THE GORGON (1964)

Over the past little while, I've become quite a Hammer Hound. Seeing a Hammer Film can be, in many ways, like seeing an updated Universal film, though thankfully without the intrusion of CGI. Now, I've still barely scraped the surface with the Hammer films I have seen but this has to be one of my favourites thus far......

The Gorgon is a Hammer film yes but not in the more traditionally known sense. For example, Hammer is mostly known for it's Dracula and Frankenstein pictures. This little horror tale however, has it's roots not in 1800's literature but in Greek mythology. Yes, a film about a Medusa. Or to be more accurate, about the spirit of a Medusa posessing the body of a young, beautiful woman in the German countryside. It's done with typical Hammer attention to period detail which is always nice and the atmosphere generated from the location shooting and that 60's Hammer picture quality is quite incredible. As well done as Hammer's Dracula films may be, this one contains far more cinematic appeal, for me anyways......

The Gorgon may not be for everyone however, as it's fairly slow paced and probably not for the more sophisticated remake-veteran audiences of today. I can't say a whole lot about it other than that I reccomend it, especially to one being new to Hammer. FOUR STARS OUT OF FIVE.

DRACULA, PRISONER OF FRANKENSTEIN (1972)

What a ridiculous title for a ridiculous movie. The most random review yet...... The Spanish 1972 classic, Dracula Contra Frankenstein, or in English, Dracula Vs Frankenstein. Call it what you want, either way it's still a piece of shit.

What can one really expect from a film with this title? And how could Dracula be Frankenstein's prisoner? In this case the good doctor's prisoner. There are a few moments of curious semi-brilliance such as the suffering howl the monster lets out when he is first ressurected and the atmosphere and mood created by "veteran director" (and I use that term loosely) Jess Franco. Interesting how such a carefully constructed aura of atmosphere can exist in such a lousy film. I actually can't really say much about the film. It's somewhat of an incoherent mess, but I'll try.

So Dr. Seward travels to Transylvania in order to destroy Dracula (played with the same semi-retarded stare by Howard Vernon) which he does, however Dracula is ressurected by Dr. Frankenstein and then commanded to do his bidding. Throw in the recently ressurected monster, a Werewolf out of nowhere with ten minutes to go and seductive "Vampire Vixens" all causing chaos of their own throughout the countryside. Regardless of it's shittiness, it's a film heavy on the Gothic atmosphere and so points must be awarded here. Other than that, there's not much, at least not much that can't be laughed at. Give it a go. You have no choice. TWO STARS OUT OF FIVE.                                                                                                                       

DARK NIGHT OF THE SCARECROW (1981)

Cinema of the Fantastic is pleased to present our first made-for-TV film (and perhaps the last for a while), DARK NIGHT OF THE SCARECROW. This explains why there is no theatrical poster here and I've had to resort to the awesome (and extremely rare) VHS cover. 

                                                Nothing short of a perfect VHS cover

A group of hateful rednecks stalks down a mentally challenged 36-year old (Bubba) under the assumption he murdered a little girl. They find him hiding within the clothes of a Scarecrow. After an intense moment, he is murdered firing squad style, his body hanging from the Scarecrow mast even in death. These men end up getting off totally free after trial. However, someone or something begins picking them off one by one, and there is no short list of suspects....

Dark Night of the Scarecrow impresses all the more because it is after all, a made for TV film. Vincent Price, who disliked modern horror films stated "it was mar-vel-ous!" Somewhat of an overstatement yet the fact it ended up a good horror themed TV movie perhaps inflated the film's reputation (how many great TV horror films are there?). Still, the film was rare for years and only recently released on DVD, sparking excitement and enthusiasm for it. The grainy picture somehow translates well with the film and it isn't too predictable. The atmosphere doesn't feel quite the same as most horror films but it's spooky enough and enhanced by convincing performances throughout. It even contains one genuinely creepy scene though I won't spoil it.

                                       A horrified Bubba hiding inside a Scarecrow


Is Dark Night of the Scarecrow a classic? In the realm of TV movies, perhaps. I spent $20 to buy it on DVD and I can easily watch this once or twice a year before I die. It apparently can be watched on Youtube if you don't feel like forking over cash, so I'd reccomend it. It's not amazing but it's something that is unique and not as cliche as you'd expect. THREE STARS OUT OF FIVE.



      

SAW 3D (2010)

So I went out to the theatre last night, and guess what I saw? Yeah, Saw 3D or Saw 7. Regardless it promises to be the final chapter in the long-running movie series and one can only hope so. How is Saw 3D a film of the fantastic? Just go with it.

This time around, Jigsaw finds a man pretending to have survived the Jigsaw killer. He gives motivational speeches to fellow and far worse off survivors. He must be punished. And boy is he ever. Is there a point in discussing what happens? Trap after trap, we get to see a neck cave in, eyes gouged, a man hanged, and woman broiled to death. Oh and the scene with the skinheads early on offers quite a grossout for the gore hounds.

So Saw 7 or Saw 3D is not the worst movie I've ever seen, but then only one film can hold that title. The film is periodically entertaining and it's over-the-top silliness only helps it at the point it's reached. I get it. The SAW films are here only because fans want gore and to hear Jigsaw say "I want to play a game!" Every October they demand Jigsaw by selling out theatres and giving each installment, at the very least, a strong opening weekend at the box office. Now, Saw 3D promises to be the final chapter in the Saw series, but is it really? Remember Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter? How about Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare? Remember how Micheal Myers was most assuredly dead at the conclusion of Halloween 2? Basically, these franchises survived their own promised finish. They outlasted their own demise. Saw 3D is left far more open than any of these films and to boot, has a decent enough box office total to woo executives into pinching our pockets to ensure Jigsaw lives for another movie. We'll be seeing a new Saw film probably in October 2011 and if not, it won't be more than a few years before we are again subjected to this mediocre series of films. TWO STARS OUT OF FIVE.

PIRANHA (1978)

The 1978 Roger Corman classic (?)..... Well it's more of a classic than any of the JAWS sequels at the very least....... It's a B-movie, nothing too special but certainly nothing that disappoints. It promises and delivers it's low budget carnage in an appealing way and in the last 32 years has become a cult-classic followed by many loyal B-fans.

Very Recently, a film titled Piranha 3D was released, sparking a new curiosity for water-themed monster films. So is how I came to buy Piranha (1978), the original Roger Corman semi-classic. It's another film that plays into mistrust of the establishment, with the military unleashing hundreds of hungry genetically altered piranhas into a small town's rivers and streams. Apparently they were meant for Vietnam but the war ended too soon for the process to be completed. Now this biological weapon is free to wreak havoc.

Up for lunch are several including a group of child campers, many of whom perish. That might seem harsh to some people but at least a movie like Piranha has the balls to make this happen. In fact plenty end up dead, more than enough to satisfy gorehounds. Some of the acting is poor, the Piranhas are cheap, but they work and tough critics might (as given the subject material) find much to nitpick with but compared to many other recent sea monster films (Lake Placid, Deep Blue Sea, Mega Shark vs Giant Octopus or even any of the Jaws sequels), this stands up farily well in entertainment value. Not much to say, just enjoy! THREE STARS OUT OF FIVE.