The Mutilator, Artistic Slasher Film

One of the highlights of venturing to the video store in the 1980s was found in the horror section.  The box art on VHS cases often times was better than the films it protected.  Who can forget the subtle eroticism of the case of "The Slumber Party Massacre"?  That film and 1984's "The Mutilator" were my favorite two VHS cases (see picture below).  "The Mutilator" (aka "Fall Break"), as a film, may not be as good as it's box art, however, the final 15 minutes of this shocker probably saves it from being a mediocre slasher film.

As a kid, Ed accidentally shotgunned his mom to death.  Ed's dad (Jack Chatham) returns home to find his now corpse-wife...and doesn't handle it well.  Present day, Ed (Matt Mitler) is in college. With a break in the semester, Ed brings five friends to his dad's beach condo.  As the beach season has ended, Ed is supposed to close it down for the winter, but not before and he and his friends have lots of pre-marital sex and drink lots of Natural Lite beer.  Uh oh....living in the cellar is Ed's dad, hidden and waiting.  Oh yeah, Ed's dad clutches a battle-ax like a toddler hugs a teddy bear.

Wouldn't you know it, the pretty Linda (Frances Raines) and hunk Mike (Morey Lampley) find a pool for some midnight skinny dipping.  Ed's dad offs them and with their corpses....well...you'll see.  The battle-ax wielding maniac begins going through Ed's pals like crap through a goose.  The deaths often utilize contraptions found in the dad's fishing closet.  This is unfortunate for the very pretty Sue (Connie Rogers).  To see her very gory death, make sure you find an uncut version of this film.  Now Ed and his Linda Blair look-a-like GF, Pam (Ruth Martinez) are next on the dad's list.  Will Ed and Pam survive?  Just how many sharp and pointy objects occupy a fishing closet?

The final 15 minutes of this film is a gory and shocking. When you see Sue's demise you will wince in pain, especially if you are a female. As a rule, when the maniac is killed in slasher films, he isn't really dead, and this film highlights that in a great final scene.  Directed by Buddy Cooper and John Douglass, "The Mutilator" ends up being an effective slasher film, and is available on YouTube.

Savage Streets, Linda Blair goes Ninja

Linnea Quigley is one of the greatest scream queens of all time.  Known for her risque roles in so many horror films, it is easy to forget she is also a terrific actress.  Her portrayal of young Heather in today's film is sweet, pure, and ultimately heartbreaking.  Quigley's Heather is a deaf high school girl who capture's our hearts.  Her love for ballet and goodness have us all cooing "Awwwww!" every time she is on the screen.  Unfortunately, our film today is "Savage Streets," and goodness and charm do not fare well in 1980s vicious exploitation films. Her vicious demise will send Linda Blair on a warpath in 1984's "Savage Streets."

Alas, poor Heather

After Heather is pummeled, humiliated, and gang raped by a gang called the Scars, her sister Brenda (Linda Blair) vows vengeance.  Brenda may feel a bit responsible as she was in an elongated cat-fight with cheerleader Cindy (Rebecca Perle) in the locker room shower.  These two will engage in another cat-fight later on, in biology class.  Back to less gratuitous elements of the plot.  At first Brenda doesn't know who is responsible for Heather's attack.  Our protagonist heads a lady gang, more into smoking and disrespecting teachers than anything too violent.

Brenda gets mad

Brenda's BFF, Francie (Lisa Freeman) is then murdered by the gang a few days shy of her wedding.  Now Brenda is merciless.  She dons block ninja garb, grabs a crossbow, bear traps, and a switchblade and sets off on a path of homicide.  Jake (Robert Dryer) is the Scars leader, and he is all monster.  Ultimately Jake and Brenda will have a final confrontation which will be full of gore and carnage. When Brenda turns hunter, we almost sympathize with the goons who defiled Heather (almost).

Aiming for Jake

Will Brenda avenge sweet Heather? Does Jake have any mischief and misogyny up his leather jacket sleeve for Brenda? Will our beautiful cheerleader Cindy learn her lesson and avoid future cat-fights with Brenda.  Violent and unapologetic, "Savage Streets" has no mercy for the audience.  If you like your exploitation films that way, Linda Blair and Linnea Quigley are fantastic in "Savage Streets," which is available on YouTube. Directed by Danny Steinmann, this film delivers on the gore and violence.

