Night Howl is a 2017 American horror film written and directed by Michael Taylor Pritt (Are We the Waiting) who also stars. The Fun Time Productions movie also stars Alana Mullins, Rob Pemberton and Jeremy Wheeler.

Kaci Evans, a socially awkward photojournalist who can’t seem to come to grips with the death of his mother. As a child, Kaci was psychologically traumatised after seeing his mother monstrously mauled by a large canine.

Now that Kaci is an adult, he suffers constant night terrors and flashbacks to the time his mother was murdered. After numerous visits with his psychiatrist, Dr. Ezay, Kaci starts to question whether his nightmares are repressed memories, or are they something far more sinister?

Writer/director Michael Taylor Pritt told PopHorror.com: “This is not another predictable or typical werewolf film. I figured out a way, hopefully, to do a whole new take on werewolves that has never been done before. The twist at the end of this [werewolf] movie has never been done before. I promise you that!”

Night Howl is currently available to buy via Amazon Prime Instant Video

Watch this trailer and let us know what you think in the Comments below

IMDb

Werewolves on HORRORPEDIA

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‘There’s a bad moon blazing’

Weed Wolf – aka Weed Wolf – is a 2011 American comedy horror film directed by Calvin Hall from a screenplay co-written with Tommy Slama (director of American Freakshow). The Rat Bastards Films production stars E. Lee Smith, A.J. Germaine and Phillip Tolle.

The residents of small-town Normal, Texas find themselves threatened by a mysterious werewolf who likes to eat stoners.

All that stands in the way of total mayhem is Grass County Sheriff Hardwood, his son, Bumper, and his deputy, Rodriguez. They’ll find some help from Mary Jane, hippies, survivalists, and even a Sasquatch…

Weedwolf is released on DVD on September 25, 2018, via Wild Eye Raw and Extreme.

Cast and characters:

• E. Lee Smith … Sheriff Hardwood
• A.J. Germaine … Junebug
• Phillip Tolle … Jimby Bumgardner
• Tommy Slama… Bumper Hardwood
• Guy Rodriguez … Deputy Rodriguez
• Kaitlyn Colunga … Mary Jane
• Joanna Smith … Gloria / Jeannie Bundick
• Steven Galvan … Steve
• Justin Guthrie … Justin
• Larry McAdams … Butch / Punk Wolf
• Michael Moore … Willie
• Haley Slama … Ida Claire Buttfield
• Jeannie Stroumpos … Chastity Saint Cloud
• M.C. Money … M.C. Money
• Dylan Lynch … Stretch

Filming locations:

Ennis, Texas, USA

IMDb

‘Terror in its purest form.’

Werewolf Massacre at Hell’s Gate is a 2015 American supernatural horror feature film written and directed by James Baack (Cult of the Shadow People; Dracula’s Orgy of the Damned;The Bloody Rage of Bigfoot).

The Great Lakes Artists Group movie stars Tina Boivin, Claire “Fluff” Llewellyn, Christopher Kahler, Jason Wollwert, Anthony Zielinski, Raymond Benson, Wendy Pierson, Philip Ziecina, Andrew Baack, and Tim Pollard.

A witch who’s burned at the stake places a curse on the small village of Skinner’s Grove right before she dies. Several centuries later a paranormal investigator discovers a nest of werewolves in the town who are the hell spawn of the witch’s curse. Moreover, a local militia and a young couple who find themselves stranded in the area in the wake of their car breaking down also run afoul of said werewolves…

Reviews:

” …some will find it fun to watch in a guilty pleasure, late night B-movie sort of way with its overwrought dialogue, across the board cheesy acting, sub-par production quality and, overall, it’s just the kind of film where you don’t look at any aspect of it and think “I see potential there.” You just don’t.” Richard Propes, The Independent Critic

” …rambling disjointed narrative, tacky gore, dodgy CGI effects, cruddy acting from a lame no-name cast, cheesy cinematography (gotta love those red-tinted werewolf point of view shots), clumsily sincere tone, and gloriously hokey werewolves wearing laughably obvious and unconvincing dimestore Halloween masks all give this clunker a certain endearing rinky-dink charm.” Woody Anders

Filming locations:

Chicago and Spring Grove, Wisconsin, USA

IMDb | Synopsis courtesy of Woody Anders

New and future releases

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Universal Classic Monsters: Complete 30-Film Collection is a Blu-ray set being released in North America on August 28, 2018.

“Showcases all of the original films featuring the most iconic monsters in motion picture history including Dracula, Frankenstein, The Mummy, The Invisible Man, The Bride of Frankenstein, The Wolf Man, Phantom of the Opera and Creature from the Black Lagoon.

Starring some of the most legendary actors including Bela Lugosi, Boris Karloff, Lon Chaney Jr., Claude Rains and Elsa Lanchester in the roles that they made famous, these films set the standard for a new horror genre with revolutionary makeup, mood-altering cinematography and groundbreaking special effects.

Order in advance for $149.98 from Amazon.com

The 24-disc box set includes the following movies, hours of bonus features, plus a 48-page collectible book:

• Dracula (1931)
• Dracula [Spanish version] (1931)
• Frankenstein (1931)
• The Mummy (1932)
• The Invisible Man (1933)
• The Bride of Frankenstein (1935)
• Werewolf of London (1935)
• Dracula’s Daughter (1936)
• Son of Frankenstein (1939)
• The Invisible Man Returns (1940)
• The Invisible Woman (1940)
• The Mummy’s Hand (1940)
• The Wolf Man (1941)
• The Ghost of Frankenstein (1942)
• The Mummy’s Ghost (1942)
• The Mummy’s Tomb (1942)
• Invisible Agent (1942)
• Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man (1943)
• Phantom of the Opera (1943)
• Son of Dracula (1943)
• House of Frankenstein (1944)
• The Mummy’s Curse (1944)
• The Invisible Man’s Revenge (1944)
• House of Dracula (1945)
• She-Wolf of London (1946)
• Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948)
• Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man (1951)
• Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954)
• Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy (1955)
• Revenge of the Creature (1955)
• The Creature Walks Among Us (1956)

Wolfman’s Got Nards is a 2018 American documentary film directed by Andre Gower from a script co-written with producer Henry McComas about comedy horror movie The Monster Squad (1987, directed by Fred Dekker from a screenplay by Shane Black). Gower played young Sean in the original movie.

Gower told Entertainment Weekly: “I was thinking about all of the amazing stories that these fans have told me and our fellow cast mates over the last decade of this resurgence. Those stories never ceased, or slowed down, or stopped. They just kept on growing, and getting deeper and more fascinating. I started to realize that there’s something really special there, that this movie had a really deep impact on a lot of people…”

Producer Henry McComas told EW: “I grew up on The Monster Squad. My brother is about nine years older than me, so I would inherit VHS tapes that he had. We had some sort of VHS [of Monster Squad], probably ripped probably from an HBO stream. The first time I watched it, it was this weird experience where it was like, these kids are on bicycles like me, but they’re fighting these monsters that only were something I knew from Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein.”

Wolfman’s Got Nards has its world premiere at Cinepocalypse in Chicago and will be shown in London at the Arrow Video FrightFest.

‘Family vacation. It will suck the life out of you.’

Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation is a 2018 American 3D computer-animated comedy horror film directed by Genndy Tartakovsky from a screenplay co-written with Michael McCullers.

The voice cast features Adam Sandler, Andy Samberg, Selena Gomez, Kevin James, David Spade, Steve Buscemi, Keegan-Michael Key, Molly Shannon, Fran Drescher, and Mel Brooks reprising their roles as well as new additions such as Kathryn Hahn and Jim Gaffigan.

Mavis surprises Dracula with a family voyage on a luxury monster cruise ship so he can take a vacation from providing everyone else’s vacation at the hotel. The rest of Drac’s Pack cannot resist going along, and once they leave port, romance zings Drac when he meets the mysterious ship captain, Ericka.

