Reviews

Presented as a documentary film, "Late Night with the Devil" focuses on Jack Delroy, an ambitious talkshow host who, after the death of his wife and a career downswing, attempts to revive his late-night show "Night Owls" with a Halloween 1977 special profiling the supernatural, particularly a young girl who is purportedly possessed. The unedited broadcast footage follows. Naturally, things do not go well.

While "Late Night with the Devil" is largely made up of ingredients that genre fans are all too familiar with, the presentation here is really what makes the film tick--and that it does. The screenplay is an intelligent mashup of "The Exorcist" and "Ghostwatch" with a bit of the cutthroat TV careerist themes found in something like Sidney Lumet's "Network". It succeeds greatly at capturing the '70s kitschy late-night talkshow stylistics, furnishings, and general presentation. In moments, the set and cinematography resembles something akin to "The Dick Cavett Show". On a purely aesthetic level, the filmmakers really managed to capture the hazy, nostalgic fever dream feel of so many of the variety shows of that era.

Plot-wise, it is further fleshed out by B-roll footage of the host, guests, and crew as they interact during commercial breaks. While at first I worried these breaks would detract from the live broadcast footage that makes up the bulk of the film, I can see why they were necessary in terms of actually making the plot function. The screenplay manages to build sufficient intrigue over the course of the show, as the origins of the possessed girl and the background of the host reach high occult peaks.

In the vein of "Ghostwatch", things go truly bonkers in the last act, but the cast hold it all together nicely. David Dastmalchian is pitch perfect as the ambitious and appropriately hokey Delroy, and the supporting cast all hit their notes as they attempt to keep the show going despite mounting supernatural occurrences and chaos. The film explodes into a hallucinogenic finale that could nearly derail the understated buildup, but it comes out strong in the end in the sense that it leaves you pondering.

While the gimmick of "Late Night with the Devil" is going to be the main draw for most, the film has more than enough spectacle, atmosphere, and a layered plot to help it rise above mere flimsy artifice. I envision it will have a long life playing on home televisions at many Halloween parties in the years to come. 8/10.

"Immaculate" follows Cecilia, an American nun (Sydney Sweeney) who is relocated to a remote Italian convent after her Michigan parish closes its doors. She is met with skepticism by some of her sisters in Christ, and acceptance from others, but her divisive ingratiation into the convent is deepened when it is discovered she has apparently conceived a child through immaculate conception.

This Catholic horror offering gets a number of things right, mainly in terms of atmosphere and visuals. The convent locale is lush and hauntingly beautiful, showcased via some impressive cinematography. Despite a plot that in all truth has the comportment of a B-movie, the visual flair here rises above the film's pulpier nunsploitation elements. The performances also help elevate the material, with Sweeney making for a likable lead, and the supporting cast of actors portraying her fellow nuns and clergy giving respectable performances.

The plotting of the film is deliberate and the pace quite swift, perhaps at times too much so for its own good. What the film is lacking is a strong connective tissue, particularly in terms of fleshing out the background of the lead character and several key characters in the convent. There is some background lightly eked out in dialogue, but it at times feels stilted; furthermore, the somewhat abrupt transitions between the trimesters of Cecilia's pregnancy left something to be desired.

These issues aside, "Immaculate" succeeds greatly at keeping the audience guessing, and there are a number of effective scares incorporated. The film smartly toes the line between a supernatural horror flick and a straight-up thriller, and succeeds in not revealing its cards too soon. When the plot eventually fully shows itself for what it is in the final act, the pacing goes into a bloody fever pitch that really demands attention.

Overall, "Immaculate" is a formidable if not imperfect entry into the canon of Catholic horror and nunsploitation films. While it may not be as diabolical as something like "Alucarda" or as extravagant as "The Devils", it is no less a reasonably smart and effective horror film that has enough surprises to warrant viewing from the most hardened nunsploitation devotees. 7/10.

"The Boogens" focuses on two young mine surveyors in a Colorado town who release a horde of otherworldly monsters from a long-shuttered silver mine. After the arrival of the men's two girlfriends, the group find themselves under siege in their rural cabin by these bloodthirsty creatures.

While the garish (albeit nicely done) poster artwork for "The Boogens" may lead one to imagine the film to be a hokey, tongue-in-cheek monster flick, I was surprised to find this film to be much more of a mood piece than an outright creature feature. The reason for this is that the film is extremely restrained and subtle for the first two-thirds; the "boogens" themselves are never actually shown, aside from a glimpse of a tendril. The film also has a homegrown feel to it with rustic snowbound locations (it was shot on location in Utah) that lend it a chilly and memorable atmosphere, and an elegant and surprisingly ominous musical score only adds to its aura.

