was very abusive.  However, the deeper into his past she goes, the more things don't add up until he finally admits that he sees people.  Those that he has killed will tell him to kill.  They are persistent and their persistence drives him mad until he finally kills them adding yet another face to the crowd.

     The Ugly is a film that is never really talked about among genre fans but the few times I've seen it mentioned it feels like it is embellished to some extent.  Don't get me wrong, I really enjoyed the film but even by late 90s standards, it's not that gruesome or depraved.  Hell, I don't even think it's gruesome by New Zealand's standards of the time.  The acting in this one is pretty damn good.  Paolo Rotondo gives an amazing performance.  He doesn't come across as menacing or sinister but his emotional range in this film is damn impressive.  I would have loved to see him give a little more intensity during the death scenes but his performance is still fantastic as is.  The supporting cast is solid but a lot of the characters are generic or very flat which doesn't give the cast a lot to work with.  The story for this one is very interesting and works for the most part.  A serial killer that is haunted by his victims is pretty clever.  However, I would have loved to explore more of his life and the time during the killings rather than the random flashbacks.  We know what happens before it happens.  If we would have followed him through his murders then we would have that sense of unpredictability.  It's still enjoyable but we know exactly where it's going before it gets there.  Finally, the film doesn't have imaginative deaths.  A straight razor across the throat of his victims is the extent of what we get.  We have black blood, which I assume is a censorship thing over there, and some solid make-up effects but nothing that will stick with you once you hit stop on the film.  Overall, The Ugly is a solid film that could have been so much more if we had some death scenes that stood out.  It's still a fun film but I don't feel that is nowhere near as violent as others let on.  Regardless, this release from Unearthed is fantastic.  Collectors will want to grab this one.  

Plankenstein

Director - Diq Diamond (Don't Drink and Drive: A Family Film, The Bunker)

Starring - Leilani Ramos (Potluck with Smooch), Amy Jennings (Paranormal Sh!t, True Tales of Terror), and Shane Chisum (The Tattoo Club: Curse of the Dragon, Static)

Release Date - 2025

Genre - Horror/Comedy

Tagline - "A killer surf movie"

Format - Streaming (Tubi)

Rating (out of 5):

     I've seen a lot of movies over the years thanks to my connection with Horror Society.  I've seen some of the wildest films imaginable with movies featuring living placentas, murderous condoms, gay bikers that create a fight club, bigfoot with an STD, and so on.  A few weeks back I received a press release for the surfing slasher Plankenstein.  The film was released on Tubi and the team behind the indie horror film wanted to get the news out.  I shared it on the site and decided to add it to my watch list.  It looked fun and a movie that I could really enjoy.  

     The film follows a surfer, a cop, and the chief of police as they investigate a string of brutal murders along the beaches of popular surf spots.  

     I went into this expecting a lot of Frankenstein puns mixed with a lot of surfing.  Instead, what I was greeted with was a move that felt like it was intentionally trying to annoy you.  I made it maybe five minutes before I found myself wishing it would end.  I hate being that way especially for an indie movie but this one was one of the hardest films to finish that I've reviewed in sometime.  The acting in this one is very stiff at time with flat dialogue.  The cast seems to be having a lot of fun on set and that shows in a few scenes but the overall acting is fairly one dimensional.  The story for this one is a slasher meets island lore.  I was expecting more a Frankenstein story with a surfing theme but what we get is a slasher that doesn't really feel like one with some made up legend that doesn't really pull the viewer in.  The film feels like there is several decent enough ideas thrown out but none of them full builds up on them.  Honestly, a patchwork surf board killing tourists would have been a much more entertaining film than what we have here.  Finally, don't expect memorable deaths.  We have some prop body parts and some blood but that is the extent the practical effects.  We do have a few scenes with some horrible visual effects that stand out.  The deaths are not memorable or imaginative but they do make good use of the practical props.  Overall, Plankenstein is not the movie I was expecting.  In fact, it was damn near impossible to finish.  When I was putting my review together I saw a similar review on Letterboxd or imdb that said the film was "intentionally trying to piss off the viewer" and I somewhat agree with it.  I wanted to like it but it was all over the place and held together with chewed gum and cheap tape.  This is one you will want to skip.  

