"Filth is My Politics! Filth is My Life!" Or, A Wrap-Up of exFest 2017

John Waters introduces 1972's PINK FLAMINGOS at exFest.

So, I can check "seeing PINK FLAMINGOS on the big screen with an introduction by John Waters" off my cinematic bucket list.

Spent Saturday up in Philadelphia hanging out with pals and catching the annual Exhumed Films exFest, a 12-hour celebration of all things exploitation.

While I still refer to their 24 Hour Horrorthon each October as "my Christmas", exFest is always a highlight of the spring thanks to its complete anything goes grab bag of chop sockey, spaghetti western, bikers, sexploitation and whatever else they foist upon attendees.

After a quick trip to the city from Maryland we gathered provisions and settled into the steamy theater (temperatures were pushing 90 outside making for a sweltering viewing experience) for seven slices of sinema:

• DYNASTY (period martial arts mayhem with lots of gratuitous 3D action);
• DEATH RIDES A HORSE (quality revenge-driven Spaghetti western with Van Cleef and John Philip Law);
• NEW BARBARIANS (aka Enzo Castellari's WARRIORS OF THE WASTELAND with Fred Williamson and "Timothy Brent" as they take on a band of gay post-apoc marauders led by George Eastman);
• COMBAT COPS (aka ZEBRA KILLER which was like an odd DIRTY HARRY rip-off via blaxploitation with Austin Stoker from ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13 as a no fucks given detective on the trail of a deranged killer);
• Gregory Dark's STREET ASYLUM (a disappointing late 80s blend of action and sci-fi with Wings Hauser, G Gordon Liddy, Alex Cord and Sy Richardson that should have been MUCH better);
• 1972's LOVE ME DEADLY (slow moving but sorta intriguing movie about necrophilia from 1972 starring Mary Wilcox and Lyle Waggoner!); 
• and, finally, PINK FLAMINGOS with a surprise live intro from director John Waters. 

Alas, the whole experience was a tad bittersweet as it was the first Exhumed event after the tragic, way-too-soon loss of our friend James "Doc Terror" Harris. Seeing James' smiling face in line always brightened my mood at these events and we'd catch up as we browsed the offerings from Diabolik or poured over the mysterious lineup (Exhumed doesn't share the titles for the exFest or Horrothon in advance). Between flicks we'd share quick opinions on what we just saw (often accompanied by friendly debate) and guesses about what we'd see next. I'd like to think that just some of Doc's enthusiasm and love for sinema rubbed off on me over the years and made me a more forgiving cinephile and a better person.

RIP, Doc and oh, yeah, Fuck Cancer.

31 Days of Fright: COUNTESS DRACULA (1971)

With Halloween right around the corner it's little surprise that the studios are trotting out their horror flicks for a movie audience looking to be scared silly. DRACULA UNTOLD – a new take on the Dracula legend that might end up dovetailing with Universal's rebooted monster universe – premieres this Friday, but we asked Chuck Francisco to take a trip back in time to the early 1970s for a look at the recent Synapse Films release of COUNTESS DRACULA.

By the 1970s Hammer Studios faced an increasingly difficult cinematic horror landscape, leaving them empty coffered. A red tide of bloodlust swept across the American movie market, breaking over with Romero's Night of the Living Dead in 1968, then growing steadily more splatter-centric as films competed to up the ante. Stuck between the dagger-equipped doors of shifting snuff sensibilities and the lethally spiked backing of the English censors, Hammer was quickly being engulfed in an iron maiden of irrelevance. Far from being an inert body to rest in piece, Hammer unnaturally extended their life by drastically increasing the one element they had unrestricted control over: the nudity quotient.

Branching out from the reliable stable of Dracula and Frankenstein (who no one wished to see in the buff), Hammer decided to water the seed of a much lesser known (at the time) monster, this one actually real. Despite the title, COUNTESS DRACULA details the exploits of Hungarian Countess Elizabeth Bathory, who believed that bathing in the blood of virginal girls was the key to eternal youth. By most reckonings the true countess tortured and murdered at least 600 girls before meeting a horrific brand of justice that would make Edgar Allen Poe giddy (ok, maybe morose and misanthropic). The writers at Hammer keep the primary thrust intact, but come at it from a slightly different angle.

