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August 2009

Meat is Murder: Cannibalism in Slasher Films

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That old cut up Ed Gein usually gets all of the credit (or blame) for inspiring the cannibal slasher sub-genre. I’ve uncovered three lesser known tales of cannibalism that may have influenced the genre during the 1970s and 1980s.

1. The Legend of Sawney Bean: For over 20 years Sawney Bean and is inbred clan turned the coast of Scotland into their family hunting grounds. Over 1,000 people were murdered and eaten by the cannibalistic clan before King James I and an army of 400 well armed soldiers tracked them down. Upon entering Bean’s cave, the men discovered piles of human bones and pickled human flesh. Retribution was harsh and swift. The men of the clan had their arms, legs, and genitals chopped off and bled to death. The women and children of the clan were forced to watch the men’s punishment before all being burned alive at the stake.

The legend of Sawney Bean can be found in the Texas Chainsaw Massacre series, The Hills Have Eyes, Cannibal Campout, and Lunchmeat. All of these films deal with civilized people becoming lunch for savage, inbred families who are regressing down the evolutionary ladder. Leatherface-The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III captures Sawney’s spirit the best. The whole family, even the little girl, is shown partaking in the family tradition of hunting and killing humans for food. Even more disturbing, the clan in Leatherface is reproducing. As one member states, Leatherface might not be a handsome man but he makes beautiful babies.

2. The Accidental Cannibals: This urban legends centers around an Eastern European family and the package they receive from a relative living in the states. Inside the package the family discover a beautiful ornate jar containing a mysterious powder. The women in the family decide the powder is an exotic spice from America and begin adding the spice to the soups, puddings, and everything else served during the evening meals. A few weeks later, after all of the spice has been consumed, the family gets a shocking letter from the States. A relative writes to inform the family poor old granny died in America several months ago and her dying wish was to have her ashes spread across the mountains of her homeland. The letter concludes with a description of the urn containing granny’s ashes. It’s a beautiful ornate jar.

Slashers using the theme of The Accidental Cannibals include Microwave Massacre, Motel Hell, Offerings, and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2. The joke is the folks in these films don’t know the secret ingredient in the wonderful food they’re consuming (Cook’s Bar-B-Q, Farmer Vincent’s Fritters) is human flesh. The viewer is usually let in on the joke early on while the hapless characters munch away until the big reveal at the conclusion of the film. We know there is a little extra meat on that meat lover’s pizza in Offerings and dead hookers in the lunch boxes on Microwave Massacre.

3. Survive: On October 13, 1972 Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571 crashed in the Andes Mountains. The rugby players who survived the crash stayed alive for 72 days in that frozen hell by eating the dead passengers. When the survivors were finally rescued and their dietary habits were uncovered, it created a world wide media storm. Sensational books (Alive) and films (Survive!) were rushed into production to cash in on the story.

The three best examples of “survive at any cost” slashers are My Bloody Valentine, Humongous, and Anthropophagus (aka The Grim Reaper). Harry Warden might not be thought of as a cannibal but the restored footage in the special edition dvd clearly shows Harry chewing on a handsandwich provided by a dead co-worker. One wonders if Harry nibbled on those hearts before stuffing them in candy boxes. The killer in Humongous is never shown consuming human flesh but he’s keeping those bodies on meat hooks for a reason. With no other food source available on Dog Island the killer has to add stranded boaters to the menu if he wants to stay alive. Anthropophagus is the story of a man who eats his wife and son to stay alive while lost at sea. Unfortunately for the other characters in the film, the man becomes addicted to consuming human flesh. The visual highlights in Joe D’Amato’s cannibal classic include star/script writer George Eastman ripping out a mother’s fetus for a quick snack and chewing his own intestines after they’ve been ripped out by a well placed pick-axe.

SOV Summer: Boardinghouse (1982) Review

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*Note: I wrote this review before Code Red’s release of this incredible film.

