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.

PRIMATE (2026) Rabies Monkey Torments College Kids in Hawaii

One of my resolutions for 2026 was to see more flicks—especially horror films—in the theater. So, I kicked off the year's theatrical viewings with a semi-private morning screening of PRIMATE on my day off. 

College kid and her friends return home to Hawaii for the summer, only to discover something is wrong with Ben, the signing chimp who lives on her family's property. 

Way more entertaining than the usual slop that gets dumped onto screens in January. Delivers some good gore, and features an excellent score by Adrian Johnston that evokes the 80s trash I love. — Dan Taylor

THE HOUSE THAT SCREAMED (1969) European proto-slasher starring Lilli Palmer

The latest installment in my 60-for-60 Horror Challenge is this spooky, intense, psychological proto-slasher from Spain. 

Teresa is dropped off at a home for wayward girls by a "friend of her mother's". The school (wannabe prison) is run by Mademoiselle Fourneau (Lilli Palmer), a strict headmistress who uses spies among the students to ferret out secrets and information. 

Teresa strikes up a friendship with Fourneau's son Louis, who is frequently reminded that the girls there are no good for him. When girls begin disappearing and her torment at the hands of Fourneau's flunkies gets to be too much, Teresa plans her escape. 

Top notch European horror that would influence genre classics including SUSPIRIA and PIECES. — Dan Taylor

Golden Ninja aka The Golden Bat (1966)

Since I was a pre-teen trash-hound, I’ve spent my days (and nights) scouring video stores, scanning cable listings, and thumbing through mags and zines looking for that next elusive fix. You just never know where it’s going to come from. 

So, when my trash-loving pal texted me about the 1960s Japanese sci-fi monster flick he was watching, I had to check it out. 

Akira, an astronomy-obsessed teen, discovers that the planet Icarus is on a collision course with Earth. When the local observatory nerds don’t believe him, he’s abducted by some nefarious-looking types who work for a secret UN-funded organization led by Dr. Yamatone (Sonny Chiba) and the inexplicably British Dr. Pearl (Andrew Hughes). The pair explain that Icarus will destroy the planet unless they find the special lens they need to complete their laser cannon. 

The search for the elusive lens brings them into conflict with Nazo, a claw-handed villain in what appears to be an aardvark costume kinda like what they wear in BETTER OFF DEAD. Though he looks like he should be entertaining at a kid’s birthday party, Nazo is instead bent on destroying Earth and ruling the universe. 

While on the run from Nazo’s inept henchmen, the team of scientists resurrect The Golden Ninja (originally The Golden Bat), a baton-wielding, skull-faced superhero who has been waiting 10,000 years to save the planet. 

What follows is a bonkers adventure complete with evil sidekicks named Jackal (who looks like a reject from TIME OF THE APES), Piranha, and Keloid (a scarfaced lunatic who likes to choke little girls while he cackles like a cross between the Joker and Riddler from the 1960s Batman tv show); a human replicator; kids in peril; and dialogue like “face my silver baton!” and “we can’t conquer the universe with that thing around!” 

If you dig Ultraman, Space Robots, Super Inframan, and its ilk, set aside 75 minutes to spend with The Golden Ninja! My only disappointment is that there's not a dozen more GN adventures to enjoy. — Dan Taylor

Dan Taylor is the editor/publisher of Exploitation Retrospect and The Hungover Gourmet. He is not embarrassed to call this his favorite watch of 2026 so far,

The Hungover Gourmet 13 — Order Your Copy Today!

Get ready to feast your eyes on Issue #13 of our sister publication, The Hungover Gourmet! From the people who bring you Exploitation Retrospect!

The offbeat journal of food, drink, travel, and fun returns with a potluck of supermarket nostalgia, culinary chaos, and pop culture deep dives. Whether you're a coupon-clipping cost-cutter, a roast beef romantic, or a congealed salad connoisseur, this issue has something for every flavor of foodie and retro renegade. 

• Supermarket Report Card: THG calls it like he sees it with an honest grading of grocery giants like ALDI, Lidl, Wegmans, and more. 
• Origins of THG: How childhood grocery runs turned one man into a cost-conscious gorehound with a love for fig bars and film tie-in novels. 
• Sci-Fi Potluck: Kevin M. Flanagan serves up a genre-bending buffet of interstellar eats. 
• Roy Rogers Returns: A nostalgic pilgrimage to the home of the Double R Bar Burger. 
• Can I Get an Amen?: Louis Fowler contemplates the healing power of frybread. 
• The Grocery Store of My Youth: Douglas Waltz waxes poetic about Skedgell’s IGA, comic spinner racks, and wild cherry cough drops. 
• Aspic "Appreciation": Leigh Anne Moriarty celebrates her dear mother-in-law, and ponders her devotion to congealed salads and food suspended in aspic. 

Plus: 

• An interview with the man behind PANMAN 
• Pouring one out for our dearly departed beer fridge 
• Retro ads, comics, and meat department memories 

Whether you're hungover, hungry, or just hunting for a good read, THG #13 is your ticket to a world where food meets fandom and nostalgia never expires. Grab your thimble of tomato juice and dig in! 

40 pages, 5.5" x 8.5" digest size, black and white. 

Pre-order now from the Page and Screen Shop!

NOTE: This issue is currently being printed. Anticipated ship date for pre-orders is 1/16/26.

Santa's Slay (2005) on TEA FOR TERROR

Season's Beatings! Check out the latest episode of TEA FOR TERROR in which my pal from across the pond and I discuss the killer Santa classick, SANTA'S SLAY (2005) starring Goldberg, Robert Culp, and ... James Caan?

Ho, ho, ho, oh no!