Amityvillenado

Director(s) - Paul Tucker (Amityverse: Infinity, Steamboat Willie: Blood on the Water) and Jeff Van Gerwen (Blight, Clickbait)

Starring - Trey Ball (Clownsquatch, Sharksgiving), Jib Haddan (Semicolon), and Elizabeth McCoy (Royal Jelly, After Life Crisis)

Release Date - 2026

Genre - Horror/Comedy

Tagline - "Cloudy with a chance of death"

Format - Streaming (Tubi)

Rating (out of 5):

     The Amityville Horror did something that many other horror properties could do and that's spawn a series of unofficial sequels that are still popular to this day.  The original film and subsequent sequels are among some of the most popular genre films in history.  However, about 20 so odd years ago we started seeing films that had nothing to do with those films appear using the Amityville title.  These unofficial sequels are known for their outlandish stories and absurd titles.  While many genre fans watch them to see just how bad they truly are, I look forward to them because I truly love indie cinema.  A few weeks ago I was browsing an indie horror group on Facebook when I found a post talking about the horror comedy Amityvillenado making it's way to Tubi.  I fucking adore Tubi and quickly added the film to my watchlist.  I had originally planned on watching the film for fun while I was working on other review but I decided to write a review for it instead.  I was seriously impressed by the film and thought many other genre fans would be interested in it as well.

     The film follows two friends who are house sitting for the sister of one of them with plans of hitting up a concert nearby.  This just happens to be near the legendary home that spawned the Amityville legend.  It just happens that when they arrived in town, the iconic home was destroyed by a freak tornado.  As they try to get settled in and ready for their concert, more tornado sightings occur where those near them are left dead.  The police suspect that there is a serial killer on the loose but those in the loop know that something sinister was unleashed when the house was destroyed.

     I'll be honest.  I went into Amityvillenado expecting the worst and found myself actually enjoying it.  It's not a perfect film by any standards but it's entertaining for the most part.  The acting in this one is not bad but the characters are not likable at all.  It's almost as if the characters were written to be cliched in a funny way but they all come across as unlikeable.  The acting is solid for the most part but I wish some of the cast could have provided us with a character that didn't make me want to turn the movie off.  The story for this one pokes fun at some of the original Amityville sequels while giving us a no budget comedic tale that fits in nowhere among all the Amityville films.  I loved the idea behind the film with the Amityville house becoming so evil that is turns into tornadoes that kills.  Honestly, I really enjoyed this goofy story and how it played out.  My only real complaint about it is that very little time went into character development.  A "funny" guy that isn't funny and is always shitting, a dude that is a major buzzkill, many other unlikable characters drag a good bit of the fun down.  Finally, the film has some cheap visual effects that is not the worst I've seen but is still very noticeable.  I would have loved to see some great practical effects and memorable deaths but that wasn't in the cards with this one.  Overall, Amityvillenado is a goofy film all around and while the humor doesn't really find it's mark, the film itself is pretty fun.  I don't see myself revisiting it anytime soon but I will recommend it to someone looking for no budget fun.  Check it out.  

       

The Life and Deaths of Christopher Lee

Director - Jon Spira (Lexx, Dust)

Starring - Peter Serafinowicz (Guardians of the Galaxy, John Wick: Chapter 2), Harriet Walter (The Magical Legend of the Leprechauns, Doctor Who), and Juan Aneiros 

Release Date - 2024

Genre - Documentary

Tagline - "Every actor has to make terrible films from time to time... the trick is never be terrible in them"

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     I love the documentaries that many of the Severin box sets contain.  They are often insightful, very well put together, and really bring a new layer to these sets that Severin puts a lot of time and energy into.  I recently worked through the Exorcismo set and the documentary that accompanied that release really set the stage for what I was about to see.  I was really looking forward to the Christopher Lee documentary that was included in the Eurocrypt of Christopher Lee Volume 3.  I'm a huge fan of Lee's and was really looking forward to learning more about his life and legendary career.  

     The documentary follows the early life and career of Lee from his noble bloodline to struggling finding work on the stage.  We see all this through film historians, relatives, and those that were lucky enough to work with him during his lengthy and legendary career.  

     I went into this one very excited to check it out but found myself really struggling with the way it was shot.  Documentaries are a powerful form of cinema when done correctly but some filmmakers want to experiment in ways that makes their documentaries stand out while still delivering on the topic at hand.  The Life and Deaths of Christopher Lee is a unique documentary that had some things I liked but a lot that I didn't.  The interviews in this one features a wide range of people from different backgrounds.  We have legendary filmmakers, actors, producers, long time friends, relatives, and so on that give a great deal of insight into his life and career.  The topics discussed was very informative and enlightening at first but as the film progressed we started getting into the more common knowledge about Lee.  Finally, the documentary is very well put together but I absolutely hated the narration.  The voice actor did not sound anything like Christopher Lee and the puppet randomly cutting into each scene was extremely nerve wracking.  I have no idea why this was added but it absolutely ruined what could have been a fantastic doc about a true icon.  Overall, The Life and Deaths of Christopher Lee is a documentary that has great interviews and discuses a great deal of Lee's personal and professional life.  Sadly, the narration and puppet/animation was a scene killer in my opinion.  It took away from what would have been a fantastic documentary.  Skip it.  

