|
 Equinox
(1970. Jack Woods)
Watch this film and see where Sam Raimi stole everything
for his "Evil Dead" films. Made in 1967 (released
in '70) on a shoestring budget this ambitious horror/fantasy
movie is truly a triumph of no-budget filmmaking. A very original
wild flick that makes "Evil Dead 1 & 2" (which
I like) look like uninspired grand theft. Several scenes are
a complete ripoff by Raimi. "Equinox" also has some
neat Ray Harryhausen stop animation FX with rather convincing
monsters. A must for serious horrorfans. Criterion has just
released a deluxe dvd.
Jens
 Rusted
Body (1987. Kazuo Komizu)
A busty 'female inquisitor' (echoes of ILSA) and her deranged
'family' blackmail and kidnap wealthy crooked businessmen.
Wall-to-wall scenery of torture, sex, cannibalism, incest,
rape, etc. mixed with bad acting, great cinematography and
wonderful absurd dialogue (the 'patriarch' rants against the
rich, Yanks and Russians while the youngest girl calls everybody
for "Pigfeed"). Definitely not wholesome family
entertainment from the Japanese director of gory sickies like
"Guts Of A Virgin" and "Guts Of A Beauty".
The film, also called "Guts Of A Virgin 3" is a
cheesy nihilistic sleazefest - highly recommended for fans
of extreme cult flicks.
Jens
 The
Horrible Dr. Hichcock (1962. Riccardo Freda)
Great twisted gothic shocker from Freda who let Bava co-direct
"I Vampiri" (1957). The greatest horror actress
of'em all, Barbara Steele, becomes the sinister Professor
Hichcock's 2nd wife but something's not right at his mansion,
whats with the paintings of his ex-wife, the coffins in the
cellar, the black cat, ghosts and strange experiments? Great
use of light, fog and thunder mixed with excellent cinematography.
A minor classic, Freda's best. Get the uncut 88 mins version,
the 76 mins US version deletes the necrophilia scenes.
Jens
 Wham
Bam Thank You Spaceman
(1975. William A. Levey)
"He's A UFO Romeo!" Two buglike casanovas from outer
space visit our planet to spread some good lovin' among the
earthly females in this dated and infantile but fun 70's Sci-Fi
softcore epic. The budget is even lower than "Flesh Gordon"
(1972) but Dyanne "Ilsa" Thorne makes an appearance
as an unsatisfied (!) hooker who gets some close encounters
of the X-rated kind. The director made "Blackenstein"
the same year! "Wham Bam.." could seriously damage
your IQ but who cares!
Jens
Sins of the Fleshapoids (1965. Mike Kuchar)
Finally saw Mike Kuchar's underground 'classic' after reading
about it for years. This is one strange sci-fi campfest with
homoeroticism and no dialogue, only voice-over and cartoonish
speak bubbles. A 'million years' into the future humans have
robots (fleshapoids) as servants who then rebel and turn against
their masters when they start having feelings. Its shot in
somebody's 3 room apartment with some very inspired wacky
set designs and hilarious outfits and no-budget funny visual
FX. Mike's brother George acts in it. I liked it. 40 minutes
long and apparently a huge influence on John Waters.
Jens
 The
Ratman (1988. Guialiano Carnimeo)
This outrageous moronic and pretty offensive horrorflick was
released when the golden age of Italian exploitation cinema
had run its course. Unlike most 70s Italo features the cinematography
is mediocre and the 'shock' scenes are not really frightening.
What makes this abortion of a movie interesting is that it
stars 'the smallest man in the world', Nelson de la Rosa,
according to Guiness Book of Records. I mean, Mini-Me is like
a giant compared to Rosa. Some scientists have created a mutant
by injecting rat semen into a female monkey thus unleashing
the title creature which looks like a hairy baby! The Ratman
of course goes bonkers and kills off loads of people at a
tropical island incl. many of Werner Pochath's ("Mosquito
the Rapist") bikini models. Plenty of gore and nudity
and even more stupidity. Highly recommended of fans with a
sick twisted sense of humor. You rather feel sorry for the
freak of nature, Nelson de la Rosa, than being afraid of this
small fella who would've been rejected for "Terror Of
Tiny Town" for being too tiny. The cast includes exploitation
vet David Warbeck. Rosa was later in the John Frankenheimer's
awful "Island Of Dr. Moreau" opposite Marlon Brando.
Jens
 Joe
Bataan - Mr. New York Is Back! (Vampisoul/Last Bandit Films)
Joe Bataan is a real character: An Afro-Philippine turned
juvenile delinquent in Spanish Harlem, upon his release from
jail in the early 60's forming a latin soul group, getting
a minor it with "Gypsy Woman". Throughout the 60's
and 70's, he released a string of albums before, in 1979,
creating one of the first, and positively worst, I'm afraid,
rap songs, "Rap-o-Clapo" (oh, yes). He then disappeared
into obscurity, working in community centres and training
his kids in karate, before, in the late 90's, he re-emerged,
and last year released his first album in two decades, "Call
My Name".
I for one prefer his early soul material, where he really
had something special, gifted with a mournful voice and melancholic
latin soul tracks, whereas in the 70's, he inadvertently played
a part in launching disco with Fania Records, creating the
blueprint for house music. His shortlived rap career was absolutely
kitsch with dancing girls and himself performing with suspenders
and a big afro. It wasn't until he hooked up with Daniel Collás
in the 2000's that he came close to the same spirit he had
had in the 60's.
In this movie, he talks about the strange journey his life
has been, brags a bit, rips a few anecdotes, mixed with archive
material and an audio track, where you can chose between Spanish
and Spanglish - I don't know why they didn't get a native
English speaker to do the English audio track, but it does
give the DVD an authentic latin vibe, I guess.
Unfortunately, the movie tends towards hagiography, not going
in as deep as one might have wished for or providing more
historical background about the era. For Joe Bataan-fans however,
it's a magic box of treats, including two videos for "Rap-o-Clapo",
a videotaped comeback show from 1995, a professional shooting
of the show I saw him play with Marc Ribot in Madrid last
summer, and a handheld video diary of Bataan walking through
his old neighbourhood up in Spanish Harlem, including a scene
where he gets kicked out by a security guard when he tries
to get into his old high school.
The days of fame are long gone, but the old fighter deserves
the second chance in the ring he's getting now.
http://www.vampisoul.com
Jon A
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