Contribute to the 40th (Gasp!) Anniversary Edition of Exploitation Retrospect

This is not an April Fool's joke. 

I could not let the 40th (!) anniversary of my first foray into self-publishing pass without doing ... something. 

And so, here we are. Accepting submissions for the 40th (Gasp!) Anniversary Edition of the zine that Lou Goncey (RIP, Gonster) and I started because a) we were sick of one-star reviews of almost every genre flick in the Philly Inquirer, b) I had a computer with rudimentary page layout "software", and c) I figured the suits at my drug company co-op job would not notice me running off hundreds of copies in the wee hours. (They didn't.)

If you are so inclined to write genre film reviews, review genre media (books, music, zines), or would like to jot off a few hundred words about your favorite, least favorite, or most memorable film of the last 40 years (1986-2026 ONLY), drop me a line at editor@er-online.com or stop by the new ER site at er-online.com for more details.

Pain is temporary. Film is forever. — Dan Taylor

Dan Taylor is the editor/publisher of Exploitation Retrospect and The Hungover Gourmet. He has been cranking out zines for two-thirds of his existence. He's not sure if this is an achievement or a character flaw.

THE DEVIL’S RAIN (1975) starring Ernest Borgnine and William Shatner

“Give Corbis what belongs to him!”

We finish out the first ten years of 60-For-60 with yet another William Shatner vehicle (hot on the heels of 1974’s sweat-soaked gigolo shocker IMPULSE), though this baby belongs lock stock and barrel to Oscar winner Ernest Borgnine.

After his father melts in front of his mother (Ida Lupino) and him, Mark Preston (Shatner) heads down to old, abandoned Redstone to make a deal with John Corbis, Satan’s Minister on Earth (Ernie B). Seems the Preston family is in possession of Corbis’ book of possessed souls, and he wants it back, so Mark bets his soul/freedom against the book. Is Mark’s faith stronger than that of Corbis?

It’s not, so it’s up to Dr. Tom Preston (Tom Skerritt!) to return home and figure out what happened to his family. Along for the ride is Tom’s wife Julie, who had visions of covens, upside down crosses and Satanic rituals during her recent ESP experiment and seems to be somewhat of a wax expert.

When Julie gets abducted by Corbis and his minions (including John Travolta!), it’s up to Tom and his pal Dr. Richards (Eddie Albert) to save the day and make it rain. The Devil’s Rain!

I’m not sure how or why this slice of Satanic Seventies Sinema flew under my radar for so long. It’s got the desolate vibe of THE HILLS HAVE EYES (1977) and RACE WITH THE DEVIL (1975), but always had a bit of a crappy reputation. But, as I’ve learned in the past (like in the case of THE SENTINEL and PROPHECY), other people are idiots and their opinions should never be trusted.

Director Robert Fuest (ABOMINABLE DR. PHIBES and its sequel) packs the flick’s 86-minute running time with sacrifices, explosions, flashbacks (Pilgrim Borgnine!), and plenty of melting eyeless minions. 

But this is Borgnine’s show—from his aw-shucks toothy grin and extra husky Satan robes to his transformation into a goat-horned demon, he really seems to be having a blast. – Dan Taylor

THE OILY MANIAC (1976) starring Danny Lee

“Everybody’s a suspect. Except for the cripple.”

I grew up on a steady diet of Hong Kong cinema focused on the most chop-sockeyest of the genre. Saturday afternoons on Philly UHF were packed with every Bruce Le, Bruce Li, Dragon Lee, Bruce Lai, and Bruce Lo movie you could imagine. But I don’t recall getting a whole lot of the Hong Kong horrors of the era. It wasn’t until the days of video stores and grey market tape trading circles that I saw things like INFRA-MAN (1975), WOLFEN NINJA (1982), or BLACK MAGIC 2 (1976), even in their worst forms.

THE OILY MANIAC (1976) has long been talked about by my friends as one of the wildest flicks of an era where Hong Kong martial arts cinema intersected with the new wave of 70s horror after the success of flicks like THE EXORCIST.

