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There’s nothing quite like Rv horror. Inspired by an expanding national highway system and the proliferation of motor parks in the 1960s, this distinctive subgenre offers a unique blend of classic genre fare. Part home invasion, part road trip tale, part hicksploitation with a smidge of folk horror, the recreational vehicle becomes a home away from home and offers the illusion of safety while traversing strange locales. Jack Starrett’s Race with the Devil is arguably the first great entry in the Rv horror tradition, a criminally underseen film following two suburban couples on a road trip to hell.

Friends and business partners Frank (Warren Oates) and Roger (Peter Fonda) have just set out on an adventurous road trip from San Antonio, Texas to a ski vacation in Aspen, Colorado. Traveling in style, Frank shows off a brand new Rv with all the comforts of home: color television, microwave oven,...

Featuring: Peter Serafinowicz, Peter Jackson, Joe Dante, John Landis, Caroline Munro, Paul Maslansky, Jonathan Rigby, Harriet Walter, Juan Rodriguez | Written and Directed by Jon Spira

The Life and Deaths of Christopher Lee, written and directed by Jon Spira, is a look at one of the most iconic, versatile and conversely underrated actors in the genre.

Narrated by a marionette of the late actor, voiced quite convincingly by Peter Serafinowicz the film starts with a quick overview of Lee’s heritage and formative years that included he and his mother being abandoned by both his father and stepfather. Interviews with his niece, an award-winning actress in her own right, talk about how this influenced both his personality and the direction his life would take.

The part he played in World War II is covered as well. Although there are no new revelations of his still-classified work tracking down war criminals. Work...

In the vast, shadowy world of horror cinema, some films scream so loud they drown out the whispers of many underrated horror movies. These hidden gems, lurking in the less-trodden paths of the genre, deserve a spotlight for their unique takes on terror. From slow-burn psychological thrillers to bizarre journeys into the supernatural, this list is a treasure trove for those who think they’ve seen it all. So, let’s dust off these overlooked masterpieces and give them the scream of approval they deserve.

This isn’t your run-of-the-mill horror list. Here, we’re diving deep into the crypt to unearth films that have slipped through the cracks. These underrated horror movies range from cult classics to modern mind-benders, each bringing its distinct flavor of fear. Prepare to have your horror horizons broadened with these ten cinematic experiences that prove the genre’s richness lies beyond the mainstream.

Geneni Film Distributors...

In the vast, shadowy world of horror cinema, some films scream so loud they drown out the whispers of many underrated horror movies. These hidden gems, lurking in the less-trodden paths of the genre, deserve a spotlight for their unique takes on terror. From slow-burn psychological thrillers to bizarre journeys into the supernatural, this list is a treasure trove for those who think they’ve seen it all. So, let’s dust off these overlooked masterpieces and give them the scream of approval they deserve.

This isn’t your run-of-the-mill horror list. Here, we’re diving deep into the crypt to unearth films that have slipped through the cracks. These underrated horror movies range from cult classics to modern mind-benders, each bringing its distinct flavor of fear. Prepare to have your horror horizons broadened with these ten cinematic experiences that prove the genre’s richness lies beyond the mainstream.

Geneni Film Distributors...

This month has been full of sad reports of celebrity passings… and unfortunately, today is no different. It has been brought to our attention that Lara Parker, best known for starring in the gothic soap opera Dark Shadows and the 1975 horror classic Race with the Devil, has passed away at the age of 84. Her daughter confirmed to Variety that she died in her sleep at her home in the Topanga Canyon neighborhood of Los Angeles on October 12th.

If you’re not familiar with Parker’s work on Dark Shadows, Variety has the information: “From 1967 to 1971, the Memphis native starred in Dark Shadows as the central antagonist Angelique Bouchard. Set in the fictional setting of Collinsport, Maine, the series follows the town’s founding family, the Collins family. In the show, Barnabas Collins (Jonathan Frid) spurns the besotted Angelique after a brief dalliance with her, unaware that she is a witch.

Lara Parker, who played fan-favorite witch Angelique Bouchard on “Dark Shadows,” has died at 84.

Kathryn Leigh Scott, her co-star on the 1960s gothic soap opera, posted the news to Facebook on Monday.

“I have sad news . . . my beautiful, beloved friend Lara Parker passed away Thursday, October 12. I’m heartbroken, as all of us are who knew and loved her,” Scott wrote.

“She graced our lives with her beauty and talent, and we are all richer for having had her in our lives. Family meant more than anything to Lara, and they have wanted these few days since her passing to themselves. Rest in peace, my cherished friend,” Scott concluded.

The actress died in her sleep at her home in Topanga Canyon, her daughter said.

The series ran on ABC from 1966 to 1971 and spawned several follow-up movies from creator Dan Curtis.

Parker, along with other surviving “Dark Shadows” stars, made cameos...

