Mystics in Bali

Director - H. Tjut Djalil (LAdy Terminator, White Crocodile Queen)

Starring - Ilona Agathe Bastian, Yos Santo (The Devil's Sword, The Warrior and the Blind Swordsman), and Sofia W.D. (Teen Idol, Fatima)

Release Date - 1981

Genre - Horror

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     The last few weeks have truly been eye opening to me.  I've had an eye for foreign and international horror for several years now after discovering Japanese splatter but I never really ventured into the world of Indonesian horror.  Severin opened the door with their Suzzanna box set but Mondo Macabro took me further with their releases of The Queen of Black Magic and Mystics of Bali.  Mystics of Bali is one that I had heard about for many years but never actually had the chance to see it.  I want to thank Mondo Macabro and CAV for sending this one over for review.  I'm glad I was finally able to check this one off my watch list!

     The film follows a woman writing a book on black magic with the help of a local.  He takes her to the cemetery late at night and they find an old woman with long nails laughing.  She offers to help her with her book and give her some of her black magic power.  However, she is tricked and turned into a penanggalan at night.  The penanggalan is a disembodied head with the organs still attached that feeds on the blood of the living.  She begins terrorizing the locals who are then forced to stop her.

     I went into this one assuming it was about a penanggalan from seeing some of the artwork for the film.  I was only familiar with this creature due to Dead by Daylight and I'm not going to pretend like I'm an expert on the creature.  However, I knew enough about the basics to appreciate the film for what it was.  The acting in this one is a lot of fun.  Sofia W.D. made the film for me as the old witch.  Her performance stole every scene she was in and really stood out from the rest of the cast.  It was on the campy side but I enjoy the theatrics in horror films with great atmosphere and tension.  The supporting cast does a decent enough job but no one else in the film delivers a performance like Sofia W.D.  The story for this one is a lot of fun.  It doesn't really offer up anything we haven't seen before but it does give it a unique spin.  Black magic as the center focus in an Indonesian horror film is nothing new and was already done several times in 1981 alone.  However, adding the penanggalan angle made it stand out from the crowd.  It does get a bit dull and repetitive as the film moves on but it still finds a way to work.  Finally, the film has some fun effects.  We get some classic camera tricks and some fun make-up effects.  While the kills are not that imaginative and gruesome, they do fit the film.  Overall, Mystics in Bali is a fantastic film with a creature that many genre fans have never seen before.  I highly recommend this one and this release from Mondo Macabro looks fantastic.  Check it out.  

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.  

Date with a Vampire

Director - Jeffrey Arsenault (Vampire Playmates, Dracula's Guest)

Starring - Lori Thomas (Stab 2, End of the World), Robin Macklin (Teach Me, Morning Glory), and Cynthia Polakovich (Tinsel Town, Nocturnia)

Release Date - 2000

Genre - Horror

Format - Blu (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

      I grew up on vampire flicks.  While I loved the Universal Dracula and Hammer horror vampire flicks, I was obsessed with Fright Night, The Lost Boys, My Best Friend is a Vampire, Vamp, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Children of the Night, Subspecies, and so many more.  Vampires were an essential part of my childhood and a sub-genre that I still enjoy.  It's not often that I cross paths with a vampire flick that I've never seen but when I do you can bet your ass I'm going to check it out.  A few weeks back I got a press release for Date with a Vampire from my friends over at Visual Vengeance.  This was a new one to me so I rushed to my email and hit up Visual Vengeance for a review copy.  They sent me over to MVD and a few days later I had a copy to check out.  I want to thank VV and MVD for sending this one over!

     The film follows Violet (Thomas) who is a vampire that not only craves blood but is a sex addict.  She suffers from an endless cycle of bringing victims, male and female, back to her bed for sex before feeding on them.  However, her most recent victim is more than that.  

     I was excited when I went into Date with a Vampire but I quickly saw that this was not for me.  I have nothing against the films that explore the sexual side of vampirism.  There has always been a sexual allure to vampires that can be traced back to the very beginning of the vampire mythos and has been shown in films since Universal's Dracula.  With that being said, it can't be the only part of the story.  The viewer needs something else to sink their teeth into so to speak.  The acting in this one is not the worst I've seen.  While the cast does show a great deal of inexperience, they really got into their roles.  There was a few scenes where the dialogue was extremely awkward but the acting was decent for the most part.  The story for this one is a bit repetitive and one sided.  A female vampire wants to screw and then feed.  Literally the extent of it.  No real action, drama, or twists to hold the viewer's attention.  If the film would have embraced the sex and became a sexploitation then it would have became a bit more fun.  Finally, we have some make-up effects that looks solid for what it is but that is really the extent of the effects we have with this one.  Overall, Date with a Vampire is one I really hoped I could get into but it just wasn't for me.  The story was severely lacking and the absence of fun deaths made this one a tough one to finish.  Collectors will want to snag this release but those looking for something fun to watch may way to skip it.  