COUNTESS DRACULA sees the titular Elizabeth, a shriveled old woman (the lovely Ingrid Pitt hidden beneath heavy makeup), recently widowed. We open on her late husband's funeral and are quickly whisked ahead to the execution of his will. Of those gathered to receive the good stuff, only one is an outsider: the upstanding Lt. Imre Toth (Sandor Eles, who was also in personal favorite THE EVIL OF FRANKENSTEIN). Toth is the son of the late count's army BFF, and is bequeathed all of his horses, the stables, and the adjacent cottage. This angers Captain Dobi the castle steward, who himself receives only a paltry amount. Played by leonine British actor Nigel Green (Hercules in JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS!), he has been in amorous waiting for the lady Elizabeth to be single and open to his advances for twenty years. Green's performance is the deepest and most engaging of the film.

After an angry outburst against a servant slings a splash of blood on her face, the countess comes to realize that the blood of young girls will return her to youthful vitality. Now, with the help of her maidservant and Dobi, Elizabeth conspires to compulsively kill young girls to remain youthful, kindle a romance with Lt. Toth (whom she is enamored by), and arrange the kidnapping of her daughter in the countryside so that she can continue impersonating her. It's a complex spider web of deceit, and all of the moving pieces guarantee that the plot will come crashing down around the characters in spectacular fashion (which it absolutely does), but not before there's plenty of lovely nudity to titillate and tease.

While this isn't as maligned a title as something like CAPTAIN KRONOS: VAMPIRE HUNTER, it does nonetheless belong to that later Hammer era which is generally looked down upon in a poor light. This has always seemed odd to me, as the films themselves continue to come with far more lavish gothic trappings than their budgets would ever belie, and the style is always substantive. COUNTESS DRACULA has gotten more adoration recently in retrospect, and deservedly so. This is a solidly tense love triangle murder fest, with interesting and quirky characters, lavish sets and costumes, and all the nudity you could shake your stick at (just don't do so in public).

On the technical front, Synapse Films offers up a vividly color saturated transfer which retains the rich film grain texture that pings the nostalgia pleasure points of all true genre film lovers. A superb feature detailing the cinematic life of Ingrid Pitt (who only recently passed away in 2010) is the best of the special features offered. Also included are a commentary track featuring Pitt, director Peter Sasdy, screenwriter Jeremy Paul, and author Jonathan Sothcott, an archival audio interview with Pitt, reversible cover art, and more. This release is a DVD/Blu-ray combo pack, so you can enjoy it in pretty much any setup at your house unless you're still rocking a solo VCR somewhere.

COUNTESS DRACULA has a very specific Hammer fan niche to which it appeals. Those folks should race to pick this up before it's bled dry out of print, as should anyone who enjoys the stylish vibrancy of Hammer horror or those who are still exploring all that the studio has to offer. If you're generally not a fan of Hammer then this is certainly a pass, though I earnestly suggest you give earlier films from their house another go.

Chuck Francisco is a columnist and critic for Mania.com, writing Shock-O-Rama. He is a co-curator of several repertoire film series at the world famous Colonial Theatre in Phoenixville, PA. An avid beer brewer, rock climber, and video gamer, you can hear him drop nerd knowledge on weekly podcast You've Got Geek, and follow him on twitter @CyanideRush. He recently wrote about Nazi Zombies, Spaghetti Westerns and American Hippies for Exploitation Retrospect #52 (available from our website).

COUNTESS DRACULA is available at Amazon.

31 DAYS OF FRIGHT: Retro Shock-O-Rama Al Adamson Double Feature

Happy Monday folks and welcome to the latest installment of 31 DAYS OF FRIGHT! It's finally starting to look like fall around here with my gutters filling with leaves, cooler temps forecast for the upcoming weekend and my beloved Philadelphia Flyers getting off to their traditionally slow start (0-3 in their first three games with 1 even strength goal). Personally, I'm still shagged out from a weekend of barbecue, Goblin, Secret Chiefs 3 and Chowderfest so I've turned over the reins this morning to Divine Exploitation's Doug Waltz and his look at a Shock-O-Rama double bill from the one and only Al Adamson. Take it away Doug...