Now it’s Mavis’ turn to play the overprotective parent, keeping her dad and Ericka apart. Little do they know that his ‘too good to be true’ love interest is actually a descendant of Van Helsing, arch nemesis to Dracula and all monsters!”

Cast and characters:

• Adam Sandler as Count Dracula: The 540-year-old lord of the vampires and founder of Hotel Transylvania. Dracula is the son of Vlad, husband of the late Martha, father of Mavis, father-in-law of Johnny, maternal grandfather of Dennis, and Ericka’s love interest.
• Andy Samberg as Jonathan “Johnny” Loughran: A 29-year-old human, who is Mavis’s husband and Dennis’ father.
• Selena Gomez as Mavis: The 126-year-old daughter of Dracula and the late Martha, and the granddaughter of Vlad. She is the wife of Johnny, and the couple have a child named Dennis.
• Kevin James as Frankenstein: The monster famously created from reanimated dead tissue, by Dr. Frankenstein. His friends call him “Frank”.
• David Spade as Griffin, the Invisible Man
• Steve Buscemi as Wayne: A werewolf who’s overwhelmed by his large number of children.
• Keegan-Michael Key as Murray: An ancient mummy.
• Molly Shannon as Wanda: Wayne’s werewolf wife.
• Fran Drescher as Eunice: Frankenstein’s wife.
• Kathryn Hahn as Ericka Van Helsing: The ship’s captain and cruise director. She is secretly continuing her great-grandfather’s wishes, in eliminating monsters and is Dracula’s love interest.
• Jim Gaffigan as Abraham Van Helsing: Ericka’s great-grandfather who is a legendary monster hunter and Dracula’s archenemy.
• Mel Brooks as Vlad: An ancient, more experienced and traditional vampire, who is Dracula’s father, the grandfather of Mavis, the grandfather-in-law of Johnny, and the great-grandfather of Dennis.
• Asher Blinkoff as Dennis Loughran: Mavis and Johnny’s 5-year-old son who is a human/vampire hybrid, inheriting a combination of traits from his parents. He has a crush on his best friend, Winnie.
• Sadie Sandler as Winnie: The werewolf daughter of Wayne and Wanda. Winnie is Dennis’s best friend, and she has a crush on him.
• Genndy Tartakovsky as Blobby: A green blob monster. He was previously voiced by Jonny Solomon in Hotel Transylvania 2.
• Chrissy Teigen as Crystal: An invisible woman who is Griffin’s new girlfriend.
• Joe Jonas as Kraken: A giant sea monster.
• Alison Hammond as Frankenginger
• Chris Parnell as Stan: A Fish-man, Parnell previously voiced the Fly in the first two films.
• Joe Whyte as Tinkles: Dennis’ giant pet puppy.
• Sarah Vowell as Lynne: Frank’s Sister In Law and Enuice’s Sister.

Release:

The film, produced by Sony Pictures Animation and distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing, premiered at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival on June 13, 2018 and is scheduled to be released in the United States on July 13, 2018.

A video game adaptation, titled Hotel Transylvania 3: Monsters Overboard, will be released for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and Microsoft Windows on July 13, 2018.

Trivia:

The movie’s budget was reportedly $65 million.

Wikipedia | Official website

Related:

Hotel Transylvania

Hotel Transylvania 2

Curse of the Devil is a 1973 Spanish-Mexican supernatural horror film directed by Carlos Aured (The Mummy’s Revenge; The Blue Eyes of the Broken Doll; Horror Rises from the Tomb) from a screenplay by Jacinto Molina. The latter also stars using his stage name Paul Naschy. The film’s original release titles are El Retorno de Walpurgis (Spain) and La Noche del Asesino (Mexico).

By order of the great inquisitor Ireneus Daninsky, Countess Bathory is burned alive and her female followers hanged. Before perishing in the flames the countess puts a curse on Daninsky and his descendants.

Four centuries later, Waldemar Daninsky accidentally shoots a gypsy while hunting a wolf. The angry gypsies, who knew of the curse, summon up the Satan and the beautiful Ilona is chosen to seduce the young lord. During a night of love, Ilona bites Waldemar who turns into a werewolf killing his preys on full moon nights…

Reviews [may contain spoilers]:

“Why are we so far away from everyone throughout? Why do things that seem to be sex scenes start and then cut away? Why are most of the werewolf attacks put together in such a strange way? The film keeps taking us up to the edge of sex and violence and then, generally, it goes somewhere else, usually to shots of people walking around.” Dan Budnik, Bleeding Skull!

” …there’s a high body count, lots of werewolf action, some gore and some nudity […] Because of the period setting, art direction and costumes, and the lovely outdoor background scenery (bubbling brooks, waterfalls, moss-covered rocks, old stone bridges), the whole thing has this nice fairy tale feel to it.” Justin McKinney, The Bloody Pit of Horror

“Aured’s contribution to the werewolf saga is decidedly bloodier and sexier than usual, making it a preferable choice of Naschy fans. The atmosphere is lush and the production values look exceptional […] The quieter than usual werewolf has a darker appearance and sometimes looks like a cross between a wild bear and Barry Gibb of The Bee Gees, but aside from a few instances where Naschy’s pale neck is revealed, it’s still pretty effective.” George R. Reis, DVD Drive-In

” …Naschy seems to have been mainly concerned with crafting a romantic melodrama, and here and there – notably in a lushly scored waterfall interlude – he succeeds. But the film, exported as Curse of the Devil, is otherwise strangely inert.” Jonathan Rigby, Euro Gothic, Signum Books, 2016

“The ominous rural locations are a suitable boost to the hostile world, enveloping the characters in a mysterious bubble from which there’s no real escape […] Curse of the Devil is a surprisingly violent entry in the series considering when it was made, it features sizzling Euro women in various states of undress, Naschy’s doomed werewolf, an alien world, and a mob of angry villagers to boot…” The Grim Cellar

“It’s full of naked beauties and standard-issue 70’s bush, while old-school dissolves convey the various werewolf transformation scenes, including a moment in which Naschy turns into his Chaney Jr-inspired wolfman midway during a sex session with Olivares. It climaxes in a suitably lively, Universal-inspired fashion with a good old fashioned mob of angry villagers in pursuit of the monster.” Steven West, Horrorscreams Videovault

Buy Human Beasts: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk

“…some truly stunning mise en scenes, really wonderful shots, such as when the gypsies are leaving Waldy’s castle: a low-angle shot of them coming across the drawbridge with the majestic ruined castle lit very eerily in the background. Also some of the nature scenes on Waldemar’s property as he courts his love are just gorgeous stuff.” Mad Mad Mad Mad Movies

“Perhaps less entertaining than the previous films, Curse of the Devil is a much better horror film with a dark feel throughout and quite creepy in places, some might find it scary. Often resembling a later Hammer Horror film (in a good way) this is a recommended film, certainly to Paul Naschy fans, however werewolf fans might find the relative lack of lycan action to be disappointing.” Timothy Young, Mondo Esoterica

“Naschy took famous characters, or concept, and injected them with some sleaze, gore and blood – but still stayed surprisingly old-fashioned. When Hammer started to wind down and lose their audience, Naschy and his friends took over some of those that wanted more action and the modern violence and still old-school horrors. Curse of the Devil is an excellent example of really good Spanish horror.” Fred Anderson, Ninja Dixon

“Daninsky is essentially a benevolent man trapped in a cyclical tragedy, while Naschy’s screenplay avoids scream queen clichés making Inga a strong-willed, rational heroine who fights for her man. However, the free-spirited sexuality of Werewolf Shadow is replaced with sexual hypocrisy, regarding how Maria is treated.” Andrew Pragasm, The Spinning Image

“While it gives the werewolf legend a more Catholic inflection, the movie is also bloodier, sexier and more atmospheric than Molina’s previous lycanthropy films (La Marca del Hombre Lobo, 1967, for example),” Phil Hardy (editor), The Aurum Film Encyclopedia: Horror

Main cast and characters:

• Paul Naschy … Waldemar Daninsky / Irineus Daninsky
• Fabiola Falcón … Kinga Wilowa
• Mariano Vidal Molina … Roulka
• Maritza Olivares … Maria Wilowa
• José Manuel Martín … Bela
• María Silva … Elizabeth Bathory
• Elsa Zabala … Gypsy Witch
• Eduardo Calvo … Laszlo Wilowa
• Ana Farra … Malitza
• Fernando Sánchez Polack … Maurice, Waldemar’s valet
• Inés Morales … Ilona

Filming locations:

Madrid and Toledo, Castilla-La Mancha, Spain

Release:

The film was released in the United States in 1976 by Goldstone Film Enterprises. It was released on VHS as The Black Harvest of Countess Dracula and as Curse of the Devil.