For those of you unaware of who exactly to blame for the shot-on-video sub-genre, look no further than director David Wintergate who made the first SOV flick, Boardinghouse. It would be easy enough to attack the poor Mr. Wintergate for creating such an ill-conceived movement, but I’ll be damned, Boardinghouse is good stuff.

vlcsnap-2009-08-06-21h50m30s17Of course, you’ll have to forgive its many faults, including the awful opening sequence, which features a very primitive word processor delegating information to the audience regarding the house in question. After a few minutes of obnoxious beeping, I thought I was through with this cheap backyard slasher, but then came the real movie, featuring Wintergate as Jim (looking a lot like Michael Des Barres) practicing the art of telekinesis in his underwear at his office! We soon find out that Jim has put out an ad for tenants, women only no less, to live with him in his large but rather bland house. Being the 80s – which means tons of women with loose morals – the house fills up quicker than a bar on bottomless beer night. In fact, there are so many women, it’s almost impossible to keep track of them all. I ended up calling them “Blonde Floozy” and “Hot Blonde British Girl” just to identify them.

Things are sexy, fun and pretty mild until some sort of unseen force starts slicing its way through the estrogen. Luckily, before each gory scene Wintergate threw in a hallucinogenic warning sign so we can cover our poor, virgin eyes if need be. One of the girls, Victoria (Kalassu… that’s right, simply Kalassu), an up and coming rock star (and the only girl with a discernable personality) also has the touch and during a house party, the couple go toe to toe with the menacing force, which frankly was never that menacing to begin with.

vlcsnap-2009-08-06-22h03m01s87Boardinghouse is a movie that has to be seen to be believed. But be forewarned, you must have the constitution of a true horror hound with a taste for the totally absurd to watch it all the way through. Luckily, I am that person, so this was as good as ice cream on a hot summer day. I don’t think I could exactly pinpoint what was so bewitching about this mess of movie, but I laughed the whole way through and I just simply enjoyed the moxey of Wintergate. Plus Kalassu does show some real presence as an actress and a singer and gives the disgruntled audience one character to hold on to.

Since its original release, Boardinghouse has been relegated to the dusty back shelves of video stores, which is unfortunate, especially in this day and age where we’ve reached a new pinnacle of SOV madness. Few of these newer films can hold a candle to Wintergate’s extremely flawed but effervescent sleaze fest. I hope Wintergate is aware of the lunacy he’s unleashed on genre fans across the globe and I hope he’s smiling.

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Code Red’s Top Ten Most Anticipated Releases

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Code Red has managed to expose their audiences to a wealth of wonderful trailers, which excite most exploitation fans. This month alone we will see the releases of “Trapped”, “The Weekend Murders”, “Stunt Rock” and “The Strangeness”. And of course slasher fans have been eagerly waiting for the releases of “Butcher, Baker, Nightmare Maker”, “Nightmares”, and “The Mutilator”. Leaving the aforementioned titles out, this list provides ten more films that seem really exciting and one can only hope that they will be released very soon.

1.) “The Farmer”: (1977) This is one trailer Code Red has shown on a vast majority of their releases. The grainy and grimy picture reminds one of the classic genre of revenge films from the seventies. Gary Conway plays a retired war vet that is pushed over the edge. He wants a chance to start a farm and new life with his wife. When the going gets tough he starts working for a local mob boss and that is the start of a bloody dispute. The film was almost rated X for the depiction of violence. Columbia Pictures ignored this film after its very limited release. Not sure what type of film they thought they had because in the trailer they compare it to “Five Easy Pieces”, and “Taxi Driver”.

2.) “The Visitor”: (1979) This is a curio-piece of trash from the vaults. John Huston, (Director of “The Maltese Falcon”) plays an alien on Earth that must battle a spoiled brat with telekinetic powers. Now, how on Earth did this film manage to get Huston? It is often sad to watch a great director be so careless towards the end of their careers. This film is basically a who’s who of fallen stars; Glenn Ford, Lance Henriksen, Sam Peckinpah, Shelley Winters, and Franco Nero, as Jesus Christ. The trailer did not have any sound but some creepy music was added to it.

3.) “Riot on 42nd Street”: Canceled twice, this is a look back at what Times Square used to look like, which anyone that didn’t live through is curious about. This features an appearance by Sgt. Kabukiman N.Y.P.D’s Rick Gianasi and a cameo by Jeff Fahey.

4.) “Mean Johnny Barrows”: (1976) Fred “The Hammer” Williamson stars and directs this film. It is about an ex- G.I that starts work at a gas station and he is discovered by a local mafia boss and gets caught in the cross-fire of two rival families. Roddy McDowall, and Elliot Gould as Professor Theodore Rasputin Waterhouse (What a name.) co-star in this underrated action flick. An interview with Fred Williamson has been recorded for this DVD release.

5.) The Internecine Project: (1974) James Coburn plays a former secret agent promoted to government advisor. He has a past full of dark secrets that he must keep hidden. He sets up a ingenious plan to keep his future safe. Glad to see some of Coburn’s lesser films “hopefully” get the proper DVD treatment. This was co-written by Barry Levinson.

6.) “Power Play”: (1978) This is another trailer that received much exposure from Code Red and was released on home video by Media Home Entertainment. The film takes a provocative look at how a nation can be overthrown by the military. Director Martin Burke has recorded a commentary for the upcoming release. The film is elevated even higher by its A-list cast of Peter O’Toole, and Donald Pleasence.

7.) “Gang Wars”: (1976) Returning to New York from a martial arts competition with an amulet found in a cave a young man unleashes a demon. The demon takes up residence in the subway. The film mixes karate films with the slasher genre and that is enough to excite all exploitation fans.

8.) “Pets”: (1974) “There’s an Animal in Every Woman”. The sexy Candice Rialson, (“The Eiger Sanction”) stars in this hitchhiker film that manages to leave its audience with many provocative shocks. Would make a great double feature with another one of their forthcoming titles, “Teenage Hitch-hikers” (1975).

9.) “Who?”: (1973) This film was released on video as “Robo Man”. Elliot Gould, stars in this mix of mystery and science fiction. An American scientist is severely injured in a car accident in East Germany and the doctors in Germany improve his body by turning him into a cyborg. (This pre-dates the “Six-Million Dollar Man”) When he returns to America the F.B.I believes he is a spy from Germany and that is the catalyst for the action sequences in the picture.

10.) “Cheerleaders’ Wild Weekend”: (1979) This film is directed by Jeff Werner, who directed the Robby Benson vehicle and a personal favorite of mine, “Die Laughing”. It stars two cult film superstars, Jason Williams, (Flesh Gordon himself) and Kristine DeBell, (“Alice in Wonderland”). A school bus full of sexy cheerleaders is hijacked by a group of terrorists. An interview with Kristine DeBell has been included for this release.

Debbie Rochon In Slime City Massacre

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Enjoy this post, because it’s the last non-directly-slasher-related one you’ll be seeing in a loooong time due to a major refocusing of the site’s content. But I wanted to pimp this video shot on the set of SLIME CITY MASSACRE because 1. Greg Lamberson‘s SLIME CITY (1988) was quintessential 80’s sleaze, sort of a companion to STREET TRASH, 2. my buddy Wil from Horror Yearbook scored a crew monkey gig on it and 3. Debbie Rochon is my favorite scream queen ever, so there! This is Episode #12 of the SLIME CITY SURVIVOR series of videos, and you can catch up with more right here.

Schizoid (1980) Review

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schizoid“Schizoid” feels like a violent slasher made for the Lifetime network.

That isn’t necessarily a bad thing though. That automatically separates it from the pack and creates the illusion you are watching something new, when in fact it is just a melodramatic horror picture that transports you back to that bygone era of Grindhouse fun, minus the sticky floors.

The creepy Klaus Kinski (”The Soldier,” “Crawlspace”) is Dr. Pieter Fales. He is a psychiatrist with an oddball weekly group therapy session.

Would you go to Kinski for counseling?

Didn’t think so – and that alone leaves you to wonder why these people confide in him. Of course that notion is disrupted as the group is methodically being murdered one by one.

The group is filled with many prime suspects including Fales, his insane daughter, the woman he is sleeping with, her jealous ex-husband and a creepy repairman – all of whom have reasons for killing the patients off.

Which one of them is sick enough to carry out these brutal deeds?

The movie comes alive in its depiction of violence, reminding us that this is still a slasher through the long spells of over the top dramatic acting. A scene where a woman is stabbed in the throat with scissors on a waterbed comes off with an unflinching reality.

Kinski has always been great at providing characters that exist in a world of horror, but here he is terribly miscast as the normal person. He is unconvincing when reading the simplest of dramatic dialogue, but that creates a campy aura to the picture.

And, deep down, that is what B-movie aficionados love.

