EYE OF THE DEVIL (1967) starring David Niven

Okay, so my 1967 installment is a slight cheat, but I’ll explain. While the film was released in Italy in 1966 and the United Kingdom in 1968, it had its American debut in December of 1967 in—of all places—Wisconsin. Regardless, I’ve had my eye on this one (no pun intended) for some time, and it’s my viewing challenge. So there. 

David Niven—whom I only know from things like THE PINK PANTHER (1963) and its sequels, MURDER BY DEATH (1976), and ROUGH CUT (1980)—stars as Philippe, a French aristocrat living in Paris with his wife Catherine (Deborah Kerr in a role originally given to Kim Novak) and their two children. After the third year of barren crops at the family vineyards, he is summoned to the ancestral home at Bellenac. There, weirdo priest Pere Dominic (Donald Pleasence) gives him a spooky amulet while towheaded siblings Christian (David Hemmings) and Odile (Sharon Tate in her first role) lurk around. 

Despite Philippe’s protests, Catherine brings the kids to Bellenac and slowly but surely she pieces together what we’ve all known from the get-go: somebody has to pay the price for the crappy harvest and that guy is Philippe. 

Directed by journeyman J. Lee Thompson (GUNS OF NAVARONE, CAPE FEAR, CONQUEST OF THE PLANET OF THE APES, THE EVIL THAT MEN DO, 10 TO MIDNIGHT, DEATH WISH 4: THE CRACKDOWN), the flick doesn’t hold a lot of surprises. Philippe returns, there’s some clandestine meetings with hooded creeps, and then it’s time to pay the piper. Not nearly as memorable or sinister as folk horror classics like THE WICKER MAN (1973) or BLOOD ON SATAN’S CLAW (1971), EYE benefits from the black and white photography (it would be the last MGM film released in the format), and the presence of Hemmings and Tate as sinister siblings. — Dan Taylor

THERE’S SOMETHING IN THE BARN! (2023) starring Martin Starr

After his uncle dies in a bizarre accident, Bill (Martin Starr) moves his family to Norway (?!) with dreams of turning the inherited property into a bed & breakfast. Upon arrival, his son discovers that the grounds are inhabited by a “barn elf” that will leave you alone if you follow a specific set of rules. Naturally, the family breaks the rules and, well, mayhem ensues. 

Despite a fun premise that initially had me giddy with gore-soaked anticipation, BARN doesn’t know what the hell it wants to be. Is it a comedy? Is it a bloody holiday horror? Unfortunately, it tries to be both and succeeds at being neither. 

Though there are some inspired bits, the whole thing runs way too long (no movie about murderous barn elves should be longer than 85 minutes), and if I have to see one more flick about a blended family where the step-parent needs to connect with a distant teen I’m going to turn into a murderous barn elf myself. 

Totally worth a background watch while you’re getting wasted on that eggnog your brother makes with lighter fluid, but not much better than that. — Dan Taylor

Dan Taylor is the editor/publisher of Exploitation Retrospect and he loves him some DON'T OPEN TILL CHRISTMAS.

KILL, BABY ... KILL! (1966) directed by Mario Bava

It’s the early 1900s, and Dr. Eswai has been summoned to a remote European village to perform an autopsy on the body of young Irena Hollander. Pursued by an unseen force, she hurled herself from a church bell tower onto spike below, and the superstitious townspeople are in no hurry to help the good doctor.

With the assistance of Inspector Kruger, Eswai retrieve’s Irena’s body and conducts an examination with the lovely Monica (Erika Blanc) as his assistant. Monica is no stranger to the town or its customs, having spent the first couple years of her life there.

After finding a silver coin embedded in Irena’s heart, Eswai learns that the town is gripped by superstition. Melissa, the young daughter of the town’s Baroness, died at the age of seven, pursuing a ball while drunk villagers ignored her cries for help. As legend has it, the vengeful ghost curses anyone who comes in contact with her. When Nadienne, the daughter of the local innkeepers, encounters the creepy kid, the village witch wraps her in a leech vine, which Eswai considers archaic nonsense and removes. Nadienne dies due to the deadly curse, further turning the townsfolk against the well-meaning doctor. 

