Horror Movie Reviews

Ed Wood, the worst director of all time; strikes again with this sequel to his "classics" PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE and BRIDE OF THE MONSTER. NIGHT OF THE GHOULS (a.k.a REVENGE OF THE DEAD) has the inimitable Tor Johnson reprising his role as the hulking henchman Lobo; now hideously disfigured following the lab fire at the climax of BOTM. Criswell also narrates the film from the comfort of his coffin: "... a tale so astounding that some of you may faint!"
Once again Wood wears multiple hats as writer, producer and director of another awful but fun "horror" movie.
The story takes place in the small town of Willow Lake, where in the now familiar creepy old house Lugosi's successor, a mad Swami named Dr Acula (Kenne Moore) is raising the dead from their graves- one of which is a man in a cape with a high neck which is supposed to make him appear headless!- and setting them on juvenile delinquents, kids who do nothing worse than rock 'n roll dancing. Enter bumbling police Captain Robbins (John Carpenter- not the director) to try and make sense of and put an end to the madness, once and for all. But inside the house he has to contend with joke shop skeletons which are seated at the dining room table and possessed floating trumpets that play by themselves; as well as taking part in Acula's seance to raise the dead: the conjured spirit turns out to just be a guy covered by a bedsheet! Wood's attempt at a climactic plot twist is just as awful as the rest of the movie... which is good. Right?
What makes Wood's movies so funny is that he always made them with serious intentions, here he tries to tackle "serious" subjects such as the aforementioned delinquency and road deaths, the results of which are (naturally) inept and wholly innocuous. There are also references by characters to BRIDE OF THE MONSTER as well as several shots from that movie being reused- notably the lightning storm. NIGHT OF THE GHOULS went unreleased for 25 years because Wood couldn't afford to pay the printing lab.
DVD extras includea bio and filmography for Wood, as well as trailers for PLAN 9, GLEN OR GLENDA, BRIDE OF THE MONSTER and JAIL BAIT (which I haven't seen yet). A must-have for film buff and fans of bad movies.

Night of the Ghouls, the last film in Ed Wood's horror cycle, (following Bride of the Monster and Plan 9 from Outer Space) borrows elements from both of those films but, while inhabiting a similarly wacked-out world, isn't really a direct sequel to either. Kenne Duncan (struggling to maintain his tough-guy persona while wearing a silly-looking turban) plays Dr. Acula, a phony medium who has set up shop bilking wealthy octogenarians in "the old Willows Lake place where the mad doctor made monsters," a veiled reference to Bride of the Monster. Duke Moore (Plan 9, Sinister Urge) is Lt. Dan Bradford, undercover "spook chaser," investigating reports of mysterious goings-on at the mansion. You know you're watching an Ed Wood movie from the first scene: the clearly identified East Los Angeles police station is shown while Criswell describes the location as "Anytown U.S.A."; cut to the interior of the station where a 'Wanted' poster on the wall displays none other than the director himself. (He also appears in some brief "JD" footage.) Night of the Ghouls is actually somewhat controversial in bad film circles; some rank it as one of Wood's best, while others claim to find it boring. True, it does share a slower pace and relative lack of dizzying incompetence with Jail Bait, Wood's other neglected and similarly maligned 1950s feature. But all the requisite elements of an "Ed Wood movie" are here for the faithful: the florid Criswell narration and convoluted, mind-numbing dialogue; the wildly contrasting acting styles, from complete indifference to rampant scenery-chewing; the lurching, paradoxical continuity and non-sequitur edits; the poverty-stricken sets (darkness stands in for scenery a lot and Dr. Acula's makeup mirror is missing half its bulbs); and Gordon Zahler's cringeworthy stock music cues (also featured in Monstrosity, Astounding She Monster, and Beast of Yucca Flats). On balance, William C. Thompson's cinematography looks terrific, as usual (especially considering the schedule). Wood 'discovery' Valda Hansen emotes strangely as the White Ghost; Paul Marco does his so-unfunny-it's-amusing Kelton the Cop routine; Jeannie Stevens stalks and stares Vampira-like as the completely unexplained Black Ghost; zero-budget producer Anthony (Yucca Flats) Cardoza has a bit part; Wood's chiropodist, Tom Mason (who doubled Lugosi in Plan 9), appears as a Ross Perot-look ghost; and narrator Criswell (looking uncharacteristically rough in the intro) abruptly shows up at the climax, well-scrubbed and spit-curled, as an undead avenger, complete with 'sepulchral' vibra-tone vocal effect. Big Tor (in his third and final outing as "Lobo") sports what is perhaps makeup man Harry Thomas's wildest gross-out creation ever: he's got a creepy white eyeball and the other half of his face and shoulder are a mass of scar tissue (??). Unfortunately he doesn't get that much screen time (apparently Tor walked off the set at least once over money!) Check the scene where Lt. Bradford encounters Acula and Lobo and doesn't even seem to NOTICE the hideously scarred hulking brute standing right next to him! Actually improves with multiple viewings. CAUTION: Enjoyment of Night of the Ghouls is probably proportional with one's appreciation of Wood's previous work. While veteran Wood-heads will find familiar, if perhaps subtler, delights to groove on, I would advise the uninitiated to start with the more notorious films in the Ed Wood canon (Plan 9, Glen or Glenda, Bride of the Monster); first-time Wood viewers may not "get the references," and find Ghouls boring and confusing. To take the whole movie to another level, find a copy of Rudolph Grey's out-of-print Nightmare of Ecstasy, which contains some incredible anecdotes, particularly from Ms. Hansen and assistant director Ronnie Ashcroft (director/producer of Astounding She Monster), several of which concern Kenne Duncan's lecherous on-set behavior.
Presumably the last major release in the Image/Wade Williams "Edward D. Wood, Jr. Library," Night of the Ghouls looks spectacular on DVD. Williams supposedly rescued this film from oblivion by paying Wood's outstanding lab bills in the 1980s, so the elements are virtually pristine. You have to look really hard to see even the occasional speckle, and the brightness, contrast, grayscale, sharpness, and shadow/highlight detail are simply terrific, especially for a movie of its age and pedigree. The main menu is animated and the DD 1.0 mono sound is clear. Since the picture was never released theatrically there is no accompanying trailer, although five of the usual suspects are included in a cookie. Twelve chapter stops are the only other extra, but for hard-core Wood fans this is still essential. Others reread my cautionary statement.