They were not wrong.

Danny Lee (THE KILLER, DR. LAMB, INFRA-MAN) stars as Shen Yuan, a downtrodden, polio-afflicted office worker in a sleazy law firm. His boss makes a fortune working both sides of business deals and pushing clients into pursuing phony cases.

When a coconut oil plantation owner is forced to sell his business AND ends up killing someone, he’s sentenced to death. Yuan visits him before his execution and traces a talisman tattooed on his back. Despite the crippling polio that forces him to walk with crutches, Yuan follows the talisman’s instructions, uses a pickaxe to dig a hole in the middle of his home, chants an incantation, and emerges as The Oily Maniac, a sort of proto-Toxic Avenger who dispenses justice to rapists, would-be rapists, sleazy lawyers and their mistress, kung-fu henchmen, unlicensed plastic surgeons, and more.

It’s as nutty as it sounds, with Yuan hopping into vats of bubbling goo and dousing himself with gasoline to transform into the titular “hero”. Nobody in the flick is all that defensible, the cops are idiots (as usual), and the whole thing is a chaotic mess.

But who cares?! You’ll love the ripped-off JAWS theme, Dollar Tree transformation sequences, Asian Bill Hader, regenerating limbs and head (!), and more T&A than your typical slice of Asian cinema. – Dan Taylor

IMPULSE (1974) starring William Shatner

“You can’t judge a hot dog by its skin.”

William Shatner stars as Matt Stone, a sleazy con artist/gigolo who prowls Florida looking for rich women to seduce and bilk out of their money. When his current mark confronts him after seeing him playing tonsil hockey with a belly dancer, Stone kills her in a fit of rage.

In search of his next payday, Stone gains the confidence of Julia (Ruth Roman), a wealthy older woman who introduces him to Ann (Jennifer Bishop), a lonely widower. Coincidentally, Stone had recently given a ride to Ann’s precocious daughter Tina (Kim Nicholas) after almost running her down—don’t ask. Matt and Ann strike up a relationship, while Tina grows suspicious of the leisure suit-wearing lothario. (The film’s working title was the icky WANT A RIDE, LITTLE GIRL?)

When Stone’s old cellmate Karate Pete (GOLDFINGER’s Harold Sakata!) rolls into town in his RV, it’s not because he misses his buddy. Karate Pete has heard Stone is working a hustle and wants in on the action. The reunion turns deadly, Tina discovers what Stone is capable of, and must convince her mother that he’s up to no good before it’s too late. Also, it’s fun to write “Karate Pete.”

Directed by William Grefé (STANLEY, MAKO: THE JAWS OF DEATH, WHISKEY MOUNTAIN with Christopher George), IMPULSE is a sweaty, grimy sleazer that predates the similar SCREAM FOR HELP (1984) and THE STEPFATHER (1987). Shatner, embarking on the low-budget era that would bring us THE DEVIL’S RAIN (my 1975 selection!) and the creepy KINGDOM OF THE SPIDERS, was still five years away from reviving his flagging career with STAR TREK: THE MOTION PICTURE. Here he looks both bemused and embarrassed by the material, though Grefé makes sure to placate his star by having a bevy of women throw themselves at The Shat.

One wonders what would have become of Shatner without the career rebirth that resulted from the success of STAR TREK II: THE WRATH OF KHAN (1982) and subsequent TREK flicks as well as the tv series T.J. HOOKER. Is there a multiverse where that Shatner embraced and excelled in the exploitation underbelly, carving out a straight-to-video career to rival that of Wings Hauser?

Up next — more Shatner with 1975’s THE DEVIL’S RAIN! – Dan Taylor

THE CRAZIES (1973) directed by George A. Romero

After dabbling in melodrama (1971’s THERE’S ALWAYS VANILLA) and bored housewives spicing up their lives with witchcraft (1973’s HUNGRY WIVES), George Romero returned to his horror roots with THE CRAZIES (aka CODE NAME: TRIXIE).

