A scientific expedition searching for fossils along the Amazon River discovers a prehistoric Gill-Man in the legendary Black Lagoon. The explorers capture the mysterious creature, but it breaks free. The Gill-Man returns to kidnap the lovely Kay, fiancée of one in the expedition, with whom he has fallen in love. Starring Richard Carlson, Julie Adams, and Richard Denning. Yes, this movie was first released in 3D. The classic creature feature!
On an archaeological dig in Asia, Dr. Roger Bentley finds a cuneiform tablet referring to an ancient society, the Shadow Dynasty, that was destroyed. An earthquake soon after reveals an ancient artifact and the scientists discover the ruins of an ancient temple world on a remote mountain site. It leads them to an underground world, lost in time, where people have adapted to low light. The High Priest Elinu doesn’t welcome the presence of the new arrivals and wants them eliminated. Starring John Agar, Cynthia Patrick, and Hugh Beaumont. One of the great archeological horror movies!
Enterprising journalist Audrey Ames (Peggie Castle) is determined to get the scoop on enormous grasshoppers that were accidentally created at the Illinois State experimental farm, and she endeavors to save Chicago despite a military cover-up. Starring Peter Graves, Peggie Castle, and Morris Ankrum. This movie starts near Rantoul, Illinois as giant grasshoppers from radiation threaten Chicago. This rare movie is not available on DVD at this time. A fun romp through the mysterious cornfields of Illinois.
When strange seeds drift to earth from space, mysterious pods begin to grow and invade a small town, replicating the residents one body at a time. Starring Donald Sutherland, Leonard Nimoy, Brooke Adams, and Jeff Goldblum. A remake of the 1956 movie. This body snatching thing has been going on for decades. Must be a government cover-up.
A family is driving across the country when they stumble across a mysterious house inhabited by the satyr-man Torgo. When the family decides to stay over at the house, mother Margaret is now the object of desire for Torgo and the owner of the house, The Master: a mysterious figure who dresses in a black robe decorated with red hands. Starring Tom Neyman, John Reynolds, and Diane Adelson. The producer, Harold P. Warren was very active in the theater scene in El Paso, Texas, and he once appeared as a walk-on for the television series Route 66, where he met screenwriter Stirling Silliphant. While chatting with Silliphant in a local coffee shop, Warren claimed that it was not difficult to make a horror film, and he bet Silliphant that he could make an entire film on his own. Warren went on to win the bet and make what is thought to be in the Top Ten Worst Movies ever made. El Paso loves this movie. Cast and crew recall that John Reynolds was on LSD during filming. It explains his confused behavior and incessant twitching in virtually all of his scenes.
A mad scientist, who discovered the secret of eternal youth by draining of blood from a young woman, gets executed. His ancestor moves into the home, eventually discovering the scientist’s body. He revives him, and the terror continues. Starring Rock Madison, Ann Wells, and George Todd. This film was originally a Mexican film directed by Frederic Corte and titled ‘La Marca Del Muerto’ American director Jerry Warren bought the rights, threw in a few new scenes, took out a lot of the dialogue and dubbed the rest in English. You never know what will happen when you execute a mad scientist. A real drive-in movie that was definitely part of a double feature!
Jonathan Drake, while attending his brother’s funeral, is shocked to find the head of the deceased is missing. When his brother’s skull shows up later in a locked cabinet, Drake realizes an ancient curse placed upon his grandfather by a tribe of South American Jivaro Indians is still in effect and that he himself is the probable next victim. That night he is awakened by the approach of an Indian, his lips sewed together with string, and wielding a curare-tipped bamboo knife. Starring Edward Franz, Valerie French, and Grant Richards. One of the few movies about shrunken heads and headhunters. Better get rid of that shrunken head in your collection! “Your money not refunded if you faint!” said the original poster.
A newlywed couple sit in a train. The husband receives a frantic telegram. He gets off at a station to make a phone call, the train pulls away without him on it, and that’s the last his wife sees of him. Years later after a long search she finally tracks him down on his family’s southern estate where she discovers that a failed medical treatment has turned him into an alligator mutant. Starring Beverly Garland, Bruce Bennett, and Lon Chaney Jr. Terror on the Bayou! This is one medical center to totally avoid!
The first U.S. spaceship to Venus crash-lands off the coast of Sicily, freeing a small native Venusian creature called the Ymir. Eventually growing to enormous size, it threatens the city of Rome. Starring William Hopper, Joan Taylor, and Thomas Browne Henry. An early Ray Harryhausen special effects movie with a dinosaur from outer space with the final battle taking place at the Colosseum in Rome.
Two brothers, both of whom are warlocks, use their powers and covens of witches to battle over the family fortune. Starring Lon Chaney Jr., John Carradine, and Andrea King. Supposedly based on an actual novel, as the credits claim, it has to be filmdom’s sorriest screen adaptation, as this plays like an unfinished film. Lon Chaney and John Carradine probably knew exactly what type of muck they were standing in. Carradine hams his role of family patriarch and Chaney, possibly hired because the plot includes a werewolf, plays a horned Satanist. Originally a television movie it was then screened at some drive-in theaters as Blood of the Man Devil.