     

     

Tales of Dracula 2: Dracula Meets the Werewolf

Director - Joe DeMuro (Tales of Dracula) 

Starring - Wayne W. Johnson (Night of Something Strange, Star Trek Phase II), Tom Delillo (Cyberkill, Hollow's Ridge), and Olga N. Bogdanova (Graveyard Shark, Castle Rock)

Release Date - 2023

Genre - Horror

Tagline - "The fang and claw death match!"

Format - DVD (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     I've been reviewing films over here at Horror Society for over a decade but it doesn't feel like it has been that long.  Honestly, it feels like it has been a handful of years at most but that is about it.  It's crazy to think that I've been here for as long as I have and I'm grateful the opportunities that writing for the site has presented to me.  September of this year made exactly ten years ago that I reviewed the indie tribute to Universal monster movies Tales of Dracula from director Joe DeMuro.  It doesn't feel like it had been that long but I just looked up my review of the film and was shocked by the date.  The reason I'm talking about this is because Joe recently sent me a copy of the film's sequel, Tales of Dracula 2: Dracula Meets the Werewolf.  I knew I had seen it but didn't remember a lot about it so I turned to my review to familiarize myself with the film.  Once I did that I was ready to dive into this sequel.

     The film follows a man who has been marked by the curse of the werewolf to transform into a heinous creature every full moon with an insatiable appetite for flesh.  He partners with a group of Ramani people to destroy Count Dracula with an ancient cross but betrays them when Dracula promises to cure him of his curse.  Things then take an unexpected twist when Dracula crosses paths with his brother, the original werewolf.

     I went into Tales of Dracula 2 after rereading my review for the first film and then revisiting it.  I liked the first film.  It's a solid tribute to the classic Universal monster movies while giving viewers a somewhat original story.  I went into the sequel hoping I would be getting more of what we had already established in the first film but that wasn't the case. The movie had a solid start but wasn't able to follow up with that.   The acting in this is a bit uneven but not bad.  Wayne W. Johnson is a man that has appeared in several films that I've reviewed over the years, including one of my favorite indie horror flicks Night of Something Strange, and he always does a solid job.  He goes above and beyond to get into character with this one but his dialogue was so bad.  I love campy and cheesy horror but the dialogue given to his character just didn't work.  It almost felt like a parody of the drive-in era Dracula films that were a dime a dozen back then.  It doesn't fit the film and created some unintentional humor for the most part.  Tom Delillo returns as the man cursed by the werewolf and delivers another solid performance as well.  He does a great job at pulling on the viewer's heartstrings which may be exactly what I said in my review for the first film but it still holds true here.  The supporting cast is hit or miss but they all suffer from extremely awkward dialogue that doesn't fit the look of the film at all.  The story for this one is not enough for a feature length film.  It runs for around an hour but some of it could be trimmed down to about 40ish minutes.  With that being said, the story kind of goes nowhere.  Dracula prevents his assassination by a werewolf only to fight his brother who was the first werewolf.  I liked the lore that was provided but it's not fully explored as I would have liked.  I feel like the story had more planned and something happened preventing them from giving us their original vision.  Finally, the film has some make-up effects that look great with a lot of traditional methods used to give viewers that classic Universal monster magic.  However, if you want blood and gore then you will be very disappointed.  Overall, Tales of Dracula 2 doesn't live up to the first film.  It does miss it's mark and feel incomplete.  I wanted to like this one but just couldn't.  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!

Veerana

Director(s) - Shyam Ramsay (Hotel, Purana Mandir) and Tulsi Ramsay (Saboot, Tahkhana)

Starring - Jasmin (Divorce, Sarkari Mehman), Hemant Birje (Adventures of Tarzan, Kabrastan), and Sahila Chaddha (Sau Saal Baad, Naaasamajh)

Release Date - 1988

Genre - Horror/Comedy

Tagline - "Sex, blood, and hairy monsters in a feast of Bollywood horror!"

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     A few years back I was introduced to Bollywood horror by Mondo Macabro and Massacre Video.  I've always been open to international titles but a lot of my time was spent on Italian giallo and Japanese splatter.  It wasn't until I watched Mahakaal, or the Bollywood Freddy Krueger, that I knew I had been missing out.  Since then I had snagged the Bollywood collection from Mondo Macabro and watched several of the ones I could find on streaming.  These are truly unique films that I can't put into words how amazing they truly are.  A few weeks back I was sent a few new releases from Mondo Macabro to review.  Among those films was the 1988 Bollywood horror film Verrana.  Like always, I want to thank Mondo Macabro for sending this one over!

     The film follows a young woman who is possessed by the soul of an evil witch that was killed after draining the blood from several locals.  

