From Far & Wide, From High & Low Vol 14
A list of 100 diverse films from a wide range of genre choices sitting on the shelf
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- DirectorTobe HooperStarsMarilyn BurnsEdwin NealAllen DanzigerFive friends head out to rural Texas to visit the grave of a grandfather. On the way they stumble across what appears to be a deserted house, only to discover something sinister within. Something armed with a chainsaw.THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE is a genuine horror classic and one of the most successful (and influential) independent films in the wake of George Romero's NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD. It is ESSENTIAL viewing for anyone who enjoys the horror genre. Tobe POLTERGEIST Hooper (with a writing assist from Kim Henkel) was the mastermind behind this terrifying, surreal, descent into madness concerning a group of friends who are set upon by an assortment of maniacal cannibals led by a grotesque psychopath named Leatherface who's armed with a chainsaw and not afraid to use it. The violence is thick enough to taste although the film is nowhere nearly as gory as most people remember. Followed by a slew of sequels with no end in sight.
- DirectorTobe HooperStarsDennis HopperCaroline WilliamsJim SiedowA radio host is victimized by the cannibal family as a former Texas marshal hunts them.Tobe INVADERS FROM MARS Hooper made this sequel to his 1974 horror classic to cash in on the slasher franchise fad made popular by films like HALLOWEEN and FRIDAY THE 13TH. Dennis SPEED Hopper gives a wildly over the top performance as Lt. 'Lefty' Enright who's out for chainsaw revenge against the cannibals who murdered his nephew Franklin Hardesty. To find them, he has to use a local DJ as bait. Caroline LEPRECHAUN 3 Williams is the radio disc jockey who has a recording of Leatherface in action. Soon, both are fighting for their lives in a bizarre subterranean funhouse of guts with the entire Sawyer family who are batshit crazy & frothing at the mouth for blood. THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE PART 2 wasn't a hit but has developed a sizable cult following amongst gore-hounds. At times it approximates art and I do love it a lot. But it's not a great movie. The satire slips into self parody and the characters (especially the Sawyer family) don't feel organic. Leatherface and his clan were far more believable in the original. The character of Stretch would make an appearance at the beginning of THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE III.
- DirectorJeff BurrStarsKate HodgeKen ForeeR.A. MihailoffA California couple and a survivalist encounter Leatherface and his family.Jeff PUMPKINHEAD II: BLOODWINGS Burr directed this good looking but disappointing slasher sequel. He was often at odds with NEW LINE who purchased the rights to the franchise hoping to generate another cash cow like A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET. The studio and ratings board were pushing for a softer horror film that would be accessible to a younger audience and that's what they got. Much of the violence was edited out and LEATHERFACE: THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE III opened to largely empty theatres. The story was also somewhat confusing in that Leatherface has been re-cast and partnered with an entirely new cannibal clan led by 'Tex' (Viggo PSYCHO Mortensen) who attacks random travellers on the road including Kate Hodge and Ken HALLOWEEN Foree. I didn't hate Part III but it doesn't come close to the terror Tobe Hooper generated with his 1974 indie cult classic and it couldn't hold a candle to the gruesome gore effects of his follow up in 1986. Close, but no cigar. Followed by THE RETURN OF THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE in 1994
- DirectorKim HenkelStarsRenée ZellwegerMatthew McConaugheyRobert JacksA group of teenagers get into a car crash in the Texas woods on prom night, and then wander into an old farmhouse that is home to Leatherface (Robert Jacks) and his insane family of cannibalistic psychopaths.Kim Henkel who was best known for co-writing THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE with Tobe Hooper directed this odd sequel which casts the character of Leatherface as a cannibalistic transvestite with a new backwoods family led by Matthew SAHARA McConaughey. A group of teens become stranded in the backwoods on the night of the prom and are terrorized & killed. Renee JERRY MCGUIRE Zellweger played the 'final girl' willing to get a little crazy to survive. Rumor has it the studio killed this direct to video flop because it might damage the careers of it's then rising stars. I didn't hate this noisy movie but there was a plot twist involving the illuminati that tried my patience terribly towards the end. There's also a surprising lack of chainsaw action. 2003 would see the release of a franchise reboot.
- DirectorBrad ShelladyStarsJohn DuganJim SiedowEdwin NealA documentary about the classic 'Texas Chainsaw Massacre' film, including interviews with Gunnar Hansen, Edwin Neal, John Dugan and Jim Seidow.The cast and crew of THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE reflect on it's filming and legacy in this occasionally interesting documentary which will appeal to hardcore fans mostly.
- DirectorMarcus NispelStarsJessica BielJonathan TuckerAndrew BryniarskiAfter picking up a traumatized young hitchhiker, five friends find themselves stalked and hunted by a deformed chainsaw-wielding loon and his family of equally psychopathic killers.As a horror fan I was pleasantly surprised at how well made this remake of the 1974 Tobe Hooper classic was. It has a dry, rotten look to it and some effective chainsaw gore which was severely lacking in recent entries. Cinematographer Daniel Preal who also worked on the original has put a lot of love into the film and it shows. R. Lee FULL METAL JACKET Ermey plays an insane sheriff luring unwary travelers to their death at the hands of a disfigured brute named Leatherface (Andrew DRACULA'S GUEST Bryniarski). Jessica 7TH HEAVEN Beil & Eric HAVEN Balfour are among the intended victims. Listen for a cameo during the opening scene by BOSTON LEGAL's John Larroquette reprising his role as narrator. Followed by THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE: THE BEGINNING
- DirectorJonathan LiebesmanStarsJordana BrewsterMatt BomerDiora BairdBefore being sent to serve in Vietnam, two brothers and their girlfriends take one last road trip, but when they get into an accident, a terrifying experience will take them to a secluded house of horrors, with a chainsaw-wielding killer.Golden Raspberry Award winning director Johnathan Leibesman helmed this sequel to the 2003 Platinum Dunes hit for producer Michael Bay which starred Jordana THE FALCULTY Brewster as a young woman fighting to survive when she and her friends are set upon by a family of depraved murderers led by R. Lee Ermey & Andrew Bryniarski (Uncle Hewitt & Leatherface). As nasty as the film tries to be it still shys away from the true nature of what these human monsters are which was made perfectly clear back in 1974 and focuses instead on their cruelty. In refusing to go that extra step in defining the Hewitt family something essential about what makes this franchise tick gets lost and this film suffers for it as a result. Not bad but not nearly as powerful as some of the earlier films. Followed by TEXAS CHAINSAW 3D
- DirectorJohn LuessenhopStarsAlexandra DaddarioTania RaymondeScott EastwoodA young woman travels to Texas to collect an inheritance. Little does she know that an encounter with a chainsaw-wielding killer is part of the reward.I only saw the 2D version of TEXAS CHAINSAW 3D but I was so impressed regardless I'm giving the movie an extra star. During that scene where Leatherface suddenly hurls the chainsaw at the camera I almost fell off the couch. What I also liked is that Bill THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE PART 2 Mosley, Marilyn THE RETURN OF THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE Burns, John THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE: A FAMILY PORTRAIT Dugan and Gunner THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE Hansen all have supporting roles in this direct sequel to Tobe Hoopers 1974 horror cult classic. The story opens with a group of teens travelling to a deserted mansion to claim an inheritance left to one of the young women. She is unaware of her relation to the infamous Leatherface or to the fact he's just escaped from a hidden room in the cellar. despite the stunt casting & polished 3D effects the movie drags it's feet and isn't very scary. One of the least interesting in the inconsistent franchise. Followed by a prequel called LEATHERFACE in 2017.
- DirectorAlexandre BustilloJulien MauryStarsStephen DorffLili TaylorSam StrikeA teenage Leatherface escapes from a mental hospital with three other inmates, kidnapping a young nurse and taking her on a road trip from hell, while being pursued by a lawman out for revenge.Millenium Films obtained the rights to the cultish horror franchise and intended LEATHERFACE to be a prequel to Tobe Hooper's THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE just as their marginally successful TEXAS CHAINSAW 3D was marketed as a direct sequel. Stephen Doriff plays an unhinged Texas Ranger (loosely patterned after Dennis 'Lefty' Hopper from THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE PART 2) who crosses Verna Sawyer (Lili THE HAUNTING Taylor) stealing from her a son named Jed to get even for the murder of his daughter. The child is placed in an asylum and is destined one day to become the iconic slasher LEATHERFACE. This origin story comes a little to close on the heels of that other origin (THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE: THE BEGINNING) for my tastes although I didn't hate it. There's enough sadism and gore to kept you waiting for the next strangulation or shotgun blast to the face while you try to figure out which of the escaped inmates is going to develop a serious hard on for chainsaws in later life. Legendary Pictures are currently developing a new TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE film and television show
- DirectorDick LowryStarsThomas GibsonNancy McKeonChandra WestThree tornadoes converge to wreak havoc on Chicago, disrupting the power grid and creating the worst super-storm in history: a category 6 twister.CATAGORY 6: DAY OF DESTRUCTION was a highly rated two part disaster movie which aired on CBS & starred Thomas CRIMINAL MINDS Gibson, Nancy THE FACTS OF LIFE McKeon & Brian METEOR Dennehy. While the special CG effects were widely praised as being nearly comparable to work being done in theatrical films, critics weren't so kind about the junk science & climate change rhetoric comprising much of the soapy script The story follows the destruction of Chicago during a record setting hurricane landfall and the lives of several people determined to survive. The network was so impressed with the ratings that CATAGORY 7: THE END OF THE WORLD was released the following year.