Though it shares some small-town horror elements with NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD (1968), THE CRAZIES is broader in scope and deals with Evans City, a small PA town north of Pittsburgh faced with an unexpected disaster. When a military plane crashes nearby and releases its deadly cargo into the water supply, those exposed either die or, well, go crazy. After the Army moves in to cut off the town and prevent the virus from spreading across the country, a band of locals finds themselves on the run.

Had Romero kept the story focused on their struggle to survive/escape, THE CRAZIES might be more successful. Unfortunately, he tries to juggle a half-dozen storylines, including frustrated military personnel, government brass wrestling with the idea of having to nuke the town, a scientist searching for a cure, and squads of gas-mask-clad soldiers trying to round up the locals who are becoming more and more resistant. The result is a lot of shouting, overacting, and dialogue filtered through radio speakers or muffled gas masks.

Eventually, THE CRAZIES finds its footing and focuses on buddies Dave and Clank, and Dave’s pregnant girlfriend, Judy, a nurse for the local doctor. Can they get past the Army’s tightening perimeter? Will the military seal off Evans City and find a cure? Will the politicians really nuke a small town in order to save their own ass?

THE CRAZIES is as ambitious as hell but may have been better suited to Romero’s “studio” days after the cult success of DAWN OF THE DEAD (1978). (It was remade in 2010 with Timothy Olyphant and Danielle Panabaker.) There are definite seeds of DAWN in the film’s core relationship—the levelheaded hero and his increasingly loose-cannon sidekick—but by the time you care about them it’s a bit too late. — Dan Taylor

HORROR EXPRESS (1972) starring Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, Telly Savalas

"Whatever you have here is unholy — and must be destroyed!"

This was a tough year to select an entry for my 60-For-60 Horror Watchlist. It’s a classic year for horror, filled with ripe-for-the-picking choices like TALES FROM THE CRYPT, HUNCHBACK OF THE MORGUE, and THE NIGHT STALKER. But I couldn’t resist a rewatch of this underrated Spanish horror production starring Christopher Lee, longtime buddy Peter Cushing, a pre-stardom Telly Savalas, and a guy who is most definitely not Paul Naschy (Alberto de Mendoza).

A 1906 expedition led by Professor Saxton (Lee) unearths an ape-like creature frozen in a cave, which is crated up and placed on the Trans-Siberian Express. Scientific rival Doctor Wells (Cushing) is also on board and can’t help but wonder what Saxton has in that giant crate. Faster than you can say “there’s the stink of hell on this train” the thing is turning people’s eyeballs egg white and boiling their brains.

Puzzled by the murders—and those smooth, boiled brains—Saxton and Wells set out to solve the mystery while Not Paul Naschy has a complete breakdown, Kojak shows up with his Cossacks, and that detective won’t take his one hand out of his pocket.

Cushing lost his beloved wife just prior to filming and leaned on his old pal Lee to get him through the shoot, which gives the entire affair a sense of melancholy. The whole endeavor has an endearing turn-of-the-century period sci-fi vibe and this fun, claustrophobic, period take on ‘Who Goes There?’ deserves more love. – Dan Taylor

The Wizard of Gore (1970) directed by HG Lewis

“Are you certain you know what reality is?”

Next up in my 60-For-60 Horror Watchathon is this surreal, bonkers gorefest from the one and only Godfather of Gore, Herschell Gordon Lewis. For those of you unfamiliar with his work, Lewis—who became a millionaire thanks to his expertise in direct mail advertising—started out making nudie flicks in the 1950s. When the bottom fell out of that market (no pun intended), he turned his attention to films the big budget studios couldn’t or wouldn’t make. His 1963 low-budget shocker BLOOD FEAST pushed the genre into gross-out territory and created the modern gorefest.

THE WIZARD OF GORE focuses on Montag the Magnificent (Ray Sager), a top hat-clad magician who looks to be just another two-bit hack. After shouting at the audience about dreams vs. reality and mankind’s bloodthirst for spectacle, Montag welcomes a volunteer from the audience for the ol’ “saw a woman in half” bit. But this is no hacksaw and fake limbs trickery. Montag fires up an electric chainsaw and paints the screen red with buckets of blood and half the meat section at the local Kroger’s.