Lara Parker, known for her role as the vengeful witch Angelique Bouchard on the gothic ABC soap opera Dark Shadows, passed away at 84. Her daughter, Caitlin, confirmed that Parker peacefully passed away in her sleep at her home in Topanga Canyon, Los Angeles, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Parker made her mark in films as a character in John G. Avildsen’s Save the Tiger (1973), where she portrayed a prostitute whose client suffered a heart attack, alongside Jack Lemmon‘s Oscar-winning performance. She also played the wife of Peter Fonda‘s character in the 1975 satanic horror film Race With the Devil, alongside Warren Oates and Loretta Swit. In 1967, shortly after arriving in New York, Parker auditioned for Dark Shadows creator Dan Curtis and was cast as Angelique as part of a storyline that delved into the origin of the tormented vampire Barnabas Collins. (It was her second-ever professional audition in New York.

Lara Parker, who as the vengeful witch Angelique Bouchard spent centuries entangled in a love-hate relationship with Jonathan Frid’s Barnabas Collins on the gothic ABC soap opera Dark Shadows, has died. She was 84.

Parker died Thursday in her sleep at her home in Topanga Canyon in Los Angeles, her daughter, Caitlin, told The Hollywood Reporter.

On the big screen, Parker stood out as a prostitute whose client has a heart attack in John G. Avildsen’s Save the Tiger (1973), starring Jack Lemmon in an Oscar-winning turn, and she played the wife of Peter Fonda‘s character in the satanic horror film Race With the Devil (1975), also featuring Warren Oates and Loretta Swit.

Mere days after arriving in New York in 1967, the green-eyed Parker auditioned for Dark Shadows creator Dan Curtis, who cast her as Angelique in a story arc that would detail the origin of the tortured vampire Barnabas.

Stars: Pedro Casablanc, Víctor Clavijo, Ruth Díaz, Moisés Ruiz, Manuel Morón | Written and Directed by F. Javier Gutiérrez

Writer/director F. Javier Gutiérrez returned to his native Spain to make his third film La Espera, or, in English, The Wait. It’s a title that refers not just to the passage of time but to the ten hunting stands on the estate of Don Francisco. They are watched over by Eladio, who lives on the remote property with his wife Marcia, and their son, Floren (Moisés Ruiz).

At the start of the 1973 hunting season, he’s told by Don Carlos, Don Francisco’s right-hand man, to surreptitiously add three more. At first, he refuses, saying that would crowd the hunting parties and be unsafe due to the risk of crossfires. Eventually, he relents, a decision he soon regrets when Floren is killed in a freak accident leading to Marcia’s suicide.

The 1970s: A time when vinyl wasn’t just a hipster trend, lava lamps lit up rooms with their hypnotic glow, and horror movies? Well, they were in a league of their own, especially the underrated 70s horror movies that have remained hidden gems over the decades. This was a decade that redefined cinema, pushing boundaries and daring to venture into the dark, unexplored corners of the human psyche. While the big names like The Exorcist and The Texas Chain Saw Massacre were making waves and scaring audiences worldwide, there was an undercurrent of films that, though lesser-known, packed just as much punch.

At Nightmare on Film Street, we’re all about digging up those hidden treasures, the unsung heroes of horror that might’ve slipped under the radar but deserve a standing ovation. So, pop on your platform shoes, slap on some groovy tunes, and join us as we...

With all the hoopla, excitement, and massive box office last week due to the combined cinematic juggernaut known as Barbenheimer, it would not be remiss on the part of audiences if they completely ignored another new movie that opened the same weekend: a horror film called Cobweb from Lionsgate Films. The movie was released on less than 2,000 screens (the exact number is hard to find), and the box office did not even register enough to land the movie in the week’s Top 10.

Cobweb did generate some good reviews, though, albeit not enough to create any kind of buzz online. And generally we have to agree with the overall negative reception: despite the welcome presence of Lizzy Caplan (Fatal Attraction) and Antony Starr (The Boys), the movie is tedious to watch and murky to look at, following the current trend of some horror films to pretend that ultra-dark visuals are...

Stars: London May, Mya Hudson, Hannah Pierce, Henry Mortensen, Victoria Goodhart | Written by Christian Ackerman, Chuck Foster | Directed by Erik Boccio

After an injured young woman, Kiera (May Hudson) takes refuge in his secluded home, gruff recluse Reed (London May) must fight off a bloodthirsty cult and an insatiable priestess (Hannah Pierce) to save both of their lives. A battle to survive becomes a gripping race against the clock to escape a perverse ritual of blood and flesh…

Night of the Bastard opens in 1978 with a prologue that feels like it’s stepped straight out of that era – not only in terms of visuals but also in terms of the brutality of what occurs. The film plays out like a home invasion movie come siege movie a la John Carpenter’s Assault on Precinct 13, but stylistically by way of 70s classic Race With the Devil – the same dusty desert, a...

Director Andy Fickman, along with Todd Slater, have shared with Bloody Disgusting this week the exclusive first look at Fickman’s new horror franchise, Blue Light.

