Behind the Couch

2011 Dirs. Luca Boni and Marco Ristori Another month, another zombie flick; Eaters: Rise of the Dead follows the tried, tested and arguably tired formula of pitching a small band of apocalypse survivors against the marauding undead. Somewhat typically, it opens with a montage of news footage documenting the spread of a mysterious virus, a zero birth rate, the threat of nuclear intervention from governments and the fall of civilisation as we know it. When we pick up with the main characters Alen and Igor (Guglielmo Favilla and Alex Lucchesi), post-apocalypse is full-steam ahead. They are two of a number of survivors hiding out in an abandoned building outside the city. Shades of Romero’s Day of the Dead echo through these scenes as the group; largely made up of military men, tussle with boredom and fatigue, while a shady scientist searches for a solution. In terms of the zombie movie, Italy really jumped on the band wagon after George Romero’s seminal classic, Dawn of the ...

Unfolding in the spring of 1890, ' Oscar Wilde And The Vampire Murders ' is the fourth instalment in Gyles Brandreth’s series featuring writer/poet/wit/dandy/philosopher Oscar Wilde as a highly sophisticated, eloquent and, in typical “Wilde” fashion, self-indulgent sleuth. Aided in his investigations by fellow literary luminaries Arthur Conan Doyle, Bram Stoker and his eventual biographer, Robert Sherard, the Philosopher of Aestheticism finds himself irrevocably embroiled in a series of nasty murders, the grim details of which suggest they were carried out by a vampire… Amidst the lavish locations and copious amounts of Perrier-Jouët decadently guzzled by Wilde and co, is an irresistibly macabre mystery which will undoubtedly please those who enjoy classic murder-mystery whodunits in the vein of Agatha Christie or indeed, Conan Doyle’s own Sherlock Holmes. To read my full review, head over to Fangoria . The following review was published on Fangoria.com in June 2011 Os...

1981 Dir. J. Lee Thompson In the run up to her 18th birthday, Ginny (Melissa Sue Anderson) begins to experience bizarre blackouts and fragmented flashbacks of a traumatic event. To make matters worse, someone begins murdering her close circle of friends in morbidly inventive ways. Is Ginny responsible for the murders during her mysterious blackouts? Could the killer be someone from her past? Why is she unable to remember a significant event from the previous year? Ginny must work fast to figure out what's going on and unmask the killer before it's too late… Released in the wake of the success of Halloween and Friday the 13th , Happy Birthday To Me is a typical example of the myriad slasher movies unleashed during the early Eighties. With every new title (usually referencing an anniversary or holiday or significant calendar date) the main focus of the slasher film, as established by Friday the 13th , was to drape its plot around a series of inventive death scenes; boa...

2011 Dir. Wes Craven Ten years have passed since Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) survived violent attempts on her life by the ‘Ghostface Killer.’ She has rebuilt her life through writing about her experiences in a newly published self-help book. Returning to her hometown of Woodsboro on the anniversary of the original massacre to promote her book, she is reunited her with old friends, bumbling cop Dewey (David Arquette) and ruthless reporter Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox). However, her return sparks another killing spree, suggesting someone else from the past seeks a reunion with her; albeit a reunion sodden in blood… The legacy of Scream is undeniable. A smart, suspenseful and scary deconstruction of the slasher film, it was hugely successful because it was not only a taut and terrifying thriller, but also a savvy commentary on the horror genre, particularly slasher movies. In its wake of self-awareness, ironic humour and biting reflexivity, horror was never the same again. A...

1982 Dir. JS Cardone Hugely influenced by Italian horror cinema, particularly in its doomful mood and nightmarish illogicality, obscure slasher The Slayer seems to draw from the same well of horror as the work of Fulci and Argento; where any semblance of logic and coherence is overshadowed by atmosphere and mood. Struggling visual artist Kay (Sarah Kendall), her husband, her brother and his wife all head off on vacation to a rugged, deserted island retreat. Once there, the already anxious Kay can’t help feeling she’s been there before. Her mounting sense of dread and paranoia peak when her companions are stalked and slain, one by one of course, by a mysterious assailant who seems to have haunted Kay’s dreams from childhood.  Director Cardone builds tension and menace from the outset with the slow-burning story unfurling gloomily to establish vague character dynamics, and the miasma-gorged location serving to wring every drop of foreboding dread from proceedings. No humour is...

