Hammers Dracula and a gay vampire Baron!?

Its been a while sinc i posted anything new hew here! Jeez its looks like the last time i put anything up here was back in July! Well ive been watching a ton, i guess ive been too lazy to blog about it.
Well, this is my favorite time of the year. The Fall. And with the Fall comes my craving for Hammer Horror. For some reason i really get in the mood this time of the year for Hammer. And so its with that, that i bring to you my quick non informitive reveiws of the first three entries in Hammers Dracula film series.

In the 50's, Horror Of Dracula along with the Curse Of Frankenstein kicked off Hammer's reinvention of the classic Universal monsters. And Hammer did it better. Having not veiwed this film in a long time, i found The Horror Of Dracula to not be as engaging as i originally thought. Maybe its because ive seen this story adapted too many times to count. None the less its still a great Horror film. This is a bare bones telling of the Stoker story and thank god for that. Allowing Hammer to put their own signature touch on the timeless tale. This film moves fast and never bores. Peter Cushing is in my opinion the ultimate Van Helsing. Lee is good as Dracula in this, but really he had yet to own the character. Even though i find Universals Dracula film just O.K. Lugosi owned the character bringing more to Dracula than Lee does here. Its in the sequels were we find the ultimate Lee-Dracula incarnations in my opinion. But still his presense in the film is still very awsome!

In many ways Bride Of Dracula is a superior film to Horror of Dracula. Cushings Van Helsing is more swashbuckling and director Terrence Fisher pours on the eerie atmosphere thicker. The dialogue is a riot at times and the supporting cast of semi-Hammer regulars are great. Yvonne Monlaur in particular. She is absolutly gorgeous and captured the innocents of her character perfectly. David Peel as the gay (!?) vampire Baron was refreshing from the snarling and hissing vampire that usually occupies these films. Unfortunatly Christopher Lee is absent from this film, in fact Dracula isnt even in it. But i think Peels vampire is great! Although ive seen pratically all these Hammer films at one time or another through out my life, Brides Of Dracula had escaped me and after years of putting it off Iam now glad to say this film is incredible....bat on a wire not included.

Christopher Lee returns as the Count in the direct sequel to Horror Of Dracula, even though this is the third film in the series. Dracula- Prince Of Darkness is a darker-creepier horror film than the previous two. Christopher Lee's performance is more beastly and animalistic than his take on the character in Horror and he has no dialogue. And he's scary! As always the sets and exterior shots are magnificent. And the always incredible talent of Terrence Fisher directs another fast, brutal and elegant film.

A Jess Franco slasher film, Bloody Moon.

For those who are not familiar with Jess Franco, all i can say is that this is most definatly a place i wouldnt start at. Essentially all this is is Franco's foray into the 80's slasher scene. This is also a period in Franco's career that was pretty awful. Like all slashers the plot and the characters decisions are extremly frustrating. Example is scene were a chick is in her bedroom with another friend when the freind is murdered while the other girl looks in a closet. Never hearing the sounds of murder, even though shes just a foot away. But thats not were the absurdity ends. The chick comes out of the closet to find her friend lying on her bed with a knife planted firmly in her heart. So she does the right thing and runs out of the house screaming. Only to come back to the scene with others to find the body missing. She seems to accept the fact that maybe she just imagined it and goes to school the next day only to see the empty seat of her freind, were she ends up wondering were she could be!? Umm...didnt you just see her murdered last night!! But all the typical bullshit aside, this is a Jess Franco film. And though most who dont have a love affair with his films or have never really taken the time to study this underrated artist...then youll never get why this is more than just a slasher film. Because those of us who love the man and his work know and appreciate what hes capable of both good and very bad. This falls into the almost very bad. But it does have style and Franco style is more than half of the love affair.

Jean Rollin's Lip Of Blood.

The few Rollin films that ive seen have come across as surreal grim fairy tales with the photography and gothic locations that transend lower budget constraints. And thats how a true film artist does it. He knows how to manipulate the low budget to become a part of the atmosphere and lets you focus on the beauty he creates. And this is one of the main reasons i have such a love for Euro genre films of the 50's through the 80's. Especially Italian, Spanish and French.

