Bug Month II Quick Picks and Pans

Curse of the Black Widow (1977) An amiable private investigator (Tony Franciosa) and cranky police detective (Vic Morrow) clash while attempting to learn more about a series of strange deaths in which the victims suffered two large puncture wounds on their chests, with their bodies completely drained of blood. Meanwhile, a mysterious dark-haired woman lurks in the shadows, luring men to their doom. It almost feels like an extended Kolchak the Night Stalker episode, minus Kolchak (no big surprise, since director Dan Curtis worked on the second Kolchak TV movie, The Night Strangler). While far from perfect, Curse of the Black Widow features some suspenseful scenes and a sense of playfulness, making this one a cut above the usual made-for-TV fare. 

Rating: ***½. Available on Prime Video

 

Earth vs. the Spider (aka: The Spider) (1958) Bert I. Gordon, who’s no stranger to depicting enlarged creatures with his usual home-grown subpar effects, brings us his bargain basement answer to Tarantula (1955) After Carol’s (June Kenney) father goes missing, she starts a search with her boyfriend Mike (Eugene Persson). They learn the awful truth when they discover his desiccated corpse inside a nearby cavern. The culprit turns out to be an enormous spider, which almost makes them its next meal (oddly enough, no one seems to pay much attention to the skeletons of former victims littered around the cave floor). After a truckload of DDT fails to kill the supersized arachnid, the authorities rack their brains for another solution. Some highlights include the oldest “teenagers” you’ve ever seen, a high school dance around the spider’s not-so-dead corpse, and spelunkers who can’t be bothered to bring a flashlight (Who knew caves were so bright?). 

Rating: ***. Available on Blu-ray, DVD and Tubi 

 

Tarantulas: The Deadly Cargo (1977) When ill-fated business partners Buddy and Fred (Tom Atkins and Howard Hessman) crash land their DC-3, carrying coffee from Ecuador (along with a bunch of killer spiders) in a small California town, mayhem ensues. Yet another flick that rode the wave of tarantula-sploitation movies (perpetuating the myth that the much-maligned spiders are far more venomous than they really are), Tarantulas: The Deadly Cargo boasts a strong cast, including TV movie stalwart Claude Aikens as a fire captain and Pat Hingle as a small-town doctor. Thanks to the aforementioned pests, a big plot point is whether or not the latest orange harvest will go to waste (No, really!). You could do worse than to spend a lazy Saturday afternoon watching hordes of spiders, shaky science and a pat ending (hint: It’s bad for spiders but good for oranges). 

Rating ***. Available on Blu-ray and DVD 

 

Mosquito (1994) An alien spacecraft crashes into a swamp in rural Michigan, and mosquitoes feast on the remains of the extraterrestrials’ bodies, resulting in giant mutant creatures. A park ranger, her alpha male boyfriend, and an Air Force scientist team up to combat the monster mosquitoes, along with a pair of crooks (Gunnar Hansen and Mike Hard). The effects range from quite good (the full-size mosquito) to terrible (animation depicting the swarm). One highlight is seeing Mr. Hansen wield a chainsaw again (20 years after a certain movie from Texas). Unfortunately, most of the movie is uninspired, with lackluster acting and mostly lame attempts at humor. 

Rating: **½. Available on Blu-ray and DVD

Ticks (1993) Seth Green stars as Tyler, a disaffected youth sent to a camp to straighten out his life. Soon, he finds himself fighting for his survival, along with his fellow campers and counselors when some giant mutant ticks (resembling a bad first draft of an Alien facehugger) are inadvertently unleashed in the wilderness by pot growers (including Clint Howard as the first victim) using a new potent fertilizer. It’s not the worst way to spend 90 minutes, although there are better bug films out there.     

Rating: **½. Available on Blu-ray, Prime Video and Tubi

 Ants! (aka: It Happened at Lakewood Manor) (1977) A construction crew unwittingly stir up a colony of deadly ants, which spread to an adjacent property, the 100-year-old Lakewood Manor. A construction foreman, fire chief and coast guard race against time to save the remaining guests before the ants take over the place. A good cast (including Robert Foxworth, Lynda Day George, Bernie Casey, Brian Dennehy and Myrna Loy!) are mostly wasted in a movie that, despite the lurid subject matter, manages to be surprisingly tedious. 

Rating: **½. Available on Blu-ray and DVD 

Mesa of Lost Women (1953) Reportedly cobbled together from an unfinished film with scenes added in (It’s two, count ‘em, two confusing movies in one!). From his hidden desert laboratory, mad scientist Dr. Aranya (Jackie “Uncle Fester” Coogan) attempts to create a master race of superwomen, fortified by spider hormones. He also experiments with supersized spiders, just to spice things up. It’s a big mess, good for some unintentional laughs, a Chinese character who only seems to speak in trite aphorisms, and a repetitive score that hoped to do for flamenco guitar what zither music did for The Third Man. You’ve been warned. 