Cheerleaders attending a cheer camp are stalked by a masked murderer. Starring Tom Sizemore, Todd Bridges, James Duval, and Krista Grotte Saxon. What could be more fun than a bunch of cheerleaders being stalked by a murderer? Who is behind that mask? In Gore-a-Rama.
After being falsely accused of being insane and put in a asylum so his wicked aunt and her daughters could steal his money, a recently released young man returns to seek the ultimate revenge against them. Starring Renaud Verley, Viveca Lindfors, and Alfredo Mayo. A Spanish horror film with some good moments. Director Claudio Guerín fell from the tower housing the title bell on the last day of shooting and was killed. The film was then completed by Juan Antonio Bardem. This is the sort of a horror film fulfilling its own prophecy. A curiosity for horror film fans.
During an all-girl secret society initiation, one of the new members is killed playing Russian Roulette. Many years later the survivors are invited for a reunion to a lavish estate, which turns out to be owned by the crazed father of the girl who died. Starring Arthur Franzl Claudia Jennings, Cheri Howell. The revenge-for-a-fraternity/sorority-prank-gone-wrong is an old cliché in horror movies nowadays but it was pretty original back in 1972 when this movie was made in California (but not released until 1977).
A scientist’s experiment with a deadly bacteria goes awry and leaves him horribly deformed. The monstrous man then runs amok in his town. Starring David Warbeck, Janet Agren, Roberto Ricci. Veteran Spaghetti horror actor Warbeck stars as Captain Kirk a detective on the track of a deformed monster. Filmed partially in the UK, Spain and Italy one hopes the monster can do maximum damage. Toxic Avenger, look out!
Writer Rick and his publisher Daniel Parks finally find the ideal location in Italy to shoot some photographs for Rick’s Horror photo-novel when they come across an ideal spot. The seemingly deserted castle looks perfect from the outside, so Rick and Daniel, accompanied by his secretary Edith, their photographer Dermott, and his five young models decide to break in. They soon find the castle is actually occupied by former actor, Travis Anderson, who initially is annoyed with these visitors until he recognizes Edith, his ex-fiancèe amongst them. He decides to give them permission to use his castle, but warns them that the dungeons are off limits. Will they heed his warning? Staring Mickey Hargitay, Walter Brandi, and Luisa Baratto. Filmed in Psychovision, this Italian horror movie has a few good moments. Who is that weirdo in the Lone Ranger mask and red suit, the Marquis de Sade?
Dr. Peter Houseman is a brilliant geneticist who is working on a serum which will stop human aging, but his colleagues don’t believe in his work. When his university funding is threatened by his skeptical benefactors, the doctor takes a desperate measure to justify his work. He administers the serum to himself, but the results are unexpected and horrendous. Starring Gene LeBrock, Catherine Baranov, Harry Cason. An Italian horror movie made in Norfolk, Virginia. Go figure.
Wilford Butler returns home on Christmas Eve and his house had been turned into a mental institution for the criminally insane. But the day of his return, he is set on fire and dies. The locals believe his death was an accident, and the institution-house is later closed down. Wilford leaves the house to his grandson Jeffrey. A few years later, Jeffrey finally decides to sell this grandfather’s house, but the towns people including the Mayor have mixed feelings on keeping people away from the house, especially when a serial killer escapes from another institution and finds refuge there. The killer makes frightening phone calls and kills anyone coming near the house. But what does the killer have in common with what happened to Wilford Butler years before? Staring Patrick O’Neal, James Patterson, Mary Woronov, and John Carradine. One of the early crazy axe-killer movies. Wait till Halloween comes around! This movie was rated R when it came out, not for sexual content but for the gore. Today it is PG.
When Dr. Frankenstein is killed by a monster he created, his daughter, Tania Frankenstein and his lab assistant Marshall continue his experiments. The two fall in love and attempt to transplant Marshall’s brain in to the muscular body of a retarded servant Stephen, in order to prolong the aging Marshall’s life. Meanwhile, the first monster seeks revenge on the grave robbers who sold the body parts used in its creation to Dr. Frankenstein. Soon it comes after Marshall and the doctor’s daughter. Starring Joseph Cotton, Rosalba Neri, and Paul Muller. The theatrical version of this spaghetti horror movie contained a bit of R-rated skin. It ends abruptly without any credits. Where is Peter Cushing?
An expedition searching for treasure supposedly buried by the German army in the African desert during WW II comes up against an army of Nazi zombies guarding the fortune. Starring Manuel Gélin, Eduardo Fajardo, and France Lomay. An early Nazi zombie movie made in the Canary Islands and Spain. Long before the current Nazi zombie movie fad.
On a South African plantation, a maniac is on the loose, first killing the estate’s animals, then starting on the human members. A man who is “cursed” and has an evil brother, brings his young fiancée to his home. His mother tries to drive her away because she wants to see the lineage end. The brother is apparently deformed and mad and stares from the window upstairs. Starring Mark Burns, Shirley Anne Field, and David Oxley. A South African horror film with a few surprises.