The film was released on DVD in the USA by Anchor Bay Entertainment in 2002 as Curse of the Devil. It was re-released in a special edition in 2008 by Deimos Entertainment, a subdivision of BCI Eclipse, under the same title.

Image credits: Wrong Side of the Art!

The Unliving aka Tomb of the Werewolf – USA, 2004

Night of the Werewolf – Spain, 1981

The Werewolf and the Yeti – Spain, 1975

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‘You can’t keep a good band down’

Hard Rock Zombies is a 1985 American comedy horror feature film directed by Krishna Shah from a screenplay co-written with David Allen Ball. The movie stars E.J. Curse, Geno Andrews, Sam Mann, Mick McMains, Lisa Toothman, Jennifer Coe, Ted Wells, and Jack Bliesener.

In the small town of Grand Guignol, four members of a rock band are electrocuted to death by a bizarre woman and her strange family. Knowing that their fans are dying to see them, none of the band members is about to let a stupid thing like death stop them from putting on their concert, so they rise from the grave and give the greatest concert of their lives…

Reviews:

” …the film never takes itself very seriously, which is good, because there’s nothing about it that anyone could ever take seriously. But there’s no relevant theme to the film at all, because Shah jumps all over the place; the town of Grand Guignol (very subtle) has werewolves and Nazis and Hitler and zombies and demons, all at once, and it’s so oddball and wacky that it’s tough to concentrate on the real plot of the story.” Ryne Barber, Horror News

“Its title only describes a small portion of the plot, a bit of a misdirection play that belies the madness within. Though at times it fits within the hard rock horror cycle, to find an analogue for Hard Rock Zombies requires you to look one or more decades past its 1985 release, when its aesthetic pastiche and non-sequitur humor would fully come into vogue.” David Carter, Not Coming to a Theater Near You

” …like an extended drum solo, there’s lots of unnecessary padding. But it’s not just filler with no killer. It’s an entertaining mess which culminates in all the zombified characters (pretty much everyone in the film) dancing and rocking out together. It’s also a nice remnant of an era when people took themselves just a little less seriously and amps went all the way up to 11.” Really Awful Movies

“Effectively a feature-length music video, it is entirely possible that Hard Rock Zombies could be held up as a triumph in non-sequential art, except that most of it will just leave you wondering what the hell is going on. We’d never be so irresponsible as to suggest that this film is best enjoyed under the influence, but it might help. A historical curiosity only, when people make fun of the 1980s, it is because of films like this.” Richard Gray, The Reel Bits

“The height of hilarity here are a town called Grand Guignol (Ho, ho), a cute Psycho shower scene gag, and a Satanic musical finale (is that the dreaded ‘Tri-tone’ being played?) that is kinda amusing but not as much as it should be […] with the Metal vs. Morality debate stuff being especially pointless here. I get what it’s a reference to but it takes forever for it to be even remotely integrated into the main plot.” Ryan McDonald, Shameless Self Expression

“The sort of film where someone asks a severed head “Omigawd! Are you all right?” the music (by Paul Sabu) might have redeemed it, but every time they break for a song it’s soft rock at best and miles from grit yer teeth metal. A complete mess, but bizarre enough to lodge itself in the unsuspecting mind.” Graeme Clark, The Spinning Image

” …one of those movies that’s so bad it’s good… or almost good in this particular case, because it has a fatal flaw. It doesn’t take itself seriously, and the creators obviously knew they were making an incredibly goofy movie (with a werewolf grandma, midgets, zombies, and Hitler, how could they not?), and this sense of fun greatly helps the movie along.” Steve Miller, Terror Titans

“Hard Rock Zombies is a blatantly stupid movie that is so cheesy that it’s hard to actually enjoy. At least with Troma movies, there’s a tongue in cheek campiness that makes them fun, but here the jokes are so desperate that they make Troma seem dignified. I mean you know you’re in trouble when the main villain is revealed to be Adolf Hitler.” Mitch Lovell, The Video Vacuum

“The plot is slight and the thrills driven by adolescent concerns, but the variations on the usual zombie motifs are more innovative than in most of the camp zombie flicks to follow over the next decade. Strange moments abound, such as a zombie dwarf who, through the course of the movie, devours himself entirely go nothingness.” Peter Dendle, The Zombie Movie Encyclopedia, McFarland

Buy: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.ca

“Sadly death doesn’t improve middle-of-the-road rocking.” Phil Hardy (editor), The Aurum Film Encyclopedia: Horror

Main cast and characters:

• E.J. Curse as Jessie
• Geno Andrews
• Sam Mann as Bobby
• Mick McMains
• Lisa Toothman as Elsa
• Jennifer Coe as Cassie
• Ted Wells as Ron
• Jack Bliesener as Hitler
• Richard Vidan as Sheriff
• Phil Fondacaro as Mickey – Bordello of Blood; Night Angel; Ghoulies II
• Crystal Shaw Martell as Mrs. Buff
• Vincent De Stefano as Olaf
• Gary Friedkin as Buckey
• Christopher Perkins as Christian
• Michael David Simms as Don Matson
• Nadia as Eva
• Susan Prevatte as Wolf Lady
• Emmanuel Shipov as Grandfather
• Stacy Stockman as Lu-Ann
• David O’Hara as Ed
• Jonathan King as Red
• Donald Moran as Ted
• David Schroeder as Cassie’s Father
• John Drake as Old Man / Ancient Man
• Maria Porter as Maria
• John Fleck as Arnold

Soundtrack:

Having been previously releasefd in France in 1984 by Frema/Ariola, the Hard Rock Zombies soundtrack score by Paul Sabu was remastered and issued on limited edition vinyl and cassette by Lunaris Records in August 2018.

Release:

The film was released in the USA by Cannon Film Distributors on September 1985.

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Good Manners – original title: As Boas Maneiras – is a 2017 Brazilian supernatural horror feature film written and directed by Marco Dutra and Juliana Rojas.

The movie stars Isabél Zuaa, Marjorie Estiano, Miguel Lobo, Cida Moreira, Andréa Marquee and Felipe Kenji.