For all intents and purposes, "The Boogens" plays like a suspense mystery until its final act, when the creatures rear their ugly heads and finally start engaging in bloodshed. While the wait may be too much for those who want swift gratification, I personally felt that this kept the film more engaging. The creature design we do see in the finale is admittedly hokey, but the special effects overall are nicely executed, especially given the time period and budget restraints. Genre favorites Rebecca Balding ("The Silent Scream") and Anne-Marie Martin ("Prom Night") feature here as the two female leads, with Fred McCarren and Jeff Harlan as their respective male counterparts.

All in all, I enjoyed "The Boogens" much more than I ever expected to, and I think it is precisely because it doesn't operate like most other films in its subgenre. In some ways, it is more of a suspense horror flick disguised as a monster movie, emphasizing mood and tone long before it shows all of its cards. As someone who loves the horror genre but is not a fan of monster movies, "The Boogens" wins my graces. 8/10.

"Psychic Killer" focuses on Arnold, a prison inmate wrongly convicted of killing his mother's doctor after he refuses to perform life-saving surgery on her because she has no medical insurance. When Arnold is ultimately vindicated, he sets forth on a killing spree using astral projection to keep him physically disconnected from the crimes.

This oddball mid-'70s effort predates the more popular Australian film "Patrick", which has a similar premise, and is actually a rather effective albeit strange mixture of science fiction and horror. Visually, the film has the look of a number of low-budget movies of this era, particularly those set and shot in Los Angeles--it at times almost has the feel of a made-for-television affair, except it is more violent and generally more scandalous.

The film boasts a somewhat distinguished cast, with Jim Hutton leading as the protagonist, with Neville Brand, Nehemiah Persoff, Julie Adams, and Aldo Ray appearing in supporting parts. Adding to the appeal here is the series of death sequences perpetrated psychically by Arnold, which, as others have noted, possess a "Final Destination"-esque quality to them (there is one particular protracted sequence featuring a crane and a large stone block that is almost comic). There is also a number of black-and-white flashback sequences featured that are undercut with an unnerving score that are unexpectedly eerie.

All in all, one has to take "Psychic Killer" as it is: A low-budget effort that is imaginative and mindlessly entertaining. Arnold's motives for revenge lend the film a bit of pathos that makes him a sympathetic character, which add a unique flavor to the film as a whole. 7/10.

"Fatal Games" focuses on students at a sports academy who are training for a Nationals competition to become Olympic hopefuls. Unfortunately, someone is intent on dispatching them all with a javelin before they can make it.

This little-seen slasher from the mid-1980s is just about repetitive as it is charming. The film has an off-kilter sensibility almost from the very start, stemming from its hokey theme song. What ensues is a repetitious rinse-and-repeat of teenagers getting butchered in the halls of their sports academy after-hours.

While there is little connective tissue between the murder sequences to keep the proceeds particularly engaging, "Fatal Games" is wonky enough to be memorable and reasonably entertaining. The gritty cinematography and wide shots (the film tends to rarely use close-ups) give it a cheap-ish feel redolent of a number of films of its ilk.

Though its murder sequences tend to be repetitive, there are a handful of spooky shots of the cloaked killer (or their shadow) that are effective and ominous. Sally Kirkland appears here as a lead sports coach, while Nicholas Love (perhaps remembered by some genre fans for his role in "The Boogeyman") appears in a minor supporting part as a javelin player.

All in all, "Fatal Games" is a rote slasher offering that, despite its very visible flaws, is still enjoyable as both a relic of the '80s low-budget slasher market, as well as the sports culture of the period. Worth watching for genre fans who have a taste for the less refined. 7/10.

"Night of Fear" focuses on a young woman who is tormented by a psychotic backwoods hermit after crashing her car in a remote area. This early Australian horror film (some cite it as possibly the first) in many ways resembles something like "The Texas Chain Saw Massacre" which came the following year, albeit a more insular and shorter version.

Originally intended as a TV pilot, the film is not even an hour in length, but the threadbareness of its plot perhaps makes the proceedings more effective because of it. It also contains no spoken dialogue, but is riveting none the less. The two cast members give solid performances as predator and prey, and the film is accentuated by dark, dingy cinematography and atmospheric locations.

While optically it may not appear as such by today's standards, there is an argument to be made that "Night of Fear" was one of a number of progenitors of backwoods slasher movies, albeit a lesser-known offering from down under. It is certainly worth viewing for fans of this subgenre of horror. At 54 minutes, it manages to engage and offer a number of macabre set pieces and other surprises that are more than worth the price of admission. 9/10.

Based on Alasdair Gray's novel of the same name, "Poor Things" focuses on Bella Baxter (Emma Stone), a Victorian-era woman resurrected by an experimental doctor (Willem Defoe) through a macabre series of circumstances. Bella, who knows the doctor merely as "God", begins to regain her physical faculties and psychologically develop, and seeks to explore the outside world with varied outcomes.