This month’s reviews were brought to you courtesy of Caliza (‘barrel aged’), a lush cabernet sauvignon and tempranillo blend from Spanish wine company, Viña Albali. A smooth and medium bodied wine made from selected cabernet sauvignon and tempranillo grapes from the Castile La Mancha region, Caliza displays a mild strawberry with a hint of cherry flavour, which has been aged in oak for several months, adding a lovely, well, ‘oaky’ finish. Established in 1952, Félix Solís (the parent company of the Viña Albali brand) grow their grapes in harsh climatic conditions (up to 40C in summer and as low as -15C in winter). If it’s simple and mildly flavoured accompaniment with my movie watching last night is anything to go by, it works quite well with dark and moody David Fincher thrillers like Se7en (the oaky, tannin finish is wonderfully complemented by Morgan Freeman’s dulcet tones and the washed-out colour palette) and, providing your housemate doesn’t make you flick over halfway...

With his dazzlingly shot and sadistically violent directorial debut The Bird with the Crystal Plumage , Dario Argento built on the giallo blueprint laid down by Mario Bava in the groundbreaking The Girl Who Knew Too Much and Blood And Black Lace ; effectively kick starting the popularity of the giallo movie in early Seventies Italian cinema. A slew of films combining art-house aesthetics and exploitative sex and violence followed suit. This month sees the release of his chic and savage debut on blu-ray, courtesy of Arrow Video , who have once again really gone all out to give cult movie fans a package to celebrate. Head over to Eye for Film to read my review of Argento's debut and the host of Arrow Video's tantalizing, jaw-dropping extra features - which ensure this release is a MUST for fans of Argento and giallo all'italiana...

1982 Dir. Lucio Fulci Lucio Fulci ’s The New York Ripper has a reputation as a misogynistic Video Nasty. Throughout its running time the audience is subjected to all manner of abhorrent and depressing violence – pretty much solely directed at women. These scenes are loosely lashed together by a convoluted ‘murder mystery’ narrative, in which a hard boiled, burnt out New York cop (Jack Hedley) attempts to track down the titular ripper, who has been butchering sexually confident women with wild abandon. Fulci relegates the detective story aspect of the film to the background, focusing more on the killer’s sadistic, frenzied exploits, to push his set-piece driven narrative forward. Indeed, tension is often broken by the tonal change when we switch to the police procedural scenes, as our detective and various bumbling cops just stumble from one convenient clue to the next, with little logic or reason. To say the scenes of violence live up to their disturbing reputation is a vast u...

2011 Dir. Guillem Morales Julia (Belén Rueda) and her twin sister suffer from a degenerative disease that will eventually leave them blind. When her sister's body is found hanged in the family basement, everyone but Julia assumes that she died by suicide. As she begins her tender-footed investigation to determine the true cause of her sister's death, Julia is sure that she is being watched, but she cannot see her observer. Is it a distorted result of her failing eyesight or is she only imagining things? Or could it be that the man she believes is watching her every move is invisible? Increasingly isolated after an operation – a last ditch attempt to save her sight - Julia’s nerves are fraught and her psyche seems to be completely unravelling. Is it merely her imagination getting the better of her, or is her sister’s mysterious killer now toying with her too? Julia’s Eyes is a dark and engrossing thriller that initially looks set to unravel as a vaguely supernatural spo...

Now in its fourth year and going from strength to strength, Paracinema is a New York based, independently produced magazine specialising in the appreciation of films that fall outside of mainstream cinema. Written by fans for fans, each issue features in-depth studies of titles from genres such as horror, exploitation, cult, Asian, giallo and B-movies. Within the vivid, exquisitely designed pages of issue 12 you’ll find features such as The Man From Australia: Falling Without a Parachute Through the Films of Ozploitation Filmmaker Brian Trenchard-Smith by Justin Bozung; Howling All the Way Straight to Video by Brett Taylor; and Explorers: Exploring Childhood Escapism by Matthew House - of Chuck Norris Ate My Baby infamy.  *shameless self-promotion alert* This issue also includes my feature  Sketches of Venice in Red: A Comparative Glance at Who Saw Her Die? And Don’t Look Now .  Pre-order your copy now . If you’re on Facebook, you can follow Paracinem...