He's back again... clear the stage, dispose of the unwanted groundlings...this sequel to BRIDE OF THE MONSTER (He heh! Bet you didn't think I knowed that!) will hold your attention like nothing else since the last quasi-threatening set of visuo-audio-clues assaulted your otherwise profitably engaged senses.

You'll love the girl's snakey fingers. You'll love the 'Mundo-Mundo' voice coming from the spirit-head that can only smile open-mouthed and wag its thick protruding tongue back and forth during seances. If you like skeletons, you're all set. If you like trumpets/trombones and slide whistles orchestrated from beyond the grave, there is that here also. If you like disfigured, wheezing, bullet-headed monsters, this flick's for you.

If you like 19th century, chestnut-haired, smiling ghostesses, hiding peculiarly in warehousey sorts of attic areas of a house, this is also your film. A comical cop alternately plays coward and brave man, as he battles the co-stars he resents the most: the ones who get to wear their street clothes.

I think you need but little more encouragement. Intuition should have taken over from information by now, and been leading you on to a fuller life, brimmed to the bursting with Ed Wood, Jr., and NIGHT OF THE GHOULS.

May be purchased online, or perhaps surreptitiously at a town some miles away, where nobody knows you. Hair dye and a small disguise might help. A young go-between or intermediary might be useful in your stead for such trips, but it would be best if you had something on him first, so as to compel his cooperation.