Stone reunites with Yorgos Lanthimos here after their stellar collaboration in "The Favourite", and the result is impressive for a number of reasons. The "Frankenstein"-esque plot of the film is shot through with a mean streak of eccentric (and at times quite dark) humor that mostly hinges on Bella's developing grasp on language and social norms. In the beginning, as she is introduced to God's protege, Max McCandles (Ramy Youssef), Bella is infantile in demeanor and coordination, but as she "grows" so to speak, her clunky use of English creates a number of hilarious lines that Stone delivers impeccably. As she is taken under the wing of a selfish and corrupt attorney (Mark Ruffalo) and becomes his lover, the character is springboarded into a number of adventures that have a "Gulliver's Travels" sort of nature about them.

Of course none of this would work well if the screenplay were weak, but the writing and dialogue here is whipsmart and witty. As it progresses, Bella's perverse origins come further into focus, and she begins to analyze humanity and the cultural customs around her through an at-times painfully objective lens. It goes without saying that Stone carries the film on her shoulders, but Ruffalo, Defoe, and Youssef also give uniformly strong performances and lend these characters a robustness that matches that of the lively, guileless Bella.

Visually, the film is sublime: It appropriately begins in gothic black-and-white and utilizes fisheye lenses and a number of other period visual flairs before it shifts into full color, where the surreal Victorian-meets-futurism locales feel both ancient and almost Disney-like. While the thematic content here is dark in nature, "Poor Things" is probably Lathimos's most charming work to date--and I'm not sure I can really think of anything about it that I did not like, which rarely happens. 10/10.

"Benny's Video" focuses on a maladjusted teenager who is obsessed with technology, particularly video recording and television. He is largely ignored by his upper-class parents who feed his obsession by arming him with the latest and greatest technology, until mom and dad are forced to confront a shocking act of violence he commits.

For anyone who knows Michael Haneke's filmography even on a tertiary level, they will be aware of his bleak depictions of society and frank, unembellished representations of human depravity. This earlier work from the director has his trademarks all over it, and is bolstered by strong performances from Arno Frisch as the disturbed Benny, with Angela Winkler and Ulrich Mühe giving disturbing and calculated performances as his emotionally detached parents.

While the film gets off to a rather startling beginning, some will find the midsection and conclusion to be a bit slow; although they may be correct in pointing out slight pacing issues, the latter part of the film allows the character dynamics between parent and child (and parent and parent) to be expanded upon, and what is perhaps most shocking about it is that the audience grows to develop some sympathy for Benny despite his sociopathy; his parents, less so. There is also a notable contemplation of technology and its function in society that underpins the screenplay.

All in all, "Benny's Video" is an effective, disturbing film that speaks more to the brokenness of the family unit than it does of the malignant outcomes that may arise from it. Certainly not for the lighthearted, but it offers a drab and uncompromising window into the dark. 8/10.

"Eileen" focuses on the titular lead character (Thomasin McKenzie), a young woman in 1960s Massachusetts. Her life is less than ideal: she is sexually repressed, professionally stifled in her job as an administrative worker in a young men's prison, and has to deal with her widowed and neurotic alcoholic father (Shea Whigham) at home. Eileen's downbeat existence is upheaved, however, by the arrival of Rebecca (Anne Hathaway), a glamorous and charismatic psychiatrist who is hired at the prison. The two women's encounters with one another eventually lead down a dark path.

Based on the novel of the same name by Ottessa Moshfegh (who co-wrote the screenplay), "Eileen" is immediately striking simply on a visual level, as every frame of it is steeped in atmosphere. The film is bathed in a wave of rusty sepias and cool blues, the only real color popping up in the form of Christmas lights or Thomasin Mackenzie's bright red lipstick. The time period and place in which it is set (1960s New England) is also demonstrated impeccably. This works greatly to the film's advantage, given that its narrative arc is quite sparsely drawn (and I don't mean that as a demerit)--simply that the story is lean and succinct.

The first two acts largely work to establish Eileen's loneliness and depressing interpersonal dynamics with her father, with Hathaway's character jutting in and unknowingly shaking up Eileen's humdrum routine. It is at times difficult to discern where the story is exactly going; there are hints of a budding lesbian love affair, though the character perspectives and their foggy motives more or less put the brakes on this avenue (at least for one of them). There is a dark twist in the last act that feels somewhat arbitrary, though it functions in terms of driving the timid Eileen to take drastic actions for once in her life (for better or for worse). If nothing else, the climax of the film is disturbing.