In an exclusive statement provided to Bloody Disgusting, Andy Fickman touches on why this ambitious new project is so important to him, and the inspiration behind the film.

“My whole life I have been fascinated by horror and sci-fi films,” Fickman tells us. “When I was growing up in Texas, my buddies and I went opening night for every horror film and would return multiple times over the weekend. My senior year in high school, I went with some friends to a reportedly haunted cemetery. We snuck in – late at night – to tell ghost stories and drink cheap champagne. The place was pitch black and fenced in. We had to throw jackets over the old barbed-wire to safely crawl over. At one point, we heard a noise…...

Though "Reservoir Dogs" took the Sundance Film Festival by storm in January 1992, the Quentin Tarantino brand didn't explode until 1993. The internet was available in college dorm rooms during the early '90s, but the online world belonged to nerds who got lost in multi-user dungeons (MUDs) or conversed collegially on Usenet newsgroups like rec.arts.movies about all things cinematic.

Tarantino's most vocal adherents might've been on Usenet, but his rise was largely analog, and, given the filmmaker's old-school eschewal of digital technology (at least as far as his own work is concerned), I doubt he would've had it any other way. All I know is that in the fall of 1992 when I began my freshman year at Ohio University, no one had heard of Tarantino. And in the fall of 1993, there were oversized "Reservoir Dogs" posters adorning bedroom walls all over campus.

Warner Bros. stood to benefit from...

Kevin Smith has finally managed to get Clerks III out into the world, years after he first announced that he wanted to make the film. So now it’s about time for him to move on to the next project. Looking ahead to the future, we have put together a list of Kevin Smith Movies We Want to See – and you can see the result below! Check it out, then let us know what Kevin Smith movies you most want to see by leaving a comment.

Mallrats 2

Smith’s 1995 film Mallrats wasn’t a box office success, but that hasn’t stopped talk of a sequel coming up here and there over the years – whether it would be a “Die Hard in a Mall” scenario, a limited series, or something completely different. The problem is that Mallrats is a Universal property, so Smith can’t do anything with it unless the studio is on board.

Stars: London May, Mya Hudson, Hannah Pierce, Henry Mortensen, Victoria Goodhart | Written by Christian Ackerman, Chuck Foster | Directed by Erik Boccio

After an injured young woman, Kiera (May Hudson) takes refuge in his secluded home, gruff recluse Reed (London May) must fight off a bloodthirsty cult and an insatiable priestess (Hannah Pierce) to save both of their lives. A battle to survive becomes a gripping race against the clock to escape a perverse ritual of blood and flesh…

Night of the Bastard opens in 1978 with a prologue that feels like it’s stepped straight out of that era – not only in terms of visuals but also in terms of the brutality of what occurs. The film plays out like a home invasion movie come siege movie a la John Carpenter’s Assault on Precinct 13, but stylistically by way of 70s classic Race With the Devil – the same dusty desert, a...

Lock the doors. Turn on the lights. Check under the bed. Crank up the volume. It’s time for another Halloween Parade!

Please help support the Hollywood Food Coalition.

Click here, and be sure to indicate The Movies That Made Me in the note section so Josh can finally achieve his dream of showing Mandy to his wife!

Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode

Scream Blacula Scream (1973)

Mandy (2018)

Carnival of Souls (1962) – Mary Lambert’s trailer commentary

Night Tide (1961) – Charlie Largent’s Blu-ray review

A Bucket Of Blood (1959) – Allan Arkush’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s DVD review, Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review

Dementia 13 (1963) – Mick Garris’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s Region B Blu-ray review, Glenn Erickson’s director’s cut Blu-ray review

The Godfather (1972) – Ernest Dickerson’s trailer commentary, Randy Fuller’s wine pairings

The Godfather Part II (1974) – Katt Shea’s trailer commentary

The Conversation (1974) – Josh Olson...

Stars: Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman, Lochlyn Munro, Ari Cohen, Chandra West, Jennifer Laporte, David LeReaney | Written by Colin Minihan, John Poliquin | Directed by Kurtis David Harder

It’s 1995 and a same-sex couple move to a small town so they can enjoy a better quality of life and raise their 16 year-old daughter with the best social values. But nothing is as it seems in their picturesque neighbourhood. And when Malik sees the folks next door throwing a very strange party, something very shocking has got to give.

Billed by many as the gay equivalent of Get Out, I found Spiral to be more of an interesting look into the pressure of being minority – both sexually and racially – and the toll being “different” can have on mental health than That film. For that’s what, for the most part Spiral presents us with: a man, broken by a hate crime of the past, trying...

There’s nothing like a good car chase in a movie. Maybe it’s the daring-do of the stunt drivers that makes you feel you’re in danger even though you’re comfortably in your seat, or the high stakes of the moment in which the characters we’re rooting for will either get out of the situation or have a gruesome finale, but an impressive car-chase scene can make even a mediocre movie a beloved classic. What makes a car chase legendary, you ask? They’re the ones that keep you at the edge of your seat and actually fit in with the rest of the plot. While the “Fast and Furious” movies have collectively taken the car chase to the next level, they don’t count. They’re far too CGI-enhanced. The 1970’s may have marked a new age in American cinema, but it was also a decade...