Clara, a lonely nurse from the outskirts of São Paulo, is hired by mysterious and wealthy Ana as the nanny for her  unborn child. The two women develop a strong bond, but a fateful night changes their plans…

Reviews:

“Rui Pocas’ cinematography is rich with particularly lush use of matte paintings for the cityscapes and the contrast between Ana’s antiseptic wealth and the colourful jumble of Clara’s home is effectively marked. In the latter stages of the film, the increasing burden placed on special effects and some sub-par CGI strains credulity […] However, these are perhaps minor qualms for a film so bold and enjoyable.” John Bleasdale, Cinevue

“As the film transitions into more standard genre film territory, the trappings of this solidly crafted, arthouse love story begin to fade, and the narrative begins to falter a bit. Rough CGI blemishes an otherwise gorgeous-looking film […] Still, Good Manners is an expertly directed film that, while inconsistent, exhibits a uniquely relevant narrative that’s definitely worth…” Adam Patterson, Film Pulse

The filmmakers expertly blend jagged humour with wrenching horror, keeping the audience laughing and gasping from start to finish […]This is a story about rising to the challenge of whatever life throws at us, being true to ourselves and, even more importantly, to those we love. It may be utterly bonkers, but it’s also the kind of movie that leaves us exhilarated.” Rich Cline, Gay Essential

” …though Dutra and Rojas continue to gleefully subvert convention, the story takes on an inevitability that is fitting of the fairy tale genre. The fact that a character arc mirrors that embrace of tradition feels entirely coincidental. There is always imperfection in good experimentation, and ultimately Good Manners showcases exuberant filmmaking from thoughtful people.” Emmet Duff, Goomba Stomp

“Dutra and Rojas draw extensively and sensitively from previous werewolf capers of both literary and cinematic origin. They incorporate nods to classics such as John Landis’ An American Werewolf in London in a manner that will delight horror geeks […] More troublingly, it seems a little odd that such respectful students of this perennially economical subgenre should have allowed their running time to sprawl so far beyond the two-hour mark.” Neil Young, The Hollywood Reporter

“This is definitely socially conscious, character-driven art-house horror, but it never looks down on the genre. In fact, it deliberately riffs on the archetypal climax of nearly every classic Universal monster movie. The upshot is this take on werewolves is smart, subversive, and entertaining. Highly recommended…” Joe Bendel, J.B. Spins

“the second half of this film just cannot support what went before. It feels like the directors Juliana Rojas and Marco Dutra smooshed two films together instead of creating one cohesive story. There’s some good stuff here – especially the performances by Estiano and Zuaa – but it’s brought down by the glacial pace of the second half.” Adelaide Blair, The MacGuffin

Ambitiously allegorical, Good Manners dramatizes class and racial tensions in contemporary Brazil by creating contrasting worlds: rich and poor, black and white, high-rise chic and shantytown. Suffused with harp music and gorgeously lighted […] the film blends raw horror, deftly composed songs, beautifully drawn storyboards and strong lead performances into a single, elegant package.” Jeanette Catsoulis, The New York Times

“Class, desire, motherhood, responsibility to society — all these themes are worked in, to varying degrees. Yet balancing the film’s two halves is less successful, and certain shifts between humor and dead-seriousness don’t quite work. Good Manners is an ambitious work not only in scope but design, influenced by Jacques Tourneur’s psychological horror noirs.” Jay Weissberg, Variety

Dracula, Prisoner of Frankenstein is a 1972 European horror feature film written and directed by Jesús Franco. The movie stars Dennis Price, Howard Vernon, Paca Gabaldón and Alberto Dalbés.

Plot:

Dracula kills another innocent victim and Dr. Seward decides it’s time to wipe the fiend off the face of the earth. Armed with a hammer and a wooden stake, he arrives at Castle Dracula and duly dispatches the vampire Count.

Next day, however, Dr. Frankenstein arrives with his assistant, Morpho, and a large crate containing the monster. Using the blood of a pub singer who has been abducted by his creation, the doctor brings Dracula back to life and uses him for his own ends.

The Count and a female vampire continue to terrorise the town, so Dr. Seward once again sets out for Castle Dracula. Unfortunately, he is attacked by the Frankenstein monster and left for dead. Amira, a gypsy, rescues him and summons up a werewolf to do battle with the forces of evil…

Review:

What do you get when you combine competent directorial technique, a solid script, and a clearly delineated narrative? Not this. Jess Franco’s Dracula, Prisoner of Frankenstein is on par with most of his other early ’70s productions. That is to say, it’s stodgy, painfully slow, cheap, gratuitous, embarrassing, and essentially an unwatchable, coma-inducing sledgehammer.

Franco’s filmmaking skills come dangerously close to the incompetent here, with his visual style summed up simply as: zoom, zoom, zoom, with the occasional insertion of extreme long-shots, claustrophobic close-ups, and soporific slow pans. His boggling narrative execution is hallucinatory at best, but not in an interesting way; scenes float into the air, unattached to anything else around them until an innocuous and brief pseudo-grounding is provided via an equally innocuous action or galumphing explication later on, giving the viewer headaches while trying to piece it all together.

Thematically and conceptually, Franco’s on the level of a lurid, feeble-minded child playing with his newly acquired, and tattily-made, monster action figures; for example, in the climactic scene where Frankenstein’s monster and the Wolf Man are slapped together in order to duke it out Three Stooges-style, the monster nearly loses his toupée. This would all be quite funny if it had been planned or at least done with some enthusiasm, but it wasn’t; the whole thing is simply bloated and indifferent, dragging itself to a conclusion that Franco doesn’t seemingly even care about. This movie is a cinematic creature best left un-revived.

Ben Spurling, HORRORPEDIA

Other reviews:

“A Brillo-pad werewolf. Bubbling sex that never boils over. Four-star, no budget vampire attacks. The expected Jess Franco Nightclub Sequence. A strange focus on frantic bats (both rubber and real). Dracula, Prisoner of Frankenstein is, quite literally, a pleasant dream. Upon regaining your wits, you’re left half-asleep, yet ready to conquer the world. Or, at the very least, your insomnia.” Joseph A. Ziemba, Bleeding Skull!

“Only Britt Nicholl’s elegantly erotic Lady Dracula comes off as a credible, original creation. In fact, the actresses here, Josiane Gibert as the doomed cabaret singer, Genvieve Deloir as the gypsy and Paca Galaban’s mentally disturbed Maria are much more defined and interesting characters than the male leads. They have to react to the mad scientists and monsters, who are pretty much one-dimensional menaces in Franco’s raggedy mise-en-scene.” Robert Monell, El Franconomicon

” … has laughable make-up and special effects but offers rich surrealistic moments lightened by a corny nightclub act with sub-sexy songs […] it is an enjoyable piece of fun for people with a good sense of humour.” Lucas Balbo, Obsession: The Films of Jess Franco, 1993

“It’s like a dream that seems to tell a logical and coherent story while you’re in the midst of it, but appears utterly nonsensical under the scrutiny of the waking mind. Franco did that sort of thing a lot in the early 70’s, of course, but to see the narrative sensibility of A Virgin Among the Living Dead applied to the old House of Frankenstein template somehow feels so counterintuitive.” Scott Ashlin, 1000 Misspent Hours and Counting

Cast and characters:

• Dennis Price … Doctor Frankenstein
• Howard Vernon … Dracula
• Paca Gabaldón [as Mary Francis] … Maria
• Alberto Dalbés … Doctor Jonathan Seward
• Carmen Yazalde [as Britt Nichols] … Female vampire
• Geneviève Robert [as Genevieve Deloir] … Amira
• Anne Libert … Dracula’s first victim
• Luis Barboo [as Luis Bar Boo]… Morpho
• Brandy … The Wolf Man
• Fernando Bilbao… The Monster
• Josyane Gibert [as Josiane Gibert] … Estela

Filming locations:

Estoril, Cascais, Sintra, Lisbon, Portugal
Alicante, Comunidad Valenciana, Spain

Alternate titles:

Drácula contra Frankenstein
Dracula contro Frankenstein
Dracula prisonnier de Frankenstein
Die Nacht der offenen Särge
The Screaming Dead

Image credits: El Franconomicon

The views expressed in the HORRORPEDIA review above are those of the author only and may not necessarily represent the opinions of the website editor and/or its owner.

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The post Dracula, Prisoner of Frankenstein – Spain/France/Portugal, 1972 appeared first on HORRORPEDIA.

‘Working late is a killer!’

Overtime is a 2016 Australian comedy horror short film directed by Craig D. Foster from a screenplay co-written with Emma McKenna. The Metro Screen production stars Aaron Glenane, Ainslie Clouston, Arka Das and Adam Dunn.

Office worker Ralph (Aaron Glenane) is trying to avoid working late as the impending full moon will cause him to transform into a werewolf…

After many successful festival screenings, Overtime is now available to view online via Vimeo.

Cast and characters:

• Aaron Glenane … Ralph
• Ainslie Clouston … Megan
• Arka Das … Sean
• Adam Dunn … Simon

More werewolves

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‘Spine chilling horror!!’

