With the start of Major League Baseball this week, I thought it would be another opportunity to delve into the very obscure genre of baseball-horror. A few years back I reviewed the crazy, Japanese gorefest, Deadball. This time, I’m tackling (apologies for mixing sports metaphors) the little known 1989 “thriller”, Night Game starring Roy Scheider.... Continue Reading →
A Fine Kettle of Fishmen
We at Maniacs and Monsters will always rise to defend the oft-maligned B movie. No matter how you interpret the designation, there is no shame inherent in B movies, and we hope to combat the stigma connected to the label. Given the association with low budgets, independence, and minimal recognition, perhaps B movies are a... Continue Reading →
Brain Teaser
Brains. Most of us have one. But who among us has ever stopped to consider whether our brains are friends or foes? We don’t question the loyalty of our brains, which is a sign they are hiding the answer from us. Brains issue decrees with divine authority that we are powerless to deny. Your brain... Continue Reading →
The Witchy Women of Devonsville
Released in 1983, The Devonsville Terror tells the tale of three women murdered 300 years ago after they were suspected of being witches. The film was directed by Uli Lommel, best known for the early 80s slashic The Boogeyman, and was originally intended as a theatrical release but ended up going straight to video. After... Continue Reading →
Frankenstein: Unbound and Down
Having seen many film versions of the the classic Frankenstein story over the years, I can safely say that Roger Corman’s 1990 interpretation, Frankenstein Unbound, is the most…ummm…unique. A science fiction film as much as horror, the story begins in the far distant year of 2031, where a scientist named Buchanan (played by John Hurt)... Continue Reading →
If Thy Eye Offends Thee
In a long and varied career, there may not be a film style that Roger Corman has left untouched. His is a legacy that defies classification but, if you were to try, Corman is probably most closely associated with his Gothic horrors and low-budget B-movie fare from the 50s and 60s. The Gothic horrors were... Continue Reading →
Howling II: Your Sister is…a Werewolf?
Sequels often fall short of the original and never has this been more true than with Howling II. The original Howling, released in 1981 and directed by Joe Dante, achieved box office success and helped reinvigorate the werewolf genre in the early 80s. The sequel was released in 1985 and has only a thin tie-in... Continue Reading →
Roger Corman, The Cinematic Cheese Doctor
Let’s get one thing out of the way up front. Producer/Director Roger Corman is responsible for some great movies. His many films starring Vincent Price and based on the works of Edgar Allan Poe immediately come to mind. But Corman knew he was in the B-movie business and took pride in making films with next... Continue Reading →
Slumber Party Massacre II: Hot, Wet, & Wild?
Sequels are a tricky thing. Fans demand more of what they liked in the original film, however, there is an assumption that sequels lead to disappointment. Horror films, and in particular slasher films, have an added difficulty in that most of your cast, including the killer, will likely be dead by the end of the... Continue Reading →
The Wicker Tree Burns Down
In honour of Burns Night which celebrates Scotland’s national poet, Robert Burns, today we look at Scottish horror film The Wicker Tree. Unfortunately, unlike the Scot’s famous bard, this film is nothing to be proud of. The Wicker Tree’s story is loosely tied to the classic The Wicker Man which was also directed by Robin... Continue Reading →
The Young and the Satanists: A Review of The Visitor (1979)
When a film has a cast that includes Hollywood legends such as John Huston, Shelley Winters, Glenn Ford, and Sam Peckinpah you expect you are in for something great. Sadly, such is not the case with The Visitor (also known as Stridulum) which has more in common with a schlocky soap opera than the classic... Continue Reading →
Misery Loves Comedy – Amityville: Mt. Misery Rd.
Watching truly frightening horror films is one of my favourite things. A close second is watching B horror movies that were intended to be frightening but unintentionally end up becoming a comedy due to poor production values, horribly written scripts, amateurish acting, and often all of the above. A prime example of the B horror... Continue Reading →