     I knew nothing about Veerana before I tossed it in but I knew if it was half as fun as Mahakaal then it would be worth it.  This movie did not disappoint.  From the musical numbers, to the effects, and even the humor I was not expecting, delivers.  I really enjoyed this one and can see myself revisiting it a few more times before the year is over.  The acting in this one is inconsistent but not bad.  We have some serious performances that are extremely serious and make the horror aspects of the film feel really creepy.  On the other side, we have some extremely campy and comical acting that I was completely expecting.  It was performances like this that made me fall in love with Bollywood horror especially with the horror releases from the 80s.  The story for this one is a bit more bold than the other Bollywood horror films that I've previously seen.  It's not overly complicated but it does have a lot going on at times.  We have an evil witch, a cult, a possessed woman, a complex family subplot that I never fully understood, and some laughs that almost feel out of place but was still very enjoyable  I really like this mix, especially with the typical Bollywood musical numbers, but I would have liked to see a bit more of a straight forward story with a little more emphasis on the cult.  Finally, the film has some great make-up effects and some beautiful sets.  I loved the look of the witch and the scenes when the was possessed.  The make up effects are great and really stand out with the film.  I would have loved some memorable gore but I knew I wasn't getting that going into it.  Overall, Veerana is a must see for Bollywood horror fans.  I may not be adding this to my October rotation but I can see myself revisiting this one a few more times.  I highly recommend it.  

Cracula

Brad Twigg (Crackoon, 10/31 Part 3)

Starring - Tim Hale (Meat, Killer Campout Part II), Chanda Rawlings (Go Away, The Slasher Nurse), and Chris Rhydings (A Cheesy Christmas, Trivial)

Release Date -2025

Genre - Horror/Comedy

Tagline - "He wants to smoke your blood"

Format - Streaming (Online Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     I've been a fan of Brad Twigg for sometime now since his release of Milf vs. Zombies.  I know I often reference this in my reviews but I like to throw it out there to piss off one random reader who didn't like the fact that I was included in the special thanks in the credits and still took the time to give it an honest review.  In reality, I'm a fan of his films and always look forward to his projects.  With that being said, not all of the Fuzzy Monkey Films' releases are the same.  I enjoy some more than others with Crackcoon being one of my new favorites.  Sometime back, Twigg announced a few films continuing the drug fueled puns that became popular after the release of Cocaine Bear and his film Crackcoon.  One of those films was Cracula starring Tim Hale.  A few days back, Brad reached out to me to review the film.  I graciously accepted the offer and would like to thank Brad for sending this one my way for review.

     The film follows Rick (Rhydings) who just inherited a storage locker after the death of his parents.  However, two drug addicts break into it before they can inspect it's contents.  They uncover an ancient coffin which has been a prison to the vampire Dracula (Hale).  Dracula awakens and drains the blood of one of them where he gets a taste of drugs for the first time.  He turns the other into his familiar and sends him out into the wilds of West Virginia to find others with blood as special as his friend.

     Cracula is another hit in a long line of hits from filmmaker Brad Twigg and his Fuzzy Monkey Films label.  The film is nowhere near as fun as Crackcoon and Killer Campout in my opinions but it was still a solid modern day vampire tale that borrows heavily from the Bram Stoker classic tale...with drugs.  The acting in this one is a lot of fun.  Tim Hale has appeared in several genre titles over the years and has always done a solid job with his roles.  With that being said, he did a phenomenal job tackling the starring role.  He's extremely comfortable in front of the camera and brought about some laughs that I was not expecting.  I look forward to watching him lead other horror comedies in the future.  We also see more Fuzzy Monkey regulars like Melissa Sapienza, Rick Jermaine, and Chris Rhydings among a few others.  They deliver some solid performances as well.  The cast is very well rounded here.  However, I would be doing the film great injustice if I don't mention how much I enjoyed the performances from Chanda Rawlings, Chad Critelli, and Kristina Santiago.  I had a lot of fun with their roles, especially Critelli.  His modern day junkie spin on Renfield was a lot of fun.  The story for this one is exactly what you would think if you took the classic Dracula tale and set it in the middle of rural West Virginia.  We have Dracula, bikers, prostitutes, drugs, and a stripper named Cinnamon just like the original story penned by Stoker.  Or not, I can't remember.  Anyway, the film gives it a modern spin with some of the stereotypes facing the mountainous regions of West Virginia.  Honestly, it's funny at times but a lot of the jokes and scenes miss their marks.  While I did enjoy the movie, several scenes could have been trimmed down to improve the pacing.  Also, the movie doesn't feature THAT much drug use.  I was expecting a lot more for a film titled Cracula.  Finally, the film has some blood and some nudity.  The effects are very limited considering it's a vampire flick.  We get some blood, some fake teeth "biting" people, and that is about the extent of it.  What the film lacks in effects, it more than makes up for in nudity.  Overall, Cracula is a fun and sleazy take on the classic Dracula story...if it was set in the mountain state.  I would definitely recommend checking this out and pairing it with Twigg's Crackcoon.   Check it out.    