- StarsCameron DaddoGina GershonShannen DohertyA deadly category 7 storm wreaks havoc on the world. Meanwhile, kidnappers threaten to make matters even worse.Dick ARCHIE: TO RIVERDALE AND BACK AGAIN Lowry directed this smash hit 2 part mini series sequel to CATAGORY SIX: DAY OF DESTRUCTION which aired on CBS in 2004. The only main cast member return is Randy Quaid who plays an eccentric storm tracker and what a storm he has to track! Because of 'global warming' a catastrophic blend of lightning, tornadoes and hurricane storms are massing over the already devastated Chicago. The cast is beefed up somewhat with the addition of Robert THE CONCORDE: AIRPORT '79 Wagner, Tom KILLER WAVE Skerritt and Gina RIVERDALE Gershon while the special effects are competent although not as inventively presented as the were in the original. A perfectly fine night's entertainment for disaster movie fans.
- DirectorRonald NeameStarsGene HackmanErnest BorgnineShelley WintersA group of passengers must embark on a harrowing struggle for survival after a rogue wave capsizes their cruise ship at sea.Prolific producer Irwin WHEN TIME RAN OUT Allen all but invented the formula for disaster movies with THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE; a white-knuckled tale of survival against all odds set aboard a capsized luxury liner loaded with stars including Gene Hackman, Shelley Winters, Ernest Borgnine & Stella Stevens. The 1st 20 minutes into THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE you're introduced to some paper thin characters given some truly appalling dialogue to read off but no sooner than introductions are made than a tidal wave makes impact turning the ship upside down in spectacular fashion. It's a show-stopping sequence on par with CARRIE's prom. You'll be glued to your seat from there on in and genuinely rooting for them to be rescued. Stirling OVER THE TOP Sillifant provided the script & Ronald Neame directed this genre classic which earned nine academy award nominations. It took home Oscars for visual effects and for the song The Morning After. Followed by BEYOND THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE, a mini series remake in 2005 & a theatrical reboot in 2006 called POSEIDON
- DirectorIrwin AllenStarsMichael CaineSally FieldTelly SavalasAn extension of the previous film, wherein a group of adventurers return to the overturned ship to seek several fortunes.As the decade drew to a close so too did the public fascination with the genre made famous by producer Irwin THE SWARM Allen. Big budget, all star flops like HURRICANE, WHEN TIME RAN OUT and METEOR were mostly box office disasters like this DOG; a belated sequel to the 1972 genre classic. Michael THE DARK KNIGHT RISES Caine stars as a salvage tug boat captain who boards the capsized SS Poseidon with his crew which consists of a perky Sally SMOKEY & THE BANDIT II Field and a terminally ill 1st mate; Karl NUTS Malden. In their search for treasure they find a handful of surviving passengers trapped inside and a group of terrorists led by Telly LISA AND THE DEVIL Savalas who have a stash of explosive uranium in the cargo bay. A wonderful cast can't keep the badly scripted and poorly executed material afloat. Followed by a mini series remake of THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE which aired on the Hallmark network in 2005.
- DirectorJohn PutchStarsAdam BaldwinRutger HauerSteve GuttenbergA cruise ship succumbs to a terrorist act and capsizes on New Year's eve. A ragtag group of survivors, spearheaded by a Priest and a homeland security agent, must journey through the upside down vessel and attempt an escape.This remake of the 1972 Irwin Allen classic also drew elements from the 1979 DOG BEYOND THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE as well as the novels by Paul Gallico on which they were informally based. On New Years Eve terrorists explode a bomb on board a luxury liner causing it to capsize & the surviving passengers and crew to become trapped beneath the waterline with a squad of armed killers. This solidly cast film includes Steve Guttenberg, Rutger Hauer, Adam Baldwin and C. Thomas Howell and boasts some very well-designed CG effects work. NBC aired THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE as a 3 hour movie but it was also shown as a two part mini series & released on disc in that format. The thing about THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE is that it's a hard story to ruin and this quality tv film delivers on it's promise. This production is quite involving and the capsizing of the SS Poseidon is handled inventively. Slightly above average. Followed by a remake in 2006.
- DirectorWolfgang PetersenStarsRichard DreyfussKurt RussellEmmy RossumOn New Year's Eve, the luxury ocean liner Poseidon capsizes after being swamped by a rogue wave. The survivors are left to fight for their lives as they attempt to escape the sinking ship.Wolfgang DAS BOOT Petersen directed this lavishly produced remake of the 1972 Irwin Allan genre classic THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE starring Kurt DEATH PROOF Russell as a firefighter scoping out his daughter's potential new love interest at a New Year's Eve party set aboard a doomed luxury ocean liner. The capsizing of the SS Poseidon really defines this story to a certain extent. And the CG special effects are breath-takingly good. They were nominated for an Oscar. The supporting cast which includes Richard CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND Dreyfuss and Josh AMERICAN PSYCHO Lucas handle the sub-plots with ease while Petersen carries this mammoth production on his shoulders across the finish line. POSEIDON flopped in theaters and was met with harsh reviews but probably the reason it did badly is an NBC mini-series adaption had only just recently broadcast over two nights. POSEIDON just came too close on it's heels. It would be difficult to argue this isn't the definitive version given it's technological advancement. It really is a spectacular film.
- DirectorStuart GordonStarsJeffrey CombsBruce AbbottBarbara CramptonAfter an odd new medical student arrives on campus, a dedicated local and his girlfriend become involved in bizarre experiments centering around the re-animation of dead tissue.Stuart DAUGHTER OF DARKNESS Gordon directed this gory camp/cult classic which was immediately embraced by horror fans and critics alike despite it's relative low profile outside the genre. Jeffrey TRANCERS II Combs plays the obsessed medical student who believes it's possible to re-animate the dead if he can keep the formula from being stolen by an unscruplulous college professor. Barbara THE LORDS OF SALEM Crampton makes for an engaging, charismatic scream queen. RE-ANIMATOR piles on the gruesome special effects to great effect. Followed by BRIDE OF RE-ANIMATOR
- DirectorBrian YuznaStarsJeffrey CombsBruce AbbottClaude Earl JonesDoctors Herbert West and Dan Cain discover the secret to creating human life and proceed to create a perfect woman from dead tissue.Brian SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT 4: INITIATION Yuzna directed this deliriously over the top sequel to the Stuart Gordon cult classic RE-ANIMATOR. Jeffrey CASTLE FREAK Combs & Bruce THE PROPHECY II Abbott return as medical students experimenting on the re-animation of corpses with the police and a vengeful decapitated head hot on their criminally insane heels. Gore hounds, camp affectioniados and genre enthusiasts will groove on this fine continuation of the H.P. Lovecraft inspired franchise. Followed by BEYOND RE-ANIMATOR.
- DirectorBrian YuznaStarsJeffrey CombsTommy Dean MussetJason BarryAfter 13 years in prison, the mad scientist from Re-Animator (1985) gets a new chance to experiment with the arrival of a young prison doctor, who secretly hopes to learn to reanimate dead people. Good intentions turn to horror.Say what you will about this belated 3rd installment of RE-ANIMATOR but it deserves an extra star for it's climactic duel to the death between a prison rat and a re-animated, dismembered member. Jeffrey BEETHOVEN VIII: TREASURE TAIL Combs stars as Herbert West who's been conducting macabre experiments on the dead while incarcerated for his part in the massacres which occurred in the 1985 original and it's sequel BRIDE OF RE-ANIMATOR. When a murderous warden gets his hands on West's reagent a prison riot of the dead breaks out. Brian THE DENTIST 2 Yuzna maybe paces this one a little too slowly at 1st but the virtuoso ending more than delivers the goods. Gore hounds and cult enthusiasts will enjoy this one more than most.
- DirectorStuart GordonStarsJeffrey CombsBarbara CramptonTed SorelA group of scientists have developed the Resonator, a machine which allows whoever is within range to see beyond normal perceptible reality. But when the experiment succeeds, they are immediately attacked by terrible life forms.Ted BASKET CASE 2 Sorel is the sadomasochistic Dr. Pretorius who is developing the resonator; a devise which will stimulate his pineal gland thus opening a dangerous portal to another dimension of kink and creepy crawlies. Jeffrey SHARKMAN Combs is the assistant physically perverted by the vibrations and Barbara PUPPET MASTER: THE LITTLEST REICH Crampton is the doctor assigned to his case. Genre favorite Ken DAWN OF THE DEAD Foree also stars. Stuart KING OF THE ANTS Gordon directed this wickedly entertaining instant cult classic based on an original story by HP Lovecraft written for the screen by Dennis BODY SNATCHERS: THE INVASION CONTINUES Payoli. Highly recommended for horror junkies.
- DirectorJames WhaleStarsClaude RainsGloria StuartWilliam HarriganA scientist finds a way of becoming invisible, but in doing so, he becomes murderously insane.The ground-breaking special effects used in this beloved Universal monster classic set a standard within the genre that weren't topped until John Carpenter's MEMOIRS OF AN INVISIBLE MAN decades later. I would highly recommend this fantasy as ESSENTIAL viewing. Claude THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA Rains starred as a scientist driven to madness & mass murder when an experimental invisibility formula causes him to become psychotic. Gloria TITANIC Stuart is the scientist's devoted fiancé whose life is in mortal danger. James Whale secured his reputation making unforgettable motion pictures including THE OLD DARK HOUSE, FRANKENSTEIN and THE BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN. THE INVISIBLE MAN can stand proudly alongside his very best work. It's a very witty and thrilling adventure based on the novel by HG Wells. Followed by THE INVISIBLE MAN RETURNS.
- DirectorJoe MayStarsCedric HardwickeVincent PriceNan GreyThe owner of a coal mining operation, falsely imprisoned for fratricide, takes a drug to make him invisible, despite its side effect: gradual madness.Joe May (who also provided the story for THE INVISIBLE WOMAN) directed this sequel to James Whale's THE INVISIBLE MAN which starred horror icon Vincent EDWARD SCISSORHANDS Price as a man wrongfully accused of murder who seeks the power of invisibility to prove his innocence. The studio chose Price wisely as the lead. His voice is supple and his language heavily nuanced to make up for the fact his character is almost never seen. Claude Rains worked his own vocal magic in the original in a similar fashion. It's a rather fun B&W entry in the classic Universal Monsters franchise which earned an academy award nomination for Best Visual Effects.
- DirectorA. Edward SutherlandStarsVirginia BruceJohn BarrymoreJohn HowardAn attractive model with an ulterior motive volunteers as guinea pig for an invisibility machine.A. Edward A NIGHT IN THE TROPICS Sutherland directed this 3rd film in Universal's Classic Monsters franchise which was more slapstick comedy than the science fiction tale fans of the novel by HG Wells might expect. Virginia Bruce stars as a human guinea pig testing an invisibility device who is drawn into a light hearted caper with gangsters. Rather bland and formulaic. Filmed in B&W. Followed by THE INVISIBLE AGENT.
- DirectorEdwin L. MarinStarsIlona MasseyJon HallPeter LorreThe Invisible Man's grandson uses his secret formula to spy on Nazi Germany.Jon THE NAVY VERSUS THE NIGHT MONSTERS Hall starred in this fourth film in Universal's classic monsters franchise inspired by the science fiction novel by H.G. Wells and the 1933 film THE INVISIBLE MAN by director James Whale. Hall plays the grandchild of Jack Griffin living in hiding to prevent the invisibility formula from falling into enemy hands. This WWII propaganda film also starred the wonderful Peter THE RAVEN Lorre as the vicious Baron Ikito whose threats against our hero forces him to go undercover using his grandfather's formula to defeat the Axis. This B&W adventure is passable entertainment for retro horror junkies. The special effects were nominated for an Academy Award.
- DirectorFord BeebeStarsJon HallEvelyn AnkersAlan CurtisAn eccentric scientist helps a fugitive from the law become invisible, unwittingly giving him the power to exact revenge on his former friends.Ford FLASH GORDON CONQUERS THE UNIVERSE Beebe directed this 5th entry in Universal's THE INVISIBLE MAN franchise. Jon Hall who starred in the 1942 film THE INVISIBLE AGENT plays another descendant of Jack Griffin, this time a demented extortionist who becomes invisible with the help of an insane scientist played by John THE BLOOD OF DRACULA'S CASTLE Carradine. It's a rather typical example of the B movies Universal was cranking out at the time. THE INVISIBLE MAN would next appear in ABBOT AND COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN. Filmed in B&W
- DirectorGregory WidenStarsChristopher WalkenElias KoteasVirginia MadsenAt the scene of a bizarre murder, L.A. homicide detective Thomas Dagget discovers a lethal heavenly prophecy now being fulfilled on earth. In his fight to stop the forces of evil, he finds an unlikely ally in an elementary school teacher.Christopher HAIRSPRAY Walken steals the show as the Archangel Gabriel who descends to earth looking for the soul of the most evil 'talking money' ever born. He intends to use the soul as a weapon in his uprising against God. The soul has been hidden inside the body of a native child who falls under the protection of a failed priest turned cop (Elias CRASH Koteas) and her teacher (Virginia CANDYMAN Madsen) who seem powerless against the heavenly terminator. THE PROPHECY shouldn't work as a film. It's quite ridiculous on it's face value and yet the cast is superlative; Viggo LEATHERFACE: THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE III Mortensen as Lucifer, Eric SISTER, SISTER Stoltz as an angel named Simon sent to protect mankind and Amanda PULP FICTION Plummer as a resurrected talking money drawn into the war because Gabriel doesn't know how to drive a car. Gregory Widen had similar success with the HIGHLANDER franchise and he navigates the film away from camp and cracks enough jokes to keep the audience laughing with THE PROPHECY and not at it. I like this one a lot and recommend it highly. Followed by numerous direct to video sequels.
- DirectorGreg SpenceStarsChristopher WalkenRussell WongJennifer BealsWhen the powers of good and evil again descend to Earth in a battle over mankind, the only hope for survival is the unborn child of an innocent woman. With the help of a mysterious stranger, she races to protect her child and save mankind.Greg CHILDREN OF THE CORN IV: THE GATHERING Spence directed this sequel based on a screenplay by Matt PET SEMATARY Greenberg which tells the story of how a 'talking monkey' (Jennifer THE BRIDE Beals) becomes pregnant with a nephilim after she becomes romantically involved with an angel. Such a birth hasn't occurred since the time of the flood and The Archangel Gabriel escapes from Hell to prevent the birth. Christopher Walken is a delight to watch as the villainous Gabriel with CLUELESS star Brittany Murphy as a depressed suicide victim slash talking monkey who understands DOS tagging along as his personal chauffeur. The forces of good and evil collide in an industrial wasteland built upon the ruins of Eden. Followed by THE PROPHECY 3: THE ASCENT
- DirectorPatrick LussierStarsChristopher WalkenVincent SpanoDavino BuzzottaAs the war between Heaven and Earth rages on, the half-human, half-angel Danyael is mankind's only hope against a diabolical angel that wants to destroy them all.Christopher PULP FICTION Walken almost but not quite saves this 3rd entry in the popular Dimension franchise. The angel Gabriel is serving penance as a 'talking monkey' while watching over the Nephalim. The young man holds the heavenly power neccessary to bring about the end of the reign of terror of Pyriel; The Angel of Genocide. Walken is so charismatic you'll forgive many of the absurdities the script & direction can't overcome. Followed by THE PROPHECY: UPRISING
- DirectorJoel SoissonStarsJohn LightSean PertweeDan ChiriacA young theology student comes into possession of an ancient book of prophecies that stands at the center of a bloody battle on Earth between good angels and evil angels.Kari EIGHT LEGGED FREAKS Wuhrer and her estranged brother come into possession of a Book of Prophecies called the Lexicon which the fallen angel Belial needs in his war against Heaven. Doug 'Belial' Bradley has almost no stage presence without the Pinhead makeup he wore in the HELLRAISER franchise. John light tries to make up for the loss of Christpher Walken's Gabriel in the role of Lucifer who wants Heaven to win the war because should they lose, Heaven will become a new Hell usurping his authority. Joel PULSE 2 Soisson directed/wrote this weak entry and the next: THE PROPHECY: FORSAKEN.
- DirectorJoel SoissonStarsBoris PetroffKari WuhrerDaria CiobanuYoung Allison continues to run from Satan's evil angels while hanging onto the ancient Lexicon that foretells the identity of the Antichrist, joined by a hit man who has a change of heart and comes to her aid.Tony NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD 1990 Todd plays a dangerous angel determined to retrieve the Book of Lexicon from a Nephalim named Allison because it foretells the birth of a new anti-Christ or some such thing. John Light reprises his role as Lucifer. Shot back to back with THE PROPHECY: UPRISING in Bucharest to cut costs.
- DirectorAnthony PageStarsRichard BurtonDominic GuardDavid BradleyTwo boys try to drive a strict priest mad with their confessed sins at a boarding school in England.Anthony THE WICKER MAN Shaffer wrote this clever thriller about a strict priest at a private school for boys. Richard EXORCIST II: THE HERETIC Burton is very well cast and utterly convincing as a stern teacher whose callousness & bullying leads to a confrontation with one of the more popular students and the death of a drifter named Blakey (played by THE X-FILES: I WANT TO BELIEVE's Billy Connelly). The movie flopped & wasn't widely seen till years after the star's death but if you enjoyed the stylish mysteries SLEUTH or MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS you might want to give this one a look. I enjoyed it more than most.
- DirectorChuck ParelloStarsSteve RailsbackCarrie SnodgressCarol MansellThe story of Ed Gein, who dug up the corpses of over a dozen women and made things out of their remains before finally shooting two people to death and butchering their bodies like beef sides.Steve THE STUNT MAN Railsback is rather convincing as the notorious serial killer Ed Gein who's horrible life and crimes are said to have inspired the film PSYCHO. Gein is a murderous hillbilly obsessed with Nazi-ism, rape & true crime fiction who turns to grave-robbing & cannibalism in later life. Despite the lurid subject matter nothing about this exploitation pic challenges viewers. It's quite superficial and as good as Railsback is, you'll never have any real sense of what makes his twisted character tick.