Shock-O-Rama serves up a double bill from one of the great directors of low-budget pictures of days gone by. I'm talking about Al Adamson and his 1978 shocker NURSE SHERRI – included in this set – is one of the staples of low-budget horror.

But first we get a rarity of Al's. FIVE BLOODY GRAVES is more the kind of picture that Al liked to make. A western. And since it's from Al Adamson we don't find it strange that the film is narrated by Death himself.

Basically we get a renegade tribe of bloodthirsty Indians on the war path when along comes our hero, Ben Thompson, who has a grudge to settle with Satago, the head of the evil Indians. Seems that Satago murdered Ben's wife on their wedding day and now he seeks vengeance.

A pretty basic western that, while not anything extraordinary, works well within the confines of the genre. You could see the loving detail Al gave to the flick and that he was probably pretty happy making something that wasn't a cheesy horror flick.

And speaking of cheesy horror flicks, that makes for a perfect lead in for the second feature, NURSE SHERRI, or THE POSSESSION OF NURSE SHERRI, if you prefer.

In this one we get a necromancer who is attempting to bring the dead back to life. It starts to work, but then he has a heart attack. His spirit possesses the titular character and sends her on a bloody rampage throughout the hospital and surrounding area to destroy all those who contributed to his death.

This is a classic of the seventies, a true staple of the drive-in circuit in its time. The lead, Jill Jacobson is gorgeous and all the nurses in the picture fill out their uniforms quite nicely.

The DVD package that Shock-O-Rama has put together for these two flicks is nothing short of spectacular. On the first disc we get the two features with the theatrical version of NURSE SHERRI. In addition we get commentary from Sam Sherman and these are nothing less than required listening. Sam remembers more about the film business than anyone out there. It's like getting a film history course with your exploitation flicks.

The second disc gives us the original cut of NURSE SHERRI and it's quite different from the one that we all know so well. There are three scenes missing that were shot after the fact for the actual release of the film. Instead we get a ton of nudity and it's all good.

As for additional extras we get trailers and some old school drive-in intermission filler. And there is an interview with ebony beauty Marilyn Joi who still looks damned good after all these years.

Shock-O-Rama has managed to put together the definitive Al Adamson double bill in this set. A must have for any true fan of low-budget films. – Douglas Waltz

FIVE BLOODY GRAVES/NURSE SHERRI is available from Amazon.

Six Years of Exhumed 24 Hour Horrorthons... And Counting

I always love when a weekend hits pretty much all of my interests in one fell, 48 hour swoop. Though I was happy to spend yesterday throwing back cups of chowder and chatting with old friends at Long Beach Island's annual Chowderfest, Friday night definitely got the festivities started on a particularly high note.

Not only did I get to try some very good barbecue at a local joint I wasn't familiar with (watch The Hungover Gourmet for a full review), a bunch of pals and I got to see Italian prog rock and horror soundtrack maestros Goblin during their first ever North American tour. There's nothing quite like hearing the thundering scores from some of your favorite horror movies come to life – and split your eardrums in the process. (If you missed them, shame on you. But you get another chance as they're making another trip to the States later this year.)

During the course of the evening the topic occasionally turned towards what horror films we'd been watching or were planning on watching during the Halloween season and that topic inevitably led to talk of Exhumed Films 24 Hour Horrorthons both past and future. (Speaking of future, the image above is the mockup of the shirt for this year's even by Burneyart.) At one point, Cinema Arcana editor Bruce Holecheck remarked what a really staggering amount of stuff the two of us had seen over the course of the six marathons we had attended.

I did some quick math in my head and calculated it had been approximately 84 flicks (14 film per year average x six years) but I felt like I needed to dig out my lists and see exactly how many films we're talking. Plus, for the life of me, I couldn't remember 90% of what played last year.