Bite School 2

Director - James Balsamo (Hack Job, Bite School)

Starring - James Balsamo, Craig Muckler (Hollywood Werewolf, The Hand That Feeds), and Bob Cummings (Demonoids from Hell, Mind Melters 2)

Release Date - 2025

Genre - Horror/Comedy

Tagline - "Bad cop.  Bat cop"

Format - Streaming (Online Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     A decade or so ago I befriended filmmaker and pun-gineer James Balsamo as he was promoting a few of the films he was releasing.  I reviewed several of them around that time like I Spill Your Guts, Hack Job, Cool as Hell, Killer Waves, and Bite School.  I liked most of his films but Bite School was probably my favorite of those releases.  I've randomly reviewed a few of James' releases since then but Bite School has always stood out to me.  A few nights back James reached out for me to review a new one from him and it just happened to be a sequel to Bite School.  I was really looking forward to checking this one out so I moved it to the top of my review list so I could quickly check it out.

     The film follows former millionaire playboy Tony Canoni (Balsamo) who has been hunting vampires for the last ten years when he comes across a large gathering of vampires performing a ceremony with Robot Dracula.  Now, he must stop them before their diabolical plan takes over the world.

     Bite School 2 goes a route I was not expecting but I did dig the direction.  However, the way Balsamo's films have been in recent years is something I'm not really a fan of.  I had a lot of fun with his earlier films but the endless cameos and random scenes filmed at conventions or in hotel halls takes away from the overall film.  The acting in this one is very uneven.  Some of the cast, actually a great deal of it, is random scenes from celebrities and musicians talking to the camera from what I assume was a video sent to Balsamo to be added to the film or from conventions and hotel lobbies.  It's clear that they have no idea what the film is about and is asked to give out some random bits of dialogue for the camera so it could be pieced in during editing.  When you remove those scenes you are left with some pretty decent acting.  Balsamo does a solid performance and the remainder of the cast is the same as well but the film doesn't give them much time to really get into their roles before we move between cameos.  The story for this one suffers just like the acting does.  I liked the Robot Dracula character and picking up with Tony ten years later.  However, as soon as the film gains tractions it is derailed by the random cameos that don't really fit the film.  I would love to see this one edited with these removed so we can get a more coherent story.  Finally, this is probably the most impressive film in regards to effects that I've seen with Balsamo attached.  The make-up effects are solid enough but what impressed me was the prosthetics and creature design.  I absolutely loved the look of the vampires and Robot Dracula.  I would have loved some gore but I'll take what I can get here.  Overall, Bite School 2 is a film that I liked but only half of it.  The random inserts and cameos does take away from the film which is a bummer considering how much I love the first film.  I wanted to love it but couldn't.  

Doctor Vampire

Director - Jamie Luk (Ghost in the House, Robotrix)

Starring - Bowie Lam (Hard Boiled, Supercop 2), Ellen Chan (Perfect Match, Exiled), and Sheila Chan (Ghost for Sale, Mortuary Blues)

Release Date - 1990

Genre - Horror/Comedy

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection)

Rating (out of 5):

     The main reason I bought the Golden Harvest Volume 1: Supernatural Shockers was for the 1990s horror comedy Doctor Vampire.  I was looking for this one on Amazon when I found it in a box set recently released by Shout Factory and decided this was perfect.  Not only would I get the film I was looking for but I would get five bonus films that I had never seen before.  I almost started with this film when I started reviewing the set but decided to go in order in which they appear in the box.  After Sex and Zen along with the three Erotic Ghost Story films it was finally time to watch the film I originally wanted to see!

     The film follows a doctor who is traveling abroad when he finds himself in the presence of a female vampire.  She bites him on his nether region and leaves him alone for the day.  He leaves to return home unknowing that he was slowly transforming into a vampire himself.  

     Doctor Vampire is one that has been on my radar for sometime after I received a press release for the UK release from Eureka Entertainment.  In fact, that was the release I was looking for when I ventured to Amazon.  I had no idea Shout had put out this set but I'm glad I found it.  I've enjoyed the hell out of it so far.  Doctor Vampire is no exception.  While it's not the film I was hoping it was, it was still a fun one regardless.  The acting in this one is probably my favorite of the set so far.  The characters are wildly enjoyable and the cast has a lot of energy that they bring to every scene.  While the story was a bit lacking, the performances we are given more than makes up for the story.  The story for this one is not what I was expecting.  I was under the impression it was a film following a doctor who was turned into a vampire but continues to try and practice medicine resulting in funny situations with random interactions with blood.  Instead, it's a doctor turned vampire that is hunted by another vampire because he has a rare blood type.  It's a funny story but I feel like it could have been a lot funnier especially if it took a more slapstick approach.  Finally, the film has some blood and that is about the extent of it.  The blood we get is rather minimal and not enough to really stand out.  Overall, Doctor Vampire is a solid horror comedy with a great cast and some laughs.  It's not a bloody flick, which is a bit disappointing for a vampire flick, but it still works.   Check it out.  