"I've never seen anything like it!" -That must be the most said line in the film! To be honest I've never seen anything like it either, well maybe a little like it. Right before Director John "Bud" Carlos teamed with Tobe Hooper for "The Dark" (1979) he blessed the cheezy b horror film genre with this little number from 1977. The story, penned by the writer who gave us "Village of the Giants" (1965) & "Evil Knievel" (1971) as well as the co-writer of a western starring Kenny Rogers!, concerns a small desert farm town being overrun by extremely hungry and ill-tempered tarantulas. William Shatner leads the cast as Rack Hansen, the town vet with a cowboy hat. Woody Strode (Draba from Spartacus) plays local farmer Walter Colby who begins losing his livestock to the horrible poisonous spiders! This one has many alluring elements: Cheese, people being attacked by tarantulas and totally flipping out, country music, thousands of real tarantulas, webs, Shatner not only talking like a cowboy, but also reacting to vicious man-eating spiders like only he could! Actually, he's not as over the top as Captain Kirk, but like Kirk, Rack manages to put moves on a female amidst all the terror! Definitely recommended for fans of Shatner and of "the town is being taken over by..." movies.
The 2002 Goodtimes DVD is impressive for this film. I rented this on VHS at a video store that doesn't exist anymore and no one else has it. Imagine my surprise when I saw it on DVD! The film is presented in a Standard screen version only with chapter selection, not to mention great keep case art - Shatner kneeling over a woman covered in spiders! The DVD is inexpensive as Goodtimes DVDs are and if you like it or even think you will, I can recommend it for purchase. The image transfer isn't perfect (there's the odd jump that's in the orginal film most likely), but face it, its not getting any better than this. We're lucky to have it on digital at all! Check out that last shot when Shatner prys the boards off the window and looks out onto the town! Also recommended: Devil's Rain (1975) - Shatner vs. cloaked devil worshipper Ernest Borgnine! Also a DVD cheapie. Film debut of John Travolta as Danny, the eyeless & mute devil worshipper! Tom Skerrit and Eddie Albert decide to join the fight against evil as well! How can you miss this one Other "they're taking over..." films:
Frogs (1972) - Oh no! the frogs don't like us!, Squirm (1976) - Oh wow! It's worms!, Swarm (1978) - Oh no! I've been stung by killer bees!, Them (1954) - Oh no! those are very large ants Grizzly (1976) - Oh dear lord!, that is one giant bear!
Attack of the killer tomatoes! (1978) - Oh my! fresh veggies!

This probabably deserves a half-star, but within the context of all time stinkers -- I'll give it 4 stars. Shatner is over the top. But you knew that. The opening scene where he ropes a cow, and then his sister-in-law (his brother is dead and something may or may not be budding between the two), sets the stage for howlers to come. Shatner is in full middle-aged TJ Hooker mode, looking vigorous as he can, running, roping, and burning spiders. The real winner in this film is not the spiders -- but the script, which is really (and unintentionally)funny. Shatner tells his (other)lady to sit in the car -- repeatedly, to get the hammer and nails, and of course to eat, also repeatedly. And all after she has made pains to point our her feminist credentials upon her arrival in spiderville. But that was before she met a real man in Captain Kirk (in what must of been his first toupee). In many ways this movie rips off The Birds, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Night of the Living Dead, and no doubt others, but in doing so stakes out stinky turf that is truly its own.

This is campy at it's best.....but sooo worth the watching! I spotted this gem of a DVD in the Halloween section of my local Wal-Mart and just had to have it! I remember watching this one in the late 80s....and it is sooo good for a "cult" flick. The spiders are pretty creepy....and the acting is wwwwwaaaayyyy over the top! I am sure glad to see this one on DVD!

First off this is the movie...I Know What You Did Last Summer [is like],if that gives a clue of what to expect. The plot(not much)is about a sorority that wants to threw a party but their mother of the sorority refuses,so the girls play a prank on the old lady and she suffers a heart attack then comes back killing people with a cane,thats the story in a nutshell. This gives the viewer no surpise of the killers identity,and not only that knowing its a old granny with a cane makes the movie that much worse to watch. Your probably thinking at least there has to be some cool death scenes,well guess again merely just a granny killing with a cane,no gore,just Friday The 13th edits.This DVD also has lots of grain and suffers from poor quality and no extras(REMINDS ME OF PARAMOUNT DVD'S)decent sound considering its mono. UNLESS YOUR A PRE-TEEN AND WANT TO KNOW WHAT MOVIE I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER [STEMS FROM](WHICH ISN'T SAYING MUCH),THEN SKIP THIS MOVIE AND GET THE CLASSIC REAL HORROR FLICKS1)HALLOWEEN(1978), 2)A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET (1AND3), 3)SILENT NIGHT,DEADLY NIGHT(1984)

The reviewer known as Ted totally missed who the killer was in this movie. It was not an old granny. The old granny is killed accidentally by the kids, and they want you to think she comes back for them, but that is not the case at all. While the killer is no real surprise, I could not let false information float around out here like this. B/c I respect any attempt, however feeble, at keeping the audience guessing, I will not say who the real killer is, but if you watch it halfway closer than Ted did, you will know. This movie does have its moments, particularly the ending, but I would have to list STAGEFRIGHT and any of Argento's early works (SUSPIRIA, TENEBRE, DEEP RED) as being a better expenditure of time and money.