Rating: **. Available on DVD and Tubi 

The Giant Spider Invasion (1975) For reasons unknown, a wormhole to another galaxy forms a portal on a rural Wisconsin farm owned by a hateful bumpkin and his self-esteem-challenged wife. Some rocks resembling geodes appear with diamonds and spiders inside. The spiders start to grow rapidly, threatening to take over the town (as freakishly large spiders will do). A NASA astrophysicist and a local cosmologist try to figure out a way to close the wormhole before more spiders are unleashed. Other than some goofy dialogue and Alan Hale as the sheriff (he even calls someone “Little Buddy”), there’s not much to recommend. 

Rating **. Available on Blu-ray, DVD and Tubi

The Bees (1978) The Bees tries to do for bees what Phase IV did for ants, but without the introspection. John Carradine (attempting a German accent) plays a researcher studying a new strain of intelligent South American killer bees. Co-star John Saxon does his best, given the flimsy material, but even he seems lost. There’s also a brief scene with a Jimmy Carter impersonator and an assassination/conspiracy subplot that comes out of left field. Add one of the worst film scores in recent memory into the mix (with wacky TV movie-caliber action music that does nothing to punctuate the horror), and you have a movie that’s guaranteed to raise eyebrows and make you question your life choices. See The Swarm (1978) instead. 

Rating: *½. Available on Blu-ray, DVD, Tubi and Kanopy

 

 

Squirm

(1976) Written and directed by Jeff Lieberman; Starring: Don Scardino, Patricia Pearcy, R.A. Dow, Jean Sullivan, Peter MacLean, and Fran Higgins; Available on Blu-ray and DVD 

Rating: ***½

“I searched around until I found the yellow legal pad I first sketched out the idea on with title scrawled at the top; Skworm! With a fresh eye, the first thing that struck me was the way I spelled Squirm. Skworm. Too cutesy. The idea was weird enough without needing to put a spin on it. So Squirm it was.” – Jeff Lieberman (excerpted from Day of the Living Me) 

Worms are basically the Rodney Dangerfield of the bug world – like the famed comedian they don’t get a lot of respect. Their mere presence often evokes disgust, along with an “ewww” or “ick” from the beholder. What’s more, the word “worm” is sometimes used colloquially as a pejorative, to describe an unsavory or slimy person. Thanks to writer/director Jeff Lieberman, however, the lowly worm finally had its day in Squirm.* Originally set in New England, novice director Jeff Lieberman and crew took a trip down south, to film around the Savannah, Georgia vicinity. Shot in 24 days, the film featured a mix of professional actors and non-actors (who added some local color to the dialogue). 

* Fun Fact #1: When Lieberman brought up the initial idea of the movie to his wife JoAnn, she replied, “That’s the stupidest idea I’ve ever heard in my life.”

The opening crawl, in true exploitation form, proclaims the story we’re about to see is based on a real incident in rural Georgia, in which downed power lines sent “hundreds of thousands of volts surging into the muddy ground.*/** Our protagonist, Mick (Don Scardino) arrives by bus, but due to flooding, sets out on foot to meet his girlfriend Geri (Patricia Pearcy) in nearby Fly Creek (expect lots of jabs at New York City and “city boys”). His first encounter with the locals starts off on the wrong foot when he orders a drink from the diner, only to find a worm in his drink. Thinking it’s some sort of prank, Sheriff Reston (Peter MacLean), who would probably arrest him for breathing if he felt he could get away with it, accuses Mick of being a troublemaker. The sheriff’s esteem for Mick goes downhill from there. Meanwhile, back at the farmhouse, Mick does his best to ingratiate himself to the rest of the family, consisting of Geri’s recently widowed mother Naomi (Jean Sullivan) and her younger sister Alma (Fran Higgins, in her only theatrical role). Adversity looms on the horizon in the form of his would-be rival Roger (R.A. Dow) who runs a worm farm with father (Carl Dagenhart). But things are about to go from bad to worse for Fly Creek, when a horde of angry, carnivorous worms*** take over the town. 

* Fun Fact #2: Okay, so Lieberman omitted the fact that the incident in question stemmed from his childhood, when his brother (inspired by an article in Popular Science) used a toy train transformer to send an electrical charge through the ground, causing multiple worms to emerge. 

** Fun Fact #3: The footage of an electrical tower collapsing in the storm was lifted from Oceans 11 (1960). 

*** Not-So-Fun-Fact: The weird squealing sound of the worms was actually the sound of pigs being slaughtered.

As befits a movie dedicated to killer worms, expect to see lots of the squiggly critters. For the shoot, Lieberman used common earthworms with some marine bloodworms (glycera)* thrown in the mix (along with some terrifying close-ups of their pincers), and approximately 1 million fake rubber worms.** In a fun little bit of foreshadowing, when Mick and Geri interrupt the sheriff on a dinner date in an Italian restaurant,*** we’re treated to close-up shots of them sloppily devouring spaghetti, appropriately reinforcing the central theme. 

* Fun Fact #4: Yes, these things are real. Although generally not considered dangerous to humans, a magnified view reveals some genuine nightmare fodder: extra-strong, venom-injecting pincers for grasping prey, reinforced with copper. Sleep well, folks! 