Nosferatu

Director - Robert Eggers (The Witch, The Lighthouse)

Starring - Lily-Rose Depp (Tusk, Yoga Hosers), Nicholas Hoult (Warm Bodies, Mad Max: Fury Road), and Bill Skarsgard (It, Barbarian)

Release Date - 2024

Genre - Horror

Tagline - "Succumb to the darkness"

Format - Streaming (Fandango at Home)

Rating (out of 5):

     I became obsessed with the Universal classic monsters when I was in high school.  At the time Universal was putting out DVD box sets for each of the monsters and I was scrambling to find them all.  This started my deep dive into the careers of some of the legends that portrayed many of the monsters like Bela Lugosi, Boris Karloff, Lon Chaney Jr., an so on.  Chaney Jr. lead me to his legendary father and this turned me on to films from the silent era of Hollywood and what is one of the most iconic films of the time period, Nosferatu.  It was fairly easy to track down a copy of the film due to it being public domain now.  This is a film that I greatly admire and love that younger generations have discovered it because of Spongebob.  When news broke that The Witch's Robert Eggers was remaking the film, I knew I had to see it.  He is a filmmaker that has not let me down and I knew he would absolutely knock this one out of the park.  A few weeks ago I was lucky enough to receive a package for the film's digital release that included a code to check it out.  Damn right I took advantage of that to see the film.

    The film follows an underling sent to a castle deep in the Carpathians to see a Count.  The count is buying an old mansion in England and the young man is tasked with visiting him to sign the necessary paperwork.  What he doesn't know is that this is a ploy from his employer who is in leagues with the count.  The count is secretly a vampire with an obsession for the young man's new bride.  The count plans on locking him away and setting sail to England to be with her but he is able to escape.  He teams up with two doctors, one of which has knowledge of vampires, to stop the count from damning her soul.

     Nosferatu is an iconic silent era film that can be argued that it is still effective to this day.  It does have it's fair share of haters, especially those who disagree with the fact that it was a blatant rip off of Bram Stoker's Dracula.  This remake, like a lot of pop horror releases, seemed to split the genre community.  Some loved the film and hailed it as their favorite of the year while others were disgusted by the sexual energy an Orlok's mustache even though it was period accurate.  I went into this one with both in mind and found myself absolutely loving it.  It may not be as amazing as the original but it's still a must see for genre fans.  The acting in this one is unforgettable.  Hoult and Depp and fantastic.  Hoult has never disappointed me and I'm always looking forward to the next film of his.  Lily-Rose Depp also does a fantastic job as well.  Her performance here is legendary and images of her from the film will live on in cinema history.  The supporting cast is just as phenomenal.  Willem Dafoe, Bill Skarsgard, and so on deliver the same intense and amazing performances.  The story for this one does follow closely to the original film which does borrow heavily from the classic novel.  It's very romantic fantasy heavy with a lot of horror elements scattered throughout.  The film does rely on dialogue heavy scenes to get the character's background and story progressing but it's not that boring.  The atmosphere and tension helps with the pacing issue creating a very effective story.  Fans of The Witch and The Lighthouse will truly appreciate the way the story is delivered here.  Finally, the film has a high body count.  We get a lot of the traditional vampire kills that uses some blood and light make-up effects.  I also love the look of Skarsgard as Count Orlock.  The mustache does fit the period while paying homage to the man who created the Dracula legend.  With that being said, there is several scenes that use a heavy dose of computer generated effects that are a bit goofy.  Overall, Nosferatu is a must see especially if you like the original film or the works of Robert Eggers.  I know pop horror fans will flock to this one but if you are a lifelong genre fan that is on the fence then I highly suggest you check it out.  It's well worth your time!

Sammy Slick: Vampire Slayer

Director - Christopher Leto (Psycho Science, Death Blow)

Starring - Klein Wong (Swamp Woman, Death Blow), Ariella Aegen (The Book, Dangerous Isolation), and Barbora Sulova (The Beast Comes at Midnight, Werewolf of Wismar)

Release Date - 2023

Genre - Horror/Comedy

Format - Streaming (Tubi)

Rating (out of 5):

     Yesterday I inadvertently found myself in a Jessa Flux double feature when I hit play on Brad Twigg's Crackcoon and followed that up with Christopher Leto's Psycho Science.  Both films were fantastic and after watching Psycho Science I realized I had yet to watch another newer one from Leto.  In 2023 he release the horror comedy Sammy Slick: Vampire Slayer and I completely forgot to snag a copy.  I saw it it was on Tubi and decided to check it out as well which, coincidentally, turned into a Klein Wong and Ariella Aegen double feature.  

     The film follows Sammy Slick (Wong) who is a vampire slayer.  He receives a visit from a stripper who claims that the strip club she works at is now owned by vampires.  An investigation into the nightclub results in the owner and her goons finding out he is looking into them.  She sends out several hits on him and his assistant forcing them to fight back.