While I feel that the film comes across as slightly irresolute in terms of character motives and their relationship to the events that transpire in the climax, what makes it all ultimately work is the well-written dialogue paired with McKenzie and Hathaway's performances. McKenzie excels in her portrayal of the emotionally downtrodden protagonist, while Hathaway goes full-throttle (bordering on camp) as the Harvard-educated, freewheeling Rebecca, a woman with her own unnamed demons. Shea Whigham also gives a memorable performance as Eileen's alcoholic ex-cop father.

While I think the screenplay leaves behind a few loose ends in the wake of arbitrary events and decisions, I suppose it is also worth noting that these loose ends, arbitrary events, and decisions are also sometimes demonstrative of life itself. The film effectively depicts just how the chemistry between two humans can quickly spiral into a grim and dangerous place, with neither party foreseeing it. The fact that it is visually stunning and robustly acted make it worth viewing. 8/10.

"Lips of Blood" follows Frederic, a man who is haunted by visions (or memories?) of encountering a mysterious woman during his childhood near the ruins of a seaside chateau. These visions are spurred when he sees a photograph of a landscape that resembles the site of the ruins. He begins to delve into his family's past to discern the origins of these powerful recollections, in particular with the assistance of his evasive mother.

While I appreciate many of Jean Rollin's films, I admit that they are not all particularly suited to my taste; I had long though "Fascination" was my favorite film of his, that is until I saw "Lips of Blood". Rollin himself often referred to this as his most personal work, and it's easy to see how. The story is steeped in repressed memories and how we deal with the past and events from childhood, and it is telegraphed like a classic gothic horror story.

Like most all of Rollin's work, "Lips of Blood" is indeed mysterious, but there is a narrative through-line and a tangible protagonist, which makes the events depicted somewhat more straightforward and easier to grasp than some of the director's more surreal work. Atmosphere is the name of Rollin's game, though, and "Lips of Blood" still has that in spades. Its final sequence, be it symbolic or not, etches into your memory.

Although many (myself included at one time) might recommend "Fascination" as a starting point for Rollin's filmography, I now tend to think that "Lips of Blood" may instead be his most accessible (and most powerful) film. It is certainly one of his more subtle works, but no less a dreamy and potent portrait of past colliding with present. 9/10.

"Night of the Comet" follows two sisters in the San Fernando Valley who are faced with being among the few survivors of the apocalypse. Naturally, they seize this opportunity to visit the local mall, but a rash of zombie beings puts a damper on the plans.

This beloved apocalyptic horror flick is frankly more of a black comedy than it is outright horror, though it manages to straddle genre lines quite gracefully, remaining extremely quirky none the less.

What makes "Night of the Comet" such a fun watch is that it doesn't take itself seriously. The incredulous lead characters are lovable despite their flaws, and the events are handled in such a way that, though the stakes are high, a sense of adventure and humor manages to run through it all. Visually, the film is a time capsule of mid-'80s Los Angeles, and the barren streets and practical special effects are nicely done for a low-budget film.

All in all, "Night of the Comet" is a palatable sci-fi film that plays nicely for people who may not necessarily be sci-fi fans. While many films that blend genres like it does tend to come out feeling unbalanced, "Night of the Comet" somehow manages to fire on multiple cylinders without ever feeling too entrenched in one genre mode. 7/10.

In the fashion of 1980s and late '90s slasher films, "Thanksgiving" focuses on a group of teenagers who are stalked and slashed by a pilgrim-masked murderer in Plymouth, Massachusetts, one year after a Black Friday shopping tragedy occurs.

As someone who saw "Grindhouse" in the theater back in 2007 and loved Eli Roth's mock concept trailer for "Thanksgiving", I was among many fans who long-anticipated a proper feature film adaptation. Where the 2007 mock trailer leaned heavily on early '80s grindhouse aesthetics, this film more takes on the shape of a robust post-"Scream" '90s slasher film in that it is fast-paced, gory, and has a streak of cynical black humor running through it. It also updates the '80s slasher template for contemporary teenagers, folding social media into its screenplay as a plot device which surprisingly doesn't feel terribly shoehorned.

Admittedly, "Thanksgiving" is entertaining. However, the film is conceptually by-the-books and falters in some of its own trite dialogue and exposition; at times, it borders on mechanical in feel. It also suffers from a clunky last act that fumbles the film's momentum. Still, when the film gets it right, particularly in some of its audacious murder sequences and classic scare set-ups, it is recklessly fun. There is a large cast here of young actors who handle the material well enough, with a number of screen veterans appearing in supporting roles to varying degrees, namely Patrick Dempsey, Gina Gershon, and even "Black Christmas"'s Lynne Griffin in a blink-or-you'll-miss-it part.