The first thing you notice is that exclamation point at the end of the word fighting for your attention; you wouldn’t pay attention to the word Crash! (1977) otherwise – or at least for another 20 years when we received not one, but two films with the same title. But our Crash! is very different from both of those; born of the ‘70s, it mixes car crashes and the supernatural at a time when that wasn’t the most unusual prospect. What can one say? The ‘70s loved to cross-pollinate, results be damned.

First there was Duel (1971); then came Killdozer (1974); after that Fonda & Oates hit the open road in an Rv to fight off Satanists in Race with the Devil (1975); and shortly after Crash! was released, we got The Car (1977). Most of these involved the devil, but all of them were concerned with vehicular damage. While some will scoff and say that Crash!

Tony Sokol Aug 16, 2019

Peter Fonda was a counterculture film icon who gave John Lennon a bad trip but a great song.

Actor and director Peter Fonda died of respiratory failure due to lung cancer at his Los Angeles home on Friday, Aug. 16, his manager, Alan Somers, announced via Variety. The Oscar-nominated screenwriter and star of Easy Rider was 79.

“It is with deep sorrow that we share the news that Peter Fonda has passed away at his home in Los Angeles surrounded by family,” the Fonda family said in a statement. “In one of the saddest moments of our lives, we are not able to find the appropriate words to express the pain in our hearts. And, while we mourn the loss of this sweet and gracious man, we also wish for all to celebrate his indomitable spirit and love of life. In honor of Peter, please raise a glass to freedom.

Peter Fonda, the Oscar-nominated actor whose roles in Dennis Hopper’s Easy Rider and Roger Corman’s The Trip made him a counterculture hero in the late 1960s, died Friday at the age of 79. The cause of death was respiratory failure due to lung cancer, his family confirmed to People.

“It is with deep sorrow that we share the news that Peter Fonda has passed away,” the family said. “[Peter] passed away peacefully on Friday morning, August 16 at 11:05am at his home in Los Angeles surrounded by family,” they continued.

Peter Fonda, the two-time, Oscar-nominated star of “Easy Rider” and more recently films such as “Ulee’s Gold” and the remake of “3:10 to Yuma,” has died, his manager confirmed to TheWrap. He was 79.

In a statement to People magazine, his family said that Fonda passed away of respiratory failure on Friday morning due to complications from lung cancer. Fonda was part of a family of Hollywood royalty, the son of Old Hollywood star Henry Fonda and the brother to Jane Fonda, as well as the father of Bridget Fonda.

“In one of the saddest moments of our lives, we are not able to find the appropriate words to express the pain in our hearts. As we grieve, we ask that you respect our privacy,” his family said in the statement to People. “And, while we mourn the loss of this sweet and gracious man, we also wish for all...

As a child, I first saw a snake with my own two eyes when one of the garter variety slithered through our front lawn and my mom, with a deep abiding fear, called my dad home from the office to slay the beast. (Or shoo it away. Probably that.) I maintain a healthy relationship with snakes: leave me alone and I’ll leave you alone. (I promise I’ll always leave you alone.) Of course, I love to see them in horror movies; the safety of the screen provides nothing but thrills when I know it won’t be coming for me. This brings us to Spasms (1983), a disjointed yet fun film in which a big snake in a big Canadian city wreaks big havoc.

With a troubled production as serpentine as its subject, Spasms saw little theatrical love (or release for that matter) but nested comfortably on video for...

Cleopatra Jones

Blu ray

Warner Archive

1973 / 2:35:1 / 89 Min. / Street Date – March 19, 2019

Starring Tamara Dobson, Bernie Casey

Written by Max Julien, Sheldon Keller

Cinematography by David M. Walsh

Directed by Jack Starrett

A good-natured if rickety assemblage of action movie cliches, Cleopatra Jones is dominated by two bigger than life actresses, Tamara Dobson and Shelley Winters. The movie’s trailer promoted Dobson as the “soul sister’s answer” to James Bond but you can count Bruce Lee, Emma Peel, Shaft and The Girl from U.N.C.L.E. among Cleo’s many relevant role models.

Winters plays “Mommy”, a foulmouthed mob boss who depends on the thriving Poppy fields of Turkey for her cash flow and Dobson is Cleopatra, an Amazonian fashion plate whose special agent skills range from karate to high speed car chases – her plan to wipe out Mommy’s syndicate leads to a high octane race through ‘70’s era L.

Drive on the highway to Hell with the latest event from The Miskatonic Institute of Horror Studies in London as author Bernice M. Murphy breaks down the importance of horror films set around highways, including Psycho (1960) and Southbound (2015). Also: a look at a makeup featurette for the new Suspiria and release details for Snowflake and Agramon's Gate.