Can Eswai solve the town’s deadly mystery? Is it truly the work of a vengeful spirit, or is there a more rational explanation to the deadly shenanigans? 

KILL, BABY ... KILL! is the eleventh film from Italian horror maestro Mario Bava and considered by many as his best work. I don’t feel that strongly about the flick, but it’s not due to its quality. Bava maintains a brisk pace for a Gothic period piece—usually my Kryptonite—and keeps the viewer guessing (though one twist is obvious early on). The ghostly Melissa (played by a young man) ratchets up the film’s fear factor, while Bava’s trademark lighting and visuals like swirling staircase, hidden crypts, and misty village streets add to the film’s mystery and visual impact. 

Though the film was a box office hit in Bava’s native country during its original release (outgrossing the director’s BLACK SUNDAY and BLACK SABBATH), its cultural impact is its true legacy. Both Martin Scorcese and David Lynch acknowledge the film’s influence on their work, while Federico Fellini lifted the idea of the ghostly child and their bouncing ball for the ‘Toby Dammit’ segment of the 1968 anthology flick SPIRITS OF THE DEAD. 

Personally, I prefer Bava’s contributions to the giallo genre (especially HATCHET FOR THE HONEYMOON and BAY OF BLOOD), but I dug KILL, BABY ... KILL!, especially for its look, feel, and pacing, especially in a genre that I frequently find snooze-inducing. (Also known as OPERATION FEAR, CURSE OF THE DEAD, and my favorite, THE DEAD EYES OF DR. DRACULA.) – Dan Taylor

60-For-60 Introduction: 60 Horror Films from 1966 to 2026

So, I turn 60 (gasp!) next year. Whenever I reach one of those nice round numbers, I always look to undertake some sort of movie-viewing project (even if I don’t complete it). This time I’ve decided to dedicate my ‘60-for-60’ to my beloved genre of horror. 

My introduction to horror came, oddly enough, at the hands of the great Abbott & Costello. Their movies aired after church every Sunday on one of the local Philly UHF channels (I believe it was WKBS-48) and their wonderful monster-mash ABBOTT & COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN (1948) was my gateway horror film. It remains, to this day, my favorite horror-comedy. 

My mom, the true movie nut in our household, said that if I liked that, I should probably start sampling the classic Universal horrors that ran every weekend on the local stations. (Thank you, 1970s television!) THE GHOST OF FRANKENSTEIN (1942) was next, and I was hooked. 

Universal led to Hammer, which led to trashy cable viewings, VHS rentals, and spending afternoons cutting classes in Philly to go catch Lucio Fulci’s 7 DOORS OF DEATH (1981), watching NIGHT OF THE ZOMBIES (1980) with out-of-order reels at the drive-in, consuming copious amounts of beer along with ALIEN: CONTAMINATION (1980) at my buddy’s house, or hopping around area theaters soaking in every moment of DEMONS (1985), EVIL DEAD 2 (1987), DAY OF THE DEAD (1985), LIFEFORCE (1985—which I’m seeing on the big screen again tonight!), and more while scribbling notes for our trash cinema zine. 

My goal isn’t to focus on new viewings, though I hope to lean into stuff I haven’t seen as well as flicks that are crying out for a rewatch. But I hope you’ll forgive me if a certain year rolls around and I just can’t help indulging in a JAWS (1975) or a RE-ANIMATOR (1985). — Dan Taylor

Dan Taylor is the editor/publisher of Exploitation Retrospect and The Hungover Gourmet. He used to think 60 was old.

Dead End (2003) starring Ray Wise, Lin Shaye

My buddy Lou used to say that the plot of any good movie could be summed up as follows: Create likable characters and then threaten to kill them. 

If only the creators of DEAD END had followed this advice. 

The Harrington family (Frank, Laura, their kids Richard and Marion, and Marion’s boyfriend Brad) heads out on Christmas Eve for their annual trip to the home of Laura’s family. Frank (Ray Wise) decides on an ill-advised short cut from the normal, boring route. 

After avoiding a head-on collision with another car, the family encounters a woman in white and her baby, a deserted baby carriage, and a spooky old black car that spirits away the travelers one by one. 