Turkey Shoot, Obedience is Death

I first saw this plot in a 1933 Fay Wray film, "The Most Dangerous Game." Classic plot....schmucks find their way to an island, usually shipwrecked, and meet an enigmatic host who seems benign. The next day, the host reveals that his new guests will be set loose on the island so he can hunt them down like animals. A more serious and realistic version of this plot was detailed on this blog in my review of "Slave Girls From Beyond Infinity" (click on link to see this review SLAVE GIRLS ). Today we look at one of the most gory versions of this plot, 1982's "Turkey Shoot."

In the near future society has gone mad and is ruled by an evil totalitarian government.  Anyone harboring thoughts of freedom and reform is sent to a prison island for re-education.  Paul (Steve Railsback), an aggressive voice of liberty is sent there with innocent shop owner, Chris (Olivia Hussey). After some gratuitous shower and torture scenes, these two are selected to be in a group of inmates who will be set free to be hunted by Charles (Michael Craig) the warden and his sadistic pals. Each pal will be tasked with killing one of these inmates.  Also in the group is Rita (Lynda Stoner), a sultry blonde who will be pursued by the evil Jennifer (Carmen Duncan).  Jennifer is an evil babe with a bow and arrows who desires to torture and rape Rita before killing her.

Our inmates are set free, but the hunters have all the advantages. Paul and Chris will team up, and fall in love, and provide our hunters with a real challenge.  As Jennifer and Charles demonstrate their cruelty, our runners fall one by one.  In a very ominous scene Jennifer catches up to poor Rita and...well, you'll see. Unlike the other films mentioned above, "Turkey Shoot" has machete carnage, arrow carnage, decapitation carnage, mutant ape-man carnage, torture carnage, etc.... Will Chris and Paul prevail?  If so, Paul has bigger plans for the island than mere escape.  Will Jennifer turn her attention to Chris after finishing off Rita? Yes she will.

Campy and a bit exploitative, this violent action flick is worth a look. Directed by Brian Trenchard-Smith, this film gets very ambitious. Our warden and his friends are incredibly sadistic and jet fighter bombers and epic war scenes become part of the plot.  Available on YouTube in fine quality, enjoy "Turkey Shoot."

JeruZalem, Google meets The End Times

JeruZalem....not Jerusalem.  Stick a Z in it. That's right...Z as in DEMONS. Wait, sorry...Z as in ZOMBIES. Throw in a couple of Jewish babes more interested in pre-marital sex in the Holy Land than their heritage, a hunk anthropologist, bar-hopping, and Google glasses...and we have the newest Holy Land zombie flick. So...let us take a look at why Google glasses are in reality the mark of the beast by examining 2015's "JeruZalem," directed by Doron and Yoav Paz.

Sarah, our nympho protagonist

After losing her brother in an accident, Sarah (Danielle Jadelyn) heads to Tel Aviv. Accompanying her is her BFF Rachel (Rachel Klein). Uh oh....rule number 7 in horror films...do not deviate from original plans, is violated.  The gals meet a handsome young Indiana Jones wannabe, Kevin (Yon Tumarkin), who convinces them to accompany him to Jerusalem.  Bad timing! All goes well at first as Sarah and Kevin have pre-marital sex and lots of bar hopping ensues.  Oh yes, we see this all unfold through Sarah's new Google glasses.  Omar (Tom Graziani), a dashing Muslim joins the party, his last mistake.  As Yom Kippur approaches, so does the zombie apocalypse.

Rachel in peril

Amid unholy behavior in Jerusalem, it begins.  Demons appear in the form of dead people coming back to life.  The Israeli Defense Force, utilizing soldiers and fighter jets attempts to repel them. Now Sarah, Rachel, and Kevin are on the run trying to flee the city. Kevin foresaw this, but no one believed him. In fact, our hunk was deposited in a mental asylum for his grim prophecy. As Sarah rescues her beau from the Kosher nut house, Jerusalem seems to be falling.  No more spoilers, but get ready for the wildest Google glasses scene one could ever imagine.

Rachel in more peril

Can our trio escape the apocalypse? Is a biblical apocalypse merely an exaggerated plot device designed to warn us of the evils of pre-marital sex? Wild and ambitious, and probably not totally biblically accurate, "JeruZalem" is a lot of fun.  Filmed in Israel with stunning scenes of Jerusalem, this is a very interesting horror film (infinitely better than "World War Z" or "Left Behind") with consequences of biblical proportion.  "JeruZalem" is available on Netflix.