** Fun Fact #5: In the scene where the floor of Geri’s house comes alive with the writhing critters, Lieberman and company employed a low-tech solution, enlisting 50 kids from a boy scout troop. Stationed in the false floor below the fake worms, at various intervals, the boys would jump up from one corner to another to simulate movement. 

*** This is followed by one of the film’s more curious scenes, in which Sheriff Reston has sex with his date in one of his jail cells (Is it a kink or was he just too cheap to rent a motel room? You decide).

Like any worthwhile horror thriller, Squirm takes its time introducing us to some surprisingly three-dimensional characters,* starting with veteran actress Jean Sullivan as the haunted matriarch of the family, crumbling inwardly through suppressed emotions, but still proud. Lieberman remarked that if he had been a more experienced director at the time, he might have had Sullivan tone down the “Tennessee Williams,” but I think it works well for the character, as well as reinforcing the sense of dread. Geri’s younger sister Alma could have been depicted as a brat, but thanks to Fran Higgins’ nuanced performance, she displays more depth than meets the eye. The requisite sibling rivalry is on display, but it’s also clear that they care about each other. After their mothers’ implied breakdown, both had to step up to take on a larger role in the household. But Alma’s not simply following in her older sister’s footsteps – she’s a bit of a rebel, as revealed in the scene where she lights up a joint and offers Mick a puff. While it’s not exactly a love triangle, her interest in Geri’s boyfriend seems motivated by a combination of envy and curiosity. The other key player in this melodrama is Roger (R.A. Dow) who’s held a torch for Geri for years. He may not be the brightest bulb, but he has aspirations beyond his browbeating father’s worm farm. When he finally confesses his love for her, it goes about as well as could be expected. (SPOILER ALERT) Mercifully, we don’t have much time for second-hand embarrassment, since he becomes worm food.** 

* Fun Fact #6: According to Lieberman, film history might have gone a different way if he had ended up casting some other actors that were also considered at the time. Martin Sheen was originally cast for Mick, but he and Lieberman had creative differences about his character. Then-unknown Kim Basinger auditioned for Geri, and (before his ship sailed in with Rocky) Sylvester Stallone wanted the role of Roger. 

** Fun Fact #7: The facial prosthesis on R.A. Dow, graphically depicting the worms burrowing into his face, was created by budding effects master, Rick Baker.

Squirm’s low budget works to its advantage, painting an intimate portrait of a small town under siege, and one family’s attempt to meet a disaster head-on. Rich with Southern Gothic atmosphere, the film evokes an air of mystery, epitomized by antebellum ivy-covered houses gone to seed,* repressed family secrets, and unrequited love. Jeff Lieberman promised worms, and you get more of them than you can shake a fishing rod at. Unabashedly a B-movie through and through yet much better than its admittedly sensationalistic name suggests, Squirm delivers the goods, and then some. 

* Fun Fact (or Folklore) #8: Lieberman commented that one of the homes used for filming had a reputation as one of the most haunted in the South. It didn’t take much searching to learn that Savannah is apparently ground zero for ghostly occurrences.

  

Sources for this article: Day of the Living Me, by Jeff Lieberman; Kino Lorber Blu-ray commentary by Jeff Lieberman; Wikipedia entry, Glycera (annelid) 

 

 

Kingdom of the Spiders

(1977) Directed by Don “Bud” Cardos; Written by Richard Robinson and Alan Caillou; Original story by Jeffrey M. Sneller and Stephen Lodge; Starring: William Shatner, Tiffany Bolling, Woody Strode, Lieux Dressler, Marcy Lafferty and Roy Engel; Available on Blu-ray and DVD. 

Rating: *** 

“Look, it’s not just a bunch of spiders, it’s a migration caused by some kind of imbalance – probably because a lot of ignorant people like yourself have killed off all their food with your stupid DDT. And I’ll tell you something else, sir, there’s not just a few spiders out there, there’s millions of them, and your town is right in their path.” – Diane Ashley (Tiffany Bolling) 

“Jeff Sneller and I were sitting in a restaurant across the street from CBS Studio Center, and he said, ‘How would you like to write a horror picture?’ And I said, ‘Well, what’s the thing that scares you the most?’ And we both thought for a minute, and both of us at the same time said, ‘spiders.’ And so, we went to a library and checked out a book on spiders, read it as quick as we could, and by the next morning we were writing.” – Stephen Lodge

If there was a golden age for nature-out-of-balance movies, the 1970s certainly fit the bill. Featuring more killer bug movies than you could spray a can of Raid at (Phase IV, Bug, Empire of the Ants, etc…), audiences were left perennially wondering what sort of creepy crawlies awaited them in the dark. Original story writer Stephen Lodge cited Jaws, The Birds, and a steady diet of ‘50s horror flicks as his (and co-writer Jeffrey M. Sneller) inspiration for Kingdom of the Spiders. With many (if not most) people accustomed to fearing the eight-legged creatures,*/** the filmmakers had a built-in audience. 

* Fun Fact #1: Only about 0.1 to 0.3 percent of spiders are considered dangerous to humans (“Why So Many People Fear Spiders and Snakes,” Psychology Today). 

