Call Girl of Cthulhu is a forthcoming 2014 American comedy horror film directed by Chris LaMartina from a screenplay by himself and Jimmy George. The film is “inspired” by the writings of H.P. Lovecraft. It stars David Phillip Carollo, Melissa O’Brien, Nicolette le Faye, Dave Gamble, Helenmary Ball, Sabrina Taylor-Smith, Alex Mendez, Craig Peter Coletta. Horror genre veteran George Stover (The Alien Factot, Nightbeast, Vampire Sisters) makes a cameo appearance.

The filmmakers raised $27,750 on crowd funding website Kickstarter - click the link to watch video

It is the sixth feature film from Baltimore based production company, Midnight Crew Studios, whose previous movies include Witch’s Brew and President’s Day.

When a virginal artist falls in love with a call girl, she turns out to be the chosen bride of the alien god Cthulhu. To save her, he must stop an ancient cult from summoning their god and destroying mankind…

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WH

The Boogie Man Will Get You is a 1942 comedy horror film, directed by Lew Landers and starring Boris Karloff and Peter Lorre. It was the final production Karloff made under his contract with Columbia Pictures, and it was filmed in the wake of his success in the Broadway production Arsenic and Old Lace. As he had done several times previously, Karloff played the part of a “mad scientist”, Professor Billings, who is using the basement of his inn to conduct experiments into using electricity to create a race of superhumans. The inn is bought by a new owner, who is initially unaware of the work Billings is conducting.

Reviews:

“The dialogue is deliciously archaic throughout, as if a drunken Vincent Price was mocking passages in some old Victorian novel. Someone had a good time writing this, and the actors ride that spirit. Lorre gets a great glint of mischief in his eyes. Karloff riffs on his zillion past mad scientists.” Acidemic

“So some bad dialogue more suited to the stage and an uneven supporting cast are clear demerits here, but more than anything the script is what keeps this from being better than it could (and should) be. In particular, what little of a plot there is falls completely off the rails once the fascist suicide bomber arrives on the scene, demanding to be taken to the nearby munitions plant. Even for a loopy black comedy, this is an outlandish, absurd turn that nearly causes the film to collapse completely. Thankfully, the script makes a bit of a recovery at the end to send the audience out on a happier, if still slightly bewildered note.” Scared Silly

“Karloff and Lorre are hilarious here, playing off each other like a time honoured comedy double act. If they weren’t so talented at other things they could have made a career of playing roles like this like a more sophisticated Abbott & Costello. They’re aided by Maude Eberne and George McKay as the elderly servants, right out of Arsenic and Old Lace, Don Beddoe as a choreographer who so obviously isn’t, Frank Mitchell as Jo-Jo the Human Bomb… did I mention they threw everything in here that they could think of?” Hal C. Astell, Apocalypse Later

” … frightening people in theatres takes more ingenuity and adroitness than the authors of this screenplay put into it”. Kate Cameron, New York Daily News (1942)

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ZombOObies! is a 2014 American horror comedy film project directed by Mike L. Taylor. It stars Cathy Shim, Diana Toshiko, Marisa Tayui, Judilin Bosita, Eileen Hsi. Greg Watanabe, Connie Shin, Steve La.

The film is currently seeking funding on Kickstarter.

Plot:

“In an attempt to create “perfect boobs” a team of doctors preform an ancient ritual that goes horribly wrong transforming them into evil mutant creatures hungry for boobs. Can a small group of well-developed female characters stop their evil hunger and prevent the doctors from summoning Boobthulu and bringing about Boobmageddon!!?”

IMDb | Related: Big Tits Zombie | Sexual Parasite: Killer Pussy

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Doom Asylum is a 1987 American comedy horror film directed by Richard Friedman (Scared Stiff, Phantom of the Mall, Dark Wolf) based on a screenplay by Rick Marx (Tenement, The Coven 2). It stars Patty Mullen (Frankenhooker), Ruth Collins (Prime Evil, Lurkers, Witch Academy), Kristin Davis (later in Sex and the City), William Hay, Kenny L. Price, Harrison White, Dawn Alvan, Farin, Michael Rogen.