Embrace of the Vampire, The Alyssa Milano Version

A few years ago this blog brought you the remake of 1995's "Embrace of the Vampire." Click on this link to see that review EMBRACE  . While the erotic remake seems to be aimed at fans of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," the original resembles a Gothic romance story with a vampire. Critics of the remake will quickly remind us that the original does have Alyssa Milano, often nude, to boast of. Fair enough. The more feminine version is directed by Anne Goursand.

Charlotte (Milano) raised by nuns, and a devout Catholic, is a virgin and always wears white.  Actually, when she wears clothes, they are white, but in this film, that is sporadic. Oh no...she just happened to remind a centuries old vampire (Martin Kemp) of his long lost love.  Our vampire was a French nobleman until three vampire nymphs had their way with him.  Lucky him, he has found his true love on a college campus in the form of a 17 year old virgin.  Now, don't ask why, our bloodsucker has three days to bite her or risks losing her forever. As the vampire begins playing with Charlotte's mind, she begins to have weird visions and seems drawn to her nemesis.

As Charlotte's hunk BF, Chris (Harrison Pruett), realizes he is losing his virginal coed, the vampire seems a sure bet to end up with her.  Leaving nothing to chance, the vampire unleashes doubt in both their minds about their love, and also Marika (Jennifer Tilly), to seduce Chris.  The vampire begins attacking Charlotte's classmates, including the trashy Eliza (Jordan Ladd).  Uh oh....Charlotte begins to explore alternate sexual norms, including a lesbian tryst with Sarah (Charlotte Lewis). With time running out, the vampire must make his move. Has Chris been sufficiently distracted?

Nudity galore, orgies, some gore, and some underage romance highlight this tale of the pursuit of pre-marital sex with Alyssa Milano.  A bit different than the remake, the original "Embrace of the Vampire" is still a nice vampire story.  Available on YouTube, treat yourself to an atmospheric, erotic horror/fantasy.

The Throne of Fire, Swords...Magic....Sultry Princess

Sabrina Siani was a very beautiful Italian horror and exploitation film actress.  Jesus Franco called her one of the worst actresses he ever worked with.  Translation....she never had pre-marital sex with him.  Ms. Siani not only worked in Europe, but also made an action flick in North Korea (click on this link to see a review of that film Ten Zan ). In 1983's "The Throne of Fire" (Il Trono di Fuoco) she plays a sultry princess clad only in an animal skin bikini, boots, and a large sword.

Princess Valkarin (Siani) is captured by the evil Morak (Harrison Muller, Jr.). Morak is a spawn of Satan and prophecy dictates that if he kills the king, marries the Princess on an eclipse, he will rule the world.  Of course, the Princess refuses to marry him, so he kills her people and tries to break her will.  Not all is as hopeless as it seems, as the handsome warrior Siegfried (Pietro Torrisi) sets off to rescue her and kill Morak.  Siegfried has lots of shiny muscles but is dumber than a bag of lug-nuts. His heart is in the right place, but he keeps getting the Princess re-captured.

Realizing that her Prince Charming has an empty attic, Valkarin takes matters into her own hands. As she tells Siegfried, "...a girl has weapons no man has."  Using her sex-appeal, our beauty escapes...but wouldn't you know it...she needs to rescue her dimwit rescuer.  This won't be hard to believe, but Morak is smarter than both of our protagonists and has set a trap for them.  If successful, Valkarin will be forced to marry him and our hunk-with-no-brain will assume room temperature.

Can Valkarin's weapons of womanhood and a really big sword overcome Marok's quest? If successful, will Valkarin marry the dolt Siegfried?  Did Ms. Siani's refusal to sleep with ugly and smelly directors and producers cut her career short?  "The Throne of Fire" (directed by Franco Prosperi) is much fun, and Ms. Siani is always a pleasure to watch on the screen.  Available on YouTube, see "The Throne of Fire," a perfect Italian sword and magic exploitation film.

ARQ, Time Loop got you Down?

Yogi Berra informed us that this was Deja Vu all over again. Like Yogi Berra, films about time loops can be both interesting and annoying.  In this Netflix original film, "ARQ" the Yankee Hall of Famer's maxim will be tested.  Written and directed by Tony Elliott, this terse scifi tale will exercise our minds and leave us trusting no one.