Unfortunately, the black car takes its good old time, and we have to live with these insufferable assholes while they argue, bicker, shoot one another, and divulge secrets, all while plodding along to the tedious, obvious conclusion. — Dan Taylor

AMITYVILLE 4: THE EVIL ESCAPES (1989) starring Patty Duke and Jane Wyatt

“To mistake is human, but to lie is the devil’s work!”

For a 70s kid weaned on “truth”-based pop culture like ‘In Search Of’, ‘Chariots of the Gods’ and the docudrama hilarity of such Sunn Classics entries as THE MYSTERIOUS MONSTERS (1975) and THE LINCOLN CONSPIRACY (1977), the possessed house shenanigans of all things Amityville Horror was right in my wheelhouse. Despite strict Catholic parents, I ate up everything Amityville-related during its period of peak relevance, from the now-debunked novel and newspaper articles to tv specials and, of course, the 1979 movie adaptation starring James Brolin and Margot Kidder.

Followed by a sleazy prequel (1982’s AMITYVILLE II: THE POSSESSION) and a gimmicky 3-D heavy entry starring Tony Roberts, Lori Laughlin and Meg Ryan (1983’s cleverly titled AMITYVILLE 3-D), you would have thought that by the mid-80s audiences would have had enough of the possessed house and its propensity for attracting swarms of flies. 

Well, movie audiences had, as evidenced by the fact that A3D barely made back its $6 million budget—but that didn’t mean television wasn’t ready to cash in on a little name recognition. Which brings us to 1989’s made-for-tv thriller AMITYVILLE: THE EVIL ESCAPES starring Patty Duke (!) and Jane Wyatt (!!) as an estranged daughter and her mother who must battle, um, a lamp. 

But not just any lamp! After the horrific events at the famous abode, a team of priests—led by Norman Lloyd—clean house before the realtor can, well, clean house and sell the possessions at the world’s most ill-advised garage sale. When one zany buyer snatches up a kitschy lamp and ships it to her sister in California, she’s unaware that the lamp is responsible for landing Father Kibler (Fredric Lehne) in the hospital, where she too ends up after nicking her finger on the damned antique. 

Upon its arrival in California, the lamp begins causing all kinds of problems in the already-strained home of Alice Leacock (Wyatt), her widowed daughter Nancy (Duke) and Nancy’s three kids: Amanda, Brian and Jessica. Still dealing with the untimely death of their husband and father, Nancy and kids try not to create havoc in grandma’s seaside home, which proves harder than it sound thanks to little Jessica bonding with Lamp Daddy while everything from chainsaws and garbage disposals to sewer pipes and toaster ovens seems to have an (evil) mind of its own. 

While neither scary nor gory, THE EVIL ESCAPES is an enjoyably weird artifact from the days when horror franchises would limp their way to the boob tube before enough time had passed that they could be revived on the big screen (or at least direct-to-video) for a new audience. Shockingly, a recent trip down the Amityville Horror rabbit hole has unearthed close to two dozen Amityville-related titles (such as AMITYVILLE: A NEW GENERATION), some of which – like THE EVIL ESCAPES – aren’t half bad. — Dan Taylor

Dan Taylor is the editor of Exploitation Retrospect and had a lifelong crush on Patty Duke.

AMITYVILLE 3-D (1983, aka AMITYVILLE III: THE DEMON)

Tony Roberts stars as John Baxter, an investigative reporter who exposes frauds and paranormal scammers. After he and his partner, Melanie (Candy Clark), debunk a con at the old DeFeo/Amityville Horror house, John ends up purchasing the home from a local realtor. 

Sure, why not? 

Faster than you can say “I used to be in Woody Allen movies,” the house starts exerting its weird influence on John and those around him: the realtor dies at the home, John is trapped in a wonky elevator (that was just inspected last week!), and Melanie gets into a car crash after spotting a demon’s face in a photograph.

It all comes to a head after the deaths hit close to home and John’s estranged wife (Tess Harper) goes off the deep end. With the help of a team of paranormal investigators led by Dr. West (not THAT Dr. West), John seeks answers about the home’s otherworldly inhabitants.