Roads to Hell: The Highway Horror Film Event Details: "The Miskatonic Institute of Horror Studies - London takes a trip through the cinematic history, cultural importance, and significance of the 'Highway Horror Film' using landmark films from Psycho (1960) to Southbound (2015) with celebrated academic and author Bernice M. Murphy.

Buy Tickets Here

This class will introduce students to the ‘Highway Horror Film,’ an overlooked sub-genre of the wider American horror tradition which articulates profound unease about the transitory nature of modern American life, as well as the wider impact of mass automobility. The post-...

Like most folk, I’m a sucker for alien invasion films; I’m also down with conspiracy flicks, and I love seeing beautiful photography in foreign lands. If only there was a horror film that combines these somewhat disparate elements into a cohesive, satisfying whole. I honestly can’t think of one; but there is Alien Predators (1985), a pretty damn fun and nonsensical trip through Spain.

Filmed in ’84 and released on video in the U.K. in August of ’85, Alien Predators saw a very brief theatrical U.S. run in February of ’87 before being dumped onto video shelves for curious horror fans…like myself; as that’s when I first saw it, and I remember digging its pleasant nature and sparse but effective effects. A recent revisit however disclosed its greatest asset: a make-it-up-as-we-go willingness on the part of writer/director Deran Sarafian (Terminal Velocity) that results in a freewheeling travelogue with Nasa espionage,...

Stars: Stephen Dorff, Deborah Kara Unger, Jonathon Schaech, Nick Roux, Chelsea Ricketts | Written by Jared Rivet | Directed by Kevin Greutert

n estranged family hires a cult deprogrammer to free their teenage son from the brainwashing he’s undergone at the hands of a vicious cult, but find themselves under siege when the cultists surround their cabin, demanding the boy back. A vicious battle unfolds, testing familial loyalties and unleashing a bloodbath in this suspense shocker, which is apparently based on a true 1980s story…

A riff on the Assault on Precinct 13 template of a building under siege, Kevin Greutert and co. try to bring something new to the all-too-familiar story, giving Jackals an extra depth with the cult deprogrammer angle. However the idea of a cult going to such lengths to retrieve a lost member basically seems like a throwaway storyline: an excuse for the “bad men” to attack our protagonists,...

What makes a good Satanic Panic flick? Is it the urbane, dark humor of Rosemary’s Baby (’68), perhaps the outsized biblical insanity of The Omen (’76), or the insidious paranoia that infuses Race with the Devil (’75)? The answer for me is all of the above, and what a treat it is to come across another that brings something a little different - The Brotherhood of Satan (’71) offers a sense of quiet displacement before unleashing a torrent of blustery brimstone and hellfire.

Released by Columbia Pictures in early August, The Brotherhood of Satan even received some decent notices; Roger Greenspun of The New York Times proclaimed that the film “displays bold, direct, relatively uncomplicated acceptance of its supernature”, which is definitely one of its strengths – the evil is ingrained in the small town structure and those within are resigned to its nature. Hey, it was the ‘70s! Were you really expecting upbeat?...

Stars: Stephen Dorff, Deborah Kara Unger, Jonathon Schaech, Nick Roux, Chelsea Ricketts | Written by Jared Rivet | Directed by Kevin Greutert

They knew it would take steely resolve and iron daring to go up against the violent sect who have brainwashed their teenage son, Justin. But the estranged Powell family and the cult deprogrammer they’ve hired in desperation had no idea how soon they would become the bloody prey in this suspense shocker, which is apparently based on a true 1980s story…

A riff on the Assault on Precinct 13 template of a building under siege, Kevin Greutert and co. try to bring something new to the all-too-familiar story, giving Jackals an extra depth with the cult deprogrammer angle. However the idea of a cult going to such lengths to retrieve a lost member basically seems like a throwaway storyline: an excuse for the “bad men” to attack our protagonists,...

There’s nothing like a good car chase in a movie. Maybe it’s the daring-do of the stunt drivers that makes you feel you’re in danger even though you’re comfortably in your seat, or the high stakes of the moment in which the characters we’re rooting for will either get out of the situation or have a gruesome finale, but an impressive car-chase scene can make even a mediocre movie a beloved classic. What makes a car chase legendary, you ask? They’re the ones that keep you at the edge of your seat and actually fit in with the rest of the plot.

Edgar Wright’s Baby Driver opens Wednesday, June 28th. Baby (Ansel Elgort), is an innocent-looking getaway driver who gets hardened criminals from point A to point B, with daredevil flair and a personal soundtrack running through his head. That’s because he...

This early gore-horror picture has a remarkable emphasis on human values, believe it or not, with a ‘monster’ that nevertheless is a paragon of loving gentleness. Add Donald Pleasance as a surly, posh-hating police inspector, and the shock value makes the Hammer films of the early ’70s taste like weak tea.