All in all, "Thanksgiving" is worth viewing for fans who prefer slashers that don't take themselves too seriously. In many ways, the film plays like a late '90s "I Know What You Did Last Summer"-esque revenge tale, both in its narrative construction and the ways in which it leans into its own outlandishness. Riveting it is not, but it is no less a tasteless and bloody meal of a film. 7/10.

The second Michael Curtiz vehicle to feature Fay Wray and Lionel Atwill (after "Doctor X"), "The Mystery of the Wax Museum" focuses on a disturbed wax sculptor (Atwill) attempting to rebuild his former wax figure museum which was lost in a fire. In the process, he becomes obsessed with a young woman (Wray) who resembles the beloved Marie Antoinette figure he lost; meanwhile, a series of murders begin to occur.

Perhaps best known as the progenitor of the Vincent Price feature "House of Wax" (and the 2006 reimagining of that film), "The Mystery of the Wax Museum" boasts intoxicating (and occasionally perturbing) visuals. More than that, it is also a well-telegraphed exploration of a desperate, mad genius confined by physical injury, and functions nicely as a demented psychological portrait as result.

Shot in two-tone color, the film is classy and nicely shot, at times bordering on the surreal, and the urban, art deco New York City setting serves as a sharp but welcome contrast to the film's opening sequence in London. Atwill is appropriately meaning and nervy here, while Wray is luminescent; Glenda Farrell plays her brash and wisecracking roommate, which brings some zest to the proceedings. All in all, "The Mystery of the Wax Museum" is a thoroughly well-crafted and under-appreciated entry in pre-code cinema, particularly as far as horror/psychological thrillers are concerned. There is a timelessness about it that makes it feel surprisingly fresh, nearly a century on. 9/10.

"Silent Fall" focuses on a psychologist (Richard Dreyfuss) attempting to unravel the double murder of a husband and a wife. Their young, nonverbal autistic son is the only potential witness.

This sometimes clunky psychological thriller is relayed in the way of a number of mid-'90s thrillers, but to often lesser effect. The script suffers from unrealistic, talky dialogue, and the plot is fairly routine, even for the era in which it was made. While these lesser elements do detract from what the film could have been, it does benefit from a significant lush, chilly autumn atmosphere, and the Halloweentime atmosphere is laid on thick.

The performances here range from serviceable to middling at best, though it is at times difficult to discern whether or not the script is at fault. Dreyfuss handles the material the best he can, while Linda Hamilton unfortunately comes across as wooden and unbelievable. Liv Tyler, in her screen debut here as the autistic boy's protective older sister, gives a decent performance for an inexperienced actress.

The film's final reveal is grotesque if not particularly shocking, but serves as a fitting conclusion to the proceedings. All in all, "Silent Fall" is a middling (at best) psychological thriller. It suffers from a clunky screenplay and trite dialogue, though it is worth viewing for its stark autumnal atmosphere and cinematography. A visual treat; a narrative, perhaps not so much. 6/10.

This 1977 low-budgeter follows a dysfunctional family residing on an Arizona movie ranch/former mission, who have apparently befallen to a curse placed by a Native American woman accused of witchcraft a century prior.

"Haunted" begins in good grindhouse fashion with an inter title prologue and a topless Native American woman being forced to ride a horse into the desert to die. Fast forward a century later, and the mission from which she was ousted is now a movie ranch being renovated by two brothers; their uncle (Aldo Ray) also resides there, along with their widowed blind mother (Virginia Mayo). The arrival of a young woman, Jennifer--who may or may not be the Native American woman, reincarnated--disrupts the already muddied familial waters.

While there is little by way of logic or followthrough here a far as narrative is concerned, "Haunted" at least succeeds for its propensity for the surreal. Completely bizarre elements, such as a phone booth being installed in a cemetery at the ranch, appear in the film with little to no explanation, and their function as plot devices seems shaky and utterly random. The plot itself predates something like the Salem witch trials-inspired "The Devonsville Terror" in that it focuses on an alleged witch returning a century later to avenge her death, but "Haunted" is much less cohesive and much weirder.

There is some great desert cinematography here, and the film is extremely atmospheric. It is all punctuated by a cheapie folk music soundtrack which was written and recorded for the film, and actually released on vinyl(!) The cast here range from inept to serviceable. Aldo Ray is at his most disheveled, while Virginia Mayo leans heavily into a soapy, melodramatic portrayal of the blind mother whose supernatural ravings may not actually be delusion. Brad Rearden, who some genre fans may recognize from "The Silent Scream," portrays the younger of the two brothers.

All in all, "Haunted" is a reasonably amusing oddity whose entertainment value mainly derives from the slipshod production and sheer strangeness that tends to come from B-grade fly-by-the-seat filmmaking of this era. It is certainly the only film I've ever seen in which spirits contact the living via a cemetery phone booth on a movie ranch--and for that, it's at least something. 6/10.