Plot:

A demented disfigured coroner uses autopsy equipment to kill off the teenagers who trespass on the long-abandoned asylum he inhabits…

Reviews:

“Obviously meant as a satire on the slasher scene, the rubbery-made up killer (Michael Rogan) constantly spurts wisecracks, delivering such lines as “I hate rap music” when devouring a hip-hopping teen. The gore effects are for the most part too over-the-top to be effective, but the scene were an electric drill is jammed into the forehead of a geeky baseball card fanatic is worthy of Lucio Fulci.” George R. Reis, DVD Drive-In

“If the killer fails to impress with the quips, then at least Doom Asylum delivers with the splatter. Admittedly, some of it is pretty hokey (the acid bath victim looks like mannequin dipped in oatmeal), but a particularly well executed (pun intended) drill to the head shows you can sometimes do wonders on a tiny budget. The fact that the movie was shot on film also gives it a sheen that belies the lack of money spent on it. As far as suspense goes there’s pretty much zero – characters split up and wander off on heir own in time-honoured tradition, but the action regularly draws to a halt with lengthy sequences of the killer watching old Tod Slaughter movies on TV…” Justin Kerswell, Hysteria Lives!

“Although there are a few minor annoyances, and sometimes the movie just seems to get so caught up in its own fun-momentum that it forgets that it’s supposed to be going anywhere at all with the story, in the end this doesn’t really matter because Doom Asylum is just so damn charming and entertaining.” Reel Bad

“Doom Asylum is the best cheesy slasher of all time, and it’s not even a close decision. Essential!” Brett H., Oh, the Horror!

IMDb | Thanks to the following for images: Critical Condition

What a Carve Up (publicity title: What a Carve Up!) is a 1961 British comedy horror film produced by Robert S. Baker and Monty Berman (Blood of the Vampire, Jack the Ripper, The Flesh and the Fiends) and directed by Pat Jackson. The film was loosely based on the novel The Ghoul by Frank King.

The film was used extensively within Jonathan Coe‘s satirical 1994 novel What a Carve Up!. The book’s protagonist, Michael Owen, becomes obsessed with the film after first watching it as a young boy. Additionally, the last part of the book follows the plot of the film.

• Sidney James as Sid Butler who acts as Ernest’s legal advisor
• Kenneth Connor as Ernest Broughton. He is Sid’s best friend and is attracted to Miss Dixon
• Shirley Eaton as Linda Dixon, a pretty nurse who likes Ernie
• Dennis Price as Guy Broughton. He is Ernie’s cousin and a heavy drinker
• Donald Pleasence as Everett Sloane – The zombie like solicitor
• Esma Cannon as Emily Broughton, a mad lady who believes World War I is still on
• Valerie Taylor as Janet Broughton – Guy’s grasping and hated sister
• Michael Gwynn as Malcolm Broughton, a piano player who says everyone is “Quite mad”
• George Woodbridge as Dr Edward Broughton who is the father of Janet and Guy
• Michael Gough as Fisk, a creepy butler
• Frederick Piper as the hearse driver
• Timothy Bateson as the porter
• Adam Faith in an uncredited role as himself

Plot:

The relatives of Uncle Gabriel are summoned to an old country house on the Yorkshire Moors to hear the reading of his will. They all stay in the mansion overnight, and one by one the guests are murdered. The remaining guests must solve the mystery as to who is committing these murders before they too are killed…

Buy on DVD from Amazon.co.uk

Reviews:

“At one point in No Place Like Homicide, a giggling maniac threatens to feed the rest of the cast to a pack of starving mongrels. ‘Oh, blimey’, smirks one of the victims, ‘we’re going to the dogs’. The rest of the humor in this ostensible British farce is on a similar level. The fact that a film of this degree of vulgarity and ineptitude should have managed a week’s booking at neighborhood theatres throughout Manhattan demonstrates just how acute the motion picture product shortage really is.” The New York Times, 13 September 1962.

“Fluff and nonsense, of course, but competently acted and directed. With appeal for fans of Carry On Screaming! (and Jonathan Coe’s 1994 novel What a Carve Up!).” Time Out

” … it’s amusing nonsense with more than a few nice touches — amidst a lot of very broad humor that will doubtless be a matter of taste. You wouldn’t want a steady diet of this sort of thing, but it’s fun on occasion.” Ken Hanke, Mountain Xpress

“The sequence with James and Connor in bed together (quite innocently) is very funny and makes one realise how much times have changed. A supporting cast of familiar faces, including a pre-Goldfinger Shirley Eaton, also make this worth a look. British pop singer Adam Faith makes a cameo appearance as Eaton’s boyfriend.” Gary A. Smith, Uneasy Dreams: The Golden Age of British Horror Films, 1956 – 1976 (McFarland, 2000)

Buy Uneasy Dreams: The Golden Age of British Horror Films, 1956 – 1976 book from Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com

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What We Do in the Shadows is a 2014 New Zealand horror comedy film about a group of vampires who live together in Wellington, New Zealand. It was directed and written by Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement, who also star in the film. The remainder of the cast are: Jonathan Brugh, Cori Gonzalez-Macuer, Stu Rutherford, Jackie Van Beek, Ben Fransham.

What We Do in the Shadows is based on a 2006 short film of the same name by Waititi and Clement. It premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2014.

Official synopsis:

Follow the lives of Viago (Taika Waititi), Deacon (Jonathan Brugh), and Vladislav (Jemaine Clement) – three flatmates who are just trying to get by and overcome life’s obstacles-like being immortal vampires who must feast on human blood. Hundreds of years old, the vampires are finding that beyond sunlight catastrophes, hitting the main artery, and not being able to get a sense of their wardrobe without a reflection-modern society has them struggling with the mundane like paying rent, keeping up with the chore wheel, trying to get into nightclubs, and overcoming flatmate conflicts…

Reviews:

“takes pleasure in poking fun at various aspects of vampire lore, but not surprisingly (given the filmmakers), What We Do in the Shadows is more deadpan, clever, and silly than it is simple, “schticky,” or mean-spirited. And while Shadows is most assuredly a full-fledged comedy in horror clothing, fans of the darker genre will certainly enjoy how colorfully gory the movie gets during some of the best visual gags.” Scott Weinberg, FEARnet

“Some genre fans who prefer the silly to the satiric may bite, but the anemic pic isn’t remotely weird or witty enough for cult immortality. Feeling eternal at 87 minutes, the film introduces a rival gang of G-rated werewolves (“We’re werewolves, not swearwolves!”) and drags its way to the Unholy Masquerade Ball, populated by hard-partying vampires as well as zombies — the movie’s final act of desperation.” Rob Nelson, Variety

“It’s also as silly as it is smart, unloading plenty of easy gross-out gags involving gushing blood and projectile vomiting plus some token childish moments — a character audibly masturbating from inside his coffin, for example — and some the movie gets away with by having its characters act immaturely in spite of their ages ranging in the hundreds to thousands of years … There’s always a smart bit within seconds of something stupid.” Christopher Campbell, Film School Rejects

“If there is any justice, What We Do in the Shadows, will break out into the light of day as a crossover hit. This film is absolutely hysterical, came as a complete surprise to me, and even breathes life back into the withering corpse of the doc-comedy style of The Office.” Ed Travis, Cinapse

Wikipedia | IMDb

The Vagrant is a 1992 comedy horror film directed by Chris Walas for Mel Brooks’ (Young Frankenstein; Dracula: Dead and Loving It) company. It stars Bill Paxton (Mortuary; Aliens; Near Dark), Michael Ironside (American Nightmare; Visiting Hours; Scanners), Marshall Bell (Innocent Blood; Starship Troopers), Colleen Camp (Deadly Games; Tales from the Darkside TV series), Marc McClure, Stuart Pankin and Patrika Darbo.

After brief VHS distribution, the film dropped into obscurity. Scream Factory finally released The Vagrant on DVD for the first time along with The Outing, The Godsend and What’s the Matter With Helen? in the All Night Horror Marathon collection on August 20, 2013.

Plot teaser:

Graham is a “suck-up” yuppie whose ambition is to be a senior analyst. Having purchased a slightly run-down house in an upcoming area, he is appalled by and increasingly paranoid about a vagrant that lives on the derelict land nearby. Graham’s girlfriend Judy invites the vagrant in for a sandwich which tips the young careerist over the edge, he even imagines her having sex with the homeless hobo. When pieces of people Graham knew begin appearing in his fridge, the sceptical police naturally blame him. He vainly struggles to comprehend what is really going on. As the deaths continue he starts to even doubt his own sanity…

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Reviews:

“it’s empty-headed nonsense that challenges my lifelong assumption that anything involving Paxton and Ironside would be awesome by default. The script betrays both of them and Walas, one of the era’s best effects masters, here presumably looking to stretch his legs and do something a little different.” Brett Gallman, Oh, the Horror!