A Feast at Midnight

Director - Justin Hardy (Strictly Supernatural, Secret History)

Starring - John Hurley, Freddie Findlay (Rasputin, The Ruth Rendell Mysteries), and Sebastian Armesto (Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens)

Release Date - 1994

Genre - Comedy/Drama

Tagline - "A 500 year old school.  A prehistoric form master.  ...and a 10-year old chef"

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     A couple weeks ago I received The Eurocrpyt of Christopher Lee Volume 3 from my friends over at Severin Films.  At the time I thought that I had only seen one of the films in the set which actually turned out to be two films when I realized one was using an alternate title.

  Anyway, the one film that I had previously seen in this set was the 1994 family friendly kid's movie A Feast at Midnight.  This was previously released by Severin as part of their Severin Kids line where I bought a copy for my collection.  I liked the film but only watched it the one time before placing it on my shelf to collect dust.  I'm glad it was included in this set which gave me another reason to revisit it

**Spoiler Alert**     The film follows a young boy who is sent to a boarding school where he is immediately ostracized and mocked.  He is unable to make friends until he decides to turn his love of cooking into a late night meeting for his classmates.  He slowly starts building friendships with his class and the school nurse while sneaking around from the dean, an angry teacher, and a cook who refuses to let students in his kitchen. **Spoiler Alert**

     There is a lot to unpack with this movie but I honestly love it.  The artwork infuriates me but I get why it looks like that and the title is dumb but, once again, it fits the film.  I know many genre fans are going to be disappointed in it but I absolutely loved it.  

The acting in this one is great.  Christopher Lee once again gives us a larger than life character that I really enjoyed watching.  He really got into the role and made it his own.  The main cast consists of young boys with very little, if any, experience.  Yet, they were able to do a fantastic job together.  They made the film as fun as it was and it's a damn shame that many of them did not continue their careers in acting.  

The story for this one is not what I was expecting the first time I saw it.  The artwork and title makes you think that Christopher Lee is a monster snatching up students at night.  However, the artwork is referencing his nickname that the students call him behind his back while the title is obviously referencing the young boy's love of cooking for his classmates at night.  It's a family friendly story that I found to be very entertaining and still holds up after the second viewing.  

Finally, don't expect a film with a lot of effects and fun deaths.  This is a no budget kids film so we don't have any effects to enjoy.  Overall, A Feast at Midnight is not going to be the kind of film that many genre fans are going to love but I found myself having a lot of fun with it.  It's an amazing performance from Lee with the rest of the cast delivering unforgettable performances.  I highly recommend this one even if you don't have children.  

     

Arabian Adventure

Director - Kevin Connor (Motel Hell, The Land That Time Forgot)

Starring - Christopher Lee (The Wicker Man, Hugo), Milo O'Shea (Barbarella, Theater of Blood), and Oliver Tobias (The Wicked Lady, Robin of Sherwood)

Release Date - 1979

Genre - Fantasy/Adventure

Tagline - "Soar into a magical world of action, excitement and enchantment"

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     This Christopher Lee collection from Severin Films has been a big surprise.  When I received this one for review I immediately noticed that I had only seen one film in the set prior to it's release.  Since then I've realized that I had seen another film in the set but it was under an alternate title.  With that being said, this set has been a lot of fun and only seems to be getting better.  As I hit play on the fourth film, Arabian Adventures from 1979, I was surprised to see how stacked this cast was and that it was directed by Kevin Connor.  I had never seen this one before but I couldn't wait to check it out.

     The film follows an evil ruler (Lee) who is after an ancient artifact that will grant him unspeakable power.  However, a young thief, his pet monkey, and an imprisoned prince to stop him from gaining the ultimate power and claiming the princess.

     I was really looking forward to checking this one out when I saw the cast list for it.  I figured the story for this one was going to be dated and steeped with unintentional racism that was common in American films from the 60s and 70s that represented other societies and cultures.  While it does show some of this to a degree, it was still a lot of fun for what it was.  The acting in this one is great once you look passed the white washing of the entire cast.  Lee as the evil ruler is absolutely brilliant and then we have fantastic performances from the entire cast.  While I would love to spend all day going over the cast alone for the film, I'm just too damn lazy to do so.  The story for this one is a lot like the classic film Thief of Baghdad where we have a prince who is being forced to find the ancient relic who befriends a young boy and his monkey to do it but must stop the evil ruler at all costs.  It's a fun fantasy adventure story with Middle Eastern customs that are white washed over in order to make them more appealing to western audiences.  Finally, the film is not one with blood and guts.  Instead, we get some really dated visual effects and camera tricks.  The film doesn't over do it in the special effects department due to budget issues but these gags does add to the fun of the film.  Overall, Arabian Adventure is a bit insensitive in regards to other races but is still a solid family friendly fantasy adventure.  I really enjoyed it and can see myself watching it a few more times before putting this set back on the shelf.  Check it out.

