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Ilsa, Harem Keeper of the Oil Sheiks (1976)
Classic exploitation that works!!!
Dyanne Thorne is the most Badass actress ever. From these ILSA films to Point of Terror and even her return with House of Forbidden Secrets... she always impresses with a ferocity and command of the screen that very few can match. This film was a sleazy drive in movie classic from beginning to end, but it had a good story and some terrific acting from Dyanne as well as Howard Maurer. No spoilers here, but if you like trashy fun movies that push the envelope of good taste, you will LOVE this movie.
Spirits (2014)
Found Footage that really freaked me out
Disclosure: I am not a fan of this genre of horror movie. I was burned out on it before it even started. But as a fan of the director and production studio I gave it a shot. I was actually kind of impressed. The teen actors did a bang job on this and it sucked me right in. After watching it twice, I noticed even more clues and things happening all through the film. It wasn't perfect, but it was well done and very creepy at times. It raised the hair on my arms a few times and even put a chill down my back once. Good job and recommended.
Meatballs (1979)
Meatballs is the real deal
They don't make them like this anymore and movies are all the worse for it. A fun story, a good cast and most of all a real sense of FUN. Something truly missing from comedies made today. Now it's like a sitcom with dirty jokes. I almost expect a laugh track. Bill Murray was on his game in this film, and his manic energy propels the entire production. There have seen many who have imitated it, but this remains the original classic.
House of Forbidden Secrets (2013)
An enjoyable retro-horror homage to the Italian splatter classics!
It is always delightful to discover a gem of a film, perhaps lost in today's deluge mediocre "found footage" movies. Such is the case with the The house of Forbidden Secrets. I was lucky enough to see this film at a film festival screening in Ohio and I loved it. It was very well made, professional and obviously crafted with care and love from a group of people who love the horror genre. It's truly a dedication to the films of Lucio Fulcio, the great director. They even have music by Lucio's go to music maestro Fabio Frizzi. The lighting, camera-work and special effects are all pretty incredible for a low budget film and I really loved the story.
Without giving too much away this is a movie about a haunted building and a group of innocent people who get trapped inside on the anniversary night of a very nasty event that happened many years before. There are interesting and contrasting characters that have their own ideas, beliefs, doubts, fears and methods for dealing with the supernatural occurrences in the building. My personal favorite character is Cassie played by Nicole Santorella. She was spot on and really brought energy and passion to the role. I greatly enjoyed how the film was set up. In the beginning, the film takes time to actually create a story and we get the assembly of the main group of characters. The suspense is set up with the seance and the aftermath of opening doors that should not be opened. I also liked that bygone era technique of opening a movie with a neat sequence from the MIDDLE of the film. Another plus is Lew Temple as the villain of the film. To say the least, he was creepy, forthright and menacing as the Priest with a dark past.
With the mystery of the evil unleashed somehow attached to the events of the past, the characters have to not only survive strange creatures and demons from other dimensions, but also unravel a plot that will take them back in time. It could have been confusing, but the complex story was handled with a sure hand by director Todd Sheets. There are some intriguing concepts to the film, like understanding the truly horrific reasons as to why the Shadowview Manor is haunted. The house is a cross between a haunted labyrinth and a fun house with monsters and danger around each corner. The script is epic in scope and very ambitious. House of Forbidden Secrets, at it's core, is a unique tale about past sins coming back to destroy us, purgatory and religion that helps make this film a truly terrifying delight. The music, atmosphere and direction combine to d=create a film that I found quite entertaining and pretty incredible considering it's low budget.
This movie has not been released on DVD or BluRay yet, so I find it very odd that 14 people gave it a "1" rating from overseas and I have seen a few really nasty reviews on here and I can honestly say that they are bogus. It is obviously done by trolls who have never seen the film. They did the same thing to a few of my other favorites, Doghouse, Attack of the Werewolves and Housebound. These films all got bad ratings before they were ever released. I wish IMDb could do something about nasty trolls. It is obvious they are only trying to hurt the rating of this film.
Dreaming Purple Neon (2016)
A truly fun, energetic popcorn film of the highest derivation!
I was invited to the ACME Theater to watch the film Dreaming Purple Neon, not really knowing what to expect. When I entered the crowded lobby, I was surprised to meet the director, Todd Sheets and some members of the cast and crew who were in attendance. This was just one of many serendipitous events that unfolded during the screening. First was the touching introduction to the film from the Director. It was informative and heartfelt and really helped put the film in perspective for me. The next pleasant surprise was the film itself.
Dreaming Purple Neon is a Horror film that could have existed in the 80s, maybe even the 70's. It truly brings back a feeling of that era, when I would go to the old video stores and search row after row of incredible artwork adorning big, over-sized video boxes. The movies would rarely live up to the images on those boxes when I would rush home to watch them. Dreaming Purple Neon actually does. In fact, it actually lives up to what my imagination would conjure in those fun VHS days. It's hard not to wonder why you never see horror movies like this anymore with crazy practical effects and the "anything goes" storyline. But don't mistake the nostalgia for a lack of originality. This film is like nothing I have ever watched before. It's so relentlessly shocking, gory, nasty and over the top that it's a hilarious, wild and fun good time, and that's what these '80s horror movies were best at. Blood splashing and splattering in every direction. There is also some relevant underlying themes about the dangers of drug addiction, and there are some surprising scenes with characters that I actually cared about. That's just the kind of movie this is: there are absolutely no limits, and anything can happen at any time. It's far from boring like many modern exploitation movies, and it has just the right combination of complex story and entertaining kills to make for perfect Friday night viewing with friends.
Dreaming Purple Neon is catnip for die-hard horror fans, and the 1980s style soundtrack and detail to Horrors of the past, the homages and in jokes, ad to the fun considerably. Seriously, I found myself wanting to raise a fist and make the "devil horns" while screaming HELL YEAH!!! It is a depraved, decidedly trashy, and rather stylish fright fest that oozes with style, incredible effects and true touches of micro-budget brilliance. Director Todd Sheets seems to be channeling Lamberto Bava's film DEMONS, HG Lewis, A bit of John Waters, the lighting of an old Argento film, a bit of Fulci's dream-like style and a bit of Evil Dead. Throw into a huge horror blender and you'll have a slight idea where this film takes you. The very low budget that the film was created with makes all of this even more shocking. It is simply unreal what they did on so little money. In his introductions, Director Sheets let us all in on his budget. Let's just say, it is lower than I could have ever imagined.
Not for the faint of heart and is sure to shock and surprise many viewers, the story, atmosphere and great gory effects create a splatter movie with grace, full of heart and passion. A trashy yet irresistible allure pulls you into the film from the first frame to the last. It takes you on a true journey into places that stick in your head long after the really fun end credits roll. And stay for the end, more surprises wait.