THE HOUSE ON SORORITY ROW deserves a much higher place in the upper eschelon of the slasher film genre. Perhaps buried by bigger named releases by the top studios at the time (Paramount and the "Friday the 13th series and Universal with "Halloween II and III") the film succeeds on many levels where the typical slasher film usually fails. Within the 91 minutes of film writer and director Mark Rosman weaves a brisk and taut tale. Starting with the script, which actually shows a great deal of inspiration, the film provides the viewer with a remotely plausible storyline that is brimming with mystery and suspense. Rosman also succeeds in creating sympathetic characters (not always an easy task in the slasher genre). Among the cast are a group of actually talented actresses, including Harley Jane Kozak and soap actress Eileen Davidson (who would go onto great fame and prominenece later in the 80s in daytime TV). These actresses actually build characters that maintain our interest. Another success is the effective gore sequences which are directed with a great deal of suspense, but just enough restraint to keep them effective. So many times the "killing" is the centerpiece of a slasher film. Here it is actually handled as a device for carrying the story along. You will also be surprised by the superb score by Richard H. Band who along with the London Philharmonic actually adds to the mood of the film much like John Carpenter's "Halloween" did several years before.
Elite Entertainment has given this low budget gem a decent anamorphic widescreen transfer. Although the print has some minor defects, the presentation is overall pleasing. The mono soundtrack has been transferred nicely, although at times the dialogue looping seems to lack a deal of fidelity. Included is the theatrical trailer, which is presented in full screen. There are no other extras to this DVD. The package also tells you that there is no insert included inside (I wish other companies would make that disclaimer on their DVDs so there isn't expectation). A chapter listing is provided on the outside of the case.
It would be nice to see in the future a "Special Edition" DVD of this film with commentaries by the director and cast (many of whom I would imagine would be thrilled at the prospect), still photography, a "behind the scenes" documentary and maybe more audio options ( this film begs for a surround sound mix). Until then, you will be thrilled with this release. Its a true gem in a genre that is pretty much ignored by the DVD producers.

I was expecting more nudity being a jean rollin film. I was disappointed by the fact that it was slow paced and lacked any thrill to the horror. I suggest you not to buy this DVD and try Zombie lake!

This film was highly recommended by all reviewers so I bought it and tried it out. It was a good film overall but I was disapointed in a way. The film just didnt have a great climactic tone to just push it over the edge. The movie was however very different than the average zombie films I have watched over the years. One of the drawbacks to this film was it was just too slow paced. I have a sense that the director did it on purpose to give it an odd and chilling feel to the atmosphere. The director also tried very hard to make it sad and while it worked to some extent I just dont think he made his point across. You didnt really feel sorry for the "living dead girl" because you really didnt get to know her and why she was so sad. He tries to explain this with some flashbacks but were just ineffective to make his point across. I'm sure the translation and low budget always has a problem with this but the director should know this. Having said so, usually it must be done with good acting which it was somewhat effective but not really since it is a B film and high paying actresses are not affordable or done with a lot of action sequences in which there was but it was in spurts. So it sped up then slowed down at times to give you a few seconds of gore and excitement followed by long lulls in the film.

The storyline however is not totally original, so a good film must be made up with lots of action in which it was only in spurts as stated above. In fact, if you watch closely the storyline similarly follows the many zombie films that start with a toxic reaction that wakes the dead (in which after 2 yrs of being dead she, the living dead girl, looks pretty good--I also have to say she is actually goregeous for a B-flick zombie movie actress). Also, it resembles the first Hellraiser in a way where her friend lures peopole in to be killed so that her friend can stay alive. In that case in Hellraiser, the girlfriend/stepmom was luring men to her house and hammering them across the head so that her boyfriend could come back from hell by feasting on the people she killed.