     Sammy Slick was a pretty enjoyable vampire flick but I did find myself laughing at some unintentionally funny moments.  I knew they were unintentional because of how out of place it was.  However, if you were to remove these elements completely, the film would still be enjoyable.  The acting in this one is pretty solid for the most part.  The characters are very well written and the cast does a fantastic job with what they were given.  Wong and Aegen are great together and I hope to see them both appear in more genre films.  With that being said, the fight scenes had me ugly laughing.  The cast was so stiff and awkward to watch that it resulted in some laughs that were clearly not intentional.  The story for this one is straight forward with no plot twists or real depth.  While I would have liked a little more substance to the story, I still found it enjoyable especially when you consider how well written the characters are.  You don't get a lot of indie horror films with characters written that well.  Finally, the film has some blood, nudity, and horrible visual effects.  The blood is fine and the nudity is perfect but the visual effects were atrocious.  Honestly, the film could have went another route to show the vampires dying instead of taking the Buffy the Vampire approach.  Overall, Sammy Slick: Vampire Slayer is a solid indie vampire flick.  While I did have some laughs at it's expense, I still enjoyed it for what it was.  Grab a few beers and enjoy the nudity at the very least!

     

Death Streamer

Director - Charles Band (The Alchemist, The Dungeonmaster)

Starring - Emma Massalone (Yellowstone, Female Friendly), Kaitlin Moore (America's Most Wanted, Something's in the Air), and Aaron McDaniel (Murder of God's Banker, A Crime to Remember)

Release Date - 2024

Genre - Horror

Tagline - "Log on.  Bleed out"

Format - Streaming (Online Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     I've been a fan of Full Moon Features for decades now and I will be the first to admit that some of their more recent titles have lost the spark that made their films so enjoyable in the first place.  I might be one of the few people in the world that enjoy the Evil Bong franchise along with Weedjies and a few other films they've released. However, they have released just as many turds in recent years like Ooga Booga, Unlucky Charms, and several others.  I'm always open to their new release but I never know what to expect.  A few days ago I was sent a press release and screener link for the newest Charles Band directed film, Death Streamer.  I was going to hold off a week or so and include it in my October horror binge but I couldn't wait.  I had to see it now.

     The film follows three true crime podcasters who come across a live video of a man killing a beautiful young woman.  When they find a second live video of a beautiful young woman getting her throat ripped out, they start looking further into it in hopes of finding their next story.  However, the closer they get to the source of the video the deadlier it becomes when they learn that the person responsible is a vampire using smart glasses to record his feedings.

     Death Streamer isn't as fun as Full Moon's Subspecies but it's still a fantastic vampire film.  We don't get a lot of films from this sub-genre any more so it was great that Full Moon stepped away from their puppet flicks to give us something a bit different.  The acting in this one is great.  The characters in this one are so much fun.  They have so many great personalities and the cast did an amazing job bringing them to life.  I didn't care for the dialogue at times but the cast did a fantastic job with what they were given.  The story for this one is simple but works.  It has a modern twist on vampires using technology to gain fame while feeding.  Honestly, as campy as that is, I still liked that.  I also liked the true crime video/podcasters stumbling across the live videos and trying to dig into it for their next story.  It works but the dialogue could have been better.  They used it to tie up gapping plot holes and so on which didn't work.  It wasn't natural and felt awkward at times.  Finally, the film has lots and lots of blood.  While some of the visual effects were horrible, the practical effects were very well done.  I would have loved some decent gore but the buckets of blood we do get is very enjoyable.  Overall, Death Streamer may not be an instant classic from Full Moon but it's still a damn fine vampire film.  I highly recommend checking it out when it's available.  

Abigail

Director(s) - Matt Bettinelli-Olpin (Scream, Scream VI) and Tyler Gillett (Ready or Not, Soutbound)

Starring - Melissa Barrera (Your Monster, Scream VI), Dan Stevens (Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, Cuckoo), and Alisha Weir (Don't Leave Home, Wicked Little Letters)

Release Date -2024

Genre - Horror

Tagline - "Children can be such monsters"

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     I will credit Tom Savini's remake of Night of the Living Dead as the film that got me into horror.  It wasn't long after that when I first took the deep dived into the original Night of the Living Dead and it's two sequels at that time.  While it was zombies that introduced me to it, it was vampires that became my first genre obsession.  I remember renting films like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Fright Night, Children of the Night, Subspecies, and so on over and over again as a kid at the local video store.  Even now I find myself going out of my way to review vampire flicks when I get the chance.  That's why I was beyond excited when news broke of Universal's vampire flick Abigail and rumors that it would be jumpstarting their new Monsterverse.  I followed this one closely and as soon as I was able to review I jumped at the opportunity.  I want to thank Universal for sending this one over!