But what’s this? Despite all evidence to the contrary, the victim appears fine and heads off to a local restaurant after the show. Where she promptly bleeds out all over the floor, much to the dismay of her fellow diners.

Fascinated by Montag’s “act”, daytime talk show host Sherry (Judy Cler) arranges for tickets for his next show, despite her sportswriter boyfriend’s protests. Not content to repeat the same gag, Montag proceeds to pound a metal spike into another audience member’s skull. And, like the first victim, she walks away unscathed, only to die later from her wounds.

Is there a psycho on the loose who gets turned on by Montag’s stunts? Or is Montag himself killing his victims to satisfy some sick and twisted desire?

While you ponder those questions, Lewis piles on the gore with punch press pulverizing, forced sword swallowing, eyeball violence, teeth knocked out, and more—all while the audience sits there dumbfounded, mesmerized by Montag’s antics.

Is it all in their minds? Is it all in Montag’s mind? Or are we just dreaming, and not really watching a movie at all?

THE WIZARD OF GORE is one of those films you’re either going to love or hate. Sager (who went on to have a successful career as a producer) gives a, um, unique performance, shouting most of his lines in a ham-fisted fashion that makes more sense when you discover he was a crew member who stepped in after the original “star” walked off the set.

Admittedly, Lewis and screenwriter Allen Kahn aren’t really interested in tying the film up in a nice, tight bow. Characters wonder out loud about all the same questions the viewer has, and, as Lewis says in the intro to the flick, THE WIZARD OF GORE defies definition.

THE WIZARD OF GORE remains a completely over-the-top head-scratcher that’s more fun than BLOOD FEAST but not as good a movie as Lewis’s 2000 MANIACS (1964). In 2007, the film was remade with Crispin Glover as Montag. I’ve never watched it, but now that I know it features Jeffrey Combs and Brad Dourif, I may have to. – Dan Taylor

The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971) starring Vincent Price, Joesph Cotten

The 1970s roll on in my 60-For-60 Horror Watchlist with this oddball horror comedy starring the great Vincent Price as a brilliant, presumed-dead concert organist out for revenge in London circa 1925.

When several doctors die under bizarre circumstances (bee sting-induced boils, flesh-eating bats, blood-drained perverts), Scotland Yard is suitably baffled. The dogged Inspector Trout traces the dead doctors to the team of Dr. Vesalius (Joseph Cotten), who helps him deduce that the murders are the work of Phibes.

Authorities believed Phibes perished in a car accident while racing home after the death of his beloved wife, Victoria (an uncredited Caroline Munro), but they surmise that he faked his death and is naturally using the Ten Plagues of Egypt as inspiration for his crimes. Aided by his silent but deadly sidekick Vulnavia (Virginia North in the last of her five film roles), Phibes continues to elude Scotland Yard, despite their best efforts to protect Vesalius and his team.

Directed by Robert Fuest from a script by James Whiton and William Goldstein, THE ABOMINABLE DR. PHIBES is a wonderfully droll piece of work. There’s no mystery to the story as we know from the outset that Phibes and Vulnavia are behind the murders. Trout and his fellow inspectors bumble about and are spectacularly inept at preventing the murders of Vesalius’ team (one doctor is literally impaled as they’re trying to whisk him away to safety), and you’re never sure if they will solve the case, capture Phibes, or prevent the final murder.

PHIBES features eye-catching cinematography and art deco set design, as well as iconic skull makeup for the unmasked Phibes that must have given early 70s horror-kids nightmares. Produced for American International Pictures, DR. PHIBES earned more than a million dollars at the box office and was followed by 1972’s DR. PHIBES RISES AGAIN, directed by Fuest and starring Price and Robert Quarry. – Dan Taylor

Rise of the Black Bat (2012) starring Jody Haucke, directed by Scott Patrick

“He killed a guy over a CASE OF BEER!”

