Horrortober 2021 #18 & #19

Razorback (1984)

Razorback is a 1984 Australian natural horror film. The film revolves around the attacks of a gigantic wild boar terrorizing the Australian outback, killing and devouring people. Pretty much yeah. Straight away, even before the credits and title screen, A man is seen standing on his porch with a gun when a gigantic boar runs straight through his house killing a child. Some nosey wildlife reporter turns up to town for unrelated reasons and eventually the film (d)evolves into action and pig attacks. Its pretty good 80’s horror, the outback and its people are as expected for this type of film and time period. The pig is huge, angry and violent, more akin to a Rhinocerous. There are quite a few funny lines, particularly from the Aussie characters, a stand-out is when the reporter is trying to interview a pig hunter (the guy from the start whos grandson was killed) “There’s something about blasting the shit out of a razorback that brightens up my whole day,” Top stuff. Ticks all the right boxes and its not quite a 2.5, 3 out of 5 stars.
Wikipedia

★★★

Maniac Cop (1988)

Maniac Cop is a 1988 American action slasher film staring Robert Z’Dar as the maniac cop. A murderous ex-police officer returned from the dead, and seeks revenge on the people who wronged him. Typical cop behavior. Its meh to OK at best, nothing special happens, a generic slasher. 1.5 stars
Wikipedia

★★

Films

Horrortober 2021 #16 & #17

Demon Seed (1977)

Demon Seed is a 1977 American science fiction–horror film. The film was based on the 1973 novel of the same name by Dean Koontz. A scientist invents Proteus IV, an extremely advanced and autonomous artificial intelligence program, and it gets extremely out of hand. This film definitely goes places to say the least. Walking the line between almost satire and morality tale, and falling off on either side continuously. Worth a watch. 2.5 stars.
Wikipedia

★★★

Inseminoid (1981)

Inseminoid (titled Horror Planet in the United States) is a 1981 British science fiction horror film. This is some real weird trash. It looks like if the Blakes 7 sets and costume departments were tasked with making Alien. Theres a bit of gross gore, lots of running and looking at computer screens, a woman is impregnated by an alien, she then gets super powers and kills a bunch of people, gives birth to alien hybrid twins who kill more people…a rescue mission arrives but every one is dead, as it leaves the alien twins have stowed aboard, the end. I think thats basically it? 2 stars.
Wikipedia

★★

Films

Horrortober 2021 #14 & #15

Dagon (2001)

Dagon is a 2001 Spanish horror film based on H. P. Lovecraft’s novella The Shadow Over Innsmouth rather than his earlier short story “Dagon”. Interesting story written by someone who knows and likes the Lovecraftian genre, good production values, the acting is acceptable, the CGI is not great but the physical effects, gory horror and makeup are good. A bit slow at times, mainly the start, but overall a well made and entertaining film. 2.5.
Wikipedia

★★★

Suspiria (2018)

Why?

★

Films

Horrortober 2021 #12 & #13

Incident at Ravens Gate (1988)

Incident at Raven’s Gate (also released as Encounter at Raven’s Gate) is a 1988 Australian science fiction film. This is a strange little short film spread out to feature length mostly about a small groups of peoples relationships in a small town, and then on top a weird alien force creating problems and eventually attacking the town. Its definitely interesting. 2.5 stars.
Wikipedia

★★★

Repo! The Genetic Opera (2008)

Repo! The Genetic Opera is a 2008 American science fiction, gothic rock opera horror film based on the 2002 musical of the same name. Stars Nivek Ogre from Skinny Puppy. I couldn’t handle watching this. I assume it is good, it looks well produced. Rarely can I get into watching musicals. No rating.
Wikipedia

Films

Horrortober #10 & #11

Basket Case 2 (1990)

Basket Case 2 is the 1990 sequel to… Basket Case (1982), its a slasher/comedy with practical monster effects. Its starts off right where the first ended and is a direct continuation of the story. This is more like Freaks (1932). Duane and Belial escape a hospital and are taken in by a community of other creatures. A journalist snoops around and tries to destroy their way of life. The creatures fight back. Its not as simple and low budget and enjoyable as the original, it just doesn’t have the same humor and energy. 2 stars.
Wikipedia

★★

Basket Case 3: The Progeny (1991)

Basket Case 3: The Progeny is a 1991 American slasher film, obviously the 3rd in the Basket Case series. This is a lot more over the top and crazy, and nonsensical, than the other two. I didn’t find it enjoyable and ended up skipping around. 1.5 stars.
Wikipedia

★★

Films

Horrortober #8 & #9

Repulsion (1965)

Repulsion is a 1965 British psychological horror film directed by Roman Polanski, and starring Catherine Deneuve.
“A sex-repulsed woman who disapproves of her sister’s boyfriend sinks into depression and has horrific visions of rape and violence.” Sounds pretty grim. And it is. This is actually an excellently made film, a real psychological horror, well paced, well acted, fantastically composed. A creepy decent into madness and murder. 2.5.
Wikipedia