Death Line

Blu-ray + DVD

Blue Underground

1972 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 87 min. / aka Raw Meat / Street Date June 27, 2017 / 39.98

Starring: Donald Pleasence, Norman Rossington, David Ladd, Sharon Gurney, Hugh Armstrong, June Turner, Christopher Lee.

Cinematography: Alex Thomson

Art Direction: Dennis Gordon-Orr

Film Editor: Geoffrey Foot

Original Music: Jeremy Rose, Malone Wil

Written by Ceri Jones from a story by Gary Sherman

Produced by Paul Maslansky

Directed by Gary Sherman

In 1972, making a horror film was a safe way to start a career: almost anything screen-able could get a release, and if your show had enough shock value, it might even get positive critical attention.

Thanks to The Omen (1976) and little Damien’s watchdog, Hollywood figured they could mine some horror from our canine friends, on the assumption that there’s something inherently evil to exploit. Except…they’re not. Are they sometimes vicious? Definitely. But I would hardly call dogs evil, especially ones allegedly in favor with Satan. Which brings us to todays’ Tube, as TV naturally had to take a shot at demonizing our four legged friends, a task at which Devil Dog: The Hound of Hell (1978) fails spectacularly. It is however, a blast and more fun than a bowl full of kibble.

Originally airing on Halloween night of 1978 on CBS, Devil Dog was up against Linda Blair and her demonic cousin in Summer of Fear over on NBC, a true dilemma for horror fans as both satisfy in different ways. But since I’ve already covered that Wes Craven helmed Ya adaptation...

(This is the first in an occasional series in which I remember some of the best double features I’ve been lucky enough to see projected in a theater.)

The New Beverly Cinema, the oldest surviving revival theater in Los Angeles, has this week dished up a time-capsule glimpse into America’s popular obsession with Cb, or citizen’s band, radio and the largely mythological outlaw trucker culture through which it crackled. If you’re of a certain age (mine), and you ever cruised around town or down the highway jabbering to friends and strangers on an open channel frequency (I did—my handle was The Godfather!), given the opportunity I don’t see how you could possibly resist the chance to see the ultimate trucker-cb action-comedy pairing, Hal Needham’s Smokey and the Bandit and Sam Peckinpah’s Convoy. (I couldn’t!) As of this writing, the morning of...

Stars: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Chad Villella, Hannah Marks, Fabianne Therese, Nathalie Love, Mather Zickel, David Yow, Tipper Newton | Written and Directed by Radio Silence, Roxanne Benajmin, David Bruckner, Patrick Horvath

Southbound is yet another horror anthology from the people behind the V/H/S trilogy. However unlike that series of films, Southbound actually gets things right. Perfectly right.

Southbound opens and closes with Radio Silence’s The Way Out and The Way In (in that order). A book-ending tale that introduces us to two men on the run, being chased across the desert by ethereal, skeletal grim reapers from which there is no escape. Especially when the pair stop at a gas station… We return to the same tale for the closer, discovering why the pair are on the run and why they are being haunted. Radio Silence’s opener The Way Out really sets the tone for the rest of the film,...

A Lincoln Continental Lhe with quite a temper is getting a high-definition upgrade on Tuesday from Scream Factory, and we've been provided with three Blu-ray copies of The Car to give away to lucky Daily Dead readers.

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Prize Details: (3) Winners will receive (1) Blu-ray copy of The Car.

How to Enter: For a chance to win, email contest@dailydead.com with the subject “The Car Contest”. Be sure to include your name and mailing address.

Entry Details: The contest will end at 12:01am Est on December 18th. This contest is only open to those who are eighteen years of age or older that live in the United States. Only one entry per household will be accepted.

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From the previous press release: Fasten your seatbelts for the terrifying thrill ride that has become a cult classic! On December 15, 2015, Scream Factory™ is proud to present The Car, arriving for the...

Following the unveiling of Sony Pictures Home Entertainment's Christine Blu-ray earlier this year, Scream Factory's giving another malevolent vehicle a high-definition upgrade with their Blu-ray release of The Car next Tuesday, and we have clips and a trailer teasing the highway horrors to come.

From the previous press release: Fasten your seatbelts for the terrifying thrill ride that has become a cult classic! On December 15, 2015, Scream Factory™ is proud to present The Car, arriving for the first time on Blu-ray™. Directed by Elliot Silverstein, the action-packed thriller stars James Brolin (The Amityville Horror), Kathleen Lloyd (It Lives Again), John Marley (Deathdream), Elizabeth Thompson (A Shadow in the Street) and Ronny Cox (RoboCop). R.G. Armstrong (Race with the Devil, Evilspeak), Roy Jenson (Soylent Green), Melody Thomas Scott (Piranha, The Fury), Kim Richards (Assault on Precinct 13) and Kyle Richards (Halloween) also star in this high-octane thriller.

A must-have for loyal fans,...

Years before viewers witnessed a ’58 Plymouth Fury scorned, they were introduced to a Lincoln Continental Lhe with quite a temper. Scream Factory's giving the latter an HD upgrade with their December 15th Blu-ray release of 1977's The Car, and we have the official release details and cover art.