So here's a running tally of what features have been screened at the first six Exhumed Films 24 Hour Horrorthons...

2007

1. HALLOWEEN

2. GODZILLA VS THE COSMIC MONSTER

3. DON'T BE AFRAID OF THE DARK

4. HELLRAISER

5. PHANTASM

6. PIECES

7. AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON

8. BLACULA

9. BURIAL GROUND

10. TEENAGE MOTHER

11. DRACULA VS FRANKENSTEIN

12. DEMONS

13. ALLIGATOR

14. GATES OF HELL

2008

15. THE FOG

16. DESTROY ALL MONSTERS

17. PHANTASM 2

18. WICKED WICKED

19. NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET

20. THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING MAN

21. THE BOOGEYMAN

22. FRIGHT NIGHT

23. DEAD & BURIED

24. ISLAND OF THE DAMNED (aka WHO CAN KILL A CHILD?)

25. EQUINOX

26. TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE 2

27. FOOD OF THE GODS

28. RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD

2009

29. CREEPSHOW

30. GODZILLA ON MONSTER ISLAND

31. THE FLY (Cronenberg)

32. THE OBLONG BOX

33. FRIDAY THE 13TH PART IV

34. RAW FORCE

35. THE NEXT VICTIM

36. CITY OF THE LIVING DEAD

37. HERCULES IN THE HAUNTED WORLD

38. TRAUMA

39. LADY TERMINATOR

40. THE CHILDREN

41. PIRANHA

42. RE-ANIMATOR

2010

43. A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET PART 3

44. MIGHTY PEKING MAN

45. THE VAULT OF HORROR

46. IT LIVES AGAIN

47. DAWN OF THE DEAD (Romero)

48. THE DEADLY SPAWN

49. PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE

50. FIVE ELEMENTS NINJAS

51. THE FUNHOUSE

52. THE HOWLING

53. BOARDINGHOUSE

54. FRIDAY THE 13TH PART 2

55. BUG

56. HOUSE BY THE CEMETERY

2011

57. PSYCHOMANIA

58. RODAN

59. FRIGHTMARE

60. HENRY: PORTRAIT OF A SERIAL KILLER

61. THE DEAD

62. TRICK OR TREAT

63. NIGHT WARNING

64. FRANKENHOOKER

65. DR BLACK, MR HYDE

66. LEGEND OF THE WOLF WOMAN

67. BLOOD DINER

68. THE BURNING

69. MAXIMUM OVERDRIVE

70. MEET THE FEEBLES

2012

71. THE GATE

72. Q

73. THE DRILLER KILLER

74. XTRO

75. HALLOWEEN III

76. SUSPIRIA

77. CHUD

78. NIGHT OF A THOUSAND CATS

79. VAMPIRES NIGHT ORGY

80. THE HIDDEN

81. LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD AND THE MONSTERS

82. SON OF BLOB

83. INCREDIBLE MELTING MAN

84. HUMONGOUS

85. DR. BUTCHER, MD

Klaus Kinski-Inspired Fumetti Cover

I never knew what the heck a fumetti was until a few years ago when my buddy Curt Purcell introduced me to the term.

I suppose the simplest way to describe them is "Italian comic books" but these ain't like the "comic books" you and I probably grew up with.

Nope, instead of caped heroes rescuing damsels in distress and masked vigilantes seeking justice for the FILL IN THE BLANK killing their FILL IN THE BLANK, the fumetti I've seen reside largely in "not safe for work" territory.

Monsters. Big-breasted damsels. Revenge tales. Graphic sex. Hunchbacks who give birth out their ass. Um, yeah, this ain't exactly Mighty Marvel.

So while I was over perusing Curt's awesome Groovy Age of Horror blog the other day what did I stumble upon but the image shown at right... with a vampire definitely "inspired" by our boy Klaus Kinski!

Unfortunately, they don't carry the resemblance over to the inside panels, but damn, that's some wicked cool artwork and I'd love to find a copy of that issue or – even better – the original art used for the cover.

But until then I'll always have this Groovy Age blog post to drool over.