- DirectorMichael FeiferStarsKane HodderAdrienne FrantzMichael BerrymanThe twisted and murderous appetites of the notorious Ed Gein, whose depredations in his small town of Plainfield come as quite a shock to his neighbors, especially Deputy Mason, whose mother Vera and girlfriend Erica have gone missing.ED GEIN: THE BUTCHER OF PLAINFIELD plays more like a bad horror film than a biography of a madman who inspired the creation of THE SILENCE OF THE LAMB's 'Buffalo Bill or THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE's 'Leatherface'. Kane Hodder who played Jason Vorhees in several FRIDAY THE 13TH movies doesn't offer any depth to the character other than he likes to kill. Minor cult film icon Michael Berryman has a supporting role.
- DirectorDavid JacobsonStarsJeremy RennerBruce DavisonArtel GreatBiopic about notorious American serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer, taking place in both the past and the present.Jeremy Renner who is best know for his portrayal of Hawkeye in the Marvel cinematic universe gives a chilling performance of the infamous serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer who horrified the world with a string of cannibalism & necrophillia. He's so good as the infamous serial killer I wish I could recommend DAHMER but the film is so exploitive & distasteful by the very nature of what it is I simply cannot. It's not a gruesome film, thank god but it isn't art either. It's a low budget cash grab that deserves some contempt.
- DirectorMatthew BrightStarsMichael Reilly BurkeBoti BlissJulianna McCarthyThe story of serial killer Ted Bundy.Matthew FREEWAY II: CONFESSIONS OF A TRICKBABY Bright directed this underwhelming serial killer bio-pic starring Michael OCTOPUS 2: RIVER OF FEAR Reilly Burke as the madman who is suspected of having raped & murdered over 30 women. The film offers a peek inside the personal life of the notorious killer who maintained a seemingly normal life with a long time girlfriend during his frenzy. Average.
- DirectorClive SaundersStarsMark HoltonAdam BaldwinTom WaldmanModel citizen, devoted father, loving husband and serial killer John Wayne Gacy - a man with over 30 dead men and boys entombed in the crawl space underneath his family house. Based on a true story.Mark Holton who may be best remembered for having played Francis Buxton in PEE-WEE's BIG ADVENTURE played serial killer John Wayne Gacy in this direct-to-video bio pic. There are two ways that these things work. They're either so well done & insightful you get a sense of who these monsters are or they manage to entertain by wallowing in the sensationalism of the crimes they are notorious for having committed. GACY plays it safe offering only a slight, superficial glimpse of the killer which (if you're into these things) will not do. Below average.
- DirectorTerence FisherStarsPeter CushingHazel CourtRobert UrquhartWhile awaiting execution for murder, Baron Victor Frankenstein tells the story of a creature he built and brought to life - only for it to behave not as he intended.Terrence THE CURSE OF THE WEREWOLF Fisher directed this 1st Hammer horror filmed in color and the first installment of their classic revival of the Universal film series which was loosely based on the novel by Mary Shelley. While Hammer did obtain the rights to the character of Frankenstein Universal maintained control over the iconic makeup designs by Jack Pierce so screenwriter Jimmy LUST FOR A VAMPIRE Sangster was challenged to come up with something new. Peter THE MINOTAUR Cushing stars as the murderous Baron Frankenstein who's lust and thirst for the power of creation drive him to madness & murder. Christopher GREMLINS 2: THE NEW BATCH Lee starred as the monster further solidifying his reputation as one of the most beloved and recognisable horror actors. This legendary English film pushed the envelope with gore and violence earning it an X rating certificate although it's relatively tame by today's standards. Followed by 6 sequels and an unsold pilot film called TALES OF FRANKENSTEIN for television.
- DirectorTerence FisherStarsPeter CushingFrancis MatthewsEunice GaysonHaving escaped execution and assumed an alias, Baron Frankenstein transplants his deformed underling's brain into a perfect body, but the result proves to be mortally perilous.Terence DRACULA: PRINCE OF DARKNESS Fisher directed this deliciously gothic flavored sequel to Hammer's THE CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN starring Peter STAR WARS Cushing as Baron Frankenstein. Having survived the public execution he was scheduled to attend at the end of the 1st film, Frankenstein begins experimenting with brain transplants hoping to create a new body for his disfigured lab assistant. What he makes is a new terrifying monstrosity which has developed a taste for human flesh! It's a gorgeous production and typical of the quality film Hammer was capable of crafting when their hearts were into it. Followed by THE EVIL OF FRANKENSTEIN.
- DirectorFreddie FrancisStarsPeter CushingPeter WoodthorpeDuncan LamontUpon returning to his home village to continue his experimental research, the destitute Dr. Frankenstein revives his old creature, but a hypnotist wants the monster to control for himself.Freddie DRACULA HAS RISEN FROM THE GRAVE Francis made his directorial debut with this wildly entertaining throwback to the classic Universal horror series scripted by John THE QUATERMASS XPERIMENT Elder. Peter SHOCK WAVES Cushing stars as Baron Frankenstein as a tormented & loathed scientist who travels to his ancestral castle to restore life to his monster. Wrestler Kiwi Kingston offers up a lively performance clearly inspired by Boris Karloff and those distinctive make up designs by Jack Pierce. A bitter hypnotist from a carnival decides to use the monster to exact revenge against local authorities. THE EVIL OF FRANKENSTEIN makes the most of heaving bosoms while paying wonderful homage to the classic B movies which inspired it. Followed by FRANKENSTEIN CREATED WOMAN
- DirectorTerence FisherStarsPeter CushingSusan DenbergThorley WaltersAfter being reanimated, Baron Frankenstein transfers the soul of an executed young man into the body of his lover, prompting her to kill the men who wronged them.Terence THE STRANGLERS OF BOMBAY Fisher directed this slightly anomalous entry in the classic British horror series. Here, Peter HOUSE OF LONG SHADOWS Cushing's Baron Frankenstein transfers the soul of a murdered man into the body of his lover who took her own life after he lost his. Once restored to life the beautiful creation seeks out the true murderers to exact a terrible revenge. This movie was a bit of a take on the sexy Roger Vadim film AND MAN CREATED WOMAN. I didn't dislike it exactly however the monster was just too pretty for my tastes. Next up; FRANKENSTEIN MUST BE DESTROYED.
- DirectorTerence FisherStarsPeter CushingVeronica CarlsonFreddie JonesBaron Frankenstein, with the aid of a young doctor and his fiancée, kidnaps the mentally sick Dr. Brandt in order to perform the first brain transplant operation.FRANKENSTEIN MUST BE DESTROYED suffers from a meandering, unnecessarily complicated script and relies heavily on director Terence THE TWO FACES OF DR. JEKYLL Fisher to pull the elements together into something watchable. Peter SHOCK WAVES Cushing makes his 5th appearance as Dr. Frankenstein who blackmails a young couple into helping him with brain transplant experiments. Hammer studios usually affords their gothic horrors with sumptuous production designs and this film is no exception but they dropped the ball with the monster which is the weakest and least interesting in the series. Fans will enjoy this one but it's nothing special. Followed by THE HORROR OF FRANKENSTEIN.
- DirectorJimmy SangsterStarsRalph BatesKate O'MaraVeronica CarlsonBrilliant but arrogant scientist Victor Frankenstein builds a man from spare body parts, only for the monster to come alive and wreak havoc.Jimmy LUST FOR A VAMPIRE Sangster directed this poor entry in the long-running Hammer franchise starring Ralph DR. JEKYLL & SISTER HIDE Bates subbing for Peter Cushing who is sorely missed. The writer piles on lame gags instead of scares while the director keeps the camera focused on heaving bosoms hoping nobody notices nothing works in this loose remake of THE CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN. David STAR WARS Prowse fails to impress as the monster. Followed by the slightly better FRANKENSTEIN AND THE MONSTER FROM HELL
- DirectorTerence FisherStarsPeter CushingShane BriantMadeline SmithBaron Frankenstein works with a mental patient to reanimate the dead.Baron Frankenstein has been experimenting on mental patients at the local asylum with a beautiful mute lab assistant and a recently admitted ghoul who has been cutting up purchased human remains while studying to become a doctor. The young doctor in training and Frankenstein embark to stitch together a new monster from various parts acquired from the inmate population. FRANKENSTEIN AND THE MONSTER FROM HELL was unfashionable at the time of it's release. Movies like THE EXORCIST & ROSEMARY'S BABY had steered audiences away from the more traditional gothic horror movies which were once Hammer's bread and butter. This final entry in their long running series isn't as terrible as some critics may have you believe but it is a significant step down in quality and Peter Cushing was way too old for the part. Terence THE CURSE OF THE WEREWOLF Fisher directed, based on a script by John THE LOST CONTINENT Elder.
- DirectorRobert RodriguezStarsHarvey KeitelGeorge ClooneyJuliette LewisTwo criminals and their hostages unknowingly seek temporary refuge in a truck stop populated by vampires, with chaotic results.Robert PLANET TERROR Rodriguez directed this crowd-pleasing action/horror hit based on a screenplay by the film's co-star Quentin ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD Tarantino. Tarantino & George BATMAN & ROBIN Clooney play kidnappers who abduct a family along the Mexican border & force them into a seedy bar called the Titty Twister run by (unbeknownst to them) blood-thirsty vampires! Selma MUPPETS MOST WANTED Hayek plays the sexy queen of the undead Santanico Pandemonium while Harvey SATURN 3 Keitel & Juliet NATURAL BORN KILLERS Lewis play innocent travellers caught up in the insanity & chaos. It's a rather amazing cast that's been assembled for such a trashy horror movie; John WES CRAVEN'S NEW NIGHTMARE Saxon, Danny HALLOWEEN Trejo and even make-up artist Tom CREEPSHOW Savini all lending support & competing with wonderfully gruesome & exciting special effects. FROM DUSK TILL DAWN spawned 2 direct to video sequels & a television series to date.