** Fun Fact #2: According to psychologist Vanessa LoBue, her research with young children suggested fear of spiders (and snakes) isn’t something that’s ingrained, but socialized (ibid). 

Terror comes to the formerly peaceful small town of Verde Valley, Arizona (filmed in and around Sedona, Arizona), when a poor farmer’s (Woody Strode) prize calf suddenly keels over dead. Veterinarian Dr. Robert “Rack” Hansen (William Shatner) is perplexed by the death, so he contacts the local college for an expert to investigate. Diane Ashley (Tiffany Bolling)*/** arrives to a mystery, discovering not only a species more venomous than previously known, but the normally solitary arachnids coordinating in groups.*** After overcoming Rack’s initial cynicism about the threat, they combine forces to warn the rest of the town, but they meet resistance in the oblivious Mayor Connors (Roy Engel), who seems to have been cut from the same cloth as Amity’s mayor in Jaws. Connors has the upcoming county fair on his mind, and he’s not about to let some spiders ruin his town’s biggest annual event. But the spiders have different plans. 

* Fun Fact #3: Before Bolling joined the project, two other actresses, Donna Mills and Barbara Hale were considered for the role of Diane Ashley, except both were terrified of spiders. Since Bolling didn’t mind working with them, she clinched the part. 

** Fun Fact #4: Prior to Kingdom of the Spiders, Bolling appeared in another arachnid-adjacent role, in Sid and Marty Krofft’s Electra Woman and Dyna Girl (1976), as the crimefighting duo’s archnemesis, Spider Lady. 

*** Despite being an “expert,” she refers to the spiders as insects. But perhaps the most unbelievable aspect of the story was how she managed to afford a new Mercedes convertible as a (presumably) state employee.

William Shatner is no stranger to playing smug characters, but Rack Hansen */** might have been specifically sent down from the heavens to harass women. When Diane checks into a motel, a brief exchange with the proprietor implies he’s at least dated (if not slept with) every female resident of legal age. As written (and portrayed by Shatner), he’s a cartoonishly sexist character who thinks being condescending is his idea of flirting. In the most egregious scene, he pursues her in his pickup truck, cuts her off the road, throws her in the passenger seat of her own car and takes the wheel (Our hero, folks). If this is typical Rack behavior, one has to wonder how or why he hasn’t been slapped with several restraining orders. To state Rack and Diane don’t share the greatest chemistry is putting it mildly, since he starts off on the wrong foot and continues to tread with said foot in their interactions. Eventually, he wears her down, although she seems more resigned to her fate than smitten by Rack. 

* Fun Fact #5: Bo Svenson was the filmmakers’ first choice for the role of Rack Hansen, but he turned it down. 

** Fun Fact #6: Shatner was offered $20,000 for the part, as well as a percentage of the profits, but his agent was adamant against him accepting the role for what he considered a paltry sum. Shatner ending up saying “yes” to the part, subsequently firing his agent.   

*** Fun Fact #7: According to co-star Bolling, Shatner kept hitting on her, despite the fact that his then wife Marcy Lafferty was on the set.

Let’s face it. We don’t give a hoot whether Shatner and Bolling hook up in the end – we’re just here to see spider-based mayhem, and oh, does it deliver. The real acting kudos belong to the movie’s unsung performers, several thousand tarantulas. The filmmakers brought in several different species, some of which were more “people friendly” than others, using the more docile varieties (such as the Mexican red-kneed tarantula) for interactions with the human actors and more aggressive species (Haitian brown tarantulas) for long shots. According to spider handler Jim Brockett, spiders can’t be “trained,” so they needed to be coaxed (often a blast of compressed air did the trick). It was quite a daunting task managing the tarantulas during the shoot, while ensuring that as many as possible survived. Despite the cast and crew’s best efforts, you can clearly see there were some casualties along the way, especially when there are multiple cars and people.

Kingdom of the Spiders’* concept of spiders co-existing in a colony was later recycled in Arachnophobia (1990), but recent discoveries proved it’s not entirely fantastical. The behavior was recently observed in Madagascar, with a previously unknown species, so the premise isn’t entirely wonky. The plot’s recipe is simple yet effective: introduce killer spiders, watch them multiply, repeat. While the film score is far from original (Twilight Zone fans will appreciate or be annoyed that the filmmakers chose to repurpose some of Jerry Goldsmith’s musical cues from the TV show), it’s eerily effective when used sparingly. Kingdom of the Spiders tests the mettle of its audience. Even those who don’t mind a spider or two,** might find the hordes of arachnids in the film to be unsettling. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself checking your clothes and bedding for unwanted guests. 

* Fun Fact #8: Shatner had originally planned to direct and star in a sequel to Kingdom of the Spiders with Cannon Films producing, but the deal fell through when Cannon went out of business. 

** Fun Fact #9: Yours truly kept a Chilean Rose tarantula named “Bela” (much to the chagrin of visitors) for about a decade. 

 

Sources for this article: DVD commentary by John “Bud” Cardos, Igo Kantor, Spider Wrangler Jim Brockett, and Cinematographer John Morrill; “Interview with Writer Steve Lodge” (2010); “Spider Solidarity: Scientists Discover New Species With Unprecedented Social Behavior,” by Carolyn Bernhardt, M.A., Entomologytoday.org (March 30, 2023);  “Why So Many People Fear Spiders and Snakes,” by Vanessa LoBue Ph.D., Psychologytoday.com 

 

 

The Diabolical Dr. Z

 

(1966) Written and directed by Jesús Franco; Adaptation and Dialogue by Jean-Claude Carrière; Starring: Antonio Jiménez Escribano, Estella Blain, Mabel Karr, Howard Vernon, Fernando Montes, Marcelo Arroita-Jáuregui, Cris Huerta, Guy Mairesse and Jesús Franco; Available on Blu-ray and DVD.

Rating: ***½ 

“I don’t think I have a definitive film. Such a thing is not possible for me. But if you’re curious about which film I would save from a fire, I should tell you Necronomicon (Succubus), Black Angel (Venus In Furs), and Miss Muerte (The Diabolical Dr. Z). They are the most sincere. They are the most close to my previous idea to do it, you know what I mean? I like the style of black cinema. I like the style of expressionisimo, and they are the most of myself. I don’t say that I love it, though, because I don’t...” – Jesús Franco (from 2009 A.V. Club interview) 

Jesús (“Jess”) Franco was an incredibly prolific filmmaker, credited with directing more than 200 movies (considering how many titles he directed under a pseudonym, we may never know the true count). Franco was so prolific that it’s easy to see how rumors spread about shooting more than one film at a time.* The Diabolical Dr. Z (aka: Miss Muerte) an unofficial adaptation of Cornell Woolrich’s 1940 novel, The Bride Wore Black, was itself re-made by Franco (sort of) several years later as She Killed in Ecstasy (1971). The French/Spanish co-production was filmed in and around Madrid.   

* Fun Fact #1: Although Tim Lucas perpetuated this rumor in his DVD commentary, Franco himself denied ever directing more than one film at a time, stating in an AV Club interview, “I never made two or three films together. This is impossible! I only have one head. It is impossible for me to think about two films at the same time…”

Set in Austria, the film takes place in the same universe as Franco’s earlier film, The Awful Dr. Orloff (1962). Dr. Zimmer (Antonio Jiménez Escribano),* who’s a disciple of the eponymous mad scientist (sharing his theories about good and evil residing in the nervous system), meets with the International Neurological Congress to present his findings. Unbeknownst to his fellow scientists, Dr. Z has already taken the step from animal to human experimentation. Presumably subscribing to the adage, “Ask for forgiveness, not permission,” Dr. Z requests clearance to use a human subject, which goes about as well as you’d expect. The subsequent shock of rejection by his peers is too much for him to take, but before he dies, he implores his daughter/assistant Irma (Mabel Karr) to continue his work. In Irma’s case, that means using her father’s experiments to take revenge against the men who discredited him. After faking her own death using a hitchhiker (Ana Castor)** as a stooge, Irma sets out to eliminate Dr. Z’s detractors. Using her father’s invention (a cool-looking but impractical device with flimsy mechanical arms), she brainwashes Miss Death (Estella Blain), an unassuming exotic dancer with freakishly long nails, to carry out her bidding.   

* Fun Fact #2: Despite being the title character, Dr. Zimmer only appears in the film’s first 12 minutes. 

** Fun Fact #3: According to film historian Tim Lucas, Castor was Franco’s first pick to play Irma.

Thanks to Alejandro Ulloa’s* gorgeous cinematography, The Diabolical Dr. Z is quite possibly one of the best-looking films Franco has ever made. Although Franco reportedly lamented the fact that many of his earlier films were filmed in black and white, it’s hard to imagine color enhancing the overall experience. Ulloa imbues Dr. Z with a noirish appearance, typified by long shadows, fog-drenched streets, and imposing low-angle shots. One of the film’s highlights is Miss Death’s sexy/creepy dance sequence on a spiderweb, foreshadowing her lethal mind-controlled escapades in future scenes. 

* Fun Fact #4: This film would prove to be Franco’s only collaboration with Ulloa, who would go on to lens Horror Express (1972).

As with many of Jesús Franco’s films, The Diabolical Dr. Z is akin to a waking dream, with logic taking a backseat. But considering the excesses of Franco’s later efforts, Dr. Z shows surprising restraint, most likely enforced by the censors of the time (Miss Death’s revealing costume notwithstanding). Besides the film’s neo-noir leanings, Dr. Z features some excellent performances by Mabel Karr’s as the icy Irma and Estella Blain as the aforementioned Miss Death. Franco himself has a nice semi-comic turn, in the (uncredited) role of the perpetually exhausted Inspector Tanner, who constantly complains about his triplet babies keeping him awake at night. Is The Diabolical Dr. Z proof to the Franco naysayers that he could make a good movie? Well, some naysayers are going to “nay,” no matter what. Those with an open mind (Francophiles and horror fans alike), however, might be pleasantly surprised by this stylish horror thriller.   