Doctor Jekyll and the Wolfman is a 1971 Spanish directed by León Klimovsky (The Vampires’ Night Orgy; Vengeance of the Zombies; The Dracula Saga; et al) from a screenplay by Jacinto Molina (aka Paul Naschy). The latter stars, alongside Shirley Corrigan, Jack Taylor and Mirta Miller.

Newlyweds Imre (Jose Marco) and Justine (Shirley Corrigan) are visiting Transylvania for their honeymoon when they are attacked by bandits. Imre is killed but Justine is rescued by Polish nobleman Waldemar Daninsky (Paul Naschy), who is also a werewolf. The local villagers launch an attack on Daninsky’s castle, so he and Justine flee to London.

Besotted with Daninsky, yet aware of his tragic lycanthropic condition, Justine asks her friend Dr. Henry Jekyll (Jack Taylor) if he can help. Jekyll injects Daninsky with his grandfather’s potion to try and cure him…

Reviews: 

“Some of the action scenes seem slow and a bit sloppy, but the plethora of horror elements and gore (Daninsky even pulls chunks of flesh out of one victim) override the shortcomings […] Dr. Jekyll and the Wolfman (1972) is well worth your investment; and for Naschy fans, this tour de force of werewolfery and Hyde’s hedonistic sadist is a howlingly good time.” Brian Bankston, Cool Ass Cinema

“Klimovsky treats the rather campy premise with considerable style, with the action moving from the traditional horror movie motifs of the old country (the angry villagers, local superstitions, freakish looking scavengers) to modern London where the scenic images include a rather seedy early 1970s Soho district. Naschy acts and looks as great as ever as the werewolf, but his Mr. Hyde, well he’s a pisser.” George R. Reis, DVD Drive-In

“Naschy is having so much fun and projects such infectious enthusiasm that it is simply impossible to be overly critical of his endeavours here. And Naschy is actually very effective in parts, particularly when he transforms into the heinous Mr Hyde. And, as the werewolf, he pulls off a good crowd scene in a groovy night-club…” Lee Brougton, DVD Savant

” …there are moments of acknowledgeable proficiency as displayed periodically by director Klimovsky in other films: the awakening of Justine in the centuries old castle and her subsequent meandering through the dark corridors by candlelight is exceedingly spooky, and similarly the locations used for Transylvania’s barren landscapes…” The Grim Cellar

” …gives Naschy the chance to ham it up as two classic monsters for the price of one. Whether growling into the camera or wielding a mean cane, he’s great fun to behold and keeps the film lively through some of the slower spots. Taylor has surprisingly little to do […] but the clash between gothic and groovy environments more than makes up for it.” Nathaniel Thompson, Mondo Digital

“The first half feels exactly like a normal Daninsky-movie – mountain road, attack, castle, lynch-mob, macho-Naschy – but it because extra fun when he flees from there and ends up in party party party-London. The disco scene is way to short, but the whole storyline of Dr Jekyll trying to cure Daninsky from the werewolf-syndrome is fun and creative.” Ninja Dixon

“The set-pieces when Naschy transforms into werewolf or Mr Hyde is wonderfully staged, the best one being in a stuck elevator together with a scared shitless nurse…and of course the famous disco-scene, which still is very cool.” Fred Anderson, Schmollywood Babylon

“His first onscreen wolf transformation is pure unadulterated Shatner but his portrayal of Mr Hyde is worth the price of admission alone. See Hyde complete with full original vintage costume hit the streets of swinging 70’s London, cruising the strip bars and grooving clubs for wenches to play with in his own devilish way – simply brilliant and lots of fun!” Sex Gore Mutant

“Although deliriously implausible (and merely an excuse for Naschy to do double duty acting – once again), this middling Eurohorror benefits from Klimovsky’s always reliable direction and a few nice touches, such as Waldemar’s cool transformation scene in a trapped elevator.” The Terror Trap

“The decent amount of gore (head crushing, throat ripping, severed head) and a lax running time help make Dr. Jekyll and the Werewolf better than the usual Naschy mishmash. The thing that really makes the movie though is the transformation scenes […] And this one has plenty of them.” Mitch Lovell, The Video Vacuum

Choice dialogue:

Sandra: “Good and evil. The eternal make-up of all human beings. And which we can change with a chemical formula. It’s fascinating.”

Cast and characters:

• Jacinto Molina [as Paul Naschy] … Waldemar Daninsky / Wolfman / Mr. Hyde
• Shirley Corrigan … Justine – The Crimes of the Black Cat; Devil’s Nightmare
• Jack Taylor … Dr. Henry Jekyll – Wax; Pieces; Female Vampire; The Night of the Sorcerers; Count Dracula; et al
• Mirta Miller … Sandra – Eyeball; Vengeance of the Zombies; Count Dracula’s Great Love
• José Marco … Imre Kosta – Horror Express; Knife of Ice; Fury of the Wolfman; The Horrible Sexy Vampire
• Luis Induni … Otvos – The Werewolf and the Yeti; Exorcism; The Devil’s Possessed; The Loreley’s Grasp; The Horrible Sexy Vampire; et al
• Barta Barri … Gyogyo, the innkeeper – Horror Express; The Horrible Sexy Vampire
• Luis Gaspar … Thurko, Otvos’s thug
• Elsa Zabala … Uswika Bathory
• Lucy Tiller … Prostitute

Technical credits:

Filmed in 70mm

Release:

The film was released in Spain on 6 May 1972.

Image credits: Cool Ass Cinema

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‘Man? or Monster? or Both?’

The Return of the Vampire is a 1943 supernatural horror feature film directed by Lew Landers (Terrified; The Boogie Man Will Get You; The Raven) from a screenplay by Griffin Jay (Cry of the Werewolf; The Mummy’s Hand; et al), based on an idea by Kurt Neumann (The Fly). The Sam White produced movie stars Bela Lugosi, Frieda Inescort, Nina Foch and Miles Mander.

Although not a sequel to Lugosi’s 1931 Dracula, this film has been interpreted by some critics and some scholars as an unofficial follow-up with Lugosi’s character renamed because the production was made at Columbia Pictures rather than Universal.

The Return of the Vampire is being released on Blu-ray by Scream Factory on February 19, 2019. Extra features are in progress and will be announced nearer the date.

Plot:

A voiceover (Miles Mander) announces that ‘the following events are taken from the notes of Professor Walter Saunders of King’s College, Oxford…’

A mist-shrouded cemetery at night: A werewolf (Matt Willis) enters a tomb and tells his vampire ‘Master’ that it is time for him to awake. A hand reaches out of the coffin and lifts the lid. A shadow appears on the wall, and the unmistakable voice of Bela Lugosi asks what happened while he was asleep. The werewolf replies that his latest victim has been taken to Dr. Ainsley’s clinic.

Baffled by her patient’s anaemic condition, Lady Jane Ainsley (Frieda Inescort) has called in Professor Walter Saunders (Gilbert Emery). While they are discussing the patient, two children enter. They are Lady Jane’s son, John, and Professor Saunders’ granddaughter, Nikki. Lady Jane and the professor send the children to bed and return to their patient.

The vampire, finding that his victim is not alone, attacks Nikki instead. After the patient dies, Professor Saunders sits up the rest of the night, reading a book on vampires written two hundred years ago by Armand Tesla…

Buy DVD: Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com

Reviews:

“The film is efficiently directed by Lew Landers, complete with the dreamlike rovings of a mobile camera and moody, mist-shrouded set pieces that are second to none. It also benefits greatly from the unwonted topicality of its setting.” Jonathan Rigby, American Gothic

“The best thing about it, apart from the outstanding performances by Inescourt (as a distaff Van Helsing) and Foch (making her debut as the vampire’s chief victim), is the ending in which the werewolf, tired of being in thrall to the vampire, drags him into the sun as he sleeps. The last shot of Lugosi’s face melting (actually a wax mould over a skeleton) was cut by the censor in Britain.” The Aurum Film Encyclopedia: Horror

“Bela Lugosi’s Armand Tesla is a far cry from the smooth and well-mannered Count Dracula, who smarmed his way into society. In his final serious outing as a vampire, Lugosi gives us a grouchy and bad-tempered bloodsucker, exhibiting little of the charisma traditionally associated with the role.” And You Call Yourself a Scientist!