Set on an island during a stormy night, "The Cat Creeps" focuses on several disparate characters who have convened (for different reasons) at the estate of an elderly woman who inexplicably dies alone in a room with her black cat. A series of twists and turns ensue.

This low-budget and largely forgotten Universal Studios film is a fairly routine offering; it plays as an old-school murder mystery in the mode of something like "The Cat and the Canary", though perhaps less impactful.

The budgetary restrictions show here to some degree, as the film has the look and feel of a B-picture (think RKO's Val Lawton films), though it is considerably atmospheric and well-shot. The film packs a series of twists in its brisk running time, and while not overtly thrilling, it is no less a respectably entertaining curio, and an offbeat (and under-seen) release in Universal's large and legendary catalogue of films. 7/10.

"Ghoulies" focuses on young couple Jonathan and Rebecca (Peter Lapis and Lisa Pelikan) who inherit a sprawling but dilapidating Mission Revival-style mansion in the Hollywood hills from Jonathan's deceased father, a warlock who intended to sacrifice his own son. Soon after, Jonathan himself begins dabbling in the dark arts, unleashing a whole host of demons on the property.

This film has always held a special place for me, as I saw it at an impressionable age and was frightened by the supernatural elements and black magic (less so the rubbery creatures that abound). Revisiting it years later, I was pleasantly surprised to find that "Ghoulies" holds up much better than I might have expected. Is it silly? Yes. Dated? You bet. But this slick production gets a lot more right than it does wrong. The cinematography is top-notch, the locations are atmospheric, and the pacing moves rapidly (the film is only around 80 minutes long). It also features a solid cast, with a number of genre regulars appearing (Jack Nance and Ralph Seymour, among others).

Above all, though, what is easy to appreciate about "Ghoulies" is that it is simply quirky. While it has dark elements at play, it is a playful and often funny horror movie, which can be easily discerned from its poster artwork, featuring a green fanged creature emerging from a toilet. While not a genre masterpiece, "Ghoulies" stands no less as a breakneck '80s supernatural horror comedy--the perfect viewing for a Halloween party. 7/10.

"Night Terror" follows a mother (Valerie Harper) who is forced to make an emergency night drive from Phoenix back to Denver after her son is injured there. En route, she witnesses a psychopath murder a police officer, and is pursued through a night of pure hell.

This road thriller has all the hallmarks of a solid television suspense flick, with "Mary Tyler Moore Show" star Valerie Harper (starring in an atypical role), a dusty desert setting (which many of these films seem to share, as they were shot in California--"Dying Room Only" comes to mind), and a premise that has the potential to be high-octane.

The film starts off strong, with a forlorn atmosphere as Harper's character embarks on her journey. She attempts to purchase gasoline, but the attendants have shut off the pumps just before midnight, leaving her in a conundrum. Her lack of fuel of course becomes seriously troubling once she's crossed paths with a killer.

The film propels Harper's character through a series of incidents as she plays a cat-and-mouse game with her assailant, and it's during the midsection that the film starts to feel a bit clunky, culminating in a fitting albeit not particularly thrilling finale. No less, Harper possesses a down-to-earth realism here, and Richard Romanus is effective as the voiceless assailant hot on her heels.

All in all, "Night Terror" is a decent suspense thriller that is exemplary of the period in which it was made. It is a straightforward, no-frills TV movie of the week that, despite some clunky pacing in its midsection, has just enough atmosphere and a handful of suspenseful situations that make it worth viewing. 6/10.

"Victims!" follows two psychopaths who go on a killing spree in Los Angeles before accosting a group of female campers in the San Gabriel Mountains and turning their excursion into a nightmare.

This extremely obscure no-budget slasher film from 1985 would likely have been lost to the sands of time had Slasher Video/Olive Films not resurrected it on DVD and Blu-ray several years ago (albeit in a dismal-quality print ripped from VHS, apparently the best elements that could be found). "Victims!" begins in a slapdash manner, with a montage of disparate arbitrary murder sequences that occur one after the other with no context. Almost immediately, the film gives the sense that it was cobbled together in a fairly thoughtless manner, and, well--that's because I'm sure it was.

The film does begin to come together to some degree as it progresses, following the women's abductions and torture at the hands of the two villains. While it's difficult to comment on the artistic merit of its visuals given that the source materials here are so lo-fi, it can be said that the film does have a nasty blunt edge to it, and the sequences wash over you in a way that renders the whole thing feeling like a hazy bad dream.

While there is little to base an argument on that "Victims!" is a good film, fans of Z-grade obscure horror will find this to be a semi-interesting curio. The only way I can describe it is if Doris Wishman had directed "Last House on the Left," and if you know what I mean by that, then this movie is for you. 6/10.