BACK ISSUE #52 to Explore World of Bronze Age Mystery/Horror Comics

I was turned on to the existence of BACK ISSUE magazine and other TwoMorrows Publishing ventures thanks to ER contributor and Tomb It May Concern editor/publisher David Zuzelo. He was kind enough to send some issues my way earlier this year, knowing full well that I couldn't live without reading issue #49's exhaustive look at the world of Planet of the Apes comics.

I'm currently reading issue #50 which is a full-color look at the Bronze Age adventures of Batman and I think I'll probably be pre-ordering #52, news of which just crossed my desk.

Here's a quick description from the publisher:

BACK ISSUE #52 (84 pages, FULL-COLOR, $8.95) spotlights Mystery Comics of the Bronze Age! All-new interviews with artists BERNIE WRIGHTSON, SERGIO ARAGONÉS, GERRY TALAOC, and DC mystery writer LORE SHOBERG—and MARK EVANIER and DAN SPIEGLE discuss Scooby-Doo (Zoinks!). Plus: DC’s Horror Hosts and Ghosts, Charlton Comics’ chiller anthologies, and damsels of darkness Black Orchid and Madame Xanadu. Featuring art and/or commentary by TONY DeZUNIGA, MICHAEL Wm. KALUTA, VAL MAYERIK, DAVID MICHELINIE, MATT WAGNER, and more, with a rarely seen House of Mystery painting by Wrightson as the cover! Now in FULL COLOR! Edited by MICHAEL EURY.

Zoinks, indeed!

For more info you can check out a PDF preview of the issue or go to the website and pre-order the print and/or digital edition.

31 Days of Fright!: FLESH & BLOOD Delivers an Epic Hammer-Inspired Monster Mash

A few years ago I sat down and watched Hammer's late 60s/early 70s run of Frankenstein films and found myself transfixed by just how great the series was. While the company's influential and fun Dracula flicks eventually felt dated, gimmicky and repetitive, their Frankenstein cycle continually reinvented itself and – in my mind – reached its pinnacle with FRANKENSTEIN MUST BE DESTROYED (1969). Not just the best of an excellent series, DESTROYED is a fine example of just how smart, scary and great a horror film can be.

Though the good doctor still had some life in him, I was disappointed by how the series ended with DESTROYED's follow up, FRANKENSTEIN AND THE MONSTER FROM HELL (1974). Peter Cushing's creator didn't go out with a bang but a whimper, still stuck in the asylum at film's end, though steadfast in his desire to keep on experimenting.

In a few years John Carpenter's HALLOWEEN (1978) would change the horror film landscape radically and though often cut from similar cloth, the hulking, revenge-driven monsters of the Frankenstein flicks would find themselves taking a backseat to their slasher film brethren.

Fast forward to 2011 and I may finally be getting my wish to see the ol' Baron go out on a high note. This time, though, his sequel isn't coming to the big screen but drenched in four-color fear courtesy of the new comic series FLESH & BLOOD.

Written by Robert Tinnell and illustrated by Neil Vokes, FLESH & BLOOD: Book One (available from recently-minted horror comic publisher Monsterverse) is like the fevered monster mash that many a Hammer-watcher craved. While Universal never missed an opportunity to pit their box-office baddies against one another, Hammer steadfastly kept their mummies, vampires, wolfmen and reanimated monsters on their own separate cinematic paths. And while that vision made for focused (if a smidge rigid) silver screen outings, FLESH & BLOOD shows just how much action-packed horror fun was to be had by letting loose with these characters.

Not to spoil much of the joy to be had in the opening installment's fast and furious pages but let's just say that there's a plan to spring the good Baron and his new cellmate to help thwart a vampire scourge, multiple attacks by various beasties and monsters, and some swashbuckling that brought to mind what may be my favorite Hammer film of them all, CAPTAIN KRONOS: VAMPIRE HUNTER (1974).

Tinnell's story draws upon everything from monster lore to Hammer history (and I'd probably pick up even more of the references and sly nods were I better versed in both areas... damn you feeble brain!) while Vokes' panels seamlessly segue between sinister forces attacking pitchfork-wielding villagers, blood-soaked mayhem, two-fisted action and some of the most eye-poppingly eye-popping she-creatures to ever seduce a damsel.