” …contains everything that makes classic horror films so special. It’s brimming with atmosphere in the form of foggy graveyards and decaying crypts, with Lugosi’s vampiric presence being the highlight of the show. As the speech-gifted werewolf, Matt Willis (who in human form resembles a bloated Buster Crabbe) is fun to watch and is given much screen time…” George R. Reis, DVD Drive-In

“It almost ODs on atmosphere (that low-lying ground fog is everywhere, including indoors at times) and the surprises are few, but there is plenty of energy and fun in the proceedings, with even the comic relief being sharper than usual. Though I wouldn’t call it a great movie, it is a lot of fun…” Dave Sindelar, Fantastic Movie Musings and Ramblings

“As a film, it certainly coasts a bit on the novelty of seeing Lugosi back in the cape, but, in hindsight, it sort of sadly encapsulates how stagnated his career had become. Once a huge star, here he is clutching to past glories in a film content to do faintly echo the better films that preceded it. The Return of the Vampire is certainly not a bad film, merely one that feels a bit perfunctory in many ways.” Brett Gallman, Oh, the Horror!

“Lady Jane Ainsley is an atypically strong female character for horror movies of the time, which makes this more interesting than it might be otherwise, and Inescort does a fine job with the role, offering it both strength and charisma. She’s basically the lead protagonist in the picture…” Ian Jane, Rock! Shock! Pop!

“Lugosi proved he still had it when portraying this kind of Eastern European supernatural threat, and if he wasn’t onscreen quite as much as you might have liked, he did get star billing and made his scenes, er, count. With creeping fog and graveyards featuring prominently, it was cliché all the way as far as the visuals went, but had a nice line in high-falutin’ dialogue well delivered by a solid cast.” Graeme Clark, The Spinning Image

Buy DVD: Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com

“Inescort’s got good scenes with both Gilbert Emery and Miles Mander and Nina Foch seems like she’s a better actor than her part. The direction’s actually half good, usually going bad after a really good shot, but it’s probably better direction than most of the Universal monster movies of the era.” The Stop Button

…crude but fun – if you can accept cornball premises and a corny fog swirling around the vampire as he attacks his victims.” John Stanley, Creature Features

“The revenge orientated plot is too humdrum to give anyone a chance, apart from the conceit of a werewolf servant for Lugosi.” Alan Frank, The Horror Film Handbook

Cast and characters:

• Bela Lugosi … Armand Tesla / Dr. Hugo Bruckner
• Frieda Inescort … Lady Jane Ainsley – The Alligator People
• Nina Foch … Nicki Saunders – Jennifer; Cry of the Werewolf
• Roland Varno … John Ainsley
• Miles Mander … Sir Frederick Fleet
• Matt Willis … Andreas Obry
• Ottola Nesmith … Elsa Walter – Governess
• Gilbert Emery … Dr. Walter Saunders
• Leslie Denison … Detective Lynch
• William Austin … Detective Gannett
• Jeanne Bates … Miss Norcutt (uncredited)
• Billy Bevan … Horace – Civil Defence Worker (uncredited)
• Sydney Chatton … Peters – Desk Clerk (uncredited)
• Sherlee Collier … Nicki as a child (uncredited)
• Frank Dawson … Old Man (uncredited)
• Harold De Becker … Horace’s Friend – Civil Defence worker #2 (uncredited)
• Donald Dewar … John as a Child (uncredited)
• Jean Fenwick … Girl on Street (uncredited)
• Olaf Hytten … Ben – Lady Jane’s Butler (uncredited)
• Nelson Leigh … Sir Frederick’s Office Assistant (uncredited)
• Stanley Logan … Col. Mosley (uncredited)
• Audrey Manners … Nurse (uncredited)
• George McKay … Cemetery Caretaker (uncredited)
• Marianne Mosner … Nurse (uncredited)
• Clara Reid … Old Woman (uncredited)

Budget:

$75,000

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‘Where the werewolves roam’

Among the Shadows is a 2018 American supernatural horror feature film featuring werewolves directed by Tiago Mesquita (co-producer of The Monkey’s Paw) from a screenplay by Mark Morgan. The movie stars Lindsay Lohan, Charlotte Beckett, Gianni Capaldi and Dominik Madani.

Plot:

Kristy Wolfe (Charlotte Beckett) is a Brussels private eye descended from werewolves who must go to work when her uncle Harry Goldtsone is murdered in a politically-motivated attack. Patricia Sherman (Lindsay Lohan), the wife of European Federation President Richard Sherman, hires Wolfe to investigate Goldstone’s killing, as he was her husband’s campaign manager.

Wolfe finds bodies falling all over city and must use her innate instincts to unravel the case and stay alive long enough unmask the conspiracy…

Cast and characters:

• Lindsay Lohan … Patricia Sherman – Scary Movie 5; Side Effects
• Charlotte Beckett … Kristy Wolfe – Penny Dreadful TV series
• Gianni Capaldi … Lieutenant McGregor
• Dominik Madani … Colin Haroosen
• Reynald Bialès … Frederik
• Barry Jay Minoff … Matthew
• Kristoffel Verdonck … Richard Sherman
• John Flanders … Uncle Harry
• Peter Organ … Lycan
• Daniel Hugh Kelly … Bittencourt
• Jean-Michel Vovk … Max Eddelman
• Olivier Englebert … Bastien
• Bond Mgebrishvili … Mason
• Gaelle Gillis … Nina
• Sulaiman Rochemont … Louis

Filming locations:

Brussels and AED Studios, Lint, Flanders, Belgium

Working title:

The Shadow Within

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‘Pray for the sunrise’

Dark Moon Rising is a 2015 American supernatural horror feature film written and directed by Justin Price (Alien: Reign of Man; The 13th Friday; The Elf; Forsaken). The Pikchure Zero Entertainment production stars Anastasia Antonia, Eric Roberts, Khu and Billy Blanks.

Plot:

A group of shape-shifting werewolves appear in a small town in search of a mysterious girl who is re-born once every 2000 years. In order to save their kind from the brink of extinction, they must capture her before she becomes a fully-fledged Lycan and reclaim her place as the Alpha species.

Unknown to them, however, lurks yet another of her kind secretly living in the same small town. If they can capture both, then they would have the power to control a new species of werewolves and enslave the human race…

Reviews:

“There was way too much background noise and music that made the lines/dialog hard to hear. The acting is atrocious, the screenplay is a disaster zone, editing is terrible, werewolves were a dreadful mess, shots did not transition well, terrible music, horrendous CGI, and cheesy everything.” Florita A., Hell Horror

“It maintains a steady hold on those watching but can definitely loosen the grip a little to pave way for some quippy one-liners and covers all the bases of a werewolf franchise in the making. A good, solid story with quintessential special effects that add finishing touches to an otherwise pretty good movie. ” The Movie Sleuth

” …fatally, for all its everything-but-the-kitchen-sink approach, Dark Moon Rising forgoes that vital quality that made all those classic werewolf films before it so memorable; namely, the human heart that beats beneath the bloody pelt of the beast. Not quite beware the moon, but Dark Moon Rising nonetheless stops just short of being something to truly howl about.” Benjamin Poole, The Movie Waffler

“Many of the character interactions are nonsense. Most of the time, it feels like the characters are reading from different scripts as more than half of the things they say to each other don’t seem related. The actors also have a bad habit of mumbling their lines, making the dialogue hard to hear. Complicating this problem is poor sound editing. Many times, the dialogue is drowned out by music or background noises.” Rachel Willis, Screen Relish

