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Run and Kill: Analysis (Spoilers)
When compared to your standard horror and exploitations films, Hong Kong Category III films are an entirely different beast. While they span different genres, they are generally considered to be all one subgenre, taking on a life of their own. Whether it’s horror, exploitation, crime, and even erotic, Category III films are notorious for pushing…
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Weekend Viewings
A Candle for the Devil (1973): Laura Barkley (Judy Geeson) is an English tourist about to arrive in Spain to meet up with her sister who is staying at a guesthouse in a village. The guesthouse is run by two sisters, Marta (Aurora Bautista) and Veronica (Esperanza Roy), who hold rather strict religious views, and…
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Shadow of Death: Review
The beginning of the Spanish horror boom in the late ’60s not only put Spain in the big leagues with other countries, but is also responsible for contributing to genres that weren’t quite established yet. One such film is Xavier Setó’s Shadow of Death (1969). Considered to be a Spanish “giallo,” Setó’s film contains several…
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Weekend Viewings:
Taxi Hunter (1993): Kin is an insurance salesman with everything going for him. He’s gonna receive a promotion at work, and he and his wife are expecting their first child any day. One night, during a thunderstorm, Kin’s wife begins haemorrhaging. He calls for a cab to pick them up and take them to the…
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The Killer of Dolls: Review
1975 was the final year of Spain’s horror boom. With Franco’s death in late November of that year, everything in Spain would begin to change, right down to the output of horror films. Over the years, Spain would see less and less horror films being made. The post-Franco government did not look favorably on the…
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Fangs of the Living Dead: Film Review (Spoilers)
Amando de Ossorio is known mostly for his Blind Dead films. They helped with the rapid ascent of the Spanish horror boom in the ’70s, with the first film, Tombs of the Blind Dead (1972) garnering much praise for its atmosphere, aesthetics, and memorable undead Templars. Ossorio has more horror films under his belt, however.…
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The House at the End of Time: Film Review
In 2013, Venezuela saw the release of its very first horror film: The House at the End of Time (La casa del fin de los tiempos). Directed by Alejandro Hidalgo, the film is about Dulce, a wife and mother who is shown lying on a floor with a cut on her face, and broken glass…
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Stacy Film Review
Stacy (2001) is a Japanese over-the-top horror comedy directed by Naoyuki Tomomatsu. It’s based on a novel by Kenji Ohtsuki and is about teenage girls aged 15-17 dying all over the world under bizarre circumstances and coming back to life as zombies. It’s also a gory and satirical love letter to George Romero’s zombie films,…
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The Layers of Eloy de la Iglesia’s “El Pico”
One of Eloy de la Iglesia’s best films is, without a doubt, “El Pico” (known as “Overdose” in North America) (1983). In this context, “pico” can be referred to a sharp point (in this case, a needle), or needing a fix. This film is part of the quincallero (delinquent) sub-genre that was popular in late…
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You Got Any Spare Change?: Parasites and Urban Horror
Chad Ferrin’s “Parasites” (2016) is a hellish, brutal, and unsettling descent into L.A.’s Skid Row. The film begins with three college students, Scott and Josef (white dudes), and Marshal (black man) driving in a nice silver Chevy truck, trying to get to Scott’s place. After a few wrong turns and taking detours, they end up…