I painfully gave this one a 4 star because it really deserves a 3.5 star for trying to be unique from the other zombie films. The director has to be given 2 thumbs up for trying very hard to make it a slick film in an artistic way. However it loses the 1.5 star because its just too slow and at times it just too forever for something to happen and is only mildly successful in creating a decent storyline.

for those of you unfamiliar with rollin's works, living dead girl isn't a bad place to start. well, rollin's fans will love this too! although this is perhaps his most accessible or commercial work to date, this film may be a bit gory for those who are more accustomed to subdued, atmospheric horror films. the film starts out with a group of men who are dumping toxic chemical containers inside a vault where mother & daughter are both buried. surprisngly, both cadavers look quite fresh considering they've been dead for atleast a couple of years! for some strange reason, the chemical brings daughter back to life & she attacks the workers who've brought the chemicals & proceeded to rob their coffins. she then decides to return to her childhood home where inevitable memories flood her mind where she is overwhelmed with a great sadness. coincidentally, a childhood friend calls the house & the living dead girl picks up the phone. as the livng dead girl is unable to speak, she plays a music box for the friend on the other end. needless to say, the childhood friend comes running to the chateau in almost disbelief & suspense only to find two dead bodies when she arrives. as the film progresses, the friend makes a decision to help the livng dead girl become stronger by luring innocent victims back to the chateau or attempting to kill them herself. as one can easily assume, the murders here are quite gruesome in the fulci or romero style but should please fans of true zombie horror. unlike previous rollin films, living dead girl delves more into the pyschological or melodramatic & tends to avoid eroticism or gratuitous nudity/sex. on the other hand, rollin supplies more gore than you would normally see in his average film. in fact, there are only two or three scenes of nudity & one brief sex scene which isn't very graphic unlike other rollin endeavors. this is a great film for your next halloween party or maybe just a new dvd you can introduce to your cool friends who think they have seen it all (or better yet, seen it before everyone else.) long live the works of rollin!

Before Guillermo del Toro came to Hollywood to make big budget thrillers such as Mimic and Blade II, he was in Mexico making movies that are truly unique and filled with tension. His directorial debut, Cronos, is a hugely original movie and take on the vampire theme. Guillermo also wrote the screenplay.

The movie opens up with a narrator telling the story of an alchemist who made a metallic, beetle like device (the Cronos) that when placed against skin, has a scorpion like stinger that stabs the person and injects a tiny amount of bloody fluid. The injections cause the alchemist to live for centuries and only dies when he is in line at a bank in Vera Cruz during an earthquake and is crushed by falling debris.

Some time later, an antique dealer, Jesus Gris (Federico Luppi), discovers the Cronos device in the base of an old statue he has acquired. After wondering what the device might be for, he inadvertently sets it off and is pricked by it's stinger. The whole process of watching this happen is fascinating, and you are never quite sure if there is some sort of living insect inside the enclosure, thanks to Guillermo's David Lynch like photography and editing of the scene.

Jesus soon discovers that he has more energy and feels more youthful than he has in ages. But unbeknownst to him, there is an evil and rich old man, Dieter de la Guardia (Claudio Brook) who has been searching for years for the device. He has tracked it down to Jesus' shop and sends his simple minded nephew, Angel de la Guardia (brilliantly portrayed by Ron Perlman), to get the statue that has stored in it, the Cronos device. When the statue turns up empty, Dieter instructs Angel to get the device at any cost.

In the meantime, Jesus has become addicted to using the device. His young granddaughter has noticed him using it and decides for his own good to hide it from him. After spending time with her he realizes that maybe the sacrifices of the device, such as his wife not feeling as youthful as him, or his greedy and manic need to posses and have control of the device, are not worth the benefits.

The story is not fast paced by any means, but the development of the characters is superb. There are also slow moving scenes with huge amounts of tension, in particular a scene where Jesus is at a party where someone had cut himself and cleaned up in the bathroom. Jesus finds himself drawn to the blood that had dripped on the floor and after slowly considering it and getting his face closer to it, he has his cheek against the floor and extends his tongue and licks up the drops!

I have seen the video a couple times, but it is on DVD in region 2 PAL format only. The video is available in both subtitled and dubbed versions. I highly recalled the subtitles, because much of the dialogue is already in English. Ron Perlmans' character for example does not speak almost any Spanish.

Perhaps now that Guillrmo del Toro is more well known in the US, we will get a region 1 NTSC release on dvd.

The only thing I can only say is that this movie is one of the best things that could ever had happened to the mexican movie society(I rather call it that, cause there is no such a thing like a movie industry in Mexico), and to the world horror movies.
The script is brilliant, inteligent, and the characters are like normal people, they arent stereotypes(something very intelligent and brave)the gag of perlman wanting to fix his nose its an example of that, that helps the movie a lot to achieve that scary mood.
What is better is that Guillermo dignifies the horror genre, he gives also a quality to the film, that even the so called intellectual people must accept that this is a great movie.
The movie moves forward thanks to the story, and uses sfx only when is needed, doesnt need to rely on sfx to be scary, like many recent horror pictures,that cant even do that.
The movie is full of metaphores, and retoric forms for those who like the stylish movies, actually most of the images are poems in themselves.