"The Outwaters" follows a group of hip thirty-somethings who venture into the Mojave Desert to film a music video for one of them, who is a singer. To put it mildly, things don't go as planned.

This highly-touted independent found footage effort by first-time director/writer/actor Robbie Banfitch is one that had been on my radar since its first release. The highly polarizing reviews piqued my interest even further, but, after having seen it, I find myself favoring the elements of the film that others have cited as failures.

Taking heavy cues from "The Blair Witch Project", the film has a languorous buildup that seems to be a main point of criticism from the film's detractors. This is actually the portion of the film I found the most effective, even though there is little in the way of action. The first hour consists of snippets into the characters' lives, family dynamics, and an eventual travelogue as they make their way into the desert; these sequences have an immediacy to them that draws you in, and keeps you perfectly on a precipice--you know something bad is going to happen, but the threat looms quietly under the sun-drenched landscape. At times, there is an almost "Picnic at Hanging Rock" sensibility to the proceedings. The tone is overwhelmingly ominous.

Things ramp up as the campers find themselves hearing strange explosive noises surrounding their campsite one night, after which all hell breaks loose--and unfortunately, it is at this vital point where the action kicks in that I found the film takes a nosedive. After this, "The Outwaters" devolves into a repetitive series of vignettes, images, and motifs that are suggestive but feel strangely hollow. There are a few occasional haunting images here, but the art installation-esque visuals and sound design don't amount to much on a narrative level. As a purely sensory experience, it still runs thin with time.

The film ends on a horrifically gruesome note, but even the disturbing final moments of the film function as an inadequate bookend to its bombastic and meandering second half. Where "The Outwaters" succeeds best is its establishing sequences, which boast an intoxicating sense of threat and deliriousness. Unfortunately, once the lights start to flash and the viscera start to shred, the film implodes. 5/10.

"Terror at Tenkiller" focuses on two young college coeds, Leslie and Janna, who go to spend the summer at Oklahoma's Tenkiller Lake, where Leslie hopes to avoid her controlling and abusive boyfriend, Josh. The two women are unaware that a series of violent murders are occurring at the lake.

I am not going to try to argue that "Terror at Tenkiller" is an objectively good film, because there are a multitude of things wrong with it (acting, story, lack of suspense), but I personally found this little-seen regional effort highly enjoyable and unexpectedly strange. It is true that there is really no suspense to speak of, nor is there really any mystery (at least traditionally speaking) in terms of the identity of the villain--it is also hardly a slasher film. The acting suffers more often than not, possibly because all of the dialogue had to be dubbed in post-production, and the dialogue itself often comes across as stilted and wooden.

That being said, "Terror at Tenkiller" manages to function wonderfully as a weird and indelible fever dream of a film. It is the type of movie whose technical shortcomings and fundamental quirks manage to collide in such a way that the end result is far more transfixing than it has any right to be. The languid pacing, lush but rustic lake locations, and memorable synthesizer score all add up to something here, though it's difficult to put your finger on what exactly that "something" is. There are a number of surreal dream sequences in the film that are actually quite eerie, largely owing to clever editing and photography, and some of the special gore effects are surprisingly effective (particularly those in the opening sequence).

It is in the last thirty minutes or so that "Terror at Tenkiller" manages to ramp up into a short-lived slasher mode, which for some will be too little, too late. There is also a strange suggestion the film makes in its final moments, which leaves you questioning whether or not there could be a supernatural bent at play here. This, among many other things, will put off some viewers. However, for fans of weird cinema, "Terror at Tenkiller" stands as an uncanny time capsule of 1980s ephemera; elements such as the old lake house, the rustic diner with Coors ashtrays, and the period swimsuit lycra all lend the film a sense of nostalgia teetering on "lost in time." RiffTrax be damned, I think this film deserves a tad more respect, even if its strengths are pure accidents. 8/10.

"Killer Workout" focuses on an exercise club (Olivia Newton-John-style) in Los Angeles run by Rhonda Johnson. It's all the rage, except that a psycho killer with a giant safety pin is killing off staff and clientele.

While some have dubbed this one of the worst films they've ever seen, the truth is that "Killer Workout" (also known as "Aerob-icide") is not actually that bad as far as B-grade late-'80s horror goes. It is not particularly throttling to the senses, at least not unless ample montages of svelte women in lycra doing aerobics is a thrill. However, this film works mainly because it is just plain fun--rather stupid, sure, but enjoyable nonsense.

There are a few moody moments here and a bit of gore, but most of the film is undercut with a number of low-rent '80s tracks that add to the film's nostalgic charm. The performances are middling across the board, but in a film of this type, those who are giving it a view are likely to expect it.