Born this day one hundred years ago, Vincent Price was an actor renowned for his distinctive voice, wryly theatrical performances and flamboyantly gothic horror films throughout the 60s and 70s. What better way to celebrate the velvet-voiced Price’s centenary than to settle back, raise a glass of something shockingly red and full-bodied, and treat your eyes (and ears) to one of his many atmospheric and cobweb-hewn gothic masterpieces. But where to begin?? I’ve made a list of some of my favourite Vincent Price films - this isn’t a selection of his best films; merely some of the ones I love most and ones that have ensured my admiration of him so much as an actor and a sophisticated master of the macabre. House on Haunted Hill (1959). Eccentric millionaire Fredrick Loren (Vincent Price) has invited five carefully selected strangers to a ‘haunted house’ party and promises to pay whoever stays in the house for the whole night $10,000 dollars. With no way of contacting the outside worl...

Sir Christopher Frank Carandini Lee, CBE, CStJ – who turns 89 today - really needs no introduction. Born in 1922, he is well known for his portrayal of various exquisite villains suffering from the 'loneliness of evil' throughout the years, particularly Count Dracula in the fabulously gothic Hammer Horror films of the 60s and 70s. Despite having performed in over 266 films since 1948 – a fact which gains him an entry in the Guinness Book of World Records for having the most film acting roles ever – one of the films he is most proud of is Robin Hardy’s pagan folk horror, The Wicker Man (1973). Lee plays Lord Summerisle, the leader of a small pagan community not averse to ritualistically sacrificing virgin coppers from the mainland in order to help their failing crops. Lee was knighted in 2009 and received the BAFTA Fellowship in 2011. Some of his more recent film work includes Hammer’s latest excursion into dark matters The Resident , medieval action-horror Season of the...

Today is Peter Cushing’s birthday! One of the most recognisable faces of Hammer Horror, Mr Cushing was born on 26 May 1913 and is well known for his portrayals of Baron Frankenstein and Dr. Van Helsing, often appearing opposite his best friend Christopher Lee. If you’re planning on watching some Peter Cushing films later, why not enhance your viewing pleasure by preparing one of the recipes below – personal favourites of Mr Cushing himself... Peter Cushing's Pain - Grille Brule From the book "The Cook Book of the Stars" - Copyright 1983 "It is surprising how my passion for this delicacy will not be taken seriously. Even the best Maitre d'Hotel - possibly because of that - smiles indulgently and serves the usual rack of something that looks (and tastes) like white flannelette - made of rubber. Place 1-2 slices (according to appetite) of brown bread under a grill set 'high'. When flames appear, it is done. Reverse until the other side cries for m...

2010 Dir. Paul Ziller When Jacob Glaser (Misha Collins), a renegade astrophysicist and underground radio host, is alerted to unusual electromagnetic energy fields occurring throughout the globe, his initial investigations lead him to Stonehenge. Somehow, the stones have begun to move independently and are building up enough energy to vaporise anyone who comes within a certain range. Jacob’s theory is that Stonehenge is a key part of a massive alien terraforming machine connected to other historical sites around the world...  Meanwhile, in the US state of Maine, a former colleague of Jacob’s has discovered an underground pyramid linked to the ongoing events at Stonehenge and is actively working towards the destruction of mankind in the hopes that he and his followers can survive the coming apocalypse and be the rulers of the next era of life on earth. When Jacob discovers the existence of a key that he believes is capable of switching off the doomsday machine, he sets about ...

1959 Dir. Crane Wilbur Murder-mystery author Cornelia van Gorder rents a country mansion for the summer while its owner, bank manager Mr Fleming, is on an extended hunting trip. Unbeknownst to Cornelia and her faithful PA Lizzie, Fleming has been embezzling bank bonds worth one million dollars, and hidden them in the manor. The two women and their guests are menaced by a notorious killer dubbed 'The Bat' - who uses steel-clawed gloves to tear out the throats of his victims and will stop at nothing to get his hands on the loot! The Bat is based on the 1920 Broadway play of the same name by Avery Hopwood and Mary Roberts Rinehart. It was previously filmed by Roland West in 1926 as The Bat and as The Bat Whispers in 1930. Its stage origins are evident in the sets and locations, mainly limited to a couple of rooms in the sprawling mansion. The premise of a feisty mystery writer renting an old, dark house in the middle of the countryside, while the surrounding area is grip...