The Virgin of Nuremberg

Director - Antonio Margheriti (The Unnaturals, Cannibal Apocalypse)

Starring - Rossana Podesta (Hercules. Man of the Year), Georges Riviere (Agent 3S3: Passport to Hell, Castle of Blood), and Christopher Lee (The Hunting of the Snark, Dark Shadows)

Release Date - 1963

Genre - Horror

Tagline - "Women's virtues made him a killer"

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     When I received The Eurocrypt of Christopher Lee Volume 3 from Severin Films, I expected to see several titles that were completely new to me.  However, I'm surprised by how many of these films in this set that I had actually seen.  I had just finished Beat Girls and The Hands of Orlac when I decided to continue on with 1963's The Virgin of Nuremberg.  This was a movie I thought I had never seen before but I soon realized that it was very familiar to me.  After a quick search I learned that the film was also released under the title Horror Castle.  This was a film I had previously watched back many years ago and completely forgot about it.  It was awesome getting to revisit it in this amazing set from my friends over at Severin.

     The film follows a young American bride who is taken to her husband's German castle after their marriage.  She soon learns of the rich history the castle has and how one of the properties long time employee was once disfigured by Nazis during World War II.  While exploring the castle and it's many rooms, she finds a woman bound and tortured but when she returns with her husband the woman is nowhere to be found.  She then learns about the castles "secret" from decades before when an evil man known as "The Punisher' would torture people in the castle's dungeon.  While the more superstitious employees say that he is back, the young woman suspects that her new husband or one of his employees are responsible for the heinous acts.

     I was not expecting to see this one when I hit play on The Virgin of Nuremberg but it was pretty cool to revisit this one after all these years.  It's a fantastic film but it's nowhere near the top 20 of Lee's best performances.  I do enjoy it and can see this set being worth it just for this film alone but in the 70 years Lee was in film, it's not even a speck on his career.  The acting in this one is solid but not the best I've seen.  Many, like myself, will be tossing this one in with hopes of seeing a fantastic performance from a young Christopher Lee.  He delivers a solid enough performance but his character is not that memorable and he doesn't really get the screen time fans would have liked.  However, Georges Riviere is great in her role.  She does a great job carrying the scenes and shows a wide array of emotions.  I've always liked her in this film but can't think of a reason why I have yet to look up other films of hers.  The supporting cast is decent but we do get a lot of cheesy performances from many of them.  It's not the worst I've scene but early 60s cinema is a lot of camp.  The story for this one is one that was pretty popular in the 60s where we follow a woman in an old castle where something sinister once took place.  It's not the most original story I've seen from the time but I do enjoy the Nazi addition to the story to give the film real world lore.  It has great atmosphere and tension but the predictability and poor pacing in some scenes does stop it from reaching it's full potential.  Finally, the film has some solid make-up effects and light blood but doesn't really deliver on the gore.  Early 60s genre films were more about locations, atmosphere, and story over blood and gore.  Overall, The Virgin of Nuremberg is an effective gothic horror title with some great atmosphere and tension but does have issues with it's pacing.  While Lee does appear in the film, he does not have as much screen time as I would have liked.  Regardless, it's a fun film that deserves to be seen.  

The Hands of Orlac

Director - Edmond T. Greville (Temptation, House on the WaterFront)

Starring - Mel Ferrer (Nightmare City, Eaten Alive!), Christopher Lee (Sleepy Hollow, Howling II... Your Sister is a Werewolf), and Dany Carrel (Inferno, The Chaser)

Release Date - 1960

Genre - Horror

Tagline - "The frightening nightmare of a man who finds himself with hands which he can't control"

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     I've been lucky enough to review several Christopher Lee movies over the years.  Most were horror tales but a few, like the previous film Beat Girl, are not from my beloved genre.  Lee will always be remembered for his long and varied career but horror fans will always be grateful for his contributions to the genre.  Many genre fans, myself included, hail Lee for his performances in the many Hammer horror films.  His performance as Dracula and many other characters for Hammer horror is legendary by any standards.  As I started down the list for the new Eurocrypt of Christopher Lee Collection 3 I noticed a movie that I was very unfamiliar of.  When I was in high school I went through a period where I was obsessed with silent cinema.  It was during this time that I watched The Hands of Orlac which was a classic from it's time.  However, this set just happened to contain a movie by the same name.  This was a huge surprise to me because I had no idea that it was remade in 1960.  I was really excited to see this one and couldn't wait to hit play on it.  