Evil globalist corporation TORUS has destroyed and conquered the world.  Renton (Robbie Amell) designed the ARQ for them.  Uh oh, Renton realizes that TORUS is evil and runs away with his creation.  Double uh oh....the ARQ is able to loop time, which initially comes as a surprise to Renton. The good news for Renton, and there isn't much, time is doing a three hour loop which begins with him waking up to his old GF, Hannah (Rachael Taylor).  The good news ends here. Shortly after waking next to this beautiful woman the home invasion occurs.

The invaders? They may be The Block....an ill equipped group of rebels bent on stopping TORUS. Or maybe they are someone else.  Advantage Renton, as he remembers the past loops and can correct his mistakes every three hours.  The learning curve for Renton is a steep one, and some of the revelations he uncovers will be painful.  Man should not be alone and eventually Hannah begins remembering. Now our duo seeks to turn the table on the evil forces.  As the loops continue, Hannah and Renton will have some difficult decisions to make which could have fatal consequences.

Ms. Taylor and Mr. Amell are fantastic, and we pray that neither one of them ends up being a villain. In these types of tales with so many twists, this is always a possibility.  The story is fast paced and contains a deep and ominous ending.  Kudos to Netflix for creating a rather good science fiction tale.

Most Likely to Die, Hunks and Babes fall to Slasher

Sultry, blonde beauty Ashley (Skyler Vallo), clad in black high heals and shiny role-playing lingerie is chased through the wilderness by a psycho. Her fate will be most gruesome.  If that opening scene appeals to you....well, 2015's "Most Likely to Die" is a film for you. A classic 1980s slasher film made last year....so happy the genre lives on.  Directed by Anthony DiBlasi, and starring some great looking peeps, this film is so therapeutic especially since the NFL bore-fest of a season has begun.

Ashley

10 years after high school graduation, a group of friends meet at Ray's (Jason Tobias) mountain mansion. Ashley arrived early for a gratuitous strip scene and some pre-marital sex.  We already know what happens to this babe, but how about Ray? The friends arrive but Ray is nowhere to be found. The creepy caretaker Tarkin (Jake Busey) drools over our cast.  Pretty Gaby (Heather Morris) is upset that her old BF, Brad (Ryan Doom) is on his way.  Oh yeah, Brad is bringing his new supermodel GF, Bella (Tatum Miranda).  Bella likes to put on and take off her bikini for Tarkin....can you guess her eventual fate?

Simone

Let's speed up....one by one, the guests assume room-temperature.  Simone (Marci Miller) will get it in gory fashion after some spirited pre-marital sex with Lamont (Johnny Ramey), and Tarkin will get it after he spies Bella stripping.  Now the friends realize that they are trapped with a killer and one of them is the killer.  Who to trust? Gaby, with her poker skills, emerges as the most likely to figure out who the killer is, but she better hurry. As throats are cut and supermodels are decapitated, our fiend seems to be unstoppable.

Bella the Supermodel

Perhaps not entirely original, but still lots of fun, "Most Likely to Die" can brag of a very attractive cast and some really neat kills. Yeah, there is an obligatory backstory that fills in a lot of blanks, but I won't elaborate on it.  So as the NFL puts lots of Americans to sleep, enjoy a crisp and fast moving slasher film. "Most Likely to Die" is available on Netflix.

The Dead Room, Things that go Bump in New Zealand

Our feature today can best be described as "The Legend of Hell House-Lite." Instead of two world renown mediums, our film has one pseudo-Goth medium wannabe. Instead of a well financed scientist, and his babe wife, we have a frumpy, salt-of-the-earth science guy. Instead if a cavernous mansion...we have a junky, one step up from redneck hovel, house. Oh yeah....the secret room behind the walls? You'll see. From New Zealand, 2015's "The Dead Room."

A trio of paranormal investigators descend on a house in rural New Zealand. The family which occupied this place ran out suddenly one night vowing never to return.  Apparently ghosts made the home unlivable.  Scott (Jeffrey Thomas) is kind of a scientist who believes all hauntings can be explained scientifically. He has a theory which he is eager to try.  Noise displacement....yeah, that'll work.  Joining him is the technical guy, and true believer, Liam (Jed Brophy), and a young lady who can sense spirits, Holly (Laura Peterson).