Buy DVD: Amazon.co.uk

” …it features rather odd jumps in time, leaves out important passages, leaves things half-explained and also changes between its characters’ fantasy and their reality without warning. Oddly enough then, all of this hardly spoils the movie’s enjoyability, as the whole thing is very well structured and paced, features cool set-pieces aplenty, and is carried by interesting (and well-played) characters.” Mike Haberfelner, Search My Trash

“The film is rife with terrible CGI effects used for everything from fire, to blood, to x-ray vision (don’t ask- I can’t explain it). In fact the film opens with a CGI tanker truck on (CGI) fire followed by a CGI werewolf. The werewolves inexplicably all have super powers. One of them named Gecko (no I’m not kidding) has a poison breath attack…” Che Gilson, UK Horror Scene

Cast and characters:

• Anastasia Antonia … Dawn [as Stasi Esper]
• Eric Roberts … Henrick
• Khu … Kaio
• Billy Blanks … Sheriff Tom
• Justin Price … Sin
• Cameron White … Chace
• Lisa May … Feighn
• Matthew Simmons … Gecko
• Timea Saghy … Danse
• Jared Allman … James
• Emily Bedford … Lisa (voice)
• Deanna Grace Congo … Amy
• Michele Gourdine … Lisa
• Sasha Higgins … Dominique
• Katie Lee Mayo … College Student [as Katie Mayo]

Release:

In the US, released on digital and DVD on August 4, 2015, by Uncork’d Entertainment.

Trivia:

Not to be confused with the 2009 werewolf movie of the same name.

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‘Her husband was an animal’

Alpha Wolf is a 2018 American supernatural horror feature film co-produced and directed by Kevin VanHook (Slayer; Voodoo Moon; The Fallen Ones; Frost: Portrait of a Vampire) from a screenplay by Wes C. Caefer. The movie stars Casper Van Dien, Jennifer Wenger and Patrick Muldoon. Barney Burman handled the make-up effects.

Plot:

When Virginia (Jennifer Wenger) and her husband Jack (Casper Van Dien) spend a long weekend in the idyllic countryside, they encounter a creature that tears their lives apart. While the attack has an effect on each of them, it brings out the worst in Jack…

Cast and characters:

• Casper Van Dien … Jack Lupo – Darkness Reigns; The Pact; Starship Troopers; et al
• Jennifer Wenger … Virginia Lupo – Aaah! Roach!; Darkness Reigns; House of Demons; All Through the House; Lavalantula; Tales of Halloween
• Shane P. Allen … Doc Howard
• Dirk Ellis  … Dirk Ellis
• Tyler Gallant … Larry Human – #FollowMe; Rootwood; Death by VHS
• Connor Garelick … Dorian
• Michael Lloyd Gilliland … Red Summers
• Robert Allen Mukes … John Carradine – Slumber Party Slaughter; Backwoods; Monster Night; House of 1000 Corpses
• Patrick Muldoon … Reed
• Larry Poole … Neck Bodine
• James Preston Rogers … Sheriff Carradine
• Raquel Woodruff … Ashley
• Titus … Larry (dog)

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‘They’re coming for dinner. You’re the main course.’

Monsterland 2 aka Monster Land 2 is a 2019 American horror anthology feature film produced by Evan Tramel. It is composed of a series of shorts directed by:

• Jonathan Holbrook and Elena Stecca – ‘Brace Face’
• Corey Norman – ‘White Drift’
• Arlen Konopaki – ‘Wormbug’
• Ben Steiner – ‘The Flea’
• Patrick Rea – ‘Justice Served’
• Charlie Phoenix, Kayden Phoenix – ‘A simple procedure’

The Wow Now Entertainment production stars Peter Oldring, Damien Maffei, Kristi Ray, Adaryn Healy and Sean Charmichael.

This compilation is a follow-up to Monsterland (2016) and has been released on VOD and DVD by Uncork’d Entertainment.

Plot:

As monsters continue to destroy the world, we travel around the globe where stories of strange beasts and epic creatures are all too common. Beware a young girl with a brace on her face, she may just eat you alive if you aren’t looking.

Watch out for werewolves, vampire hunters in Highgate, North London, and monsters that eat you from the inside out. No one is safe when the monsters are hiding amongst us and within…

Running time:

73 minutes

Related:

Monsterland

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Horror movies free to watch online

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‘Stripping has never been so hairy!’

Strippers vs. Werewolves is a 2012 British comedy horror feature film directed by Jonathan Glendening (13Hrs aka Night Wolf) and produced by Jonathan Sothcott for Black and Blue Films. The screenplay was written by Phillip Barron and Pat Higgins.

Main cast:

Ali Bastian, Sara Douglas, Lysette Anthony, Martin Compston, Alan Ford, Marc Baylis, Billy Murray, Simon Phillips, Barbara Nedeljakova, Coralie Rose, Nick Nevern, Adele Silva, Steven Berkoff, and Robert Englund.

Plot:

Basildon, 1974: An exotic dancing club is inexplicably blown to pieces…

London, 2011: When Mickey (Martin Kemp), the member of a werewolf gang is accidentally killed in an exotic dancing club by one of the performers, the other young women who work there have until the next full moon before his bloodthirsty wolf pack seek murderous retribution.

Rumours abound about production problems with the film, and although not publicly confirmed, it has been alleged that director Glendening was fired towards the end of production and that some actors did not get paid.

The film was released in the UK on April 2012 and the USA on September 25th 2012.

Buy: Amazon.com

Review:

Strippers vs Werewolves falls apart because it doesn’t deliver enough of anything in either quantity or quality – strippers, werewolves, horror and comedy are all under/badly represented here.

Overall, the film was a intriguing concept, however it lacks vital energies, basic technical polish and a sense of fun. A wasted opportunity.

David Flint, HORRORPEDIA

“This low-budget British genre effort has an admirable streak of bloodied sweetness and decent performances going for it, but it’s also, frankly, a bit of a mess, and stronger on montages of characters getting ready for action than the action itself.” Kim Newman, Empire

“… Strippers vs Werewolves is not quite as horrid as it might have been. Director Glendening (fresh off serious werewolf film 13Hrs, aka Night Wolf) manages to make the film look decent on a clearly minuscule budget. However, all the split screen effects in the world cannot disguise a very poor script.” Screenjabber

“If viewed kindly Strippers vs Werewolves isn’t that bad at all. It obviously didn’t cost very much, and while some of the storytelling at the beginning is a little awkward, once it settles down the film is far more watchable than a lot of DVD fare that’s currently available.” This is Horror

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‘There is no defence.’

Wolfen is a 1981 American supernatural horror feature film directed by Michael Wadleigh from a screenplay co-written with David Eyre and [uncredited] Eric Roth. It is an adaptation of Whitley Strieber’s 1978 novel The Wolfen. It was co-produced by Wadleith [uncredited] and Rupert Hitzig (Jaws 3-D). The movie stars Albert Finney (Night Must Fall), Diane Venora, Gregory Hines and Edward James Olmos.

The film’s soundtrack score was composed by James Horner (Humanoids from the Deep; Deadly Blessing; Aliens). The special effect makeup  was provided by Carl Fullerton.

Plot:

A disused church in the Bronx proves to be central to a string of savage murders in the area, which seem to be the work of a huge pack of wolves.