Public domain pulp character The Black Bat gets the micro-budget treatment in this flawed – but not unwatchable – modern updating from director Scott Patrick.

Tony Quinn (Jody Haucke) is a respected district attorney who turns into a pistol-packing vigilante after he’s blinded by an acid splashing gangster named Oliver Snate (though my wife got really tired of me asking “did he say ‘Snake’ or ‘Snape’?” whenever they said his name. In my defense it’s really not clear a good 80% of the time). 

And, yes, if all of this sounds like some sort of weird (Daredevil + Batman)/Harvey Dent = Black Bat mashup you’re not far off. The Black Bat and Batman debuted around the same time and lawsuits were threatened by both sides until a deal was brokered that allowed the two characters to peacefully co-exist... though one did it much more successfully than the other. Black Bat even sports an Alfred-esque sidekick named Silk (Richard Groen) who wants to pay the DA back for saving him from a life of crime.

Though blinded by the acid, Quinn has surgery that gives him night vision (hence the “bat” reference in his name). Armed with this ability he sets about dismantling Snake/Snape/Snate’s empire and bringing justice to his city.

RISE OF THE BLACK BAT’s budget constraints are visible throughout, most notably in the found sets, dinner theater level acting and world’s worst T&A bikini contest (I’ve never been so happy to hear the words “you can’t get nude”). Add in the 15 minutes of credits, regurgitated footage and comic extras and it’s basically 65 minutes masquerading as a feature.

You’ll never confuse RISE OF THE BLACK with the big budget Marvel or DC output, and it’s not as inspired as ALL SUPERHEROES MUST DIE, but it’s certainly not the worst superhero flick you’ll ever see. – Dan Taylor

I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER (2025) starring Jennifer Love Hewitt and Freddie Prinze, Jr.

One of the characters in this dreck says something along the lines of "nostalgia is overrated," and truer words have never been spoken.

18 years after the events of the "original" IKWYDLS, a bunch of unlikable "kids" who accidentally caused a death swear their secrecy. A year later, the group meet up for a wedding, only to discover the Gorton's of Gloucester Fisherman is back to slice, dice, and hook his way through their group. (Along with a true crime podcaster who is more interesting than any of these cardboard cutouts.)

While FINAL DESTINATION: BLOODLINES (2025) was a fun continuation of a clever franchise, this is a largely unnecessary attempt to relaunch what was a pretty D-grade franchise to begin with. Original stars Freddie Prinze, Jr. and Jennifer Love Hewitt return to lend some credence to the proceedings, although Prinze is out of his depth, as usual, even with this lightweight material. – Dan Taylor

Dan Taylor is the editor/publisher of Exploitation Retrospect and The Hungover Gourmet. He is also a big fan of fish sticks and does not like how the Gorton's of Gloucester Fisherman is portrayed in these films.

ICED (1988) starring Lisa Loring and Joesph Alan Johnson

"You invited a dead man!" 

Had BETTER OFF DEAD gone in a wildly different direction you might have ended up with ICED, a borderline inept late-80s ski-themed slasher currently streaming on Shudder. 

A few years after the death of their friend, Jeff, a group of old pals reunite at a new ski resort in order to hit the slopes, have some laughs, and maybe do a few lines of blow. What they don't know is that someone—or something—has brought them there to exact revenge for Jeff's demise.

Written by co-star Joseph Alan Johnson (who plays Alex, the handsome ski resort mogul), ICED can't decide what it wants to be. Is it a gory slasher? Is it sleazy horror? Unfortunately, it never goes all in on either, despite multiple scenes featuring original Wednesday Addams (Lisa Loring) in her birthday suit, and deaths by ski pole, icicle, bear trap, and hot tub electrocution. Cara mia!

There's a sleaze classic lurking here. Too bad it never goes far enough. Be sure to stay tuned for the loony ending! — Dan Taylor

Dan Taylor is the editor/publisher of Exploitation Retrospect and The Hungover Gourmet. He is expecting up to 15" of snow this weekend but no ski goggle-clad killers. He hopes.