The cute Donna Wilkes (”Angel”) is the doctor’s out of control teenage daughter, Alison. Her performance is solid for this type of picture, even though it doesn’t seem to be an actuate portrait of teenage life.

But, with Kinski for a father, that may be normal.

Dr. Fales is in love with his patient Julie, played by Mariana Hill (“Relentless”) and it is a given to the audience that is never entirely fleshed out. Hill is a decent leading lady that helps to guide the audience through the weird cast of characters.

Her office is being painted by her ex husband, Doug (Craig Wasson, “Body Double”) and he doesn’t approve of her new boyfriend and believes the therapy group is filling her head with lies.

Wasson is an underrated actor who appeared as the lead in Brian DePalma’s 1984 film, “Body Double” and then later appeared in “Nightmare on Elm Street 3: The Dream Warriors.” With a promising start in those movies, he never seemed to capitalize on the career he could have had.

His performance in “Schizoid” is yet another strong and sturdy role that showcases his talents.

The cast is then rounded out with a small performance from Christopher Lloyd, (”Taxi,” “Back to the Future”) as Gilbert the strange handyman and as always he does the best job he can do with the material given.

Despite some less than stellar acting, the movie is a delightful reminder of why the ‘80s were the best decade for horror movies. It is equal parts gore, mystery and melodrama. Not only that, but it manages to create an intriguing mystery that will keep you guessing until the killer is revealed.

“Schizoid” is what it is and that is what makes it so great. It doesn’t try to be any more than late night fare for a horror junkie.

Nightmare USA

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exploitationNightmare U.S.A. The Untold Story of the Exploitation Independents” is an invaluable textbook that explores Independent horror films from 1970- 1985.

Written by Stephen Thrower, this is a bible for the midnight movie lovers. Choosing several directors and films that he feels best represent the genre, Thrower’s book is a well-detailed account that not only includes his in-depth analyses of the movies, but also first-hand accounts from the people that made them. It took him several years to perform the research for this book and this is made apparent in his scholarly approach to movies that are often looked down upon.

Thrower breaks the lengthy book into three sections. The first is a detailed essay on the underground horror independents and explains some of the highlights and low points. It even examines pictures (”Forced Entry,” “Hardgore”) that pushed the genres into depraved oddities of violence and sex. Section two consists of several chapters devoted to specific movies, their history and interviews with the directors and or the producers. Section three includes brief reviews and interviews for over 100 films, from “The Alchemist” to “The Witch Who Came from the Sea.”

It is a worthwhile read that leaves no lingering questions about the making of some of these films. The directors of these pictures simply relish in recounting the tales of the production of, for most of them, their only attempt to break into Hollywood. Their tales are relatable to anyone with a dream of making a movie someday and how these hardships never kept them down. It is great that their stories are finally told.

The funny thing is that while reading these accounts, you remember that their basic dream was to make a movie about a raving lunatic in the city or the woods. Sure, first-hand accounts are great, but what about the films in the book? “Nightmare” is the good, bad and ugly account of horror films.

Even if you don’t necessarily agree with Thrower’s review, he makes a well-documented argument as to why the movie is relevant. That is made clear in the first chapter, which details “Don’t Go in the Woods… Alone” and makes it sound so much better than the actual experience of sitting through it. This is especially true when we hear first-hand from James Bryant (”The Executioner Part 2.” There was no “Executioner” part one by the way.) about what it was like to direct the production.

But don’t let that chapter turn you off. The chapters to come will teach you about many great horror films that you may never have heard of including, “The Centerfold Girls,” “Don’t Go in the House,” “Fight for Your Life,” “The Strangeness,” “The Child,” “Schoolgirls in Chains” and “Death Bed: The Bed that Eats.”

Section three even covers some great films including “Boarding House” (Featuring an interview with director John Wintergate) and “Let’s Scare Jessica to Death.” Some other movies chosen for this chapter are considered not worthwhile by Thrower, so their inclusion is puzzling.

Time and time again, studies are done on some of the great and historical films of our time, but Thrower has jumped into waters that no one else has dared to tread and creates a new perspective for movie lovers. The retail price maybe considerably high, as it runs for close to 60 dollars on Amazon.com, but for hardcore movie aficionados, it’s a purchase you won’t not be sorry that you made.

The end of the book has an ad for Volume 2 with a listing of what films he will cover. However, that book has no set release date as of now.