Octaman (1971)

Octaman is a 1971 Mexican-American monster film. Some top level B grade stuff.
“A team of scientists, led by Dr. Rick Torres travels to Mexico to research radioactive material in the water. While there, they discover several octopi that appear to have a human mutation and take them back to the lab for more study. Their benign abduction awakens the parent octopus, however, endangering the lives of all the scientists. Octaman, as he is called, employs several predatory methods, including strangulation and hypnosis.”
Octaman itself looks awesomely B-grade, the story isn’t too dire and its just over an hour long, so its slow pace isnt too bad at all. 2 stars.
Wikipedia

★★

Films

Horrortober #6 & #7

The Death Wheelers (1973)

The Death Wheelers aka Psychomania is a 1973 British outlaw biker horror film, though what hooror there is is mild or just plain weird. Lots of groovy music, groovy clothes and some groovy effects (when the gang transforms at 1:26:46!).

The IMDB synopis sums it up “An amiable, psychopathic leader of a violent teen motorbike gang is spurred by his mother, a Satan-worshiping spiritual medium, into committing suicide and returning to life as an “undead”” Its a bit of fun, extremely early 70s, but they really spread it out over 90mins. 2 stars.
Wikipedia

★★★

The Asphyx (1972)

The Asphyx, also known as Spirit of the Dead and The Horror of Death, is a 1972 British horror film / science fiction film.
A period film of rather good production values, The version I have has been pieced together to create a complete and uncut version, which is noticeable.
English country squire Sir Hugo Cunningham searches for immortality by literally ‘bottling up’ the Spirit of the Dead, or Asphyx. Photographing individuals at the moment of death the resultant photos depict a strange smudge hovering around the body. Cunningham concludes that the blur is not the soul but a force known in Greek mythology as an “asphyx”, a kind of personal Grim Reaper from Greek mythology that comes for every individual at the moment of his or her death.
A really interesting story, with lively acting and generally very production, some interesting effects as well. 3 stars!
Wikipedia

★★★

Films

Horrortober #4 & #5

The Giant Spider Invasion (1975)

The Giant Spider Invasion is a 1975 Science Fiction/Horror film directed by Bill Rebane (who’s films we will watch more of this month). Starts out pretty slow but when the giant spiders appear, which they are very sparse in showing, it gets pretty fun. 2 stars because they just dont show the spiders enough.
Wikipedia

★★

The Devil Rides Out (1968)

The Devil Rides Out, known as The Devil’s Bride in the United States, is a 1968 British horror film, based on the 1934 novel of the same name. Christopher Lee! Goat sacrifice! Lots of slow talking! Its a Hammer film. Pretty good as a late night film, 2.5 stars.
Wikipedia

★★★

Films

Horrortober #3

Strange Behavior (1981)

Strange Behavior (also known as Dead Kids) is a 1981 slasher film. “The film is considered a seminal work of New Zealand cinema, being the first horror film produced in the country”. This is also a Section 3 Video Nasty (under the name Dead Kids). Soundtrack is by Tangerine Dream but the song Shivers by The Birthday Party (still The Boys Next Door at the time) appears at 26:23min.
Its “small, original and offbeat” like many Aus and NZ films from around that period, it has an interesting, suspenseful story line that builds in strangeness and is deeper than you initially expect, what slasher moments there are are decent, and the mad science is creepy.
It is essentially a Sci Fi/mad scientist and suspense film with some slasher elements. I give it 2.5/5 because yes it is good, it is worth watching, though it is unfortunately a bit sparse and slow at times.
Wikipedia

★★★

Films

Halloween Horror #31

#31 – He Never Died

He Never Died is a 2015 Canadian/American horror comedy film… stars Henry Rollins as an immortal, cannibalistic loner who has withdrawn from society to protect both himself and others. Wikipedia

Jack’s in a rut. Depression and severe anti-social behavior has whittled down his existence to sleeping and watching television. He spends his days in a diner, playing church bingo and sleeping. When some hired thugs show up Jack’s life is stirred up and the question of his existence comes to light. IMDB

Strange film. Oddly funny, oddly dark. 3 stars.

★★★

Bonus – She Never Died (2019)

This 2019 “sequel” is basically a riff on the original story wise.

The movie is intended as a follow up sister sequel to Krawczyk’s 2015 movie He Never Died, which starred Henry Rollins, and is set within the same universe. Krawczyk had initially intended the 2015 film to be expanded into a miniseries and follow-up film, but repurposed the script into She Never Died after the endeavor was cancelled. Wikipedia

This, like the original, was also good, it did feel a bit more like an extended episode 1 of a TV series, and ends in a way that is open for a sequel at least. 3 stars again.

★★★