 

Sources for this article: Tim Lucas DVD commentary; JessFranco (interview), by Sean O’Neal, AV Club (2009) 

 

Spanish Horror Month Quick Picks and Pans

The Loreley’s Grasp (1973) What if Hammer produced a movie in Spain? It might look something like The Loreley’s Grasp, from Amando de Ossorio (Tombs of the Blind Dead). Set in Germany (but filmed mostly in Spain), Loreley (Helga Liné), a legendary, centuries-old creature emerges from the lake to feast on the hearts of its victims. When an all-girls boarding school appears to be the creature’s primary target, the schoolmaster hires the experienced hunter Sigurd (Tony Kendall) to track down and destroy it. Helga Liné is appropriately enticing as the siren-like Lorely, who transforms into a hideous beast at night. The rubbery monster is nothing to write home about, but the film makes up for any deficits with heaps of gothic atmosphere. Great fun! 

Rating: ***½. Available on Blu-ray, DVD and Tubi   

Howl of the Devil (1988) Director/co-writer Paul Naschy’s love letter to the Universal monsters of yesteryear is a twisted tale of obsession, imagination gone awry, and death. Naschy plays Hector, the psychologically unbalanced brother of a famous, deceased character actor, Alex (also played by Naschy). While Hector partakes in bizarre sex games, his nephew Adrián lives in a world of his own. He’s watched over by Hector’s comely housekeeper, Carmen (Caroline Munro), who dreams of taking Adrián away. Adrián holds imaginary conversations with several monsters (including Waldemar Daninsky, the Wolf Man, the Hunchback of Notre Dame, Frankenstein’s Monster, and the Phantom of the Opera), which naturally gives Naschy a golden opportunity to revisit these characters. While it’s hard to justify some of the plot’s sleazier elements, it’s a treat to see Naschy in his element. 

Rating: ***½. Available on Blu-ray 

The Baby’s Room (aka: Películas Para no Dormir: La habitación del Niño) (2006) In this intriguing film from director/co-writer Álex de la Iglesia, a young couple with an infant son move into an old house. Not long after they begin renovating the place, Juan and Sonia (Javier Gutiérrez and Leonor Watling) experience a number of strange occurrences, with Juan insisting there’s an intruder watching over their baby. Rather than a ghostly presence, signs point to parallel universes at work, with the house as their focal point. Although it may not quite deliver on such a fascinating premise, The Baby’s Room is worth a look. 

Rating: ***. Available on DVD (part of The Horror Anthology, Volume 1) and Tubi

Edge of the Axe (1988) In this standard slasher from director José Ramón Larraz, an axe murderer in a creepy mask stalks women in a a small Northern California town. Mostly shot in Spain, Edge of the Axe relies on 2^nd unit footage in California, to remind us where we’re supposed to be. A computer “expert” (the filmmakers apparently had no idea what late ‘80s computers were actually capable of) teams up with one of the locals to locate the killer. An escaped mental patient (or course), proves to be the culprit. Yawn. 

Rating: **. Available on Blu-ray, Prime Video and Midnight Pulp

Dracula, Prisoner of Frankenstein (1972) When your monster movie features Frankenstein’s creation, Dracula and the Wolfman, what can go wrong? Well, if it’s the wildly prolific Jesús (“Jess”) Franco at the helm, plenty. With the help of his homemade monster, Dr. Frankenstein revives Dracula, hoping to create an invincible vampire army to rule the world (just forget about stakes, fire and sunlight). This would-be tribute to Universal’s classic monsters somehow manages to be dull, despite the presence of three horror icons. Featuring sloth-like pacing, non-existent character development, and dollar-store makeup effects, Dracula, Prisoner of Frankenstein underwhelms from the first reel to the last. If someone told me Franco made this while someone held a gun to his head, I’d believe it. Unless you’re on a masochistic mission to see all 200+ of his movies, skip it.  

Rating: *½. Available on Blu-ray, DVD and Tubi

Black Candles (aka: Los Ritos Sexuales del Diablo) (1982) After she learns about her brother’s untimely death, Carol (Vanessa Hidalgo) travels to England to visit her sister-in-law Fiona (Helga Liné) in her farmhouse. All is not as it seems, as Carol stumbles onto a satanic cult, falling into Fiona’s trap. The paper-thin plot is mostly an excuse to depict one sleazy escapade after another (including a sex scene with a pig). More unpleasant than scary, Black Candles is a must-miss. 

Rating: *½. Available on Blu-ray and DVD

 

Horror Rises from the Tomb

 

(1973) Directed by Carlos Aured; Written by Paul Naschy; Starring: Paul Naschy, Emma Cohen, Vic Winner (aka: Victor Barrera), Helga Liné, Betsabé Ruiz, and María José Cantudo; Available on Blu-ray and DVD 

Rating: ***

“Horror fans in particular are great people. They are devoted to their favorite type of film with loyalty few other genres have. It is sad that many modern directors are exploiting and abusing this audience with bad films. They try to appeal to them by title, take their money, and leave them disappointed. In my prime, I always gave the public what I thought they wanted. I was a horror fan myself before I became an actor, director, and screenwriter, so I knew first-hand what some of their tastes were. I’d like to think I reached my goal in keeping horror fans happy and entertained. If not, at least I gave them my best effort...” – Paul Naschy (from 1992 interview) 