“Sure to inflame the ire of homelessness activist groups for its unflattering portrayal of a psychotic derelict, The Vagrant (executive-produced by Mel Brooks, who earlier made the homeless laughfest Life Stinks) plays like an attenuated, not to mention rejected, Tales From the Darkside episode. Even a restrained (for him) performance by the always-fun Bill Paxton (Aliens), as the put- upon yuppie nerd, can’t mask the stench exuded by this moronic, ineptly directed bummer.” Doug Brod, Entertainment Weekly

“The weaker conclusion is not as strong as the first hour that’s for sure but it’s still entertaining. If the film doesn’t make you laugh it will surely make you look twice next time some bum asks you for chump change.” The Arrow, Joblo.com

Choice dialogue:

Policeman: “Sir, we cannot apprehend a citizen upon the basis of what he eats. Read the Constitution.”

Graham’s boss: “C’mon, talk some of that Czech shit, talk the Czech shit”.

Wikipedia | IMDb

Dead on Appraisal is a 2014 comedy horror anthology film produced by Infested Films and directed by Sean Canfield, Scott Dawson and David Sherbrook. It stars Zack Fahey, Mike Pfaff, Marguerite Insolia, Anthony Berhle, James Howell, R. Daniel Long, Nicholas Leonard, Luke Bishop, Michael Brouillet, Laura Owen, Russell Maltz, Keith Lewis, 

The film is comprised of three stories: “The Morning After” and “Freddie and the Goblins” “Father Land” and, wraparound, “Closing Costs”.

Plot synopsis:

Real estate agent John Dante has a problem. He’s stuck with a house he can’t sell. Despite his best efforts, he can’t seem to overcome the house’s past and the macabre tales that precede it in this haunting anthology.

In “The Morning After”, a group of friends wake up from a party to find a nightmare in the form of the worst bug invasion any homeowner has ever seen. Then there’s Freddie Cooper and his band, “Freddie and the Goblins”; a tale of how Freddie’s band mates try to kick him out and get caught up in the young singer’s growing psychosis. With his hopes of selling the house fading, John is horrified to hear the story of Robbie, a young veteran of the war in Iraq, who returns home to live with his father Brad in “Father Land”. Something isn’t right, though, as Robbie’s dark secret slowly bubbles to the surface. As the house’s dark past comes to life, John becomes weary and is convinced the house is cursed and unsellable…

Reviews:

” … a hidden gem of indie horror comedy and for those of us that have any form of nostalgia for the goofy range of Full Moon films from the 90′s, and of course Troma lovers, this is a must-see. So in short, if you enjoy cheesy creature effects and gore-laden monster-ridden funhouse style films, Dead on Appraisal should shoot right to the top of your watch list.” Blood Sucking Geek

“The final few minutes of this movie are beyond spectacular.  As if the entire movie hasn’t been a blood soaked, gore infested thing of beauty these next few scenes escalate the awe factor from 6 to 666 to the tenth power.” Theron Moore, HorrorNews.net

“The greatness of the film is revolved around the use of puppets to dish out the dastardly deeds in each story.  From the Slither style take over In The Morning After to the goblins in the last segment the puppets bring a great amount of candor to the movie.” Horror Movies Uncut

“This is not the most cleanly made or succinctly executed film. It’s rough around the edges and the low budget stuff many scoff at. Still Dead on Appraisal shows a lot of promise for the effects men and storytellers involved as they made a film that excels despite its shortcomings.” Ain’t It Cool News

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The House of Ghosts (original title: La maison ensorcelée) is a 1908 French comedy horror film written and directed by Spanish filmmaker Segundo de Chomón. He produced many short films in France while working for Pathé Frères and has been compared to Georges Méliès, due to his frequent camera tricks and optical illusions.

IMDb | Silent Film House

Dead Banging – original title Metaruka and also known as Metalca – is a 2013 Japanese comedy horror film written and directed by Eiji Uchida (Greatful Dead). It stars Ryusuke Komakine, Shôko Nakahara, Shûgo Oshinari, Kyoko Watanabe (real-life all-girl rock band, Gacharic Spin).

Plot teaser:

Nosebleed, a formerly unpopular rock band instantly gains a cult following after the lead vocalist, Kana, recruits a zombie, Tetsuo, as their death metal vocalist, even though he is the same undead monster that killed her former band members. Meanwhile, government agents frantically search for their runaway zombie experiment…

Reviews:

“There is some bloodshed here, but not too much. This is all about the comedy. And the music. Yes, I’ll admit it. One or two of the songs had me tapping my feet and smiling. The girls pretending to be rock stars may be a bit rubbish with the instruments (seriously, could they have not at least got someone who was ace at Guitar Hero?) but they make up for it with enthusiasm and energy.” Kevin Matthews, Flickfeast

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Plot keywords: all-girl rock band | bitten by a zombie | comedy | death metal | gig | head banging | heavy metal | living dead | Metallica | moshing | Nosebleed | rock music | stage diving | System of a Down | undead | zombie

‘They made bad art. And now it’s pissed off’

Art School of Horrors is a 2015 American comedy horror film directed by Thijs Bazelmans from a screenplay by Maria Haras and Matt Yamashita (Sharktopus vs. Pteracuda). It stars Jeffrey Combs (Re-Animator; From Beyond; Would You Rather), Matthew Jacobs (co-writer of Paperhouse), Kenny Leu, Mark Haptonstall, Mari Saleh, Sarah Rose Butler, Zach Eulberg.

