VAMPIRES IN 1979! (DRACULA, NOSFERATU, SALEM'S LOT, LOVE AT FIRST BITE, THIRST, VAMPIRE)

DRACULA (1979) d. John Badham (USA)
NOSFERATU THE VAMPYRE (1979) d. Werner Herzog (Germany)
LOVE AT FIRST BITE (1979) d. Stan Dragoti (USA)
THIRST (1979) d. Rod Hardy (Australia)
VAMPIRE (1979) d. E.W. Swackhamer (USA)
SALEM'S LOT (1979) d. Tobe Hooper (USA)

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The year was 1979, and it was a time of disco, political unrest, walkmans, and vampires. No fewer than six major film and TV projects premiered across the globe, providing a spectrum of bloodsuckers not seen before or since. Played for laughs (Love at First Bite) or steeped in social commentary (Thirst), from tortured souls (Nosferatu) to top of the food chain (Vampire), adapted from literary works old (Dracula) and new (Salem’s Lot), or completely original storylines, you just couldn’t keep the undead dead, and the shock waves have continued to reverberate throughout history.

SCANNER COP (1994) / SCANNER COP II (1995) Movie Review

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Belgian filmmaker and horror enthusiast Gert Verbeeck is back in the Doc's office, this time to talk about a couple of belated sequels to David Cronenberg's 1980 class-sick, SCANNERS. Apparently, the Canadian wunderkind signed away the rights to his characters at some point to producer Pierre David, who decided to crank out Scanners II and Scanners III (both 1991), and then these two law enforcement-themed flicks three years later!

THE SWORD AND THE SORCERER (1982) Blu-ray Review

The Sword and the Sorcerer (1982) d. Albert Pyun (USA) (100 min)

Titus Cromwell (Richard Lynch), frustrated by noble King Richard’s successful defense of Ehdan, ventures to Tomb Island and resurrects a terrifying master of the black arts, Xusia of Delos (Richard Moll). With the wizard’s help, Cromwell crushes his foes then attempts to murder his newfound ally before Xusia can regain his full powers. Meanwhile, Richard’s young son Talon, who witnessed the murder of both his parents at Cromwell’s hands, escapes into exile, eventually becoming a highly profitable and respected mercenary. 11 years later, rebellion is brewing, with the Ehdan people championing Prince Mikah (Simon MacCorkindale) to reclaim the throne, with his faithful and spirited sister Alana (Kathleen Beller) by his side. Cromwell captures Mikah, whereupon Alana entreats Talon (now played by Lee Horsley) to take up his three-bladed sword against their mutual longtime enemy and rescue her imprisoned sibling.

PUPPETMASTER III: TOULON'S REVENGE (1991) movie review

Puppetmaster III: Toulon's Revenge (1991) David DeCoteau (USA)

True story: Prior to tackling this for this month's Kryptic Army mission theme (that of "revenge), I’d only seen the original 1989 Puppet Master and that viewing was at least 10 years in the rearview. However, having read Gert Verbeeck’s outstanding retrospective of the series for HorrorHound back in 2012, I had learned that this installment was 1) a prequel, so I wouldn’t be lost by o’erleaping the first sequel and 2) many fans consider this the high point of the franchise. Thus bolstered, I ventured in and I gotta admit, it was pretty entertaining.

GOD TOLD ME TO (1976) movie review

God Told Me To (1976) d. Cohen, Larry (USA)

Less manic and tongue in cheek than his other horror efforts, writer/director Larry Cohen’s gritty modern fable focuses on NYC cop Tony LoBianco investigating a spree of murders – each one committed by an individual who confides “God told me to” as justification for their acts. A deeply spiritual man, LoBianco finds his faith buffeted by these irrational yet undeniably linked incidents, and as he digs deeper, he discovers that he himself could very well be an integral piece of the mystery.