Detective Dewey Wilson (Albert Finney) is assigned to track down the urban lycanthropes. Wilson enlists the help of a criminal psychologist (Diane Verona) and the city’s coroner (Gregory Hines) and together they discover that an ancient Native American legend, about a satanic group of changelings known as the Wolfen, is in fact true…

Reviews:

“As a whole, the film is damn solid, with a unique take on the werewolf concept, but I could easily see horror fans growing tired of the procedural-like plot and/or not quite digging the not-quite-werewolf schtick.  It’s well worth a watch if wolves are your bag or you like the darker crime thrillers out there.” Kyle Saubert, Allusions of Grandeur

“Wolfen is definitely an interesting horror movie with a different perspective.  The horror builds nicely and the movie is very tense.  You might be expecting a true werewolf movie when you see the title, but with Wolfen, you get something entirely unexpected.” JP Roscoe, Basement Rejects

“After seeing it on first release, Wolfen has remained a memorable and repeatable experience. As much for the gritty approach (the matter-of-fact pathology lab scene is full of edgy moments) as the locations and ideas. Like a leftover eco-thriller from the 70s, a Soylent Green set in modern day.” Mark Hodgson, Black Hole

“Marvellous contemporary reinvention of the classic werewolf myth; taken initially from an excellent source novel by Whitley Streiber, though it’s clear that director Wadleigh and co-screenwriter David Eyre took a degree of creative license – retaining only about 50% of the source novella and managed to inject a whole new series of themes…” Digital Retibution

“Wolfen goes through the paces of a typical detective thriller, but I’ll bet you’ve never seen anything like it … My mother calls Wolfen ‘a werewolf movie from the werewolf’s point of view,’ and that’s not a bad take on it, since the homicidal title creatures are in essence the good guys of the piece.” Bill Chambers, Film Freak Central.

“…a case of a director’s pretensions toward making a big message overbearing an idea to the point of ludicrousness. Certainly, Wadleigh creates an often haunted atmosphere, suggesting animals constantly lurking and creeping through the shadows. The solarised and Steadicam shots supposedly from the wolves’ point-of-view were novel at the time the film was made.” Richard Scheib, Moria

“The performers are all fine, but it’s the film’s otherworldly look and sound that give Wolfen the frequently stunning effect it has. Not since Nicholas Roeg’s Don’t Look Back has there been such a beautifully mounted and designed scare movie […] Wolfen is so good-looking that one tends to ignore a certain but very real inner vacuity.” Vincent Canby, The New York Times

“Wolfen is a thriller that doesn’t quite fit easily into a defined genre. It plays primarily as horror, but as the mystery as to what is behind the killings unravels, thriller and fantasy elements begin to take over. It’s an uneven experience, but does have its rewards…” Vince Leo,  QWipster’s Movie Reviews

” …the releasing studio, United Artists, which would have preferred a sleazy exploitation picture (and is releasing Wolfen as if it were one). That’s a shame. Love, thought, care and craftsmanship have gone into this film, which is now, so to speak, being thrown to the wolves.” Roger Ebert

” …the cinematography was excellent throughout, with Wadleigh taking full advantage of the widescreen compositions, which was all very well but remained creaking under the weight of the director’s right-on messages. Plenty found much to resist about Wolfen at the time, not least the studio, but over the years its idiosyncrasies have brought it a well-deserved interest.” Graeme Clark, The Spinning Image

“Maximizing the harshness of the urban ghetto that serves as its backdrop – and dotting it with creatures who only attack because they’re protecting their turf – Wolfen forgoes a dramatic ‘transformation scene’ in favor of a well-handled socio-political message. But gorehounds, don’t be disheartened: there’s plenty of red stuff afoot here…” Terror Trap

“Instead of reducing itself to a creature feature, serial killer thriller or cop procedural, the script is an artful combination of all three, layering a deeper message about man’s precarious relationship with the environment. Wolfen has a bold visual sheen and breathtaking production value as well…” This Distracted Globe

“From a cinematography viewpoint, Wolfen has some impressive scenes, particularly those of the Manhattan landscape. For a city that doesn’t sleep, the streets as they’re filmed here are barren, with lots of shadows […] I also love seeing New York City in the early 80’s, where most of the Bronx and Brooklyn looked like war zones.” Leonard Wilson, Through the Shattered Lens

“The setting is two New Yorks: that of the multinational, politically-amoral corporations, and that of the slum wastelands, both with the same landlords. The camera’s vision is a fresh one, and though the wolf’s eye view sequences threaten at first to become a nuisance, they are soon justified as a dramatic device, and ultimately as essential to the plot.” Time Out

“Wolfen is an intelligent, insightful, and visually creative twist on the werewolf legend. Although occasionally preachy, it is a fascinating horror tale that is as engrossing as it is horrifying. The visual effects are sensational, introducing to the screen a previously unseen “Wolfen vision” that, through a variety of optical printing techniques, conveys the wolves’ heightened awareness of heat, smell, movement, and texture.” TV Guide

“Wadleigh creates a surreal point-of-view for the killers that works effectively, accented by handy digital sound. Overall, Paul Sylbert’s production design is also a major plus. Add to that a splendid performance by Finney and a solid film debut for Diane Venora as his psychologist sidekick.” Variety

“This was way more intelligent than I was expecting going in and while it does have some mild comic relief courtesy of Hines things are played completely straight. Its solid performances and smart script […] elevate this to a level rarely seen amongst (were) wolves. I loved the way Wadleigh staged the wolf perspective (yes, it does feel like Predator – six years beforehand)…” The Video Graveyard

“It plays on the typical werewolf movie and adds its own distinctive twist, it uses stunningly ugly locales to create a near fantasy realm in New York City, and it even manages to decapitate nearly every single actor in the film. All of those help make up for the mistakes you’ll encounter throughout the film, because while Wolfen will take you on an incredible journey…” Matt Gamble, Where the Long Tail Ends

Buy: Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com

“There are small problems as well, such as overuse of solarised effects to signify “wolf view”, obvious gratuitous gore, and clichéd false alarms that turn out to be cats or birds. Michael Wadleigh is a competent director, and particularly good at spotting dynamic “found” images, but his virtues cannot overcome the screenplay’s built-in flaws.” David Elroy Goldweber, Claws & Saucers

Cast and characters:

• Albert Finney … Dewey Wilson
• Diane Venora … Rebecca Neff
• Edward James Olmos … Eddie Holt
• Gregory Hines …Whittington
• Tom Noonan … Ferguson
• Dick O’Neill … Warren
• Dehl Berti … Old Indian
• Peter Michael Goetz … Ross
• Reginald VelJohnson … Morgue Attendant
• James Tolkan … Baldy
• Donald Symington … Lawyer
• Tom Waits … Drunken Bar Owner [uncredited]

Some image credits: Basement Rejects | Black Hole

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The Order is a 2019 American supernatural horror TV series created by Dennis Heaton and Shelley Eriksen. The Nomadic Pictures production is currently available on Netflix. It stars Jake Manley, Sarah Grey, Adam DiMarco, Louriza Tronco and Katharine Isabelle.

Plot:

At Belgrave University, college freshman Jack Morton (Jake Manley) joins a fabled secret society in which he is thrust into a dangerous game of life or death. As Jack goes deeper, he uncovers dark family secrets and an underground battle between werewolves and the magical dark arts…

Cast and characters:

• Jake Manley … Jack Morton
• Sarah Grey … Alyssa Drake / …
• Adam DiMarco … Randall Carpio
• Louriza Tronco … Gabrielle
• Matt Frewer … Peter Morton
• Max Martini … Edward Coventry
• Aaron Hale … Brandon
• Devery Jacobs … Lilith Bathory
• Thomas Elms … Hamish Duke
• Sam Trammell … Eric Clarke
• Katharine Isabelle … Vera Stone
• Jedidiah Goodacre … Kyle 5
• Kayla Heller … Selena Durov
• Sean Depner … Jonas
• Christian Michael Cooper … Maddox Coventry
• Julia Benson … Professor Robin Benson
• Andres Collantes … Diego Nunez
• Jewel Staite … Renee Marand
• Dylan Playfair … Clay
• Ty Wood … Gregory
• Ajay Friese … Amir
• Keith Martin Gordey … Hemmings
• Emily Holmes … Margaret Crain
• Keith Arbuthnot … Leper Creature / …
• Matt Visser … Weston Miller
• Favour Onwuka … Drea Antonucci
• Tom Stevens … Ben
• Mitra Suri … Housekeeper
• Jocelyn Hudon … Ruby

Filming locations:

University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Technical credits:

60 minutes per episode

More horror on Netflix

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