As if this tale of mortals and monsters battling for our very existence wasn't enough, FLESH & BLOOD: Book One comes packed with an introduction from VIDEO WATCHDOG publisher Tim Lucas, a historical perspective on vampire cinema by Bruce Hallenback, an art gallery featuring work by Vokes, Adrian Salmon and Mike Oeming and even the first part of a Quatermass-esque tale called OPERATION SATAN (from Tinnell and artist Bob Hall). Whew!

Like previous collaborations with each other and others (THE BLACK FOREST, THE WICKED WEST, FACELESS, SIGHT UNSEEN, PARLIAMENT OF JUSTICE, THE LIVING AND THE DEAD), Tinnell and Vokes have delivered another blast of prose and graphics with pages that drip with their enthusiasm and love for all things horror. Not merely an homage to the days when the House of Hammer ruled the genre, FLESH & BLOOD is a fitting continuation of the sagas we never wanted to see end.

FLESH & BLOOD: Book One is available at Amazon.

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DAMNED TO DARKNESS: A Terry Sharp Blog

If you're reading this blog you should be well acquainted with Terry Sharp whose adventures are a cross between "The Saint and Curse of the Demon" in the words of co-creator Adrian Salmon.

Written by Robert Tinnell and illustrated by Salmon, Sharp's 2005 adventure THE FACELESS left this fan wanting more. Now you can follow the latest news as the duo prep Sharp's next adventure... just head on over to DAMNED TO DARKNESS for all the Terry Sharp news that's fit to print.

And if you don't already have a copy of THE FACELESS, well, shame on you and head to Amazon now!

NASCHY BLOG-A-THON: The Reluctant Naschyphile

Editor's Note: When the guys at Mad Mad Mad Mad Movies first announced the Naschy Blogathon I wanted in but wasn't sure what I should write about. "Surely," I thought, "there are far more knowledgeable Naschy scholars out there." So while we've written Naschy reviews and even waxed nostalgic about the man after his death last year, I decided to look my own relationship with Naschy in the face and ask the question, "What took ya so long?!"...

It's hard to admit now, but during my formative years as a trash fan I was a bit of a film snob. Oh sure, I wallowed in gore and depravity, saw CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST in the theater, bought VHS dubs of uncut Japanese laser discs of Italian splatter flicks, watched anything with Wings Hauser in it, and stayed up nights dreaming about a big-budget remake of BLOODSUCKING FREAKS. But there was an unspoken prejudice lurking deep in my cinematic heart.

I didn't respect Paul Naschy.

I'm not even sure I realized it at the time. I certainly saw the boxes for flicks like NIGHT OF THE HOWLING BEAST and HOUSE OF PSYCHOTIC WOMEN as I spent hours in the video store, bypassing them time after time for return visits to the Fulci, Franco and Romero buffets. I even devoured zines which heaped praise on the man.

None of it had an impact. I had my 15th viewing of ASYLUM EROTICA to enjoy. And I wasn't even that crazy about ASYLUM EROTICA!

Looking back I'm not sure what made me so resistant to Naschy's charms. Was it the over-the-top titles like the aforementioned HOUSE OF PSYCHOTIC WOMEN? Sure, it was great as the joke name for the West Philly house where some of my ex-girlfriends lived but the movie couldn't possibly live up to the title. Could it?

Was it the way Naschy looked? Could I not get past his resemblance to a trash-compacted splicing of John Saxon and John Belushi?

Maybe I was just tired of werewolf, vampire and Frankenstein flicks, an oeuvre that I deemed Naschy's stomping ground, complete with the dusty clichés of the Universal horrors that I wanted so desperately to distance myself from.

Whatever it was, it stuck. While my trash universe expanded, Naschy stayed stuck on the periphery, like an uncharted planet waiting to be discovered at the right time.