     The film follows a small team of criminals who kidnap the little girl of a wealthy man.  They were brought together to kidnap her and hold her for ransom without being told who her father is.  However, as the night progresses they suspect she is the daughter of a underworld crime boss.  When they start to go missing one by one and turning up dead they quickly realize that the little girl they kidnapped is a real life monster.  

     I didn't expect Abigail to be my next new favorite film but I was hoping it would be extremely bloody and violent.  However, after finally getting to see it I can safely say that this is one of my favorite films of the year.  It is bloody and violent that works well with the story.  The acting in this one is a lot of fun.  While I wouldn't call it the best acting I've seen in a recent horror feature, I will say that the cast gives viewers some great characters that they can associate with or love watching them die.  They all have backstories, distinct personalities and truly brought something to the story.  The story for this one is not what I was expecting at all.  I knew it involved a group of people trapped inside a building with a child-like vampire.  While they is the basic premise, it still has a lot more going on with the organized crime angle and her "father" being a very powerful vampire.  Honestly, I fucking loved this story and can't wait to see where they take it next with the future expansions.  Finally, this one does not shy away from the red stuff.  We get some pretty imaginative deaths that not only fits in with the vampire theme but gives some of the more dedicated horror the amazing effects they were looking for.  Overall, Abigail is a fun modern vampire film that doesn't  ride the coattails of other known properties.  It creates it's own legend with so much room to expand.  I highly recommend checking it out.  

Last Voyage of the Demeter

Director - Andre Ovredal (The Autopsy of Jane Doe, Troll Hunter)

Starring - Corey Hawkins (Kong: Skull Island, The Walking Dead), Aisling Franciosi (Game of Thrones, God's Creatures), and Liam Cunningham (Clash of the Titans, Masters of the Universe: Revelations)

Release Date - 2023

Genre - Horror

Tagline - "The legend of Dracula is born"

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     Horror has a lot of iconic stories but very few are as memorable as Bram Stoker's Dracula. This iconic tale has spawned countless movies, unofficial sequels, and some may even argue that is created an entire sub-genre to horror. It's one of the most recognizable stories that has been adapted many times on film. While I love the story of Dracula, I will be the first to admit that I'm tired of all the adaptations telling the same story. That's why I was very excited for The Last Voyage of the Demeter. I was really looking forward to watching a film about the ill-fated crew on the ship that brought Dracula from his homeland to Carfax Abbey. Sadly, I wasn't able to check this one out in theaters but as soon as I could work it into my schedule I did, and it just happened to be right after I watched another movie starring David Dastmalchian. 

      The film follows the doomed crew of the Demeter as they make their way to England unknowingly with Dracula in tow. The crew is uneasy at night and when they discover a woman aboard claiming to be the food supply for a creature in a coffin like crate they are transporting. Soon they realize that their ship is now a crypt, and everyone's life is in danger. 

      I went into The Last Voyage of the Demeter hearing a lot of mixed things about it. Typically, I enjoy the horror titles that get a lot of hate from genre fans. However, when a film divides the horror community like this one did then I'm a little weary of it. However, after finally seeing the film, I can see why so many disliked it but I enjoyed it especially as a pop horror flick. The acting in this one is pretty solid. A lot of the male crew blended into the background or was simply there to die. However, some of the crew did stand out and had great character development. With that being said, the entire film was well acted but not everyone stood out or was as memorable as others. The story for this one is an interested spin on a known story that so many genre fans know and love. The film takes one small portion of the book and turns it into a feature length film. While the pacing does struggle from time to time, I was still impressed by how far the story was able to go and didn't feel claustrophobic. Finally, the film has a lot of blood, make-up effects, and visual effects that fit the film very well. While I think the visuals will not age that well, I really did like the make-up effects shown in the film. Overall, The Last Voyage of the Demeter is a bit of a slow burner but once it picks up it delivers. I really enjoyed how it brought us a famous part of Bram Stoker's Dracula that we have never seen before. Fans of the novel should check this one out

Vampires and Other Stereotypes

Director - Kevin J. Lindenmuth (Rage of the Werewolf, Monstersdotcom)

Starring - Bill White (Heartwood), Ed Hubbard (Kissing Cousins Monster Babies and Morphing Elvis, The History of Everything Circa 1993), and Wendy Bednarz (There's Nothing Out There)

Release Date - 1994

Genre - Horror

Tagline - "Vampirism... don't believe the hype"

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     I've been a fan of Wild Eye Releasing for damn near a decade now. I love the indie releases they put out on DVD. They get films that would normally be looked over by genre fans out there for people to discover. I'm a huge champion of indie cinema and love the indie releases they put out. Hell, even if I don't like the film I still have fun watching it. When Wild Eye announced the creation of their sister label Visual Vengeance, I thought they would be focusing on new indie horror titles like their Wild Eye line. I was wrong. What Visual Vengeance did was something I had hoped other boutique labels would do and bring us low quality indie horror films from the late 80s through early 2000s to bluray. While companies like Vinegar Syndrome do this with films from the video store era and before, VV delivers movies that these types of labels would often skip over due to the films being too goofy, amateurish, and far from perfect. I recently was sent their release of Vampires and Other Stereotypes for review and couldn't wait to dig into it. I want to thank Wild Eye and Visual Vengeance for sending this one over! 