All in all, "Killer Workout" is unrepentant, frivolous fun. It is pretty standard fare as far as slasher films go, and it probably serves better as a time capsule of late-'80s Los Angeles fitness culture (with a little bit of blood and a corpse or two). Don't expect a masterwork, but "Killer Workout" delivers as a nostalgic, absurd slasher romp. 7/10.

"Talk to Me" follows a group of Adelaide teenagers who wind up in a supernatural vortex after playing a seance-adjacent party game; one that involves communicating with spirits via a mysterious ceramic-encased hand that allegedly belonged to a medium. Bad things happen, of course.

This Australian effort is a slick and engrossing horror film from the Philippous (better known as RackaRacka), a pair of twin brother YouTubers who gained fame for their stunt and hijinx videos, but make no bones about it--both of them clearly know the genre, and perhaps more importantly, possess the skill to craft a feature that runs a slow, dread-inducing descent.

The setup here is arbitrary at best, and takes heavy notes from films like "The Evil Dead" and "The Exorcist", but it uses its references wisely while still offering something different and gripping. The central protagonist, Mia, has a grim backstory that drives her interest in partaking in this paranormal parlor trick, to her own detriment. Her best friend, Jade, and Jade's younger brother, Riley, become enveloped in the mayhem that ensues after, leaving utter devastation in its wake.

Unlike in a number of horror films, "Talk to Me" treats its teenage characters with a sense of realism rather than sketching them as pure archetypes, and its approach to the theme of grief never fully overrides the paranormal threat lurking at the center of the story. The performances here are uniformly commendable from all involved, especially from Sophie Wilde, Alexandra Jensen, Joe Bird, and Miranda Otto.

Perhaps more than anything, though, "Talk to Me" succeeds because it is smartly plotted and maintains a constant sense of dread that is unshakeable. Even amidst its most unbelievable and oddball elements, there is just enough human gravitas to keep you entrenched in a state where it seems anything could happen--and probably for the worst. 8/10.

"Dark Sanity" (also released as "Straight Jacket") follows recovering alcoholic Karen Nichols, who moves into a house in Los Angeles with her husband where a brutal axe murder occurred. Karen, already prone to psychic events, begins to experience a number of disturbing visions.

This little-seen production is about as obscure as obscure can get; virtually nothing is known about anyone involved with it, and all the names associated with it have fallen into complete anonymity other than that of Aldo Ray, who stars as a quirky retired cop who also shares a psychic connection to the protagonist's home. To put it plainly, there is not much about this film that makes sense. Karen's visions ostensibly have a greater meaning, though the house and Ray's character's connection to the murder victim is sketchily drawn to say the least. Karen's alcoholism is played to the hilt only to generate conflict between her and her gruff husband, but the roots of her problems remain unclear. The psychic and premonitory elements are even stranger and come across as arbitrary features that were shoehorned into the screenplay.

From a narrative standpoint, it seems obvious that the filmmakers behind "Dark Sanity" either ran out of money or ideas (or perhaps both), as the film feels like a slipshod effort that was patched together to make a semi-cohesive final product. That being said, all of the relative strangeness that abounds in the film really makes it a treat for anyone who enjoys bad (and surreal) B-horror movies. It is similar in tone to something like "Don't Go Near the Park" in that, despite having a dark subject matter, it aesthetically resembles a family-oriented made-for-TV movie of the era, boasting stark '70s period sets, simplistic camerawork, and a stock musical score that could have just as well been featured in an episode of "The Brady Bunch."

The gaudy late '70s/early '80s Southern California atmosphere lends the film a nice nostalgic flair, and, while I wouldn't say it is an overall well-acted film, there are actually some solid performances here, particularly from Chuck Jamison, who plays Karen's boorish husband. Kory Adams, who portrays the tortured Karen, also offers some realistic moments in a performance that is otherwise often shaky. The experienced Aldo Ray (at this stage in his career, a drunk himself) is actually worse than both, spitting his dialogue out and stumbling over lines.

The film culminates with a giallo-esque attack sequence revealing the black-clad axe killer, in what is one of the most absurd (and abrupt) chase sequences in horror history--it's all good, though, because the truth is, "Dark Sanity" is not much of a horror movie anyway. If anything, it's a psychological chamber drama with some murder mystery thrown in (and some brainscrambling psychic powers). While it is on many levels a veritably bad film, I did find it extremely entertaining and weirdly fascinating. It is one of those obscure genre efforts whose production history is likely more interesting than the film itself. Unfortunately, at least as of the writing of this review, nobody involved with it has come forward, and few people have even seen it; it was released direct-to-video, receiving scant distribution and only occasional TV airings throughout the 1980s. It may one of those instances of films that are truly "lost to history." 7/10.