Demon Wind

Remember how bad the 1990s were to the world of horror movies? Horrific! Oh sure, there were a few diamonds in the rough (Dead Alive, From Dusk till Dawn, um... Ghoulies IV), but overall the decade served up some really deplorable junk onto many a horror fiend's plate. However, early on there were several flicks which still had a good bit of the old 80s charm to them. Movies that weren't pretentious, didn't talk down to horror fans, didn't force you to think too much, and just wanted to show you a good time. Let's talk about one, shall we?

Demon Wind is a low budget creepfest from the very early 1990s which is surprisingly well made, for the most part.

It deals with a guy named Corey who is seeking out his mysterious ancestral past. Before he was born, Corey's father and several other family members met with horrible fates in an old farmhouse where they lived. Now, guided by visions and a burning curiosity, Corey decides to go to the abandoned farm along with a pack of friends to investigate. Upon arrival, a creepy old man (yup, big surprise), who says that he was a witness to very gruesome happenings at the old farmhouse, tells them that the place is cursed and that the Devil himself is said to possess the land. The old man advises turning back and forgetting the whole thing, but Corey insists that his fate lies within the old house.

Of course, things get bad from there onward. Without spoiling too much, they encounter demon hordes, magic spells, phantom fog, and a lot of them die very horrible deaths. And that's just the tip of the teepee really, all kinds of cool shit happens. One of them gets turned into a burned up doll by three evil-ass little ghost girls. There's a skeleton with a cow skull for a head that shoots a mean long tongue out its mouth. And the head demon is one big badass futher mucker with cloven hooves and a face like he's been through the meat grinder.

The movie's atmosphere is very dark and chilling, especially the first half. The music contributes to the mood a lot. From the haunting Christian song in the beginning to the intense synth bass score. Also, the make-up and gore effects are really great and bring to mind movies like Night of the Demons and The Evil Dead.

The film is not without its flaws, though. The visual camera effects are really cheap and schlocky. The script is pretty stupid at times, more so in the second half. Some of the acting is very shitty, but I can always live with that, although the creepy old guy hams it up like nobody's business (best character in the movie, in my opinion). And there are plot holes aplenty, not to mention what was probably a last minute change to the shooting script. This couple joins the movie more than half way through in an embarrassingly obvious attempt to pad out the body count. But hey, most of this shit is what made this flick a little more memorable.

I had a great time with it. If this review has made you even remotely curious, I know you'll have a good time, too. Taken at face value, this cheap flick is pretty entertaining. If you are a fan of stuff like the Evil Dead movies or Hellraiser, I would recommend you check it out.

(1990) Directed by Charles Philip Moore

Facts about myself:
I have an extreme revulsion to human vomit; not so much to demon vomit, though.

Cementerio del Terror a.k.a. Cemetery of Terror

Have you noticed how slasher villains are going back to their 1980s roots recently? Many a slasher pic nowadays showcases some kind of giant, indestructible killer mutant. Reminiscent of Jason or Freddy, a lot of these new slashers seem ripe for marketing endless sequels. I'm talking about movies like Hatchet, The Hills Run Red, and Midnight Movie, to name a few. A few that I've enjoyed, anyway. I don't know if these films are meant as throw-backs, but I like the wave they're riding. Of the good ol' days before Scream came along and ushered in all the post-modern self reflexive garbage of the mid-late 1990s.

Well anyway, during the classic age of the invincible slasher villain there were many, many variations, rip-offs, and cash-ins on the theme that a forty-fingered man could easily lose count. They came from all over the world and in varying degrees of ripeness. One particularly great one came from Mexico. It exhibited every over-the-top aspect about the genre and is obscure enough for me to review. It's called Cemetery of Terror.

The premise is tried and true. A group of young people break into an old and spooky abandoned house looking for nothing less than a good time. Just a night of booze, babes, boom box, and, of course, black magic. They, naturally, end up waking a dormant evil force which proceeds to terrorize and kill anyone drinking, fornicating, or trespassing in its lair.