The third entry in the surprisingly robust Amityville film series (check out AMITYVILLE BACKPACK or AMITYVILLE BIGFOOT), A3D leans into the trendy-for-its-time 3-D sequel concept, which gives the flick a dated, hokey feel. Besides Roberts, Clark, Harper and familiar faces like Robert Joy (Dr. West), the flick features Lori Laughlin (FULL HOUSE, the college fraud scandal) and Meg Ryan in supporting roles, making it perfect background viewing for Spooky Season. 

It would be followed by the tv movie AMITYVILLE 4: THE EVIL ESCAPES (1989), in which a possessed floor lamp takes its evil shenanigans to the west coast and terrorizes Patty Duke and Jane Wyatt. – Dan Taylor

Dan Taylor is the editor of Exploitation Retrospect, and a sucker for anything with the AMITYVILLE in the title. See his review of 1993's AMITYVILLE: A NEW GENERATION.

Blood Beach (1980) starring John Saxon and Burt Young

Back from Parents Weekend in Philly and in need of a non-1966 horror fix, I decided I needed a “recent” trash effort. So, of course, I settled on 1980’s BLOOD BEACH, starring John Saxon and Burt Young as dedicated, exasperated cops in search of a monster that sucks people into the sand. I’m not sure how this one has flown under my radar for, oh, 45 years, but here we are. 

After his neighbor gets abducted by the Creature of Blood Beach while he’s out swimming in the ocean, harbor patrolman Harry (David Huffman) ends up realizing he still has feelings for the woman’s estranged daughter who returns to town in search of her mother. Meanwhile, Burt Young (in full Paulie Mode) and his partner are tasked with finding out what happened to the missing woman. The creature abducts, mutilates, and kills more victims (including a dog and Harry’s stewardess “friend”), while the cops and scientists scratch their heads. Eventually, it all comes to a head after they discover the creature’s lair, and Detective Paulie decides to put an end to all this bullshit. 

A mashup of JAWS and 1960s creature features, BLOOD BEACH isn’t entirely unwatchable. Saxon is his usual, stalwart self and quips “just when you think it’s safe to go back in the water—you can’t get there” while Young literally plays Detective Paulie (his best moment involves asking Harry what color eyes his stewardess friend “had”). Unfortunately, the whole thing sounds like it was recorded in a closet and it’s hard to make out what the heck is happening anytime the action heads underground. – Dan Taylor

Dan Taylor is the editor/publisher of Exploitation Retrospect and loves him some aqua-horror.

ISLAND OF TERROR (1966) directed by Terence Fisher

When the body of a villager turns up sans bones on remote Petrie’s Island off the coast of Ireland, local physician Dr. Landers travels to the mainland to enlist the help of pathologist Dr. Stanley (the always reliable Peter Cushing). Stymied by the situation, the pair draft Dr. David West, an expert on bone diseases, to assist them. West’s girlfriend Toni tags along, and they use her father’s helicopter to return to Petrie’s Island. 

It isn’t long before Landers, Stanley and West stumble upon the castle laboratory of Dr. Phillips, who has been researching a cure for cancer with his team of scientists. There, they find the boneless corpses of Phillips and Co. and grab the team’s notes in order to get to the bottom of the mystery. Turns out that Phillips had a breakthrough in his research and created a life form that would attack the cancer.

Unfortunately, the resulting “silicates” inject a bone-dissolving enzyme into their victims and replicate by dividing every few hours. The scientists soon realize that the creatures will take over the island in a few days if they don’t figure out a way to kill them. 

There’s a decent movie at the core of ISLAND OF TERROR, but it’s nothing you haven’t seen before. Director Terence Fisher (who also directed the same year’s DRACULA: PRINCE OF DARKNESS) keeps things tense, and Cushing acts his bony ass off, making you believe that the slow moving, ridiculous looking creatures (who ooze Lipton chicken noodle soup when dividing) are the height of terror. I’m sure this would have played great had I seen it in my formative years, but at this point it feels pretty by the numbers. 

GRADE: B (which feels generous)

THE FROZEN DEAD (1966) starring Dana Andrews

Though I watch horror films all year, viewing naturally goes into overdrive during October when every channel cranks up their Halloween offerings. In order to cut down on endless hours spent scrolling through streaming offerings, I usually pick a vague "theme" for the month. This year I settled on horror (and horror/sci-fi) released in 1966, the same year that I premiered. First up ... THE FROZEN DEAD!

