Pandemonium (1982)

Dir- Alfred Sole

Tom Smothers stars as the brave Mountie Cooper, who along with his bitter Deputy Johnson played by Paul Reubens must track down a killer who is stalking overage coeds at a nearby cheerleader camp. Another silly slasher spoof that is quite funny and pokes fun at some contemporary horror films like Carrie, Halloween, Friday the 13th and Dressed To Kill. Along with Student Bodies and Wacko, Pandemonium parodied the many teen slasher movies of the era focusing on cheerleaders instead of the prom. The film also features a cast of then-unknown stars including Carol Kane as a Carrie-like psychic teen, Judge Reinhold, Eve Arden, Eileen Brennan, Marc McClure and even the late Phil Hartman. Surprisingly Pandemonium is quite amusing for a parody, and Carol Kane shines in her role showing her potential as a comedy actress.

Childhood fright revisited

Beyond the Door (1974)

I recall as a young child this movie poster and its preview scared the hell out of me, it is an Italian knockoff of The Exorcist and Rosemary's Baby and starred Hayley Mills sister Juliet. The film's producers were sued by Warner Brothers due to the scripts obvious similarity to The Exorcist. 

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Galaxy of Terror (1981)

Galaxy of Terror (1981)

Dir- Bruce Clark

On a distant planet, the crew of the starship Quest sets out on a rescue mission after its sister ship the Remus has met with disaster. The mission has been put together by the mysterious Planet Master who may be playing a game with the lives of the crew. Once on the planet, each team member is confronted by their greatest fear, only the strongest among them will survive in a world that seems to be made for death. One of many Alien ripoffs, Galaxy of Terror, stood out for a cast that would include early roles for Robert Englund, Zalman King, Sid Haig, and Grace Zabriskie. Producer Roger Corman's influence is very much evident with the simple but uniquely crafted sets and models. This was due to Production Designer James Cameron's creative input and his ability to create innovative visual effects while working on a strict budget. The movie has garnered quite a cult following since its release for some truly creative death scenes as well as the performance of Taafe O'Connell who appeared in the film's most memorable scene. Strangely this movie shares some plot elements of Event Horizon as the Sci-Fi classic Solaris inspired both films. One of my favorite cult films despite the low budget B movie look.

2.5 Stars out of 5

Creature From The Black Lagoon (1954)

Dir- Jack Arnold

Arguably the most recent of the classic Hollywood movie monsters and one of the most misunderstood. While on an expedition in the Amazon looking for a link between land and seas creatures, explorers discover an amphibious Gill-Man who is captured and later escapes. It then returns and kidnaps the beautiful woman onboard and takes her to its lair only to face off with the crew who seek to rescue the lady. In a time when monster movies were the rage, The Creature From the Black Lagoon stood out for its underwater effects and the fantastic creature costume created for the movie. More than just a simple monster movie, the Gill-Man creature was a complex, intelligent individual, who was looking for companionship and understanding. Filmed in 3-D, the movie would lead to 2 sequels that did not live up to the charm and originality of this classic creature feature.

High Tension (2003)

High Tension (2003)

A trip home for a young woman and her friend turns into a horrific journey for survival as they are stalked by a deranged serial killer who leaves a trail of bloody corpses in the French countryside. Alex and Marie are college students taking a break at the remote farmhouse home where Marie's family lives. The family's quiet evening is interrupted by a mysterious stranger who wreaks havoc on the occupants as Marie is kidnapped with Alex hiding along to protect her from the deranged maniac.  The events that will follow will make you wonder who is behind the crime and if anyone will survive the horrific evening. High Tension was released in the United States with edits made to avoid an NC-17. The film is still pretty violent despite the cuts, but unedited copies of the movie can be found easily on DVD. Directed by Alexandre Aja, High Tension would stand out for its extreme violence and emerge as one of many French films featuring such intense direction to include Frontiers, Martyrs, and Inside.

Brotherhood of the Wolf (2001)

Inspired by real events, this French-language period thriller presents a series of brutal attacks on villagers by an unknown creature and the investigation that sought to end this tragedy. The Beast of Gevaudan was a terrifying creature that, in 1764, brutally killed more than 60 people. King Louis XV dispatches a knight and naturalist named Fronsac who using his intellect, and the martial arts prowess of his Iroquois partner seek to find a rational answer to this series of horrific events. His investigation concludes that the accounts of wolf attacks do not fit the pattern of the victim's wounds, so he seeks out something unknown but purely of natural origin. What is revealed of the animal attacks may be part of a more massive conspiracy that could threaten the Crown?

Brotherhood of the Wolf was directed by Christophe Gans and stars Samuel Le Bihan, Mark Dacascos, Monica Belucci, and Vincent Cassel. The film mixes some curious genres as it appears to be a werewolf movie but includes French Aristocracy, occult practices, martial arts, and elements of political collusion. The film earned praise for its unique performances, high production value, and excellent period setting.