Behind the Couch

Another month, another recommendation of fine wine to guzzle whilst watching horror films. Whereas before, I'd always have a little 'wine of the month' piece on the sidebar of this here blog, that kind of fell by the wayside and I would generally forget to update it. OK, sometimes I’d over indulge and just forget to tell you about the wine, but rest assured I was always heavily ensconced in research… Hey, it’s important to be able to pair wine with horror films. Certain wines go hand in hand with certain horror movies. This month’s batch of film reviews were lovingly brought to you in association with a 2008 vintage merlot from Gato Negro – a delicious, medium bodied wine from Chile. With a bright red ruby colour and an aroma swirling with ripe, red berry fruits, this bottle goes down rather nicely with something directed by Mario Bava. The juicy flavour is reminiscent of jammy fruit in springtime. Gato Negro is apparently one of the oldest brands from Chile and is p...

After his hiatus from the criminally underrated Halloween III: Season of the Witch , Michael Myers, at the behest of his fans – and greedy producers – returned to stalk the leafy streets of Haddonfield in Halloween IV: The Return of Michael Myers . See what they did there. With a whole new set of characters introduced, including Laurie Strode’s daughter and her adoptive family, it isn’t long before the blood begins to flow. For a film bogged down in its own lack of imagination, originality or flair, Halloween IV actually begins with so much promise. The opening titles play out over a simple collection of shots which, when viewed in succession, evoke such a bleak, eerie and overwhelmingly creepy atmosphere. The lack of music adds to the unease – all that exists on the soundtrack is a low howling wind that reeks of desolation and despair. Before long, the faintest strains of Alan Howarth’s deliciously dark and brooding synth score can gradually be heard; though at this stage, i...

2003 Dir. David Morwick The grisly murders of several students at a quiet college campus coincide with recent sightings of a red-hooded figure creeping around the local woods. Student Peter Bloom decides to investigate, and before long he realises that the killer, who has a connection to the school library, is also obsessed with fairy tales. Peter must act quickly to figure out the bizarre modus operandi and stop the killer before they strike again… 'A flash of red... Then you're dead. ' I bought Little Erin Merryweather for £1 in a local discount shop. I wasn’t really expecting much; so was pleasantly surprised when it actually turned out to be not half bad. It certainly has its fair share of interesting moments and startling imagery. And it was £1. An intriguing opening sets the fairy tale-image drenched scene, as a young college student is lured into the woods by a mysterious figure in a red cape, only to be pounced upon and gutted. Even though we don’t see ...

Actress and author Ingrid Pitt, best known for her roles in horror films from the 60s and 70s, such as the Hammer Horror productions The Vampire Lovers and Countess Dracula , has passed away at the age of 73. The Polish-born star died from heart failure at a hospital in south London where she was admitted after collapsing a few days ago. Pitt’s death comes just several weeks after that of Roy Ward Baker, who directed her in The Vampire Lovers .  Of all the bewitching, beguiling actresses whose presence graced various Hammer Horror productions throughout the years, Pitt is one of the most commanding – and even though she only appeared in two Hammer titles, was still certainly one of the most memorably compelling leading Hammer actors. Indeed, according to Hammer historian Marcus Hearn, Pitt was a "talented actress and fine writer" who was also "partly responsible for ushering in a bold and brazen era of sexually explicitly horror films in the 1970s; but that should ...

Dir. Tobe Hooper 1981 Disobeying her parent's orders, teenager Amy sneaks out to visit a sleazy travelling carnival with her friends Liz, Buzz and Richie. They decide to spend the night in the carnival funhouse, but after witnessing a gruesome murder, are stalked by the maniacal, disfigured offspring of the carnival barker. Tobe Hooper’s masterpiece The Texas Chain Saw Massacre needs no introduction. One of the most highly regarded, visceral, provocative and controversial horror films of all time, few films have matched it for its raw intensity: not even many of Hooper’s own subsequent offerings could live up to the extreme intensity it generated. That said, much of his earlier work still retains an edgy grittiness to it; the sweaty bijou snuff-atmospherics of Eaten Alive and the nasty underbelly of Spielberg produced Poltergeist , all display the  kind of intensity Hooper specialised in mustering. Even in the creepy Prime-Time vampires-invading-a-small-town Stephen King...