- DirectorScott SpiegelStarsRobert PatrickBo HopkinsDuane WhitakerFive career criminals gather in Mexico to pull off a bank heist. They soon realize that they are up against far more frightening creatures than the police pursuing them.Duane TALES FROM THE HOOD Whitaker assembles his old gang to rob a bank near the Mexican border but is lured to the Titty Twister bar by a vampire played by returning Danny MACHETE Trejo. Once transformed into the undead, he begins to bite his bank-robber friends except for the films' star Robert FROM DUSK TILL DAWN: THE SERIES Patrick. DYNASTY star Bo Hopkins plays the sheriff hoping to avert a supernatural bloodbath but a sudden solar eclipse changes the rules of the game. It's a solid cast at work here and the splatter is rather effective but it takes forever to get where it's going despite some effective set pieces along the way from director Scott HOSTEL III Spiegel.. Quentin DEATH PROOF Tarantino produced this direct to video sequel and the next; FROM DAWN TILL DUSK 3: THE HANGMAN'S DAUGHTER.
- DirectorP.J. PesceStarsMarco LeonardiMichael ParksAra CeliSet 100 years ago in Mexico, this horror/western is the story of the birth of the vampire princess Santanico Pandemonium.P.J. LOST BOYS 2: THE TRIBE Pesce directed this minor improvement over FROM DUSK TILL DAWN 2: TEXAS BLOOD MONEY which starred obscure starlet Ara Celi as the Hangman's daughter Esmerelda who is destined one day to be transformed into Santanico Pandemonium; the undead proprietor of the Titty Twister. The film is set in the old west and tells the story of how a stagecoach finds it's way to a brothel at the edge of the Mexican border owned by vampires. Everyone there has a convoluted backstory including the hangman who follows in search of his kidnapped daughter. The sub-plots bog this occasionally entertaining vampire pic down but it's worth a look. Robert PREDATORS Rodriguez took creative control of the franchise for a television series reboot in 2014.
- DirectorSarah KellyStarsRick StriblingKen BondyAmy Minda CohenA documentary about the production of From Dusk Till Dawn (1996) and the people who made it.FULL TILT BOOGIE chronicles the production of the popular Robert Rodriguez hit FROM DUSK TO DAWN. Completists will absolutely want to give this a look but as fascinating as it is, it's decidedly niche.
- CreatorRobert RodriguezStarsD.J. CotronaZane HoltzJesse GarciaA Texas Ranger is in hot pursuit of the infamous Gecko brothers and their hostages. They all end up trapped in a desert bar secretly run by vampires and discover a vampire conspiracy.Eiza HOBBS & SHAW Gonzalez plays the part of the proprietor of the Titty Twister bar; Santanico Pandemonium. The bar itself is actually a shine filled with Vampires born of an ancient cult of snake worshipers. The show which ran for 3 brief seasons greatly expanded the mythology of the cult horror hit from 1996. D.J. SHAZAM Cortrona & Zane JODI ARIAS: DIRTY LITTLE SECRET Holtz star as the Gecko brothers who kidnap Robert THE X FILES Patrick & his family & subsequently become ensnared by the supernatural forces at an insane night stop along the Mexican Border. Wilmer THAT 70'S SHOW Valderrama, Jake MANEATER Busey, Danny MACHETE KILLS! Trejo & Don MIAMI VICE Johnson co-starred in this rather entertaining extrapolation of the film franchise.
- DirectorRob CohenStarsJoshua JacksonPaul WalkerHill HarperA senior at an ivy league college, who depends on scholarships and working on the side, gets accepted into the secret society The Skulls. He hopes it betters chances at Harvard but The Skulls is not what he thought and comes at a price.Rob THE MUMMY: THE TOMB OF THE DRAGON EMPEROR Cohen directed this vanilla flavored thriller about a couple of university students who are sworn in to a secret society called The Skulls. Joshua DAWSON'S CREEK Jackson & Paul THE FAST & THE FURIOUS Walker star as the young men drawn into a world of political intrigue and murder. Not boring but hardly compelling material considering the subject matter. Followed by THE SKULLS II
- DirectorJoe ChappelleStarsRobin DunneNathan WestAshley TesoroAfter a college student is tapped to join the elite secret Skulls fraternity, he witnesses a girl's death and his life starts falling apart.John QUARANTINE 2: TERMINAL Pogue and writer/producer Neal PROM NIGHT Moritz wrote this flat suspense pic about a secret society called The Skulls who murder a young woman to keep a scandal quiet. When a new recruit discovers the crime the fraternity conspires to shut him up. Describing this as a 'thriller' is an overstatement. Followed by THE SKULLS III
- DirectorJ. Miles DaleStarsClare KramerBryce JohnsonBarry BostwickA young college co-ed tries joining the elite, all-male, secret society, the Skulls, and in so doing, she uncovers some unscrupulous methods used by some of the members to get what they want.Clair Kramer who was so much fun as Glory in BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER plays a college student petitioning for membership in the male-exclusive secret fraternity THE SKULLS. Soon after challenging their sexist policy Kramer's boyfriend is killed and she is framed for his murder in this very predictable & final entry in the series.
- DirectorNicholas TomnayStarsDavid Hyde PierceClayne CrawfordNathaniel ParkerAn on-the-run convict looking for temporary cover finds it at the house of a very colorful character.FRASIER's David Hyde Pierce is very good as a psychopath slash criminal mastermind who engages a wanted criminal in a battle of wits. The problem is the script isn't especially clever so much as it is contrived and by the time the movie reaches it's conclusion you'll wonder why you bothered to watch.
- DirectorCarles TorrensStarsKai LennoxGia MantegnaMichael O'KeefeA team of parapsychologists try to figure out a strange phenomenon occurring in an apartment building.EMERGO (aka: APARTMENT 143) is a bland Spanish found footage cheapie from director Carles Torrens who co-wrote BEYOND RE-ANIMATOR. The camera shakes and crackles static and cuts away but there's really not much going on except for the panic of the film crew and endless speculation as to the cause. Mostly I was bored watching.
- DirectorConor McPhersonStarsCiarán HindsIben HjejleAidan QuinnIn a seaside Irish town, a widower sparks with a visiting horror novelist while he also begins to believe he is seeing ghosts.In a small Irish village authors gather for a festival celebrating the writing of ghost stories; rekindling old relationships and sparking new romance along the way, spirits permitting. It's rather low key entertainment on a micro budget.
- DirectorÁlex de la IglesiaStarsElijah WoodJohn HurtLeonor WatlingAt Oxford University, a professor and a grad student work together to try to stop a potential series of murders seemingly linked by mathematical symbols.THE OXFORD MURDERS is a deadly dull murder mystery set against the world of mathematics & university politics. If watching Elijah Wood & John Hurt swap hotly debated equations in answer to an old lady's death is your thing...
- DirectorJacob TierneyStarsJay BaruchelAnne-Marie CadieuxDiane D'AquilaVictor is new to Montreal and attempts to make friends with the wheelchair-bound Spencer and the cat-loving Louise, but everybody is on edge with a serial killer terrorizing the neighborhood.A serial killer is stalking the residents of a town in Montreal during an early winter storm. In an apartment building, several residents worry about the attacks but viewers will find the answers vague and elusive and without a satisfying resolution in sight.
- DirectorBrad AndersonStarsHayden ChristensenThandiwe NewtonJohn LeguizamoThe population of Detroit has almost completely disappeared, but a few remain. As daylight disappears they realize that the Dark is coming for them.A competent cast (John Leguizamo, Hayden Christensen) struggle to make this bland apocalyptic thriller compelling but the script simply defeats them at every turn. A group of strangers begin vanishing one by one seemingly consumed by darkness. There are vague references to Roanoke by way of an explanation but nothing you'll find convincing or even frightening although SESSION 9 director Brad Anderson gives it the old college try. VANISHING ON 7TH STREET was met with catastrophic box office receipts grossing less than $25,000 in North America on an estimated 10 million budget.
- DirectorKim Jee-woonStarsLee Byung-hunChoi Min-sikJeon Gook-hwanA secret agent exacts revenge on a serial killer through a series of captures and releases.This bloody tale of revenge from South Korea got a surprising amount of press in North America & critical praise. A cop is driven to madness after the murder of his bride to be at the hands of a maniacal killer. What follows is a rather sickening and unlikely battle of wits & depravity. Not for the faint of heart.
- DirectorFred WaltonStarsCarol KaneCharles DurningRutanya AldaA psychopathic killer terrorizes a babysitter, then returns seven years later to menace her again.I'm giving WHEN A STRANGER CALLS an extra star for the riveting & quite terrifying opening sequence which features Carol HESTER STREET Kane as a babysitter being crank called by a killer asking if she's 'checked the children'. The rest of the film doesn't quite play out as seemlessly or successfully but the acting is 1st rate as is the cast. Tony Beckley (who died about the same time as this movie hit theatres) plays a psychopath named Duncan who escapes from the asylum and intends on terrorizing the same baby sitter who is now a grown woman with a family of her own. Charles THE FURY Durning and Collen THE EXORCIST III Dewhurst co-star in this very fondly remembered and suspenseful film directed by Fred THE STEPFORD HUSBANDS Walton. Followed by a belated tv movie sequel in 1993 & a formal remake in 2006.
