The Evil Dead is just as infamous for the furore surrounding the film as it is for the actual content. I grew up in the midst of the Video Nasties storm in a teacup in which the Tory government led by Herr Thatcher thought that the commoners who watched certain horror movies would grab a …
Continue reading ABC of Horror- Day 5- E- The Evil Dead (1981)
Dawn of the Dead takes place ten years after the events of Night of the Living Dead. The mysterious phenomenon of the dead coming back to life to feed off the living has continued unabated. Social order is dissipating and the situation is becoming worse. Fran, a TV producer is planning to escape with her …
Continue reading ABC of Horror- Day 4- D- Dawn of the Dead (1978)
Cropsey, a summer camp caretaker is burnt alive as an unfortunate consequence of a prank that goes horribly wrong. After five years he returns to the summer camp with vengeance in mind. This is the slasher movie that helped form Miramax Films and gave a young Harvey Weinstein a career as a film producer. The …
Continue reading ABC of Horror- Day 2- B- The Burning (1981)
I was nominated by Zachary P. Stahlman to participate in The ABC of Horror where I pick a different horror film every day starting with the next letter of the alphabet. So, here it is! One of the first video sleeves I ever saw was for The Amityville Horror which just so happened to be …
Continue reading ABC of Horror- Day 1- A- The Amityville Horror (1979)
A dramatisation of The Fitzgerald Inquiry which looked into illegal prostitution and gambling aided by corrupt police. Stalwart Bill Hunter stars as star witness Graeme Parker. He won Best Actor at the Australian Film Institute for his role. And for good reason as he’s excellent. Police State is a fantastic TV movie. It’s well made, …
Continue reading Marsupial March- 31 Days of Aussie Movies- Day 31- Police State (1989)
Young people congregate at a local New South Wales suburb community centre. They also live together in accommodation which is kind of like a halfway house for youngsters from difficult backgrounds. Ely moves in after her mother's boyfriend sexually assaults her. Meanwhile, a local businessman who hopes to become a politician holds a dinner party …
Continue reading Marsupial March- 31 Days of Aussie Movies- Day 28- Crime of the Decade (1984)
OK, so this movie is based in New Zealand rather than Australia but... Murderous aliens have invaded Kaihoro and want to turn humans into extraterrestrial fast food. I remember seeing Bad Taste when it was released on video here in the UK. Unfortunately, this coincided with a reprise of the earlier Video Nasties moral panic …
Continue reading Marsupial March- 31 Days of Aussie Movies- Day 27- Bad Taste (1987)
A group of alternative types share a house in Melbourne in 1978. There’s no real plot as it’s hoped that the characters are interesting enough to hold your interest for an hour and a half. Not even the mentions of David Bowie, Iggy Pop, The Boys Next Door (Nick Cave's first band) and Suicide can …
Continue reading Marsupial March- 31 Days of Aussie Movies- Day 25- Dogs In Space (1986)
A hitchhiker is murdered. The killer takes her body to his wheelbound brothers house and plans on disposing of the body. I knew nothing about End Play. I then decided to investigate when I saw that it was on YouTube. Every now and then I strike lucky by doing this. And in this instance I …
Continue reading Marsupial March- 31 Days of Aussie Movies- Day 17- End Play (1976)
Jackie goes for a drive and suddenly finds herself back in 1944 (!) at a place called Frenchman’s Farm. She witnesses a murder and then finds herself back in the present day. She starts to go to local libraries to try and research the place. This movie is the epitome of a mild, tame and …
Continue reading Marsupial March- 31 Days of Aussie Movies- Day 13- Frenchman’s Farm (1987)
Meathook Cinema 