Very little is shared with us regarding any backstory, and the investigation starts off slowly.  Every night at 3am,  something weird happens.  Each succeeding evening, this weird event gets more dramatic. Eventually our spirit is able to throw furniture and hedge clippers.  Just as our trio is ready to run away in horror, Scott decides to get rid of the spirit using his noise displacement theory, though Holly is skeptical.  Uh oh, some late and morbid discoveries change the game plan. What our trio find puts them all in mortal danger.

As the film progresses, more and more similarities are revealed to our classic haunted house epic, "The Legend of Hell House." What will prevail, science or the paranormal?  Will they even prevail. What is the awful secret behind the walls of this dilapidated house?  The final 15 minutes will be a wild ride and cause you to revisit the 1973 classic by clicking on this link Hell House . Directed by Jason Stutter, "The Dead Room" is a neat ghost tale and available on Netflix.

Short Night of Glass Dolls, Barbara Bach in much Peril

Way before being a Bond girl, and marrying Ringo Starr, Barbara Bach (European babe born in Queens, NY) graced some weird Italian horror films.  Her death in "Black Belly of the Tarantula" saddened us all.  In 1971's "Short Night of Glass Dolls" we will find her in just as much peril.  As Mira, Ms. Bach is young, beautiful, usually nude, vulnerable, and perfect prey to any sex fiend predator in Socialist Prague.  Can a handsome, but self absorbed American journalist save her from government tyranny and weird leftist satanic-sex cults?  Watch this film and find out.

Prague!  Socialist and under Soviet influence.  Not good for Mira, who desires freedom.  Ahhh, perhaps a ticket out of tyranny, her new beau....Gregory (Jean Sorel), an American journalist.  He intends to grease the skids and bribe enough bureaucrats in order to secure papers to free Mira.  Big problem.  Gregory is dead.  As the film opens he is pronounced dead and delivered to the morgue and prepped for an autopsy.  This comes as a great surprise to Gregory, who is fully aware of his surroundings but unable to move or speak.  Just before his weird predicament, he was searching for Mira, who was abducted, nude, from her apartment.

 Gregory snooped all over Czechoslovakia and traced Mira's disappearance to Club 99.  Club 99? A really weird place filled with senior citizens who like to listen to chamber music and have orgies? As Gregory neared the truth, he uncovered some really weird facts.  As bodies pile up, Gregory learns that Prague has an epidemic of beautiful young women being abducted in their nudity.  But wait...was Mira abducted or is she a willing participant in something very lurid?  Will Mira gain her freedom or be abducted by the Soviets and turned into the spy that James Bond loves? Will Gregory be able to reanimate before his autopsy begins?

Yep...this is a weird one.  While watching this film, I thought it was really out there...until the final 15 minutes, when I was introduced to the meaning of the term "out there."  Perhaps a statement of the oppressive condition that befell many Czechs after WW2, or perhaps a weird psycho-sexual horror flick done Italian style, either way "Short Night of Glass Dolls" is for European horror lovers who don't mind weirdness.  Filmed in Rome and Slovenia (...and some in Yugoslavia), enjoy this surreal tale, which is available on YouTube.

Manhole, Dragged into the Sewer

What a better place for a horror film than the sewer....literally.  Dark, damp, putrid, cavernous, rat infested, and psycho infested.  From South Korea, we take a look at 2014's "Manhole." Written and directed by Jae-Young Shin, this film is an ominous one with no humor or daylight.  For those who like their horror dark, literally and figuratively, this is a special one.

The backstory of our psycho (Kyung Ho Jung) is as frightening as what he puts his victims through, and we get a glimpse of it early on.  This fiend drags unsuspecting Koreans through manholes, and murders them.  Dozens of unsuspecting peeps turned corpses now occupy a pit in a city sewer.  Now our protagonists: the very pretty Yeon-seo (Yu-mi Jeong) is the guardian of her little sister, Soo-jeong (Sae-ron Kim).  Soo-jeong is deaf and the love the two sisters share is very moving.  While waking to the bus stop to meet her sister, Soo-jeong is grabbed by the monster.  The two girls have facetime on their phones, and Yeon-seo witnesses the abduction.  Unable to get the cops interested, the brave sister heads into the sewer, as well.

Our fiend kills his prey in various ways.  Sometimes he pummels them to death, other times he acts as a spider and...well...you'll see.  Also in the sewer are a disgraced cop (Dal-hwan Jo) and the dad of a previous victim (Duk-moon Choi).  Advantage killer, as this is his terrain.  But wait!  Soo-jeong is deaf. Might her ability to adapt and challenge adversity be in her favor?  Our killer always seems to have the advantage, but his new company in the sewer are determined.  Warning...this is not the feel good film of millennium. We desperately pull for the sisters to prevail, but the sewer seems as remote and dank as the chances of our heroines.