“The reason the producer decided to give me my first directing opportunity was not because he believed that I had some special merits, but because I promised to make the film on a very low budget” – Carlos Aured

Paul Naschy (aka: Jacinto Molina Álvarez) has often been compared to Lon Chaney, not only for the breadth of characters he portrayed, but the depth of his commitment to the craft of acting. Even if you don’t know his name, I’d wager (if you’re a horror fan like me) you’ve seen his face multiple times. Besides acting, he often worked behind the camera, directing and writing. Horror Rises from the Tomb (aka: El Espanto Surge de la Tumba), featured a script by Naschy,* and direction by rookie Carlos Aured. While the movie was set in France,** it was mainly filmed in the Lozoya valley in Naschy’s native Spain. 

* Fun Fact #1: According to Naschy’s memoir, Memorias de Un Hombre Lobo (aka: Memoirs of a Wolfman), he cranked out the screenplay in one-and-a-half days, with the aid of amphetamines. 

** Recycled Fun Fact (see my Night of the Werewolf  review): Why was this movie set in France if it was shot in Spain? Filmed depictions of supernatural events were forbidden under Franco’s Spain, but were permissible as long as the setting was outside of Spain. 

In the film’s prologue, circa 15^th century France, Alaric de Marnac* (Paul Naschy) and his lover/accomplice Mabille De Lancré (Helga Liné) are sentenced to death for the practice of witchcraft and a litany of atrocities. Before de Marnac is decapitated and Mabille is strung up on an oak tree,** he proclaims he will return for vengeance against his accusers’ descendants. Skip forward to 20^th century Paris, where Hugo (also played by Naschy) and his friend Maurice (Vic Winner) discuss the legend of de Marnac. Maurice doesn’t believe the stories – until the spirit of Alaric de Marnac compels him to paint a portrait of the deceased warlock. The friends set out for the countryside to investigate, with their girlfriends in tow. After an unfortunate run-in with bandits, they eventually arrive at Hugo’s father’s house, *** conveniently located near the ancient ruins of a monastery where de Marnac and his mistress were supposedly buried. Still under the influence of de Marnac’s malevolent spirit, Maurice locates a small chest, buried in the courtyard of the monastery. Clouded by hopes of buried treasure, some villagers abscond with the chest. Instead of finding untold riches they discover de Marnac’s decapitated head inside, which begins asserting its control over anyone in its proximity (Does he have a limited range, like Wi-Fi or Bluetooth? The world may never know). Once de Marnac’s head has been restored to its proper place on his body, the warlock proceeds to drain Hugo’s girlfriend Silvie (Betsabé Ruiz) of her blood to revive Mabille. Subsequently, Maurice and his girlfriend Paula (Cristina Suriani) fall under the resurrected couple’s spell to carry out their bidding. Thus, the wheels are set in motion for the time-honored cinematic tradition of a showdown between the forces of good and evil. 

* Fun Fact #2: Alaric de Marnac was based on a real historical figure, nobleman and alleged serial killer, Gilles de Rais who terrorized 15^th century France. 

** Fun Fact #3: The filmmakers chose an ancient oak tree for the scene, located within the historically significant location of Roble Gordo. According to Naschy, one of the torches used for the scene was left burning near the tree, reducing it to ashes overnight. 

*** Fun Fact #4: Hugo’s country home conveniently belonged to Naschy’s family.

Paul Naschy is in his element in the dual roles of evil personified Alaric de Marnac and everyman Hugo. Helga Liné conveys the right combination of seductive and spooky as Mabille, who’s every bit de Marnac’s equal. Together, by far, they’re the most memorable characters in the film. The other big star is the pervasive somber tone and moody lighting, making the most of the film’s meager budget. In one of the most disturbing scenes, a group of blank-eyed, reanimated dead villagers shamble into Hugo’s house.

Evil meets its match when Hugo produces “Thor’s Hammers” amulet, which has been in his family’s possession for centuries. The protective talisman (ahem, deus ex machina) is the key to Alric de Marnac’s destruction. How something Nordic in origin ended up in rural France is never explained, as well as why it would have such a deleterious effect on an ancient French nobleman (What did Alaric de Marnac do to piss off the Vikings?). Outside of our dynamic satanic duo, there’s not much in the way of character development – most of them seem to exist simply as a means to propel the plot. You’ll scarcely notice the film’s deficits when you’re treated to oodles of gothic atmosphere and many of the characters (predominately women) in various states of undress.* Horror Rises from the Tomb might not be Naschy’s best or most consistent effort, but it’s a hoot to watch – and sometimes, that’s all you need. 

* Fun Fact #5: Due to content restrictions in Spain, the filmmakers shot nude scenes for the foreign export market, and re-filmed clothed scenes for the domestic version. 