     The film follows a world famous pianist who finds himself in a life threatening accident where his hands are severely burned.  His hands start to heal after the accident but he is unable to play to the degree that he was able to before the accident.  To make matters worse, he learns that his hands were actually transplanted to him and once belonged to a murderer.  Now his hands are taking on a life of their own and want to murder everyone around him.

     I went into The Hands of Orlac not knowing what to expect.  It had been damn near 20 years ago that I had seen the original film and did not remember a lot about it but I was excited to see this early 60s horror title that featured the legendary Lee.  The acting in this one is great.  I absolutely loved Lee's character in the film.  It was as if he was written for Lee specifically.  His larger than life performance was great but was overshadowed by the film's star, Mel Ferrer.  Ferrer made the film for me.  His performance is pretty fucking intense, especially during the last portion of the film, and brought out so many emotions.  He really does a fantastic job making the film what it was.  The story for this one is great for a drive-in era horror title.  As I stated earlier, I don't remember a lot about the original film so I cannot speak on how close it resembles it but I enjoy it for what it is.  What I like about this one is that it takes the premise for the brain transplant films and swaps it out with murderous hands.  It's a fun little change that works to a certain degree.  With that being said, some of the scenes in the film lead to nowhere.  They do nothing for the story nor the pacing.  Finally, the film has some light make-up effects and that is about the extent of it.  Like the films of it's time, the movie doesn't rely on the gore to get a rise out of the viewer.  Instead, it's character driven and we are expected to use our imaginations for the deaths.  Overall, The Hands of Orlac is not going to be a memorable film in the filmography of such a great actor but it's a decent film for what it was.  It's a worthy addition to this set and worth your time.  Check it out.  

Beat Girl

Director - Edmond T. Greville (Guilty?, The Silk Noose)

Starring - David Farrar (The 300 Spartans, The Webster Boy), Noelle Adam (Sergeant X and the Foreign Legion, The Wonders of Aladdin), and Gillian Hills (A Clockwork Orange, The Killer Wore Gloves)

Release Date - 1960

Tagline - "My mother was a stripper... I want to be a stripper too"

Format - Blu (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     Christopher Lee is a name that any movie fan recognizes.  His career is legendary and he left his mark on every genre imaginable.  While I grew up on he Hammer horror films and later the Lord of the Rings trilogy, it was his late 90s and early 00s family friendly films that I've learned to appreciate the most.  His career spanned 70 years and showcased some of the best acting ever filmed.  I've seen a lot of his films over the years but I'm always open to watch more.  That's why I jumped at the chance to review Severin Film's Eurocrypt of Christopher Lee Volume 3.  I had seen two of the films in the set but the other four were brand new to me.  I couldn't wait to check it out and as soon as I could I tossed in Beat Girl which was released originally under Wild for Kicks.  I want to thank Severin Films for sending this one over!

     The film follows a wealthy designer who returns to his home after being away for several months with his new wife in tow.  Waiting for him at home is his 16 year old daughter who is deep into the underground jazz scene.  The step-mother, who is a former stripper, tries hard to connect with her new step-daughter but the closer she gets to her the further away she pushes her into a career of stripping.

     Beat Girl is not the kind of film that I would willingly go out of my way to review.  This dance drama is not the kind of movie that I would be interested in.  However, seeing Christopher Lee's name appear on the poster made me instantly interested and while I was not a big fan of this one, I still enjoyed it.  The acting in this one is great and I might as well go ahead and dress my only problem with the acting.  That is that Lee himself is not in the film as long as I would have liked.  With that being said, David Farrar and Gillian Hills make the film.  Farrar is fantastic as the father that has distanced himself from his daughter and Hills is amazing in her role.  She absolutely kills and it makes this film as fun as it is.  The story for this one is kind of a bratty take on the dance drama of the era.  It's hard to like these wealthy, entitled characters but the film finds of way to keep it interesting and glued to the screen.  While this is not a film that I could see myself watching on my own, I still enjoyed the story and how well the pacing was.  Finally, don't expect a film with a body count or memorable deaths.  It's a character driven drama with a great cast.  Overall, Beat Girl is not the kind of movie many of you Horror Society readers would be interested in.  However, seeing Christopher Lee early on in his career is pretty fucking cool.  Check it out.