      The film follows a man and his partner that fight supernatural creatures, so they don't wreak havoc on mankind. During a routine mission they find a man being held captive in an abandoned building. They save him but decide to interrogate him when they are interrupted by a man who brought three women there to party. The man is actually a demon and brought the women there to breed and when they crossed over into the building it was taken to hell forcing everyone inside to fight for their lives or die gruesome deaths at the hands and claws of hell spawn. 

      Vampires and Other Stereotypes is a film I was not familiar with prior to this release but the artwork fucking sold me on it. The movie itself is a bit of a low-quality film with not a lot of opportunity to restore it. Visual Vengeance did a great job with the film but the video is not the best quality. I can only assume they did the best with what they had and I'm grateful for it. The film was a lot of fun especially if you are a fan of shows like Kolchak: The Night Stalker and The X-Files. The acting in this one is inconsistent. Some of the cast delivers solid performances but the rest of the cast is extremely stiff and awkward to watch. Their dialogue delivery feels forced and they don't get into character like the rest of the cast. It's not the worst I've seen but some scenes were a little difficult to finish. The story for this one is very bold for a no budget S.O.V. horror flick but I loved it. A secret group of people fighting things that go bump in the night while the world's population is oblivious to the fact has always intrigued me. I also loved how the film is completely locked in this one location yet was able to progress the story. That is brilliant writing with budget in mind. I also loved the back story they established with hell, the demons, and how the building was taken to hell. We get something very different than what you would expect in hell from a Christian standpoint. With that being said, some of the scenes are a bit too long. Some trimming would go a long way. Finally, the film has a lot of fun practical effects. The wall of heads that is reminiscent of Coffin Joe was awesome to see along with the great make-up effects. We also get some fun deaths that are bloody with decent enough practical effects. The film clearly had a low budget, but the effects still find their mark. Overall, Vampires and Other Stereotypes was an awesome early 90s S.O.V. horror flick. The title does kind of suck but the film is well worth your time. Be sure to grab the blu from Visual Vengeance!

Bloodsucking Redneck Vampires

Director(s) - Michael Hegg and Joe Sherlock (Odd Noggins, Odder Noggins)

Starring - Dee Alsman (Underbelly, Twisted Fates), Emily Andrews (Hairspray, The Devil's Trail), and Erin Arbogast (Vicious Circle, The Popcorn of Doom)

Release Date - 2004

Genre  - Horror/Comedy

Tagline - "Ya'll come back now, ya hear?"

Format - Streaming (Tubi)

Rating (out of 5):

     Last month I started working through a good portion of Skullface Astronaut’s filmography. This started from a post I made at the end of September when I asked for indie films to watch and review during my October horror binge. Director Joe Sherlock was kind enough to send me over links to several of his movies so I decided to have a few mini-marathons every couple of days. This time around I decided to start 2004 horror comedy Bloodsucking Redneck Vampires. Like always, I want to thank Joe and Skullface Astronaut for sending these over. 

      The film follows a backwoods family who has won a contest to have an interior designer remodel one of their rooms. While he is getting acclimated to his new surroundings, a female vampire and her servant has relocated to their neck of the woods and plans on turning the yokels into her bloodsucking servants. 

      Bloodsucking Redneck Vampires is probably one of the most amateurish films in the Skullface Astronaut catalogue but it’s probably one of my favorites. I was in high school in the early 2000s and was obsessed with indie and no budget horror flicks. I was an active member of the UHM message boards and founds so many of my favorite films through them. I could totally see myself loving this film if I would have watched it when it was originally released. It’s the perfect amount of goofy and I’m a sucker for a vampire flick. The acting in this one is extremely fun but it’s obvious that this was the first film for a lot of the cast. I applaud their dedication but the inexperience does make a few of the scenes feel a little awkward. The story for this one is simple and straight forward but at times it didn’t feel like a horror flick. With that being said, I loved the way the film was set up. While the horror does take the back seat, the characters and their personalities steal the show. I would have loved a bigger role for the vampires in the film but it works without it. Finally, the film doesn’t really have any deaths or effects for the viewer to enjoy. It’s a no budget film and the crew did the best with what they had. Sadly, memorable deaths were not part of the cards. Overall, Bloodsucking Redneck Vampires is one of the few hixploitation horror films that I’ve been lucky enough to review. It’s a subgenre that I wish more filmmakers would approach because you can get project like this. The film is funny and the characters are very memorable. The vampires do get the short end of the stick but it still works. Check it out.