The right time for Naschy to enter my reel life came as my real life was dramatically changing for the better. An e-mail from an old friend had sparked a new phase in my romantic and professional lives, why shouldn't another e-mail spark a new phase in my endless pursuit of the best in junk culture and fringe media?

And so, I found myself joining a group of Eurotrash savants, men who will forget more about the world of Franco and Rollin as they sleep tonight than you or I will ever know. They embraced my love of all things Klaus Kinski, nodded knowingly when I argued that NIGHT OF THE ZOMBIES was one of the five best undead flicks ever made and understood the joke when I said "Bad chop suey, so long!".

Soon the conversation turned to the career of Naschy and I admitted that my knowledge of the man and his work was limited at best. And with that my mailbox began overflowing with tapes and DVRs. Werewolf flicks, crazy crime movies, Euroboosh-filled 70s exorcisms, and something called NIGHT OF THE HOWLING BEAST.

Admittedly, I've seen thousands of movies in my lifetime. To say that few have had as dramatic an effect on me as BEAST is an understatement. Within minutes of its yeti-attacks-ski-troop opening I knew that whatever I thought I knew about Naschy was wrong. Forget the seemingly non-existent budget and occasionally inexplicable plotting. This was a horror flick made for horror fans by horror fans and the screen practically pulsated with the star's enthusiasm for the genre.

Some might suggest that starting what I call my "Naschyfication" with NIGHT OF THE HOWLING BEAST was a doomed idea. How could a trip through his nearly 100 films result in anything but disappointment when I started off on such an admittedly high note?

Au contraire mon fraire! Nearly ten years after that initial introduction, I find myself as fascinated as ever by Naschy and his work. I've enjoyed everything from the most threadbare werewolf update (TOMB OF THE WEREWOLF) and outrageous crime-flick-gone-haywire (HUMAN BEASTS) to reanimated sorcerers on the sexy prowl (HORROR RISES FROM THE TOMB) and what may be my favorite Eurotrash film ever made, the mind-boggling but endearing HUNCHBACK OF THE MORGUE.

Though he departed this mortal and cinematic coil a year ago, it's refreshing and encouraging to see that his spirit still lives on, whether it's in a statue capturing his famous interpretation of the cursed werewolf, a comic retelling of his most beloved tales, or this Blog-A-Thon in which people who have never met can share their love for a man and his monsters.

The ETP Crew Meets Udo!

Standing from left to right: David Zuzelo (TOMB IT MAY CONCERN), Yours Truly, Bryan Senn (author of A YEAR OF FEAR among others), Neil Vokes (comic artist, THE BLACK FOREST, THE WICKED WEST and more), Udo Kier, John Grace (horror fan, power pop buff), Bob Sargent (ETP head honcho, editor/publisher VIDEOOZE). In front from left to right: Bruce (sorry, but I didn't catch his last name), Curt Purcell (GROOVY AGE OF HORROR), Bruce Holecheck (DVD featurettes for XTRO, DON'T ANSWER THE PHONE).

One of the highlights of my recent weekend with the boys from The Eurotrash Paradise was our Sunday afternoon meeting with Eurotrash star Udo Kier. We were waiting in line to get a picture with him when Udo left the autograph area and announced that he had to get back to Europe. He apologized to all in line waiting to see him and hustled off.

Dejected, we stepped out of line and started down the hall until Bryan Senn (author of the newly released A YEAR OF FEAR) hustled after Kier, found him in the hotel bar, and asked if he'd be kind enough to take a photo with us before he left.

Luckily, Kier said "Yes, yes" and posed for a couple group snapshots as a burly horror fan slowly lifted the top of his girlfriend who was taking the photo for us.

Pulled Pork and Eurotrash

Our good buddy David Zuzelo has been working on something called The Eurotrash Pinnacle Project over at the excellent Tomb It May Concern. In a nutshell, DZ solicited Top Ten lists from a variety of contributors in the hopes of figuring out what Eurotrash is tops for fans of Kinski, Naschy, Argento, Bava and Company. Earlier this week he featured the list of Groovy Age of Horror scribe Curt Purcell and I'm proud to say that yours truly's list gets the DZ treatment in yesterday's post.