Will our sisters prevail?  What surprises will they encounter in their quest for escape? What other twists does our maniac utilize to menace these people? Bloody, exciting, lurid, and quite heartbreaking in places, "Manhole" is a terrific serial killer film. Available on Netflix, Asian horror fans will not want to miss this one.

Roboshark, Alien Shark vs. Bill Gates

....the shark wins. Yep, halfway through this Syfy masterpiece, our antagonist devours Bill Gates. Actually, it's more of a shark vs. Seattle story. For fans of Syfy films like "Sharknado," this one is for you. Fans of Apple products will revel in Mr. Gates' demise, while Microsoft stockholders will cringe. Either way, a story of an alien shark pursued by a TV info-babe using Twitter is a story who's time has come.  From 2015, Syfy's "Roboshark."

An alien probe lands in the Pacific and is immediately swallowed by a Great White.  The probe instantly turns this perfect eating machine into a robot shark.  Our monster then takes out a US Navy nuclear sub (these subs never fare well in Syfy films). Nex stop?  Seattle. No not the coast or the sound....downtown Seattle!  The thing busts into a sewage pipe and swims inland.  First stop....Starbucks. After eating several customers, our fiend moves on.  Surviving at the coffee shop is Trish (Alexis Peterman), the very pretty Channel 55 info-babe and her crew.  She has dreamed of the perfect story to  move her to Channel 55's star reporterette from the wacky weather girl she is now.  Uh oh...the sultry, but evil Veronica (Laura Dale) is sent by Channel 55 to replace Trish on this story of a lifetime (you can guess Veronica's eventual fate).

As our shark tears up a popular Seattle mall, using it as a buffet  line, Trish, her cameraman Louie (Isaac Haig) and Trish's 15 year old daughter Melody (Vanessa Grasse) head there. Melody is adept at social media and attracts the shark through Twitter.  Staying one step ahead of the US Navy, who is hunting the beast, Trish gets some raw footage, frustrating the b@$#&y Veronica. As Melody begins communicating with the roboshark on Twitter, our trio learn of it's real intentions.

Just what are Roboshark's true intentions for Seattle? What ultimate carnage is waiting for the sultry but evil Veronica? Fighter bombers, The Space Needle, explosions, shark eating sailor carnage, and social media traffic all play into a fiery conclusion to this film.  The acting is terrific in this monster extravaganza which never takes itself too seriously.  Directed by Jeffery Lando, "Roboshark" is perfect for fans of the Syfy Channel, and is available on Netflix.

Necrofobia, Beware the Dead

When the dead return,  not much can go well.  When the dead return, every stable part of our existence is compromised....romance, finances, social life, and as we find out in 2014's "Necrofobia," our sanity.  Our dearly departed do change after they assume room temperature. They attract flies, lose their sense of humor, and become quite needy.  If you suffer from Necrophobia (the fear of the dead), the return of the dead can have exaggerated effects. Made in Argentina, this Daniel de la Vega film will remind the viewer of works by Lucio Fulci or Mario Bava.

Dante (Luis Machin), a tailor, has just lost his twin brother, Tomas.  Tomas committed suicide, which came as a great shock to Dante, as Dante suffers from Necrophobia.  Attending the funeral appears to have been too much for the fragile Dante.  Dante's wife has just left him.  The sultry Beatriz (Julieta Cardinali) advised Dante that she feared he would also commit suicide.  As Dante sinks into paranoid madness, he is convinced Beatriz has another man.  Dante starts seeing a dark figure in a black cloak loitering around his shop.  He also receives a weird phone call stating Beatriz is with another man.  Dante suspects his psychologist, Nicolas (Raul Taibo) is the secret lover.  Uh oh again, Beatriz is stabbed to death with a tailor's scissors.

With a dead beauty, Detective Roca (Viviana Saccone) suspects Dante.  Dante suspects everyone else, including the dark figure that has entered his life.  Is Dante's sanity gone when he then believes the figure may be his deceased brother?  The scissor murders continue and Roca is bent on proving Dante the murderer.  Could Dante be right?  Has Tomas returned from the grave?  If so, why?