- DirectorFred WaltonStarsCarol KaneCharles DurningJill SchoelenA young babysitter, all alone in the house with two children asleep above, is bothered by a stranger. Unfortunately, the phone's dead...Jill THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA Schoelen plays a college student who has been terrorized for years by an unseen intruder who was responsible for the abduction and murder of children left in her care. Carol Kane and Charles Durning step in to offer assistance, hoping to catch the psychopath who is a master of camouflage. Original WHEN A STRANGER CALLS director Fred Walton directed this bland TV movie for the Showtime network. Followed by a series reboot in 2006.
- DirectorSimon WestStarsCamilla BelleTommy FlanaganKatie CassidyDuring a babysitting gig, a high-school student is harassed by an increasingly threatening prank caller.Simon THE EXPENDABLES 2 West attempted to create a feature length film based only on that scary 20 minute opening sequence of the original WHEN A STRANGER CALLS. It could have worked but it doesn't. The red herrings are obvious & the suspense is kept to a minimum with ineffective jump-scares used to mark time. Camilla 10,000 BC Belle stars as a tormented babysitter who suspects a series of crank calls are coming from inside the house. Veteran character actor Lance ALIEN 3 Henriksen provides the voice of the killer.
- DirectorJ. Lee ThompsonStarsMelissa Sue AndersonGlenn FordLawrence DaneAt the snobby Crawford Academy, Virginia's group of friends start to go missing years after horrible events that happened to her as a child around her birthday.Melissa Sue Anderson tried to blow that wholesome funk off herself after starring as Mary Ingalls in the NBC hit LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE by taking the lead in this forgettable Canadian slasher pic from the producers of MY BLOODY VALENTINE and director J. Lee CONQUEST OF THE PLANET OF THE APES Thompson. The story concerns a group of teens stalked by a killer who's implements of death include a shish kebab. Despite some grumblings by UK censors it's rather tame by today's standards and enjoys a small cult of admirers not unlike CURTAINS or PROM NIGHT.
- DirectorWilliam Byron HillmanStarsMichael CallanJoanna PettetJames StacyA photographer plagued by horrific nightmares in which he kills the young female models he shoots is shocked to discover that there is a serial killer in his city who is targeting attractive women.William RAGIN' CAJUN Hillman directed this poor Crown International exploitation pic about a photographer played by Michael Callen who begins to suspect he's responsible for a series of attacks on young models in this predictable thriller.
- DirectorRoss HagenJohn StewartStarsTroy DonahueRoss HagenHoke HowellClick: The Calendar Girl Killer is a thriller that probes the inner sanctum of the mind of a psychotic killer as he uses the world of big fashion photography for his sadistic playground.Former 60s heartthrob Troy ASSAULT OF THE PARTY NERDS Donahue stars in this direct-to-video thriller about a depraved killer who stalks the scantily clad models he photographs. More tedious than titillating.
- DirectorRobert HammerStarsJames WestmorelandBen FrankFlo LawrenceA deeply disturbed Vietnam veteran terrorizes the young women of Los Angeles and taunts a radio psychologist with descriptions of his grisly crimes.Distributer Crown International scored a minor hit with this lurid, low budget slasher pic which is mostly remembered for having been classified as a 'video nasty' by UK censors. A loathsome psychopath goes on a rampage; strangling & sexually abusing scantily clad women while he stalks a late night radio show host. The grindhouse crowd will appreciate this more than casual viewers who'll mostly be disgusted.
- DirectorYabo YablonskyStarsMickey RooneyLuana AndersKeenan WynnAn insane Hollywood makeup man kidnaps a woman, keeps her prisoner in his warehouse full of props.Yabo Yoblansky who's brief, unhappy Hollywood career hit it's zenith when he wrote the 1981 Sylvester Stallone flop VICTORY directed this leisurely paced & quite predictable stalker drama about an insane make up artist who kidnaps a beautiful woman & imprisons her in his warehouse full of mannequins. Former child star Mickey SILENT NIGHT DEADLY NIGHT 5: THE TOY MAKER Rooney simply doesn't have the acting muscle or screen presence required to make THE MANIPULATOR function as a suspense thriller.
- DirectorDavid PaulsenJohn Mason KirbyStarsChristopher AllportJim DoerrDavid GaleSeveral couples head upstate to the country to watch a boat being built. Unfortunately they are stalked by a murderer behind a ghoulish mask.David DYNASTY Paulsen directed this very low budget slasher movie about a masked killer stalking a pair of attractive couples & their stereotypical gay friend. Cannon Studios picked up distribution rights affording it a much wider audience than it probably deserved. David RE-ANIMATOR Gale co-stars.
- DirectorPercival RubensStarsJennifer HolmesCameron MitchellCraig GardnerRandom people are terrorized by a malevolent man wearing a black leather glove with razor-fingers, who brings their worst fears to life.Cameron THE SWARM Mitchell gives a flavorless performance as a policeman on the trail of a serial killer named The Demon who strangles his victims with plastic bags. It's a very poorly lit low rent slasher pic that generated more snores than scares.
- DirectorCharles E. Sellier Jr.StarsLilyan ChauvinGilmer McCormickToni NeroLittle Billy witnesses his parents getting killed by Santa after being warned by his senile grandpa that Santa punishes those who are naughty. Now Billy is 18 and out of the orphanage, and he has just become Santa himself.Charles THE LIFE AND TIMES OF GRIZZLY ADAMS Seller directed this rock bottom exploitation pic which generated some buzz back in the day because it was so distasteful. A boy named Billy witnesses the rape/murder of his mother by an escaped killer in a Santa Suit. As a young man, the trauma he experienced causes him to dress up as Kris Kingle and embark on his own murder spree. Inexplicably followed by numerous sequels beginning with SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT 2
- DirectorLee HarryStarsEric FreemanJames NewmanElizabeth KaitanThe now-adult Ricky talks to a psychiatrist about how he became a murderer after his brother, Billy, died, which leads back to Mother Superior.This DOG rehashes about a half hour of footage from SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT to cut costs. This time, Billy's brother Ricky recounts his own memories of his mother's death and the abuse he experienced in an orphanage at the hands of a stern nun before embarking on his own killing spree. Eric Freeman (as Ricky) is just about the worst actor you'll ever see and Rotten Tomatoes gave this recycled trash 0%. Followed by the slightly superior SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT 3: BETTER WATCH OUT!
- DirectorMonte HellmanStarsSamantha ScullyBill MoseleyRichard C. AdamsThe comatose Ricky Caldwell reawakens and begins to stalk a blind woman, who he shares a psychic connection with.Bill 3 FROM HELL Moseley plays Ricky; a brain damaged serial killer with a twinkly glass dome instead of a skullcap who develops a telepathic link to a blind girl at Christmas time. As terrible as it is, I wasn't bored. A decent cast including Robert I, SPY Culp and Richard TWiN PEAKS Beymer lend it a whiff of respectability at times. It's a small step up from the earlier films in the franchise, I'll give you that. Monte THE BEAST FROM THE HAUNTED CAVE Hellman directed. Followed by an in-name-only sequel in 1990.
- DirectorBrian YuznaStarsClint HowardNeith HunterTommy HinkleyA reporter investigating the bizarre death of a woman who leaped from a building in flames finds herself mixed up in a cult of witches who are making her part of their sacrificial ceremony during the Christmas season.Brian BRIDE OF RE-ANIMATOR Yuzna directed this quite palatable and unexpectedly tolerable in-name-only sequel to the disreputable SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT. An investigation into a case of spontaneous human combustion draws a young woman into a dangerous coven led by Maud EMERALD POINT NAS Adams and Allyce THE TOMMYKNOCKERS Beaseley. Clint HALLOWEEN Howard has a nice supporting role as a murderous psychopath and the special effects department is occasionally spot on with some very effective practical effects. Not a great film or even a good one especially but a breath of fresh air for the franchise. Released in some markets as; BUGS. Followed by SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT 5: THE TOY MAKER
- DirectorMartin KitrosserStarsWilliam ThorneJane HigginsonVan QuattroAn elderly toy maker and his son make killer toys designed to kill their customers, children.Martin Kitrosser who is best known for his scripting duties on many Quentin Tarentino films scored a minor direct-to-video horror hit with SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT 5: THE TOY MAKER which stars Hollywood legend Mickey PHANTOM OF THE MEGAPLEX Rooney as an elderly tinker who's creations kill as soon as they're unwrapped! The low end special effects are surprisingly effective and the memorable ending is handled with some pinache. Produced by Brian Yuzna.
- DirectorSteven C. MillerStarsMalcolm McDowellJaime KingDonal LogueThe police force of a remote Midwestern town search for a killer Santa Claus who is picking off citizens on Christmas Eve.Steven ESCAPE PLAN 2: HADES Miller directed this 5th belated sequel to 1984s cultish slasher pic SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT for Anchor Bay films who hoped to expand their business from being a distributer of bad horror films to an indie studio that also produced lousy sequels to them. Malcolm DEATHRACE 2050 McDowall stars as a police chief who finds the community endangered over the holidays by an insane serial killer dressed as Santa Claus. It has more polish than you'd expect from an American slasher but not enough action to make it worth a look.