Lips Of Blood is a beautiful film and from my limited experience with Rollin his most linear in terms of plot. Ive only seen Fascination, Shiver Of The Vampires and now this...unless you count the footage he shot for Jess Franco's A Virgin Amoung The Livivng Dead?

With Lips Of Blood there is very little dialogue which was a good thing because those subtitles were pretty fast at times. The female vampires are typical of 60's - 70's Euro vampires in terms of them being extremely seductive while being able to walk through scenes in a blank gaze. They are all 'clothed' in see through shawl wraps. They embody seductive sexuality.

Basically the story goes like this, A young man named Frederic goes on a quest after veiwing a poster of a castle which looks vaguly familiar to him from dreams. He has suppressed memories of his childhood and only his mother has been the one to tell him what took place during those missing years after his fathers death. But after becoming obssessed with the poster these memories start making their way to his conscious. In these visions he sees himself as a child wandering a beach front castle. As the light of day slowly turns to night this young boy is confronted with the vision of a beautiful woman in white who invites him to the castle were he is to take shelter from the dangers that lay outside of the castle's gates. After sleeping outside of the castle the boy is awaken by the woman just before the sun rises and is told it was now safe to return to his home. Young Frederic tells the woman he loves her and promises to one day return to her then makes his way home.

The key to his supressed memories lies in the location of castle from the poster. With the aid of a specteral vision of woman from his dreams, Frederic sets off on a quest to find this castle,his love and his fate. The plot is very inspiring.

Annie Brilland plays the seductive woman whom the child meets. Annie Brilland not only has the main protaginist under her spell but she also had me.

Lips of Blood is a prime example of why European horror is the best in the world! The locations are all beautiful be it the Castle or the streets and alleys of Paris. Rollin knows how to make the locations central to the atmosphere. This is essential veiwing, especially if your into the Erotic Vampire films of the 70's.

The Cry Of A Prostitute!

Ive been really in the mood for the good ol' Italian crime film lately and this little sleazy gem hit the spot! Cry of a Prostitute is known by two other titles...Quelli che contano (Italy) and Guns of the Big Shots (European english title) Released in 1974, this film is a full throttle sleaze experience!!

Directed by Andrea Bianch, famous for the horribly fun cult classic Burial Ground- Night Of Terror. The opening scene with the dead body of a young child being used to transport Heroin is kinda cringe inducing. But the body looks like a mannaquin from an old Sears...it hardly offends.

Henry Silva always delivers a tough as nails performance. Babrbra Bouchet's sex scene with Silva is something to be seen! He shoves her head into a gutted pig carcass as he nails her from behind. And the sleaze doesnt stop there! But what else would you expect from a director whose most famous film involves a man-child-thing having an insestous relationship with his mother and biting her nipple off when he becomes zombified!

This is a very violent film! Practically no one survives. The story is reminiscent of Yojimbo. Silva arrives in town and gets between two waring families. Of course hes got his own agenda! Bianchi actually makes great due with the beautiful mountain village and country side. Who knew he had an eye for such things.

The sleaze factor and the very brutal violence is this Polizioteschi's saving grace!!

More Polizioteschi fun with The Stunt Squad!

La Polizia E' Sconfitta or as its known in most English markets Stunt Squad is an 1977 entry in the Polizioteschi genre. Directed by Domenico Paolello, mostly known for his entries in the Peplum and Pirate genre's.

First i would say this to anybody looking to get into this genre, theres films other than this one I would start with. But to those who love the genre and are familiar with it i would tell them this is a solid entry! The violence is bloody, the chases are fun and the dialogue is at times awful. These three elements make for a really fun hour and a half viewing.

An Inspector Grifi sets up a special unit, a "Stunt Squad", to combat the criminals who are strong arming and murdering local buisness owners who are refusing protection from the rackets. This is hardly an original premise but the film does rise above the by the numbers plot to deliver a fast paced and very violent film. The scenes with the Sqaud training is truly hilarious with out trying to be. As we see commandoes riding motorcycles, practicing sharpshooting and hand to hand combat all in the cofines of a a very small mountain area. Its great...two men are practicing hand to hand as motorcycles are landing their jumps feet from them. Other men are practicing their aim on wooden targets as these same motorcyle maverics are jumping and landing just feet from these snipers. It really is all too funny.