Sound familiar yet? It should. It's been the plot to countless other horror films including Night of the Demons, The Evil Dead, and Hell Night. Now add Cemetery of Terror to the list.

I think this movie ranks up their with its contemporaries, though. It utilizes all the best techniques of a certified 80s horror gem. It's got plenty of blood and carnage, good plot, great atmosphere, and takes place on that wonderful horror movie time of the year: Halloween. The evil antagonist in this film is a superbly terrifying super-human Satanic slasher named Devlon who could easily give Michael Myers a run for his money. I don't recall Mikey selling his soul to Satan, after all. And, as if Devlon wasn't enough for you, throw in a Necronomicon-type book which summons an army of zombies into the mix. Because what good is a spooky old cemetery in a horror film if you're not going to use it?

Made for Mexican audiences and filmed in Texas,this movie is definitely worth looking into if you are a fan of all-out 80s slasher gore fun. It effortlessly compares with a lot of great American horror trash cinema classics. So bring on the booze, babes, boom box, and black magic and let's party!

(1985) Directed by Ruben Galindo Jr.

P.S.
Watch for Hugo Stiglitz as the Dr. Loomis-type character on the trail of the killer.

Facts about myself:
My favorite Hugo Stiglitz movie is Nightmare City.

The Mad Ravings and Obscure Observations of the Sun Blind Outlaw Idiot- An Introduction

Terror in the Crypt (a.k.a. Crypt of the Vampire)

In the wake of all this Twilight Saga bullshit, a lot of older and sometimes obscure vampire flicks have been re-issued. A great majority of them with new and awfully emo-goth-depressed-angst-ridden-teenager-inspired cover art.

I'm not complaining or anything, any exposure these older films get is good, but sometimes they aren't even vampire movies. A sorta funny-ass example of this marketing is this one movie originally titled Summer's Blood. It's a pretty violent and exploitative flick, heavy on the nastiness and blood. But, it features Twilight co-star Ashley Greene in the lead. So, naturally, it got renamed Summer's Moon and given a Twilight-esque cover and...voila! Traumatized teeny-boppers!

Now, this is definitely not the first time that this has happened. It's been going on for years. Just ask Bela Lugosi. Well... we're a bit too late there. So, just ask Christopher Lee. Just about any movie he starred in the 1960s thru 70s tried to market his vampire image. Like this one:

Terror in the Crypt (recently released as Crypt of the Vampire) is definitely worth a look for any fan of EuroGoth films or even just for those wanting to get a glimpse at Christopher Lee's Italian ventures.

If there is one thing that even the most low-budget of Spaghetti horrors excel in, it has got to be atmosphere. That is one thing that Terror in the Crypt does extremely well. It exudes a flair of picturesque horror and mystique enhanced all the more by its superb cinematography and eerie score.

Like so many other Gothic efforts, the story revolves around a generations-old family curse. Christopher Lee's character is a Count who fears that a witch's curse is starting to come to fruition as members of his extended family are dying one by one. A great cast of characters makes this story even more interesting. There's Laura, the Count's daughter and prime suspect in carrying out the witch's hex during her nightmare-wrought sleep. There is Laura's sultry friend Lyuba (I must note that the two hot-as-fuck starlets have great chemistry together and always look like they are on the verge of releasing years of bottled up sexual frustration in what would be a great gothic lesbian romp). There is a wise old ugly crone who tries to help Laura decipher her nightmares (no lesbian fantasies there). And there is a young historian who is brought in to try and find out as much of the family's dark history as he can in an effort to thwart the curse.

Apart from it's great atmosphere, the film is very well crafted and entertaining. I would put it in the vein of other great EuroGoth gems like Terror Creatures From the Grave, Nightmare Castle, and Bava's Kill Baby, Kill. Plus, the immortal Christopher Lee adds plenty to the picture as he always tends to do. But, like many of the other fans of this picture, I would have loved to have seen Lee chew the scenery with genre queen Barbara Steele as this is the type of film that was right up her alley.

(1964) Directed by Camillo Mastrocinque