This film gets quite gory with lots of scissor and hacksaw carnage.  Beautiful women, in this film, fare about as well as they do in Bava or Fulci films.  Will this spell doom for the statuesque Detective Roca? The squeamish among us will turn their heads a few times during the last twenty minutes. For a gory, thought provoking horror film from Argentina, check out "Necrfobia" which is available on Netflix.

BB, Alienation, Desperation, Fear....

...after fear, what is the next word?  You'll see. In 2016's "BB," CJ Wallis takes us on a voyage which has the feel of a downward spiral.  From the outset, we sense carnage heading our way.  Acute characters who are so familiar to us, ushered along by horrific circumstances, and highlighted by heavy, ominous music make our feature today. A whole article could be written about the Mother Marygold music which permeates "BB," suffice to say it will carry you through one horrific ordeal. Besides, it's time for a new purple haired beauty, as Lt. Gay Ellis (UFO) from the early 1970s was our last one.

Leah (Jennifer Mae) and Alina (Victoria Fox) are torrid lovers.  Leah's tattoos are her lover's creation, and she would do anything for her Hungarian beauty.  To do that, Leah gets a job as a cam-girl, fulfilling the fantasies of weird men over her computer.  Our lesbian protagonist is sensational at turning men on, and the dinero pours in. Uh oh....a converging story.  Hal (Kristian Hanson), recently discharged from the army after losing an eye in Afghanistan is one of Leah's customers.  Exuding an unstable psyche, Hal tells us that Candy, Leah's camera name, must be his.  He knows that Candy loves him and when they meet....well...she'll be his.

We see a lot of passionate lesbian sex, and some spirited performances by Candy. Yep, this horror tale is quite erotic.  As we hear more from Hal, his sanity flies out the window, and his obsession with Candy starts resembling a doberman's attraction to a lamb chop. If that's not lurid enough, Leah's relationship with Alina plunges into the depths of drugs, cheating, and emotional unavailability. Hal devolves into a wrecking ball headed straight to his sexual obsession.  Though flawed, we like Leah a lot and pray that somehow she will survive her unseen nemesis.

Will Leah prevail? Just what does Hal have planned for Leah? Can a downward spiral be broken? The performances are wonderful, and Ms. Mae excels as a fantasy girl and a passionate lover. CJ Wallis, who wrote and directed "BB" will no doubt rake in awards at film festivals in 2017. To download BB and its amazing soundtrack, click on this link BB Movie .

The Silenced, Revenge of the Comfort Women

1938 Seoul...a dangerous place to be.  Korea, then, was part of the Japanese Empire...at least that is what Japan said. Heading into a war to take over half the world, Japan needed to keep the brave troops happy.  Hence young, attractive Korean women were sent to Japan to serve as 'comfort women'....translation....prostitutes.  To this day most Koreans haven't forgiven Japan, and either does the 2015 film "The Silenced."

Shizuko (Bo-yeoug Park) is sent to a mysterious boarding school outside of Seoul.  She is recovering from tuberculosis and is also being treated by the infirmary.  In fact, all the girls were sickly when they arrived.  Shizuko only makes one friend, Yeon-duk (So-dam Park).  The girls seemed brainwashed and are all competing for a chance to be sent to Tokyo for some unexplained reason.  The sultry, but probably evil, headmistress (Ji-won Uhm) tells them that only the morally pure and physically fit will be sent to Tokyo...thus the girls are competing against each other.  But wait! Do girls ever leave this school?

Shizuko and her friend realize that the girls who have left have all done so in the middle of the night without any explanation.  As Shizuko and Yeon-duk get closer, both girls realize they are changing.  A Japanese army officer is seen meeting with the headmistress, and is very interested in the physical progress of the girls.  Creepy visions and some gory accidents have our two protagonists growing suspicious.. That's all I'll tell you of this plot. The final half hour is wild.  Think of "Carrie" and "Firestarter" combined and multiply that by 10.  Whatever pent up hostility Korea harbors toward Japan is released in that 30 minutes...and it will be bloody and loud.

What does the boarding school have planned for our young girls?  Many in the forgive and forget crowd will say that "The Silenced" isn't at all helpful for healing painful wounds between  two fine countries.  Probably not, but fans of gore, mad-scientists, experiments gone horribly wrong, and other various sundries of carnage will want to see this film.  "The Silenced," directed by Hae-young Lee, is available on Netflix.