The film is a New Horizons (Sharktopus) production for Roger Corman‘s company and is scheduled for release on January 14, 2015. 

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El pobrecito Draculín (“The Poor Draculin”) is a 1977 Spanish comedy horror film written and directed by Juan Fortuny (Palmer ha muerto; Orloff and the Invisible Man; Crimson).

It stars Joe Rígoli, Josele Román, Víctor Israel (Graveyard of Horror; El jovencito Drácula; Hell of the Living Dead), Conrado Tortosa ‘Pipper’, Ricardo Palmerola, Joan Borràs, Fernando Rubio, Lita Claver, Carlos Otero. Known as Draculín in Germany, the film does not appear to have received an English language release.

Plot teaser:

The son of Count Dracula wakes seventy years after having been buried with his father during the First World War…

IMDb

‘One crazy night of debauchery and damnation!’

Bachelor Party in the Bungalow of the Damned is a 2008 American comedy horror film written, directed and produced by Brian Lindsay Thomson. It stars Joseph Riker, Trina Analee, Gregg Aaron Greenberg, Joe Testa, Rebecca Hodges, Sean Parker, Gelu Dan Rusu, Zoe Hunter (Witchcraft 13: Blood of the Chosen; There’s a Maniac in My House!!!), Afro-American Scream Queen Monique Dupree (Zombthology; Bikini Bloodbath Christmas; Sheriff Tom Vs. The Zombies), Kaitlyn Gutkes and Troma’s Lloyd Kaufman. It was shot for a budget of approximately $10,000 on Long Island, New York.

Troma’s Lloyd Kaufman as “Hot babe”

Official synopsis:

Sammy’s got access to a genuine bungalow in the Hamptons! He decides to throw the ultimate bachelor party for his best friend, Chuck. The only stipulation is that he must invite the house’s caretaker, the prude yet sexually ambiguous Gordon, to the festivities. A trio of gorgeous strippers arrives to give Chuck a taste of the lascivious delights he will soon forego. But just who will taste who and what will happen when Chuck’s fiancé arrives at the doorstep of the damned? The Bungalow may have been free but that doesn’t mean Sammy is getting it for nothing!

Reviews:

“Writer/director/overworked multi-tasker Brian Thomson may well believe, as he sardonically notes in the end credits, that “gaps in continuity constitute the unconscious poetry of the cinema” – but sometimes there’s just no substitute for a well written script with good dialogue, that’s well acted, well directed and well shot. The likeability of Greenberg and the spankability of Dupree apart, Bachelor Party in the Bungalow of the Damned has pretty much none of those things going for it. Cheap and it may be cheerful it may be, but that will only get you so far.” Brutal as Hell

” … a horror comedy mash-up that really delivers the goods.” Icons of Fright

“The acting is poor, but Greenberg does his best. The camerawork is perfunctory, often settling for the most obvious shots, but there are some nice stylistic touches (Fish’s introduction, especially). Most of the film relies on natural lighting, with the night-time interiors looking yellow and sickly, and the night-time exteriors (shot day-for-night, by the looks of it) are too dark to really see anything at all.” Mark West,  Zone-SF.com

“It’s the horror element that I think misses the mark most of all, because really, when your protagonist is a dude in a club shirt with flaming skulls on it who wears a Fred Durstian backwards red cap even when he’s in a hot tub, there’s not really much reason to not want to see him get brutally murdered.” Chris Sims, Heavy.com

“This is far from a decent low budget vampire spoof movie yet it benefits from Greenberg’s somewhat stoic lead and a few smart one-liners amidst some painfully homophobic dialogue. Where it fails is the inferior lighting and poor effects. But compared to the likes of Bikini Bloodbath Christmas – which also features Monique Dupree and Lloyd Kaufman – this is a trashy masterpiece.” Adrian J Smith, Horrorpedia

Buy on Amazon.com Instant | DVD from Amazon.co.uk

Choice dialogue:

“I know one thing for sure, this dump smells of pussy, we gotta get cleaned up.”

