MURDER IN A BLUE WORLD (1973)

  A pretty decent riff(rip-off?) of A CLOCKWORK ORANGE featuring a gang of destructive, rapist hooligans in a society where they try and rehabilitate violent criminals using some futuristic shock treatment. They even have their inspiration show up playing on TV. While it's usually not a good idea to remind people of the better movie you're copying they do manage to make this different enough not to bore ya by throwing in a murderous nurse character(Ana Vernia) who enjoys stabbing men right through their hearts. Alternate titles include CLOCKWORK TERROR(this American release is supposed to have a couple of extra scenes) and TO LOVE, PERHAPS TO DIE. 

The original Spanish title translates to the very giallo-esque A DROP OF BLOOD TO DIE WHILE LOVING or something like that:

GRADUATION DAY (1981)

  OK 80s slasher dealing with a killer taking out high school students right before graduation. Some interesting, if not highly unlikely kills, involving spikes and a pole vault and a spear-loaded football. Notable caste members include Christopher George of PIECES fame, scream queen Linnea Quigley and in her 2nd ever movie role WHEEL OF FORTUNE's Vanna White! Also look out for new wave band Felony who show up to rock during the big roller skating graduation party. There are way worse slashers out there.

TENDER FLESH (1997)

  Director Jess Franco had remade THE MOST DANGEROUS GAME a couple of times already in his long career with this being the worst example of that. It's not really until the last third of the movie that the plot seems to actually kick in with the first chunk feeling like a terrible music video with nudity. Lina Romay is featured still getting nekkid in movies into her 40s(Her English is a bit rough to comprehend a lot of the time) and there's some surprising cannibalism thrown in giving the title some relevance.

 There are claims that this was Franco's last movie shot on film but the DVD I own look pretty similar to the shot-on-video dreck that he would be stuck making up until his death. A tough one to stay awake during and his output would only become worse after this! 

FLESHBURN (1984)

  If I had to name my favorite American Indian-revenge film it would have to be JOHNNY FIRECLOUD. This here is kinda/sorta similar except it's also a crazy Vietnam Vet movie and an example of survival horror more than being a straight ahead revenge tale. Sonny Landham stars as our crazy Indian who isn't too happy with being sent to a mental hospital so he breaks out and punishes those involved with his sentencing by kidnapping them and leaving them in the middle of the desert. While that could be the setup to a cool movie(and another MOST DANGEROUS GAME rip-off) it's not exactly executed very well here. Lots of bickering interrupted by an occasional attack or fight scene occur so if that sounds fun give it a go. It doesn't help that the version I watched recently, and that seems to be the most available copy, is a TV-cut which removes any naughty words and any blood that might have been in the original release.

GIALLO IN VENICE (1979)

  Called "the goriest giallo" by many there are 2 scenes(one involving a leg and the other a vagina) that help it live up to that moniker. Outside of those show-stoppers it's just a very strange giallo featuring a detective(Jeff Blyne) who seems to always be chomping on hard-boiled eggs investigating the apparent murder of a couple of weirdo sexual degenerates. A top-tier nasty giallo from the end of the sick 70s when they really had to pull out all the stops to get noticed. AKA GORE IN VENICE, MYSTERY IN VENICE and THRILLER IN VENICE.

  Mariangelo Giordano, who would go on to play the mom who gets her boob bitten off in BURIAL GROUND doesn't fare much better here being the victim off a hideous leg dismemberment.  

                                                      Sexy mussels! 

KILLER'S MOON (1978)

  "you were only raped, as long as you don't tell anyone about it you'll be alright. You just pretend it never happened"

 The closest thing I can compare this to is 80s slasher ALONE IN THE DARK since they're both about a group of escaped homicidal mental patients. Since this came out in '78 I guess you have to call it a proto-slasher and it really pales in comparison to it's 80s counterpart. There are multiple rapes and murders going on so it is pretty sleazy but it never feels anywhere near as sleazy as similar stuff from this era like LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT etc. Fellow British director Peter Walker managed some pretty great stuff  at this same time so I guess my main problem with this is comparing it to a lot of the superior exploitation flicks it never quite lives up to.

RAT PFINK A BOO BOO (1966)

  While watching this classic campy Ray Dennis Steckler film I couldn't help asking myself who the hell this was made for. It starts out like a rough crime flick complete with a woman being roughed up and mugged and then turns into a silly kid-friendly BATMAN-rip-off about a half hour in. Luckily an ape shows up towards the end to make the whole thing better. Apparently the hodgepodge nature of the film has to do with Steckler starting out making a straight-forward crime movie and then getting the brilliant idea of injecting some silly crime-fighters into it after already shooting a bunch of footage. Singer Ron Haydock is in the title role and supplies a couple of tunes including his classic RAT FINK of course.  A good time for trash movie weirdos!

 Presented in "REGULARSCOPE Black and White" though some prints have Rat Pfink's scenes color-tinted.

FRANKENHOOKER (1990)

 Very stupid but amusing comedic take-off of FRANKENSTEIN except with hooker body parts. Directed by cult film specialist Frank Henenlotter this has some interesting actors show up including Louise Lasser from that MARY HARTMEN, MARY HARTMAN TV show, Horror host Zacherle, Beverly Bonner from Henenlotter's BAKET CASE and Shirley Stoller of THE HONEYMOON KILLERS-fame. Star Patty Mullen was previously in the even more dumb  DOOM ASYLUM and not much else. 

THE INCREDIBLY STRANGE CREATURES WHO STOPPED LIVING AND BECAME MIXED-UP ZOMBIES (1964)

 Probably director Ray Dennis Steckler's most well-known film thanks to it's ridiculously long title. I don't think it's his best movie though(THE THRILL KILLERS has always been that for me). Billed as "The First Monster Musical"(just beating out THE HORROR OF PARTY BEACH by a month!) it's all the singing and dancing performances and long-winded footage of a carnival that really drag the whole thing down for me. Steckler does, as usual, put himself in the lead role as a free-wheeling beatnik type who gets turned into a stab-happy murderer thanks to a creepy fortune-teller(Brett O'Hara). There's minimal blood and minimal zombies that don't show up until almost the very end. Also because this was pre-NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD we don't get those munching-on-flesh-type zombies but instead these "creatures" just strangle everyone they meet which is not very exciting. 

 Advertised as being filmed in TERRORAMA, BLOODY-VISON and HALLUCINOGENIC-HYPNOVISION Steckler would do the same gag he did with THE THRILL KILLERS and run into the audience with some folks dressed as monsters to scare folks at some screenings during the hypnotism scenes where a spiral would mesmerize the audience which seems like extra added fun. AKA DIABOLICAL DR. VOODOO and THE INCREDIBLY MIXED-UP ZOMBIE. Re-released as THE TEENAGE PSYCHO MEETS BLOODY MARY. 

 

                                             Real monsters invade the drive-in!: