NIGHT OF THE CREEPS [1986]

The infestation begins with the launch of an alien space canister containing leech-like creatures in NIGHT OF THE CREEPS. A college couple, out for a romantic evening, are basking in the beauty of the nighttime sky when they spot an incandescent light drawing nearer until finally blasting Earth’s soil. Johnny, the hot-shot boyfriend, feels the need to investigate (of course), and he moves in closer to identify what has fallen from the sky. Well, curiosity killed Johnny after one of the critters breaks through the canister and catapults into his mouth. The movie is then brought to present-day, when two slightly awkward college kids, Chris and J.C., are devising a way for Chris to get noticed by their highly desired female peer, Cynthia. They decide the best route would be to join the most popular fraternity on campus. The boys are assigned a risky initiation task: retrieve Johnny’s frozen body from the local science lab and leave it on the front steps of a sorority house. Chris and J.C. fail their mission, but successfully unleash the creepy crawlies into suburbia without knowing. The fate of humanity relies on the kids and a troubled cop to wage war against the head-splitting space pests and the zombies they’ve produced.

From the first minute to the last minute, NIGHT OF THE CREEPS is an exceptional film. Every actor in the movie suited their roles flawlessly. The portrayal of the students seems effortless, as the cast nails cliches of the all-too-common personality types that just about anyone could experience on a college campus, both in the scenes from the ‘50s, and the modern-day ones. Most notable is Jill Whitlow’s character as Cynthia, an unexpectedly tough sweetheart who is not afraid to fight and stand up for what she believes in. Also to be acknowledged is Tom Atkins’ character (though not a college kid), Ray Cameron, a no-holds-barred kind of policeman who is fully prepared to conquer the creeps and the bodies they inhabit at any cost. The creeps were artfully done, believable, and impactful; when you see them lunge through the lips of their prey, you can almost feel and taste them in your very own mouth. The movie, while more advanced than earlier sci-fi/horror films, captures the same essence of the originals. The playful sense of humor the movie radiates makes it all the more lovable and worth watching. NIGHT OF THE CREEPS is a genuine classic and deserves great recognition as a B-movie monument.

Rating: 9/10
Director: Fred Dekker [THE MONSTER SQUAD, ROBOCOP 3]

Cast: Jason Lively, Steve Marshall, Jill Whitlow, Tom Atkins
Country: USA

CAT IN THE BRAIN [1990]

Lucio Fulci plays a victim of his gore-torn mind in CAT IN THE BRAIN. Fulci is a character consumed by his work as a horror film director. Evidently, the line has vanished between reality and the sickening scenes he constructs for a movie he’s currently working on. Nearly every waking moment of his life transforms into a flood of grisly hallucinations, and he drowns in them. Once he realizes he needs to get his head above water, Fulci seeks guidance from a psychiatrist. The depleted filmmaker is left completely oblivious and vulnerable to the psychiatrist’s evil agenda due to the massive amount of stress his work has left him buried under. The psychologist hypnotizes Fulci so that he will believe he is responsible for committing the sleazy murders happening around town. Fulci’s delirium, fueled by his art, leaves him feeling homicidal. Why couldn’t he be the murderer? In reality, it is the therapist who is ruthlessly killing women as an outlet for his own feelings of rage and rejection.

CAT IN THE BRAIN is a terrifying visual journey made up of the kind of deranged sequences that only Fulci, himself, could masterfully create. It is sincerely impossible NOT to empathize with Fulci’s character as he descends into the depths of his own personal Hell, tormented by his imagination. The movie almost has a “home video” feel and can, at certain moments, come across as a splatter fest compilation. Brains are eaten, corpses gush, and whores are slain. Every opportunity for slaughter and carnage is taken and used to its maximum potential. The insanity, though highly intense, is also laughable and great fun if your stomach can handle it. The violent flashbacks and erotic daydreams that control each thought that Fulci processes are just as mind-bending to the viewer as they are to him. CAT IN THE BRAIN may very well be Fulci’s statement on the horror industry’s ability to vigorously impact the way people perceive the world on a daily basis.