- DirectorDavid JacksonStarsLucy LawlessJohn HeardDylan NealDr. Maddy Rierdon, an investigator for the Department of Agriculture, is the only person who can protect America from a deadly breed of bioengineered locusts.CBS released a handful of television movies that carried the tag; 'Days of Destruction' following the ratings bonanza of their CATAGORY 6: DAYS OF DESTRUCTION mini-series. LOCUSTS was one of them. Lucy XENA: WARRIOR PRINCESS Lawless stars as a scientist hoping to stop the spread of a genetically engineered strain of grasshopper who pose a threat to the entire world. A sequel film called VAMPIRE BATS aired in 2005.
- DirectorEric BrossStarsLucy LawlessDylan NealLiam WaiteFreshmen friends of the Tate University go to an underground party in the woods nearby the local cemetery. After a death, two of the students are arrested until a professor suggests that bats might be the real culprit.Eric BLUE LAGOON: THE AWAKENING Bross directed this tv movie sequel to the minor Lucy BATTLESTAR GALACTICA Lawless hit; LOCUSTS. A university researcher discovers a mutant breed of vampire bat is spreading like wildfire & killing everything they can sink their fangs into. VAMPIRE BATS offers nothing new to the genre but the familiar leftovers it brings to the table aren't bad. Watchable.
- DirectorBen HayflickAdam SilverStarsPatrick MuldoonSarah DesageBo SvensonSinbad, the original Prince of Persia, must complete seven tasks in order to save the world from catastrophe.This 10th rate rip off of PRINCE OF PERSIA: THE SANDS OF TIME from mockbuster studio The Asylum starred Patrick MELROSE PLACE Muldoon as a millionaire industrialist named Sinbad who becomes stranded on a magical island inhabited by cyclops, rocs, giant crabs and all manner of dismally rendered cg monstrosities.
- DirectorTrey StokesStarsBarry BostwickRenée O'ConnorMatt LaganA modern-day adaptation of the classic novel featuring the captain of a high tech submarine and his obsessive quest to destroy the enormous prehistoric whale that maimed him.Barry THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW Bostwick stars as a modern day Captain Ahab in this atrocious reworking of the classic Herman Neville novel MOBY DICK. Trey LAVALANTULA Stokes directed this slap in the face to literature with the heaviest of hands and never once manages to make those bargain basement special effects convincing. The Asylum is said to be developing a sequel cross-over film called MEGA-SHARK VS MOBY DICK. Can't wait.
- DirectorGary BreslinStarsJessica MorrisOliviah CrawfordRoberto SanchezAfter their car breaks down in an isolated desert, a mother and young daughter are relentlessly pursued by a deadly snake.A mother & her child become stranded in the desert where desperate criminals are searching for their stolen loot and an obsessed snake is determined to hunt her down. I don't think I've ever seen a menacing snake filmed in such a non-threatening manner before. VENOM runs the gambit between flat & uneventful.
- DirectorNeil JohnsonStarsKatharine Lee McEwanMarilyn GhigliottiCynthia MartinThe story of Jodie Elliot, a young woman who is trying to find her daughter in a city controlled by an invading alien army.Neil Johnson has directed a handful of loosely connected alien invasion pics on a micro budget and every one of them (ALIEN DAWN, DAWN OF DESTRUCTION, etc) has been instantly forgettable like this one.
- DirectorRichard CiupkaStarsJohn VernonSamantha EggarLinda ThorsonSix young actresses auditioning for a movie role at a remote mansion are targeted by a mysterious masked murderer.Cinematographer turned director Richard Ciupka clashed bitterly with producer Peter PROM NIGHT Simpson over CURTAINS resulting in extensive re-shoots, recasting and rewrites by GENERAL HOSPITAL scribe Robert Guza. After years of backstage drama this marginally entertaining Canadian slasher movie about a group of actresses auditioning for a movie who are stalked by a masked killer landed in theaters with a thud. Samantha THE BROOD Eggar starred. Like many Canadian slasher films from the era; CURTAINS has a minor cult following among horror fans.
- DirectorDon CoscarelliStarsA. Michael BaldwinBill ThornburyReggie BannisterA teenage boy and his friends face off against a mysterious grave robber, known only as the Tall Man, who employs a lethal arsenal of unearthly weapons.Minor cult icon Don Coscarelli scored a hit with this macabre tale which will appeal to those among us who've ever laid down in a graveyard. Angus Scrimm stars as The Tall Man; a being from another world sent to ours to enslave the dead. Michael Baldwin is convincing as a teenager trying to enlist the help of his brother and an ice cream vender in order to thwart the alien invasion. PHANTASM resonates with it's feral fanbase. You either get this one or you don't. But those spheres alone assured this film a devoted cult and it's longevity having spawned four sequels the last of which was 2005's PHANTASM: RAVAGER.
- DirectorDon CoscarelliStarsJames Le GrosReggie BannisterAngus ScrimmMike, now released from a psychiatric hospital, meets with Reggie, and discover his dreams (the events of the original film) are real, and they both journey to find and stop the evil Tall Man from his grim work.Michael Baldwin who exuded a certain Danny Bonaduce charm wasn't what the studio had in mind as male lead 10 years removed from the original & hired James LeGros to give really good Mike in this more polished sequel from cultish film maker Don Coscarelli. Once released from an asylum Mike, now a young man; resumes his pursuit of the other worldly Tall Man along with an ice cream vender & the spirit of his brother which has been contained within a deadly silver sphere. Angus Scrimm is wonderful as the terrifying alien and the entire production stinks of the grave.. Phans will rate it more highly than casual viewers. Followed by PHANTASM III: LORD OF THE DEAD.
- DirectorDon CoscarelliStarsReggie BannisterA. Michael BaldwinBill ThornburyMike and Reggie continue to hunt the mysterious Tall Man, discovering along the way that the invasion has already begun.Michael Baldwin returns to the role of Mike in this durable low budget franchise from iconic director Don BUBBA HO TEP Coscarelli. Mike; aided by a teenage boy, a woman kung fu fighter named Rocky, a badly aging ice cream vender and mike's brother Jody who has been transformed into an alien sphere attempt to thwart a plot leading to the conquest of dimensions as envisioned by The Tall Man. It's a rather ambitious plan for a film with such a small budget. But Phans will totally groove on the mythology that has sprung from that 1st cult classic from 15 years before. Star Angus Scrimm really is magnetic and quite unforgettable as The Tall Man. Followed by PHANTASM IV: OBLIVION
- DirectorDon CoscarelliStarsA. Michael BaldwinReggie BannisterBill ThornburyMike travels through time and dimensions to find the Tall Man's origins.PHANTASM IV: OBLIVION earned an extra star for giving us an origin story for Angus Scrimm's iconic The Tall Man. Beyond that, there's not a lot to recommend. Mike (transitioning towards existing as an alien sphere) must navigate his way through a world of hallucinations & time warps in order to defeat the mysterious being from another world from enslaving the human population. Director Don Coscarelli piles on as much stock footage & deleted scenes as this one can handle to pad the run time but it's utterly defeated by a micro budget and an under-developed script. Followed by PHANTASM: RAVAGER
- DirectorDavid HartmanStarsA. Michael BaldwinReggie BannisterDawn CodyThe final installment of the long-running Phantasm series.Don KENNY & COMPANY Coscarelli opted not to direct the much anticipated PHANTASM V: RAVAGER although his presence is felt as a writer/producer. Michael Baldwin plays Mike; a grown man who's been fighting the evil Tall Man since childhood. Mike may or may not have been lying in a hospital bed for a decade comatose. His longtime friend Reggie (a retired ice cream vendor) may have been in the very same hospital suffering from dementia. Who's to say? Maybe Reggie has been combating a global invasion since an alien from another dimension released an apocalyptic virus on human civilization. If the director of PHANTASM V knows, he won't say and allows viewers to draw their own conclusions. The entire film plays out as a series of stock footage flashbacks or dream sequences or scenes depicting an alternate reality. I really wanted to love this final entry in the Phantasm series but it's indecipherable & the production values are rock bottom. The CG effects are especially unconvincing. Angus Scrimm died shortly after completing this film which literally sat on the shelf for years before it found a distributor.
- DirectorJim WynorskiStarsDean CainJennifer BealsFrederic ForrestAn ATF agent goes undercover to retrieve stolen anthrax missiles.Jim DINOCROC VS SUPERGATOR Wynorsky directed this smartly cast action pic (Dean LOIS AND CLARK Cain, Brett GRACE UNDER FIRE Butler, Jennifer THE BRIDE Beals, etc) about terrorists who attempt to steal a containment of anthrax to stage a government coup. If MILITIA looks sorta' familiar it may be because the film incorporates several minutes of action sequences stolen directly from James Cameron's TERMINATOR 2: JUDGEMENT DAY to give it some production value.