To finish, if you are a adult with a young spirit you would like it, and if you are a so called intellectual or sofisticated person you would like it as well.

Congratulations Guillermo, you make us Proud!!!!

When I first watch Cronos, I was sitting in my comfortable chair placed exactly in front of my TV set surrounded by that security feeling only my house can bring me. That feeling disappeared soon. I couldn't believe what I was being witness of.

I'll have to tell you the context I was in when I watched it, for you to understand. I'm Mexican. When I watched this movie I was 15 yrs. old and the Mexican movie "industry" (if you can call it that way) hadn't a reputation for its excellent horror movies.

Cronos is a movie that was released back in a time in which mexican movies were usually flops because of the lack of support from producers, distributors and audiences alike. The movie was released in 10 movie theaters only and only in Mexico City and it was retired because movie owners considered it a failure!!! (How couldn't it be a failure with only 10 theaters showing it? Hello?)

When the movie went to Cannes and won the Critics Week Award, this event didn't change a lot the movie's fortune. I, being an avid film fan and being from a small town called Coatzacoalcos (I dare you to spell it right!)and having read a lot from it in magazines and newspapers had to wait until it's release on VHS to rent it.

It instantly became one of my all time favorites.

You have to understand... Our mexican HORROR movies were of the likes of Ed Wood movies, until Cronos arrived. Ok, I have to admit that there were three other HORROR movies on the seventies ("Even the Wind is Frightened", "The Stone Book" and "As Black as Night" all from the same director, named Carlos Enrique Taboada), but if you watch them today they have lost their FRIGHT FACTOR.

So in a Mexico with a lot of legends and folklore, the complete abssence of HOORROR movies was a curse broken by Guillermo Del Toro a young, fat man from Guadalajara that was an avid comic reader and makeup artist.

If you could read the script (which you can buy here in Mexico), you could read the pretty images that become poetic and that Guillermo handles in a way no one else can.

Poetry and horror mixed? It may sound odd, but it works...

There's a part in which the lead character looks his reflection in the mirror and asks: How do I look? And the writer (Del Toro) answers him:
Horribly.

A great literary scene that you can only appreciate by reading it and then watching the movie again. I swear you can almost hear the writer answering him on film!

The story follows the life of a Jesús Gris (Translated as Gray Jesus... nice game of words, ain't it?) and his discovering of an odd goldlike aparatus. How will it affect his life? Will it bring joy or misfortune? That is for you to find out.

Now... Let me explain something... A lot of people know Del Toro for movies like "Mimic" and "Blade", which I think he directed brilliantly, and I read that an Amazon client complained because on the DVD case of "The Devil's Backbone" (Another Guillermo Del Toro's preciosist film, just number two after Cronos of course, in my list of his movies)there's written:

"Vastly more stylish and frightening than "The Others""

So, he bought it and was dissapointed, because the movie didn't frighten him as much as "The Others" did!!!

Let me say this:

The HORROR genre is not necessarily a genre that will frighten you. You mean HORROR when a film has something, anything involving the paranormal... So, under this parameter, Ghost is a HORROR film. It doesn't scare you but its main premise touches the paranormal aspect. Get it?

So... All this being said...
Buy it! Sit back! And Enjoy!

Feel the security of yous house being torn to shreds...

"Kiss of the Vampire" is a great little Hammer Film, co-produced and released in the U.S. by Universal. The film was well-presented in Widescreen on the now out of print DVD by Image. However, reading reviews here and info on Imdb confirmed my own memories that the TV version of this film was different. Universal trimmed the original film for its U.S. release so much that they shot more footage with additional characters that didn't appear at all in the original release. This became the "TV version" that I saw growing up on U.S. broadcast television and later on cable.
If Universal gets around to re-releasing this film on DVD it would be a nice touch to have both the Theatrical release in Widescreen again, and if possible to include the longer "TV version" in Fullscreen on the flip side (of a two sided single layer disc DVD-10) or second layer (of a dual-layer disc DVD-9).
As the first DVD was a movie only version (no extras, not even a trailer) on a single layered disc (DVD-5) releasing the two versions together would make for a fine "Special Edition".
I have purchased additional copies of the original DVD as gifts and would certainly buy a new release if Universal goes the extra mile.

I finally tracked down a copy of the "Image" DVD of Universal's release of Hammer's "Kiss of the Vampire". While I am not sure if this is actually the British or American release it is missing a whole sublplot that was present whenever I saw this on TV. The lady who was sewing the "white robes" for the Ravener clan, Anna, and her family is missing. Her daughter Maria, a potential victim, was given a music box by Carl Ravener that played the haunting piano theme. Her father intercedes, not allowing his daughter to go the the Ball at Dr. Raveners and finally forbidding his wife to sew them any more robes and tearing up the one she was working on. The movie closed with the village coming to life again and Maria's boyfriend Anton smashing the evil music box in the fire before taking Maria out, to Church no less, on a Sunday moring. The dying strains of the music box are echoed and the movie ends to the haunting theme. The DVD closes the film earlier after the demise of the vampires, we don't even see the bats flying away as we do on the TV cut. It is possible these scenes were added for TV, because some other scenes were cut from the TV print. The close shots of Dr. Ravener, Carl, Sabena and Tania being devoured by the bats that are included were not shown on TV. Other scenes that are more complete here, Tania stripping down Jerrold after being ordered to "initiate" him, were edited slightly for TV.

On the plus side, the picture is being shown at its original 1:66:1 and has not been over-matted like the Warner Hammer releases. The picture is sharp, colors are excellent, considering the age of the film. Grain is only evident in a couple of fades. This DVD is still availabe here and there, but is no longer being produced. Universal was not happy with the lower (and quite fair) price points Image was using for its films. Considering that this is a "bare-bones" DVD (the blood aside) I think Image was pricing it correctly. It is a shame that this dispute ended their contract because I was hoping to see the other Universal Hammer offerings, including "Brides of Dracula", "Phantom of the Opera",(also starring Clifford Evans) "The Evil of Frankenstein" and "Curse of the Werewolf" out on DVD. Well, I will keep on hoping! In the meantime, once you manage to find this DVD, make some popcorn and enjoy "Kiss of the Vampire" with a date. Or give it as a Christmas/Holiday gift and don't forget to include some mistle-toe!! Thanks, CAL

Unusual Hammer outing has a honeymooning couple staying at a quaint inn and invited as guests to a mysterious count's castle. What they don't know is the count and his family are vampires. The count has his eye on the pretty wife(Jennifer Daniel from "The Reptile") and hypnotizes her to come to him when he summons her. The count presides over a cult of vampires who meet at the castle at night. Adequate production values and haunting theme music make this odd vampire tale quite eerie. Interesting aspect of vampirism as a "cult" is a nice touch. Ending has often been cut for TV and some other prints as "Kiss Of Evil" but the tape and DVD are the original uncut British versions.
The reason being the cult are attacked by bats and it's quite effective. Highly watchable.

I dont see why this movie gets such poor reviews. Boris does a great facial contortion with paralisis when possesed by a dead murderer. Great victorian costumes help set the stage for a pretty good mystery. I guess most of todays audience expect special effects to replace acting. No twisting heads or spewed pea soup here. While its not as good as Frankenstein, The Mummy or the afore mentioned Corridors of Blood, its still a pretty good Karloff movie.

This is one of the best horror movies that Boris Karloff made and he really shows his acting talent.

For can-can enthusiasts, this film contains two EXCEPTIONAL can-can numbers in full costume (including traditional suspender stockings and frilled underwear)....

This movie sports a solid cast in Ben Foster, Sarah Chalke, and Soliel Moon Frye. Frye really has a bit part in this even though she's billed as the star.

This movie has the same director as the "I know" sequel. Sarah Chalke is a better actor than Hewitt and can pull of a better story. The plot is treated well, taking some history of the surrounding areas to create a vengeful witch out to kill the descendants of the people who burned her at the stake.

The movie twists enough that the "killer" isn't obvious. I always like a movie that surprises me, and this one did.

I give a three because, well it ain't Halloween, and the movie kind of drags in some places.

I saw this movie playing on a tv in a video store a year or so ago and i noticed that soleil was in it.. I was a BIG Punky fan and loved her in everything since. "Liars Club" was an incredible movie.. So of course i had to see this one.. I was not able to get it the day I first saw it, bu ti swore i would see it.. I found it in a store today and rented it.. it was better than i expected being that it is a made for tv horror film.. I half expected it to be like "Killing Mr. Griffin" and totally bite.. but it didnt.. i actually enjoyed it and am going to buy a copy.. Christian Campbell, Sarah Chalke, and especially Soleil Moon Frye stick out in this flik.. They were definitely shining spots in the film..