Rating: 8/10
Director: Lucio Fulci [ZOMBIE, CITY OF THE LIVING DEAD, THE BEYOND]

Cast: Lucio Fulci, David L. Thompson, Malisa Longo
Country: Italy

BEYOND THE DARKNESS [1979]

In Joe D’Amato’s BEYOND THE DARKNESS, true love dies, but it’s preserved. Frank’s admiration for his beautiful, delicate fiancé knows no bounds. Iris, Frank’s desperate housekeeper, is extremely envious of Anna. Since Iris wishes for nothing more than to be Frank’s main affection, she has a curse placed upon Anna using a voodoo doll. Gradually, Anna’s health declines, and she deteriorates in a hospital bed until her heart stops beating once and for all. Naturally, Frank is destroyed by the passing of his other half, and he knows he absolutely cannot live his life without her presence. The night following the funeral, Frank returns to the cemetery to dig up her frail, porcelain-white body. Back home, Frank drains the fluids from Anna’s corpse and decides to keep it in his room. Iris willingly, but begrudgingly, teams up with Frank to care for the cadaver. Frank quickly develops a lust for killing any woman who could uncover the dead one in his bed, and Iris loyally stands behind him to tidy up the mess.

BEYOND THE DARKNESS is a complicated, chaotic blend of romantic, horrifying, and repulsive. The morbid film moves a bit slowly in the beginning; it is driven by emotion and grief as opposed to blood and guts. The element of sorrow, though, provides a foundation for the movie as a whole. We observe a twisted young man suffering the loss of his universe and resorting to necrophilia to fill the void. Meanwhile, his manipulative maid is forced to cope with her unrequited love for him. Despite the vast difference in the portrayal of Frank’s love for Anna and Iris’ for Frank, it is evident that their emotions are nearly parallel to one another. Both Frank and Iris are willing to get their hands dirty (or bloody, rather) to assure their undying passion is conveyed as strongly as possible. Of course, that calls for plenty of insanely gruesome fun, including cannibalism, torture, and a most-relaxing acid bath. Goblin fans can look forward to the added flavor of the band’s anxiety-inducing music. [8/10]

Rating: 8/10
Director: Joe D’Amato [EMANUELLE IN AMERICA]

Cast: Kieran Canter, Cinzia Monreale, Franca Stoppi
Country: Italy

PIECES [1980]

PIECES opens with a seemingly innocent young boy in the midst of completing a puzzle of a nude woman. Once his mother notices the puzzle, she is enraged and demands it be disposed of immediately. The boy decides, instead, to eliminate his mother with an ax. Cut to present-day, and it becomes clear that the child has grown into a maniac; the gloved hands of a man open a puzzle box containing bloodied clothing and a photograph of his mother. The psychopath has turned a college campus upside down when the remains of a female student are found on school grounds, but a piece of her body is missing. Initially, the dean proposes the murder be kept under wraps in order to protect the reputation of the university. However, when a second mutilated body of yet another female pupil is discovered, members of the school board decide to recruit a wide-eyed student and a strong-willed, undercover policewoman to assist in detective work. Although the team is determined to hunt down the madman before more victims are added to his chopping list, he refuses to tolerate any interference in fulfilling his fantasy.

PIECES oozes, out of every pore, the kind of absurdity and randomness that is sure to make viewers scratch their heads in wonderment throughout the duration of the film. In turn, that is the very reason this movie epitomizes everything we love about horror flicks from the '80s. We can’t help but cherish nonsense and the grotesque. Perhaps none of the actors involved were nominated for Academy awards, but the mediocre acting, combined with the unexpected phrases and bizarre situations, is what makes PIECES so brilliant. Not a single dull moment can be found. While foreshadowing mildly prepares the viewer for each macabre scene to come, it fills one with an overwhelming feeling of anticipation. In addition, composer Librado Pastor’s score amplifies the impending doom and slashing. Nearly every element of “trashiness” is not only placed where necessary, but it plays a crucial role in the plot when the chainsaw is revved up and ready to amputate. The conclusion of the film is sure to shock and thrill any horror enthusiast. PIECES will, undoubtedly, satisfy gore lovers who appreciate giallo-inspired storylines and twist endings.

Rating: 10/10
Director: Juan Piquer Simon [MYSTERY ON MONSTER ISLAND, SLUGS, THE RIFT]

Cast: Christopher George, Lynda Day George, Frank Brana
Country: Spain|Puerto Rico|USA|Italy