Press Release: Fasten your seatbelts for the terrifying thrill ride that has become a cult classic! On December 15, 2015, Scream Factory™ is proud to present The Car, arriving for the first time onBlu-ray™. Directed by Elliot Silverstein, the action-packed thriller stars James Brolin (The Amityville Horror), Kathleen Lloyd (It Lives Again), John Marley (Deathdream), Elizabeth Thompson (A Shadow in the Street) and Ronny Cox (RoboCop). R.G. Armstrong (Race with the Devil, Evilspeak), Roy Jenson (Soylent Green), Melody Thomas Scott (Piranha, The Fury), Kim Richards (Assault on Precinct 13) and Kyle Richards (Halloween) also star in this high-octane thriller.

A must-have for loyal fans,...

Special Mention: Death Proof

Written and directed by Quentin Tarantino

USA, 2007

Genre: Slasher

The obvious reference points of Death Proof are such movies as Vanishing Point, Roadgames, Dirty Mary Crazy Larry, and even Spielberg’s Duel – but Death Proof is influenced by more than just vehicular horror. Tarantino’s homage to the road-fury genre is really two movies in one, offering two versions of the same story about two separate groups of beautiful women who are stalked by a homicidal maniac who uses his car (his weapon of choice) to terrorize and eventually kill his victims. Death Proof can easily be viewed as two slasher films, with the second half acting as a sequel, offering new, beautiful victims for the murderous Stuntman Mike (Kurt Russell) to terrorize. It’s a grim stalk-and-slash picture with a blaring commentary of female empowerment. Replace the typical sharp edged blade with a car, and...

If you’re going to race with the Devil, you’ve got to be fast as hell!

Pull on up to the ’70s, when Satanic Panic fueled the nightmares of a horror-fed generation. Started by Rosemary’s Baby (1968), exploding with The Exorcist (1973), and culminating with The Omen (1976), hoofin’ with the Horned One was a popular dance at the box office. Race with the Devil (1975) is a much less grandiose ride than its esteemed colleagues, but remains a fun and interesting mesh of hot rods and Hell.

Released in June, Rwtd came off the assembly line for $1.7 million Us and returned $12 million, a sizable success for a modest B-flick. Car chase movies always turned a tidy profit on the circuit, exploitation filled with wheels and women perfectly suited for drive-ins across North America. By the time Rwtd was released, satanic horror had saturated the market. But by crossbreeding it with a...

A while back, when we released the 400th episode of the Sound On Sight podcast, a few close friends and longtime listeners requested we compile a list of our favorite shows we recorded over the years. Now that the podcast has officially come to an end, I decided to finally set aside some time in my schedule and give them what they want. Initially, I set out to pick ten, but after 500 recordings and 8 long years, it was simply too hard to choose so few, so I opted for 20 instead. In selecting these episodes, I tried to show the wide range of genres we covered over the years, including Spaghetti Westerns, Italian Horror, Southern Gothic, underground cult, family friendly, foreign language and even Hollywood classics. We’ve been blessed with several guest hosts and interviews with many filmmakers including genre legends George A. Romero and John Landis, to name a few.

Vengeance is mine, sayeth the Lord – and many horror films to boot. Payback has always been a constant theme, whether it’s a sinister spirit avenging murder, or a maniacal parent repaying camp counselors for not watching her handicapped child. The meteoric rise in popularity of video games and personal computers at the turn of the 80’s, married with ancient evil, brought a modern edge to this shopworn trope. A sympathetic tale of comeuppance, Evilspeak (1981) serves up its revenge under the computer screen’s warm glow.

Released by Moreno Films, first in Japan in August of ’81 and February of ’82 in North America, Evilspeak nearly made back its 1,000,000 Us budget opening weekend stateside. A few good reviews trickled in, comparing it favorably to the high school horrorfest Carrie (1976). Regardless of comparisons, it stands as a unique antique of a burgeoning time in technology and a potent payback tale.

Our story begins...

Like all superheroes (or anyone else who uses a secret identity), there came a moment when someone finally cracked the code and published my real name. To be fair, my identity was a pretty poorly-kept secret by that point. The first time I went to an actual press event, I used my real name, and anytime I met someone, I used my real name. "Moriarty" was a fun identity to slip into, and especially in the early days of the site, we played up the mythology of things. My friends all got their own spy names and would show up in the reports in the form of Henchman Mongo and Segue Zagnut and Harry Lime and more. From my end, it was silly and fun, and not something to be taken seriously. But when Film Threat ran a fairly vicious hit piece on Harry, I was also a target, and...

If you are of a certain vintage like me, Saturday morning cartoons in the 70’s were something special. I would make myself a bowl of cereal and stare transfixed as cartoon apes, dogs, and rabbits would drive across my screen in ridiculously shaped hot rods and blue and green Mystery Machines. Roger Corman, always on the lookout for the next profitable venture, transposed Saturday mornings to theatres and drive-ins alike with his dystopic demolition extravaganza, Death Race 2000 (1975) . He just never told anyone it wasn’t meant for kids.