- DirectorSteve KroschelStarsThomas Ian GriffithCaroleen FeeneyR. Lee ErmeyA helicopter pilot work with a husband and his wife in the frozen North tagging foxes for the Environmental Protection Agency. When an avalanche hits the group, the husband is killed and only by the pilot's perseverance is the wife saved. Two years later, the wife takes on a corporation which wants to extend an oil pipeline across the tundra above Juneau. She is convinced that this will cause an avalanche on the town. Of course, she is rejected by the corporation executives. She recruits the pilot to try to aid her, but with no success.C. Thomas THE HILLSIDE STRANGLER Howell, R. Lee UP FROM THE DEPTHS Ermey and Thomas Ian THE KARATE KID III Griffith starred in this boring disaster movie about an avalanche shot for Canadian television. Nice cast though.
- DirectorAndrew StevensJim WynorskiStarsKevin SorboGiGi ErnetaMaeghan AlbachDigging at a nearby cave, a careless industrialist unearths a vein of pure base Lithium and inadvertently brings it to the surface, where the Lithium combusts when coming into contact with water and begins to wreak havoc on the country side.Producer Andrew WALKING TALL: LONE JUSTICE Stevens & co-director Jim SORCERESS II: THE TEMPTRESS Wynorski brought this tale of ecological disaster to the direct to video market. Kevin HERCULES: THE LEGENDARY JOURNEYS Sorbo plays a heroic fireman who must bring a lithium fire under control when the industrialists cut costs and enough corners to endanger the entire community. Not even the stock footage that gets trotted out is worth watching.
- DirectorIan BarryStarsSteve BisleyArna-Maria WinchesterRoss ThompsonA holidaying couple is pursued by the thugs of a nearby nuclear storage facility's boss, who is intent on covering up an accidental leak.This Australian film gained a cultish boost by it's close proximity to MAD MAX. Many of the cast & crew on board THE CHAIN REACTION had worked on the post apocalyptic oz-ploitation classic and George Miller lent his talent as a producer. A sinister atomic waste plant manager stalks an ex employee who knows to much after an earthquake damages the facility endangering the lives of millions. The marketing team maybe built expectations too high proclaiming this to be "MAD MAX meets THE CHINA SYNDROME". It's got some polish but not that much shine.
- DirectorPaolo HeuschMario BavaStarsPaul HubschmidMadeleine FischerFiorella MariScientists discover that a group of meteors are hurtling on a collison course with Earth, and if they hit, the planet will be destroyed.Mario Bava (mis-spelled 'Baja' in the opening credits) began work on THE DAY THE SKY EXPLODED as cinematographer but took directorial control early into production. This minor Italian end-of-the-world slice of pulpy cheese is about a meteor cluster diverted from it's course by a nearby rocketship and is sent hurtling towards planet earth! All manner of black & white drama plays out in the-end-of-days including stock footage of migrating birds, rioting mobs and scientists trying desperately to avert disaster. Bava manages to imbue it with some charm in addition to some adequate low budget special effects.
- DirectorStephen FolkerStarsBurt CulverRamon BaileyBerkeley ClayborneA post-apocalyptic thriller about a heartbroken man and his new friends who must together battle marauders in order to survive in a new lawless world.Stephen Folker who directed the horrible FIELD FREAK in 2015 was responsible for this bland, micro-budget end-of-the-world drama of an everyday man hoping to forage a new life amidst the off screen apocalyptic chaos. So boring!
- DirectorRichard PepinStarsTraci LordsGary DanielsJeff FaheyA detective assigned to transport a dangerous mobster discovers that she has been set-up to fail.Traci MELROSE PLACE Lordes plays a cop transporting a dangerous criminal across L.A. on the very day the city is hit with a massive earthquake. In addition to the rather well staged architectural destruction, a team of gangsters is hot on the trail of the police woman and her prisoner. Jeff THE LAWNMOWER MAN Fahey co-stars as Det. Moore. I didn't hate it. developed for television by the SyFy network
- DirectorStelvio MassiStarsFred WilliamsonEva GrimaldiBruno BilottaA lone cop struggles to protect a female photographer from a gang of psychopathic bikers.Fred CHILDREN OF THE CORN V: FIELD OF TERROR WIlliamson starred as a free-wheeling cop named Malone who bumps heads with a biker gang that looks like they stumbled out of a Rick Springfield video. This direct-to-video Italian blaxploitation pic spawned 3 sequels.
- DirectorEdoardo MargheritiStarsFred WilliamsonNicholas HammondEmma HoaglandChicago cop Robert Malone (Fred Williamson) finds himself in The Philippines, ostensibly to learn the techniques of Interpol. Before he exits the Manila airport, his wallet is stolen by a pickpocket. Malone endures a testy relationship with his new colleague Kevin McCall while evidence surrounding the stolen wallet pulls both of them deeper and deeper into a web of intrigue.Fred Williamson starred in this marginal action film shot on the cheap in the Philippines. Malone is a cop sent overseas to combat terrorists with an assist from interpol. Followed by THE BLACK COBRA III
- DirectorEdoardo MargheritiStarsFred WilliamsonForry SmithDebra WardA shipment of American weapons is stolen in the Philippines. An American named Hawkins tries to find the weapons. Hawkins ends up dead. Chicago policeman Bob Malone is called in to investigate. Along with Interpol agent Greg Duncan, Malone travels the streets of Manila, tracking down leads. Criminals always seem to know where Duncan and Malone will be, which leads them to suspect a traitor in their midst.Fred FROM DUSK TILL DAWN Williamson starred in this third Black Cobra adventure which was shot in the Philippines on the cheap by it's Italian producers. Interpol asks Malone to investigate an arms shipment that's gone missing. Not a lot of bang for your buck. Followed by the final film; THE BLACK COBRA 4: DETECTIVE MALONE.
- DirectorVanio AmiciUmberto LenziStarsFred WilliamsonBruno BilottaBobby RhodesA gang of terrorists kidnap an electronics engineer, hold him hostage, and demand he create a security system for their compound.Fred ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE: REDEMPTION Williamson starred in this 4th Black Cobra adventure about a group of Saudi terrorists trying to develop a weapons arsenal. This Italian film failed to find an American distributer putting the nail in the coffin for this rather obscure action franchise.
- DirectorFritz LangStarsBrigitte HelmAlfred AbelGustav FröhlichIn a futuristic city sharply divided between the working class and the city planners, the son of the city's mastermind falls in love with a working-class prophet who predicts the coming of a savior to mediate their differences.Brigitte THE MISTRESS OF ATLANTIS Helm stars as the lovely Maria & her evil robotic doppelganger in this masterpiece of German silent film-making from director Fritz THE TESTAMENT OF DR. MABUSE Lang. Maria has effortlessly captured the hearts & minds of the oppressed workers in this futuristic civilization who toil like slaves for the industrial machine. The Master of Metropolis orders a deranged scientist named Rotwang to kidnap the young woman & to create a mechanical duplicate who will lead them further away from their quest for human rights. Rotwang does make the android but falls madly in love with the real deal as does the dictator's son; Freder. When the android drives the population to anarchy with her wanton sexuality the ensuing revolt threatens to destroy METROPOLIS. The special effects are wildly inventive for the era & are stylishly presented. I'd rank this fantasy among the best ever produced right alongside THE WIZARD OF OZ, 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY & STAR WARS. B&W
- DirectorRobert WieneStarsWerner KraussConrad VeidtFriedrich FeherHypnotist Dr. Caligari uses a somnambulist, Cesare, to commit murders.This silent film is considered by many to be the grandfather of horror cinema. In the 100 years since it's creation it remains a genuine cult classic & a classic example of German expressionism. A sinister hypnotist uses a sleepwalker to commit a series of crimes in a world constructed of jarring & highly stylized painted backdrops. Modern audiences will find it difficult to sit through but completists will line up outside the arthouses with no regrets. Filmed in B&W
- CreatorRockne S. O'BannonStarsJonathan BrandisDon FranklinTed RaimiIn the early 21st century, mankind has colonized the oceans. The United Earth Oceans Organization enlists Captain Nathan Bridger and the submarine seaQuest DSV to keep the peace and explore the last frontier on Earth.Steven Spielberg's EARTH 2 felt like it was inspired by LOST IN SPACE much in the way SEAQUEST DSV felt like a loving homage to Irwin Allen's other science fiction classic; VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA. Roy ALL THAT JAZZ Scheider & Stephanie DYNASTY II: THE COLBYS Beacham headlined this futuristic adventure series set on board a submersible. Many of the stories revolved around ecology and no opportunity was missed to educate the kids watching about this worthy cause. Rocky ratings resulted in a major cast shake-up in season 2 and more emphasis placed on monsters & aliens over science which ultimately resulting in Scheider leaving in disgust as a regular during the 1995 season. Michael SCANNERS Ironside took over as commanding officer during the brief final season. despite the inconsistent tone between seasons the series overall maintained a high standard at every level of production. The special effects work was exceptionally well done for network television.
- CreatorMichael DugganCarol FlintMark LevinStarsDebrah FarentinoClancy BrownSullivan WalkerColonists, crash-landed on an alien planet, begin the long trek to their originally designated landing place, facing alien and human threats.Debrah BACK TO THE STREETS OF SAN FRANSISCO Farentino starred as the leader of a manned expedition to an earth-like planet looking for a cure for her son's terminal illness. What the explores find are a host of strange new life forms including a subterranean telepathic species who communicate via dreams. Steven Spielberg's Amblin Entertainment produced this expensive failure for NBC which was canceled after only one season.