Dana Andrews (CURSE OF THE DEMON, ZERO HOUR!) stars as Dr. Norberg, a Nazi scientist who lives at an English country estate. But it’s not all tea and crumpets as the bad doctor has been busy re-animating a troop of Nazi soldiers who have been on ice since the end of WWII. 

When Nazi brass show up expecting a significant development in the process, they discover that Norberg’s assistant, Karl, has jumped the gun and the results are not what they had hoped. Further complicating matters is the arrival of Norberg’s niece, Jean, her friend, Elsa, and Ted Roberts, an American scientist who has had success unfreezing brains. Mayhem ensues. 

Unfortunately, I’m making it all sound better than it really is. The flick has some great visuals and a haunting final scene, but there’s way too much blah, blah, blah. The flick feels more akin to the mad doctor movies of the 1950s than the game-changing NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD, which would hit screens just two years later. 

GRADE: C+

KRIMI! Issue One Debuts

 I'm pleased to report that the new magazine KRIMI! The Magazine for Continental European Crime Cinema Culture is available now from old pal Holger Haase. 

Krimi, for those who are unfamiliar, is short for Kriminafilm (crime film), a series of German-language crime movies that were popular in the 1960s and early 1970s. Often based upon the works of author Edgar Wallace, the films were populated with mysterious villains, intricate plots, and red herrings aplenty. (The one and only Klaus Kinski was a frequent krimi ko-star.)

The debut issue is lavishly illustrated and clocks in at more than 200 pages of information, history, analysis, reviews and more. 

For more on the debut issue and worldwide ordering links, visit the Krimi! Magazine blog. — Dan Taylor

Dr. Mabuse vs Scotland Yard (1963) starring Walter Rilla, Dieter Borsche, Klaus Kinski

Dr. Mabuse is back—and he's got a mind-controlling movie camera with him!

Taking over the body of Professor Pohland (Walter Rilla), the doctor who declared him dead at the end of THE TESTAMENT OF DR. MABUSE (1962), Dr. Mabuse sets about getting his hands on a mind control device being developed by Professor Lawrence. Mabuse frees George Cockstone (Dieter Borsche), a doctor / foreign spy on his way to prison and gives him a new identity so he can get close to the device.

Once pointed at an unsuspecting person, the mind control camera forces them to kill, rob, or even commit suicide (as demonstrated in a ghastly scene that takes place at a prison gallows). After Mabuse and his cronies test the device to their satisfaction, they move their base of operations from Germany to the UK in order to take over the British government. 

Unfortunately, they weren't counting on Inspector Volpius (Werner Peters, who also starred as Heironymous P. Mistelzweig in THOUSAND EYES OF DR. MABUSE (1960)) or Major Turn (Peter Van Eyck who played Peter Travers in that same film), a police major who lives with his cigar smoking, mystery reading mother. Turn had helped bring Cockstone to justice and is keen to put his former capture back behind bars. 

Slowly, but surely, Mabuse and Cockstone begin brainwashing people in power, including Volpius and even Inspector Joe Wright of Scotland Yard, played by a young Klaus Kinski. Part of Klaus's early 1960s krimi period, DR. MABUSE VS. SCOTLAND YARD casts him a bit against the type we'd see later in his career. Instead of a red herring, butler or outright villain, Kinski gets to play a good guy and even figures into the film's dramatic, hair-rising finale. 

Eventually, Volpius and Turn discover the secret to resisting the mind control device's evil effects and bring a squadron of police crashing down on Mabuse's hideout. 

Based on the Bryan Edgar Wallace novel 'The Device,' SCOTLAND YARD was the fifth of seven Mabuse films released in the 1960s. Briskly paced and featuring a fun sci-fi undercurrent to the krimi vibe, this is an entertaining entry in the series. 

Unfortunately, there's no official US release and the 80-minute print from Sinister Cinema is missing about ten minutes from the original running time. Perhaps that ten minutes contained some clues about who the hell Nancy is and why she wants to marry Turn at film's end! 

Though Kinski doesn't have a whole lot to do other than get hypnotized, look glassy-eyed and say stuff like “This isn't a kidnapping. You're going to be killed.”, it was a treat being able to root for him in a heroic role for once. — Dan Taylor