I've Been Waiting For You
Rated Pg - 13 For Terror Violernce And Frightening Moments
10 Of 10
I Didn't Know About This Movie Until My Mom Rented It For Me Last
Night. Sarah Zultane Is The New Girl In Town And Living In The
Lancaster House. Unbeknowest To Her A Witch Sarah Lancaster Was
Burned At The Stake There 300 Years Ago After Escaping From A
Mental Institution And Murdering Her Ex Boyfriend , His Fiance , And His Fiance's Parents. She Becomes An Outcast And Everyone ThinksShe's A Witch. This Is A Very Scary Movie And I Strongly Reccomend It.

This movie sports a solid cast in Ben Foster, Sarah Chalke, and Soliel Moon Frye. Frye really has a bit part in this even though she's billed as the star.

This movie has the same director as the "I know" sequel. Sarah Chalke is a better actor than Hewitt and can pull of a better story. The plot is treated well, taking some history of the surrounding areas to create a vengeful witch out to kill the descendants of the people who burned her at the stake.

The movie twists enough that the "killer" isn't obvious. I always like a movie that surprises me, and this one did.

I give a three because, well it ain't Halloween, and the movie kind of drags in some places.

I saw this movie playing on a tv in a video store a year or so ago and i noticed that soleil was in it.. I was a BIG Punky fan and loved her in everything since. "Liars Club" was an incredible movie.. So of course i had to see this one.. I was not able to get it the day I first saw it, bu ti swore i would see it.. I found it in a store today and rented it.. it was better than i expected being that it is a made for tv horror film.. I half expected it to be like "Killing Mr. Griffin" and totally bite.. but it didnt.. i actually enjoyed it and am going to buy a copy.. Christian Campbell, Sarah Chalke, and especially Soleil Moon Frye stick out in this flik.. They were definitely shining spots in the film..

I've Been Waiting For You
Rated Pg - 13 For Terror Violernce And Frightening Moments
10 Of 10
I Didn't Know About This Movie Until My Mom Rented It For Me Last
Night. Sarah Zultane Is The New Girl In Town And Living In The
Lancaster House. Unbeknowest To Her A Witch Sarah Lancaster Was
Burned At The Stake There 300 Years Ago After Escaping From A
Mental Institution And Murdering Her Ex Boyfriend , His Fiance , And His Fiance's Parents. She Becomes An Outcast And Everyone ThinksShe's A Witch. This Is A Very Scary Movie And I Strongly Reccomend It.

The Stackpooles are different from the rest of the town. They have money. They keep themselves apart from the town except when stocking up supplies. They are also quadruplets mutated in unusual ways.

One brother is dumb but super-strong. Another brother has super-senses (and really big eyes), the sister has unresistable powers of sexuality. The last brother, Myron, has all of the brains. He is the head of the family with a head as big as most peoples' torsos. They are also connected telepathically.

Grifters, infidelity and bribery drive a plot that reveals what the Stackpooles are up to in their isolated home. But Myron really hates not being in control and the battle of wills and tortures begins.

With liberal amounts of nudity, sex, and colorful characters this is an enjoyable and sometimes silly horror film that is very light on the blood and guts (although there is some finger breaking). I found it to be quite rewatchable and one of the better thought out Full Moon films. Myron is a wonderful evil genius.

I love bad movies. I have dozens of truly silly flicks and this one just fits right in. The special effects were considerably better than I expected, as was the acting. As usual, Jacqueline Lovell took what was given to her and made the best of it. Not nearly as bad as BEAST OF YUCCA FLATS (which is in my opinion THE worst movie ever made) but still fun.

Let's face it, people, if you want to enjoy yourself and watch these movies you need a great sense of humor, a willingness to overlook flawed material, and a good stiff drink. Otherwise, you're wasting your time. This ain't Oscar material. This is sit back with your friends, crank up the sound, relax and get ready to laugh your butt off. That's what bad movies are all about. This one will do just fine, thank you.

This movie is about people backmailling a family of freaks who
do brain operations on people. These poor blackmailers do not know what they got themselves in for. If you like B horror movies then you will like this one. No one in this movie is normal.