Horror and Sci-Fi Stuff
Canadian actor, Raymond Burr, began his career in film noir, often as the villain. Appearing in some fifty films from 1946 to 1957, Burr was already well-established and respected in Hollywood when cast in one of the two roles that would forever define him. From 1957 to 1966, Burr starred in the television series Perry... Continue Reading →
After watching Grizzly II: Revenge, I can confidently say that good things do not always come to those who wait. Filmed in 1983 but not released until almost 40 years later due to financial issues, Grizzly II: Revenge is a bizarre mess. The film was intended to be a sequel to the 1976 film Grizzly,... Continue Reading →
There is a prevalent opinion that slashers besmirch the reputation of the horror genre and are an embarrassment to those involved. Maniacs and Monsters vehemently disagrees. We are slasher movie fans. Black Christmas (1974) and Halloween (1978), the two films credited with kicking off the slasher subgenre, are among our favourite films of any category. ... Continue Reading →
The trope of the mysterious and possibly supernatural curio shoppe is long-standing, going back to the writings of H. G. Wells. These shops will always have what you are looking for, regardless of whether or not you know you are looking for it. Almost everything can be had for a bargain, but nothing is without... Continue Reading →
Last year, about this time, Maniacs and Monsters attended Horror-Rama in Toronto, Ontario. A relatively small convention, its main draw for me was several unique celebrity guests, including the iconic Caroline Munro. It is also where I met Canadian horror author, C. M. Forest. At that time, I picked up a copy of his novella,... Continue Reading →
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 →
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 →
There is an old Hollywood adage attributed to W. C. Fields (although probably not originating from him) that states, “Never work with children or animals.” When at their best, children and animals command the spotlight and steal scenes from the rest of the cast. When at their worst, they are unpredictable creatures that don’t behave... Continue Reading →
Film historians love to define “Golden Ages”, periods in which certain genres, cultures, locales, and/or studios saw a boom in both the creation and the acceptance of their films. These “ages” provide a useful short form for discussion purposes but, not surprisingly, their boundaries are not clearly defined. The 1960s saw the emergence of a... Continue Reading →
At first glance, Antlers (2021) may appear to be just another standard monster movie but scratch below the surface and you'll find a dark complexity that is rare in modern horror. Set in a small, impoverished town in Oregon (but filmed in British Columbia, Canada), the film begins with a man and his young son being... Continue Reading →
In 1960, MGM British Studios first introduced us to a pack of blond-haired, candescent-eyed children in Village of the Damned (starring Barbara Shelley, a Hammer regular). Four years later, the frightening and murderous youth would return in Children of the Damned. In the interim, Hammer Film Productions would produce and release its own film about... Continue Reading →
From 1935 until 1979, Hammer Film Productions released some 166 feature films. A phrase commonly used when referring to many of these pictures is ‘lesser known’. Even if you restrict yourself to the horror and thriller genres for which Hammer is best remembered, there is still a large number of ‘lesser known’ works. Of course,... Continue Reading →
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 →
In 1972, Hammer Film Productions released a double bill titled Women in Terror. With some influence from the giallo all'italiana film genre popular at the time, both films were psychological horrors including mystery elements. As the title of the double feature implied, the films focused on terrorized women and how a lack of comprehension about... Continue Reading →
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 →
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