Released in April by New World Pictures, made for $300,000 and bringing home $5,000,000, Death Race 2000 was another success for Corman and company. The mid-70’s was a time of vehicular fantasy on the big screen, especially on the B movie circuit. Everything from Race with the Devil (1975) to Smokey and the Bandit (1977) and beyond emphasized fast cars and explosive chases, with...

The horror landscape was changing by 1982. People were tiring of slashers; even the Halloween franchise decided to take a left (some would say wrong) turn away from Shatner masks and sharpened knives, and used the brand name to explore the holiday itself in the perpetually under-appreciated Season of The Witch. The genre seemed to be turning towards monsters, from large scale dread fests such as John Carpenter's The Thing to more intimate fare like Frank Henenlotter's Basket Case. The horror films of 1982 displayed a refreshing variety of ways to make audiences jump, squirm, gasp, smile, and when the occasion arose, vomit. The Beast Within giddily checks all the boxes.

Released in February by United Artists, the film took in a total of 7.7 million at the box office. Those were not great numbers, and the reviews were worse. Mainstream critics in general have never been kind to horror; almost...

Cloaked in hooded robes, hell-bent on destruction and ready to sacrifice innocents to please their master- worshipers of the Devil are an easy bunch to stereotype in popular portrayals. Ranked from worst to best, the extent to which they work with or against cliché and manage to be entertaining on film is profiled in the following list. This discussion does contain some spoilers!

Daniel Stamm’s “The Last Exorcism”

The Last Exorcism (2010)

The Last Exorcism builds upon the skepticism of its main character, a man who performs exorcisms to give religious zealots peace of mind and as a social service to prevent any real harm to people accused of being possessed. The alleged possession and abuse of a timid country girl occupies most of the film, with a cult showing up in its final frenzied moments. Keeping the characters involved with this cult a secret, it can still be said...

Art by Paul Ainsworth

Director Joe Dante's 1989 horror comedy The Burbs is one of my favorite Tom Hanks films. I watch it a handful of times throughout the year, and it's almost always on a rainy lazy Sunday afternoon. With Halloween closing in on us, I thought now might be a good time to start focusing my "Fun Facts" lists on horror films, and I decided to start with The Burbs because it's awesome. So, here are 10 fun facts that you may or may not know about this classic film.

Ray Peterson was supposed to be killed by Dr. Klopek in the original script. That all changed once Hanks was cast in the role. Apparently, the studio didn't think the audience would appreciate witnessing his death on screen, so the ending had to be rewritten. It would have been a much darker film had Hanks' character died. Several alternate...

When it comes to scary, it’s not the monsters or ghosts that do it for me. The most terrifying thing is an individual who can convince an entire group of people to follow one belief. Even more terrifying than the leader are the people within the group, whose views are so extreme that they are willing to do whatever it takes to fulfill a prophecy. Recently, cults have made their way back onto our screens with the hit HBO series True Detective and the upcoming Ti West horror feature The Sacrament. In honor of my cult fascination, I take a look at some of the creepiest cults in the horror genre, and learn that evil always prevails. To the Devil…a Daughter (1976) When a father is trying to save his daughter from Satanists, naturally he would seek help from a writer who specializes in the occult. Author John Verney...

Movies based on videogames are always dicey propositions. When the bafflingly popular "Resident Evil" franchise, a series of movies that can charitably be described "uneven," is the high water mark in terms of the videogame-to-movie transition, you know things aren't great. But that doesn't mean that talented filmmakers will give up on trying to bring their favorite button-mashers to the big screen. The latest evidence of this is "Need for Speed," based on the Electronic Arts racing franchise of the same name.

While the first trailer from the film, released earlier this fall, looked like a kind of herky-jerky remake of both "Drive" and one of the lesser "Fast and Furious" installments, this new trailer gives you a better look at the plot of the movie and, more importantly, the out-of-control stunts that will undoubtedly make any gear head lose their mind.

In the film, Aaron Paul, from "Breaking Bad,...

The Devil's Women, the new horror thriller from director Guillermo Martínez, started filming on June 9th, and right now we have the first stills and more for you right here. Dig it!

The film is co-written by Lucio Ferrante and produced in association with Wolframia Audiovisuales and Juan Chiaradía. César Genovesi, María Soledad Navarro and Alexia Encalada star, with appearances by Javier Batic, Noelia Vergini, Fernando Leiva, Ignacio Ardaiz, María Elena Morete and María Laura Albariño.

Synopsis:

The story revolves around Irene, a young woman who is recovering from a brutal beating perpetrated by her former lover. She decides to regain her energy and zest for life, which she believed impossible after finding out she had lost a baby due to the multiple injuries she had suffered from the violent act. Her best friend recommends some kind of activity that revitalized her strength. Irene enthusiastically believes she has found the...