“He’s a vampire! I’m engaged to a vampire?”

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‘A killer comedy with big… eyes.’

Killer Rack is an upcoming American comedy horror film to be directed by Gregory Lamberson (Slime City; Slime City Massacre, Dry Bones) from a screenplay by actor Paul McGinnis, producing it along with special effects designer Rod Durick. It will star Scream Queen Debbie Rochon, Troma’s Lloyd Kaufman and Roy Frumkes

The project is currently seeking funding via online site IndieGoGo – at the time of writing their target has nearly been reached.

Official synopsis:

A feature length screwball horror comedy about a woman whose new breast implants turn out to be Lovecraftian monsters hell bent on world domination!  It’s an outrageous concept which is funny as hell; it’s also actually endearing. The heroine is a survivor in a sexist culture that objectifies women. Our story is ultimately a comedy about female empowerment, and a warning against changing your physical appearance to please others.

Poor Betty is unhappy with her love life, her work life, and her life-life, and blames her problems on her small breasts. Determined to change her life for the better, she consults with a breast enhancement surgeon, Dr. Thulu, who harbors a diabolical plan to take over the world.

Betty has the surgery, and her life does indeed improve: she takes the upper hand in her romantic and work relationships, and learns what it’s like to be empowered.  But there are strange side effects: at night, while she’s asleep, the boobs take control of her body and guide her through the city streets, searching for men to seduce…and devour.

Betty becomes suspicious one morning when she awakens wearing a blood soaked shirt. The only person she can turn to for help is Tim, a co-worker who has admired her from afar for a long time…but will she seek Tim’s help in time to save the entire world from her new puppies?

Killer Rack on Facebook

Milfs vs. Zombies is a forthcoming American comedy horror gore film to be directed by Brad Twigg (Ghoulish Tales) from a screenplay by Daniel Schein for production company Fuzzy Monkey Films. It stars Brandy Peeples, Chris O’Brocki, Jeremy Ambler, Missy Dawn, Andrea_Marie, Juan Eloy Carrera, Patrick Opitz, Rosanna Nelson, Matthew L. Furman.

At the time of writing, the project is seeking funding via IndieGoGo

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Dr. Heckyl & Mr. Hype is a 1980 American comedy horror film written (with “apologies to Robert Louis Stevenson”) and directed by Charles B. Griffith (Up from the Depths) for Cannon. It stars Oliver Reed (Paranoiac; The Damned; The Brood), Sunny Johnson, Mel Welles (director of Lady Frankenstein), Jackie Coogan (Mesa of Lost Women), Dick Miller, Lucretia Love. Griffith wrote a number of early scripts for Roger Corman such as Little Shop of Horrors and Creature from the Haunted Sea.

The film is a reversal of the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde story, about a malformed doctor who drinks a potion and becomes a handsome – and violent – ladies man. Steve Neill  provided the monster makeup for Dr. Heckyl.

Griffith says he had only three weeks to write and prepare the film, four weeks to shoot and two weeks to edit. He was paid $25,000 to write and $25,000 to direct. Griffith originally wanted Dick Van Dyke to play the lead but he was touring in a play so Golan hired Oliver Reed. Griffith said, “I had to redo the entire picture in my head when he was cast, because it was a zany slapstick comedy and I got Oliver Reed – with that face and that voice! So I made it more lyrical.”

Sunny Johnson was cast the day before shooting started; she died a few years later of a brain haemorrhage. The script was 200 pages, and Griffith admits he never had time to cut it down properly. He also said he “fought with the producers over blood and gore versus comedy, and lost as usual.”

According to Griffith: “Heckyl and Hype could have been a very good picture. Dr. Heckyl is a monster podiatrist. He is very humble and meek and helpful and nice to everybody. His attitude is that good-looking guys can get away with murder. Oliver was great as Heckyl. Wonderful. He played the part with a kind of New York accent and everything, but when he was Hype, he didn’t know how to do it… Reed played Hype as Oliver Reed, slow and ponderous. He didn’t understand my interpretation, so the picture jars, and half the people get up and walk out.”