With the unitentional occasional laugh, Stunt Squad is still a very fast paced and violent film. The main villian is Valli, a tough S.O.B. who shoots and blows-up anyone or anything that happens to get in his way. And god help it if you double cross this Dago. He will have you beaten, castrated and then he will take mercy on you by unloading his pistol in to your pathetic carcass. Valli, played by Vittorio Mezzogiorno, is a pretty fun villian. Theres a great scene involving a raid on his hidout were Valli becomes pretty resourceful with small explosives. It becomes a great footchase through a decrepit old building.

I guess from what little research ive done this is a rare and mostly unknown film. But with the recent rise in Polizioteschi popularity iam sure this will be a film re-discovered. Its a good one and its sporting a really cool Stelvio Cipriani score!

STUNT SQUAD IN ACTION!

Revolver (1973)

Revolver is an impressive Poliziotteschi! From its beatiful and haunting opening with Fabio Testi burying his only friend in a shallow grave over the opening credits to the jaw dropping climax. Sergio Sollima fills every frame with gorgeous detail from the many locations chosen...Milan Italy, Paris and the French Alps. Sollima is a masterful director. His Milan at night, blanketed in fog, looks like something out of a gothic horror movie.



Unlike most Poliziotteschi's Revolvers story line is never gratuitous in its twists and complex story lines. The film makes sense! Which is a hard feat given the intricate story line. Reed plays a prison warden who must let an inmate escape, played by Testi, in order for Reed to get his kidnapped wife back. Once Reed has broken Testi out the two must band together to figure out who wants Testi and get Reeds wife back. The once character element that really drives this film is theres no straight line between good and bad. Reed is driven by his love for his wife and Testi is a thief with a heart.



Not only does it have all of that stuff going for it, its also got Oliver Reed and Fabio Testi guaranteeing strong performances! Two of my all time favorite actors doing a "buddy" film! Reeds intensity is incredible. He is entirly believable in his role. And Fabio Testi keeps up with him the whole way! This was great stuff and essential viewing for Poliziotteschi lovers.

Survival Of The Dead?

Survival Of The Dead is Romero's first direct sequel to Diary Of The Dead. This is his first dead film to have a continuing character. In Survival its the S.W.A.T. guy who robbed the RV in Diary. He was one of the few interesting characters from Diary. And unlike Diary, this has more than its share of Romero moments thats been sadly missing from his last two films. But before it sounds like Iam stroking this film off...which i wont, this is a flawed film with its fair share of cringe inducing moments. Namely the Sam Raimi-esque comedy. Why Romero went this route is beyond me. Its unnessasary and truthfully none of it even manage to pull a giggle from me. It works for Sam, not George. Even worse than that is the CGI special effects. Its not just applied to gunshots here it even creeps into most of the graphic violence. And it looked awful! The very first major effect of the film is so horrible, ive seen better computer animation from an Atari 2500!

This one seriously suffers from low low budget production values. Its feels like a made for Sci-fi channel film most of the time. Survival skips the whole political reflection of the times and to be honest i was pretty happy with that. Diary is way too in your face that shit. In the old days Romero was able to artisticaly make his message more subtle. Maybe he's realized this or maybe there was one and i was too stupid to see it? Either way i thank god for it.
On with the strong points. Survival has a really fun story and the setting is totaly unique to the Romero universe. Survival is more of an adventure film than the others. And i can see what he was trying to do with the story of the rival clans on the island, but it kinda came off poorly upon my first veiwing. I know i was bitching about the CGI gore but there is a decent amount of the rubber stuff. And some of the feeding scenes were more in line with the trademark Romero's trademarke style than Land Or Diary ever had.
Survival is by no means a total peice of shit. Its way better than the atrocious Diary of The Dead!! The more i catch pieces of Diary on cable the more i loath it. The acting is much better than Diary but at the same time its Sci-Fi channel acting. This one is truley a mixed bag. Its like a good solid shit that doesnt need much wipe up. Time and repeated veiwing might do the film more justice?