 

Sources for this article: Essay by Mirek Lipinski;“Paul Naschy,” by Dale Pierce, Filmfax: The Magazine of Unusual Film, 1992; Memoirs of a Wolfman, by Paul Naschy (Translated by Mike Hodges)

 

 

 

May Quick Picks and Pans

 

Schizoid (1980) Klaus Kinski stars as Dr. Fales, a therapist with some serious boundary issues, whose clients are being killed off one by one. Meanwhile, his patient/girlfriend Julie (Marianna Hill) keeps getting threatening letters at her work, but no one, including her soon-to-be-ex-husband Doug (Craig Wasson) appears to take her seriously. Although filled with red herrings galore, the big reveal of the killer isn’t much of a surprise (Spoiler: Surprisingly, it’s not Kinski). Watch for Christopher Lloyd in a small role as a handyman/therapy group patient. 

Rating: ***. Available on Blu-ray and Tubi

 

The Sister of Ursula (1978) In this would-be giallo by writer/director Enzo Millioni, two sisters travel to Italy to clear their heads after their father’s death. While Dagmar (Stefania D’Amario) tries to make the best of things, her younger sister Ursula (Barbara Magnolfi) remains withdrawn and reclusive, overwhelmed by grief and paranoia. The film compensates for its threadbare plot with copious nudity and a handful of underwhelming murder scenes, culminating in a less-than-thrilling climax (I guessed the killer in the first reel). There are a few stunning shots of the beautiful Amalfi coastline, but if that’s your bag, you’re better off watching a travel show. 

Rating: **. Available on DVD and Tubi 

 

Revolt of the Zombies (1936) Archeologists in World War I-era Cambodia make a terrifying discovery: a stone tablet depicting an ancient ritual to turn men into zombies. Seeing the potential military benefit of a mindless, unstoppable army, a devious general (Roy D’Arcy) steals the tablet. His possession of the artifact proves to be short-lived, however, when it’s appropriated by Armand Louque (Dean Jagger) for his own nefarious purposes. Rather than focusing on the inherent horrors of a zombie hoard, the movie spends an inordinate amount of time with a bland love triangle, comprised of Louque, his former colleague Clifford Grayson (Robert Nolan), and Grayson’s capricious fiancée Claire (Dorothy Stone). Filled with unappealing cardboard characters, a confusing plot, and a generous helping of racism (“This might mean the end of the white race!”), Revolt of the Zombies is a must-miss. 

Rating: **. Available on DVD and Prime Video

Spontaneous Combustion (1989) Tobe Hooper made some of the most memorable horror films of his generation. This is not one of them. The usually reliable Brad Dourif (who seems to be phoning in his performance) plays Sam, whose parents were part of a top secret ‘50s hydrogen bomb experiment gone awry. As a consequence of the experiment, he possesses the power to make people spontaneously combust at will (at least when the plot demands it). The plot is a confusing mess, with underdeveloped characters and hazy motivations. Skip it. 

Rating: **. Available on Blu-ray, DVD and Tubi

 

 

The Adventure-a-Thon Wrap-up

 

Well, folks, the Adventure-a-Thon is coming to an end, but oh what a blogathon it’s been! With more than 30 participants from around the globe, it’s been one of our most successful events yet. Thanks to everyone who made it happen – we couldn’t have done it without you. An extra-special thanks goes out to my wonderful co-host, Gill, for going above and beyond to spread the word about the blogathon, and for keeping everything on track. Shameless plug: Gill and I will be hosting our second blogathon of the year this December, so watch for our announcement in the next few months. We’d love to have you all back.

But wait, it’s not over yet… We had a last-minute flurry of posts, which you can enjoy below, along with links to recaps from the past three days. We hope you enjoy them as much as we enjoyed bringing them to you.

Thanks to everyone who entered the Seventh Voyage of Sinbad Blu-ray contest. While I wish I could give everyone a prize, there can only be one winner, and the winner is (Drum roll, please)… Stacia from She Blogged by Night. Congratulations! Please email me at barry_cinematic@yahoo.com to claim your prize.

P.S., for anyone who was wondering about responses about their favorite Harryhausen flick, it was a toss-up between Clash of the Titans (1981) and Mysterious Island (1961).

In addition to today’s links, be sure to visit the Day 1, 2, and 3 Recaps: 

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

 

Fasten your seatbelt, make sure your chair is locked in an upright position, and prepare for Kristina at Speakeasy’s review of The Flight of the Phoenix (1965). https://hqofk.wordpress.com/2025/05/04/flight-of-the-phoenix-1965/

 

Kayla at Whimsically Classic invites you to set sail on The African Queen (1951). https://whimsicallyclassic.com/2025/05/04/adventure-a-thon-the-african-queen-1951/

 

Rebecca from Taking Up Room takes a gander at Bela Lugosi in The Return of Chandu (1934). https://takinguproom.com/2025/05/04/the-return-of-chandu/

 

Sally Silverscreen from 18 Cinema Lane invites you to enjoy A Little Romance (1979). https://18cinemalane.com/2025/05/04/take-3-a-little-romance-1979-review/

 

Tigerhearts Tales from  Films & the View from Inside My Head shares her thoughts about The Brain (aka: Le Cerveau) (1969). https://tigerheartstales.wordpress.com/2025/05/05/four-men-one-woman-a-leopard-and-a-whole-lot-of-money/