Reviews:

“This film is really sloppily made. There is next to no thought put into the framing of the shots and much of the film takes place at night, so we struggle to even see any of the action at all. The sound is also really poorly done, sounding similar to the effect you would get with the build-in mic on your Grandpa’s old home movie camera. Reed’s mumblings as Heckyl are almost inaudible at times. At least Dick Miller and Jackie Coogan make brief appearances, but that’s not enough to salvage things.” Forgotten Films

Buy Evil Spirits: The Life of Oliver Reed from Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk

Wikipedia | IMDb

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Zombie TV is a 2013 Japanese action/horror/comedy film co-written and co-directed by Maelie Makuno, Yoshihiro Nishimura (Tokyo Gore Police; Vampire Girl vs. Frankenstein Girl; Helldriver) and Naoya Tashiro (splatter shorts: Naked Sister; Hell of the College Girls; Cannibal Maid and Killer Nurse).

It stars Maki Mizui, Takashi Nishina, Tomoya Maeno, Miyuki Torii, Jiji Bû, Hidetoshi Ezawa, Luchino Fujisaki, Yasu Genki.

Press release:

A Monty Python-esque collection of shorts, animation, sketch comedy, instructional videos and more, Zombie TV showcases the natural evolution of zombies in the 21st century, no longer a frightening menace, but rather an annoying neighbour you realise you simply have to put up with.

Zombie TV answers such natural questions as: in a world full of the undead, wouldn’t some of the surviving humans want to join the majority and become zombies themselves? Would becoming a zombie solve the emotional and relationship problems we all have as living, breathing human beings?

Do zombies have their own idols? Would zombies worship a zombie god? Who would win in a fight: a cannibal, or a zombie? How did zombies evolve from walkers into runners? And the most burning question of all: how do zombies have sex?

Buy Helldriver on Blu-ray from Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com

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‘Sex, drugs and the walking dead’

The Coed and the Zombie Stoner is a 2014 American made-for-TV comedy horror film directed by Glenn R. Miller (The Bell Witch Haunting) from a screenplay by Scotty Mullen for The Asylum (producers of Sharknado; Mega Shark vs. Mecha Shark; Zombie Night and many others). It stars Catherine Annette, Grant O’Connell, Jamie Noel, Aaron Caleb, Dora Pereli, Lena Young, Ben Whalen, Josh Lee Aikin, Andrew Clements, Louis Dezseran, Diane Chambers, Mindy Robinson (The Haunting of Whaley House; V/H/S/2; Bloodsucka Jones), Haley Beedle. The film is obviously inspired by Warm Bodies.

Plot teaser:

When a nerdy sorority girl falls in love with a zombie, it’s only a matter of time before a zombie apocalypse is unleashed on campus. The sorority girl discovers that weed is the cure–now she must smoke out the entire school before it’s too late…

Reviews:

” …it’s meant to be a dopey stoner comedy, but you can still do that with a level of sophistication and intelligence that engenders praise and repeated viewing; none of that is in evidence here. It doesn’t even venture that much into tastelessness; I can dig gross out comedy as well as the next guy, but this was just lame! Even if it was an excuse for nudity and blood, both are pretty much fake here…” Scott Shoyer, Anything Horror

“The Coed and the Zombie Stoner is ostensibly a stoner rom-com, and Mullen has crafted a very believable romance, with a lot of cute touches that make it work. His idea of stoners may rely on cliches a bit, but he does give them some great hero moments though, so I think it balances out. In addition, the zombies are fast and still retain a lot of their personality, which is cause of some hilarious antics. They are still effectively scary when need be, and the detailed make-up is good.” Bobby Lepire, The B-Movie Shelf

“The script was written by first-timer Scotty Mullen, and his lack of experience showed, big time. His basic idea appeared to be sound enough, but it lacked in so many ways I’m surprised it was greenlit without being rewritten several times. Perhaps everyone got excited at the thought of making a poor mans’ version of Warm Bodies?! It felt like a rough draft rather than a finished script. The entire film relied on shitty gags with screaming naked girls running around…” Nav Qateel, Influx Magazine

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Mourning Grave (Hangul: 소녀괴담; RR: Sonyeogoedam; literally. “Girl Ghost Story”) is a 2014 South Korean comedy horror film directed by Oh In-chun. It stars Kang Ha-neul and Kim So-eun. It was released domestically on July 3, 2014.

Plot teaser:

Though it is the place where his unwanted ability to see ghosts all began, teenager In-su returns to his hometown in order to face his demons. He had tried to stay away, but his ability, which led vengeful ghosts to seek him out, drew too much attention around him and forced him back to his childhood town. He goes to his uncle Seon-il for advice, who also inherited the same supernatural abilities from his great grandfather, but he is of no help. Beyond his ghostly visions, In-su’s life is also made hell at his new high school, where a gang of bullies cruelly pick on the weaker children. All that In-su has in his life is a mysterious ghost girl who lurks around him.