Artist Matt Gondek has been designing neon googly-eyed monsters for bands, companies and clothing brands for five years now, and at 28, he is already co-owner of his own clothing brand ( Wonderful Life ). The artist’s striking designs recently caught the eye of horror magazine  Fangoria , who immediately commissioned him to design a brand-new line of T-shirts. I had the pleasure of interviewing him about his work and his love of monsters and horror films - check it out over at Fangoria . The following interview was posted on Fangoria.com in November 2010 INTERVIEW WITH DESIGNER MATT GONDEK Posted by James Gracey Artist Matt Gondek has been designing neon googly-eyed monsters for bands, companies and clothing brands for 5 years now, and at 28 years old he is already the co-owner of a clothing brand (WONDERFUL LIFE). Drawing and designing has always been a part of Gondek’s life, from the moment he could hold a pencil he would draw comic book characters and monsters from movies. ...

British director Ian Powell’s provocative Queer art-house shocker,  Seeing Heaven, unfolds as an increasingly nightmarish mystery filtered through the candy-coloured aesthetics of classic Italian horror movies. The film revolves around young gay escort Paul (Alexander Bracq), who embarks on a dark and dangerous odyssey through the underworld of male prostitution and the adult movie industry, desperately searching for his long lost twin brother. All the while he experiences bizarre nightmares and orgasmic visions – shared by his clients when they have sex with him – of his brother, and a mysterious masked stranger. Weaving together a striking central mystery, issues facing the gay community, bold visuals, and ideas concerning identity and fate, Powell has concocted a heady brew of sensual chills and provocative ideas. Powell began his filmmaking career directing adult movies and Seeing Heaven  is not only his feature debut, it marks his transition into horror. It demonstra...

1998 Dir. Jamie Blanks After several deaths and disappearances of fellow students, Natalie (Alicia Witt) begins to suspect that a brutal psychopathic killer is offing the campus populace in grisly ways inspired by old urban legends. Trouble is, no one believes her. Teaming up with best friend Brenda (Rebecca Gayheart) and roving student reporter Paul (Jared Leto), she sets out to reveal who the killer is and stop them before its too late… but wait! Who’s that over there? Hello? Hello?? *wonders off alone to investigate a strange noise* An urban legend is a form of modern folklore, usually passed on by word of mouth and concerning an event believed by the teller to be true. They are stories that act as cautionary morality tales that vary over time, and usually carry some significance for the particular communities that propagate them. The premise of Urban Legend - that various students are being murdered in a manner that echoes various notorious urban legends/folktales - is on...

According to this week’s Total Film newsletter , Behind the Couch is a ‘cool film blog to visit.’ Thanks to Matt Suzaka over at Chuck Norris Ate My Baby for the heads up and the linkage. That  Total Film  even stumbled across my blog, let alone recommended people to visit it, makes me so, so happy. It's one of my favourite film magazines. I could just dance like Crispin Glover in  Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter . Check it out...

1973 Dir. Sergio Martino AKA The Bodies Bear Traces of Carnal Violence The brutal murders of several college students plunge the campus into paranoia and terror. Four friends (including Suzy Kendall - The Bird with the Crystal Plumage ) decide to leave town for a few days until the killer is apprehended. They head for the safety of a secluded mountain-top villa - little do they realise though, that the crazed maniac has followed them to the retreat and fully intends to off them one by one. “ Death is the best keeper of secrets .” Director  Sergio Martino was never content to limit his output to just one genre and since the Sixties he dabbled in projects ranging from horror to westerns, action to sci-fi. His best work though is without a doubt his lurid gialli – works that are often criminally overlooked - such as The Case of the Scorpion’s Tail, Your Vice is a Locked Room and Only I Have the Key and All the Colours of the Dark . Torso , one of his later giallo flicks,...