One day, the bullies at the school begin to be attacked one by one by a girl in a gruesome mask. In-su is able to sense the powerful presence of a ghost’s grudge and discovers a link to a girl who was bullied at school and took her own life as a result. Looking to come to terms with his supernatural affliction and to get to the bottom of the murder mystery, In-su dives into the case…

Reviews:

“Mourning Grave is a smooth ride from start to finish, boasting a smatter of good laughs though failing to offer any real scares. The bar is admittedly low but Oh delivers one of the most satisfying recent entries into the K-horror pantheon. However, he is also the latest filmmaker to shy away from doing something original with the genre, and his film exudes a sense of caution. Given the prowess he’s demonstrated in his short films, Oh appears to be holding back, careful to deliver something studio friendly on his first big outing. Mourning Grave may harbor modest ambitions but given the current state of K-horrors, it’s refreshing to see one that meets expectations.” Pierce Conran, Twitch

“With Mourning Grave, director Oh In-chun uses his experience of blending horror and humour (as seen in his 2012 short Metamorphoses) and extends it to also include romance and melodrama; thereby ensuring that this horror/comedy/romance fulfils the almost requisite Korean cinema merging of love, loss and laughter elements in a single narrative. Feeling utterly classic from the first frame to the last, Mourning Grave is frankly one of the best Korean horror films of the past few years.” Paul Quinn, Hangul Celluloid

“The film fulfils every criteria needed for a summer blockbuster in Asia with its, love story, Asian style ghosts and humor but it’s these exact traits where the film falters with its inability to break out of the mold making it some what predictable yet still a fun ride. Just enough laughs and jumps to keep you interested but lacks the chills to make it a real ‘spine tingler’.” Word from the R.O.K.

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‘Blood madness… out of the fog… into your heart!’

Valley of the Zombies is a 1946 American horror film directed by Philip Ford for Republic Pictures from a screenplay by Dorrell McGowan and Stuart E. McGowan. It stars Robert Livingston, Lorna Gray (The Man They Could Not Hang), Ian Keith (The Phantom of Paris; Fog Island), Thomas E. Jackson, Charles Trowbridge (The Mummy’s Hand), Earle Hodgins, LeRoy Mason, William Haade, Wilton Graff, Charles Cane.

The film makes reference to a zombie cocktail drink.

Plot teaser:

A shadowy figure climbs up and across a roof top toward the office of Dr. Rufus Maynard (Charles Trowbridge). Inside, Maynard informs his partner, Dr. Terry Evans (Robert Livingston), and Terry’s girl friend, nurse Susan Drake (Lorna Gray), that blood has again been stolen from the laboratory. Once Terry and Susan leave, Maynard is abruptly confronted by the top-hatted figure. The threatening man identifies himself as Ormand Murks (Ian Keith) and reminds Maynard that five years previously, the doctor had placed him in a mental institute. Two years later, Murks was brought to Maynard for treatment, but he apparently died on the operating table of no apparent cause…

Reviews:

” …it’s a spooky house movie, and a vampire movie, and a voodoo movie, and a mad science movie, all in just under an hour! With all those elements crammed so tightly together, I can almost forgive Valley of the Zombiesfor its conspicuous lack of both valleys and zombies. It’s even sort of a murder mystery …The latter probably made Valley of the Zombies look distinctly retro even in 1946; in any case, its reliance on early-30’s styles of presentation is plainly apparent from the vantage point of the 21st century. Today, what’s most interesting about this movie is probably its sense of humor on one hand, and Ian Keith’s portrayal of Ormand Murks on the other.” 1000 Misspent Hours and Counting

” …this is yet another one of those post-war 40s efforts where noir was swallowing horror a bit. You can feel that genre’s influence more than any other, with Murks’s undead status being the only thing that even pushes it into horror territory. Hailing from Republic Pictures (basically a conglomerate of other Poverty Row studios), it’s no surprise that it feels like a quick attempt to cash in on the early zombie craze (which was already on its last legs at this point) and film noir.” Brett Gallman, Oh, the Horror!

“Wearily predictable, the script seems to have exhausted its supply of wit in finding the name Ormand Murks for its mad undertaker.” Phil Hardy (editor), The Aurum Film Encyclopedia: Horror

Choice dialogue:

“You’re more stubborn than my wife!”

“Dying is getting to be a habit round here.”

“You might need help. And I’m good at screaming.”

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