Cult Movies

Ever wanted to see an evil Spiderman fight Captain America and Santo in Turkey? Well now you can thanks to T. Fikret Uçak and his bizarre creation - 3 Dev Adam. Whilst the picture quality isn't the greatest (Turkish films have been rather neglected sadly) amongst the fuzziness there's a crazy film that throws all caution to the wind in the name of entertainment.

This is a highly entertaining black comedy that manages to combine a wonderfully surreal plot with over-the-top performances. Price plays the devious Dr Phibes, a man driven to avenge the death of his wife whom he believes was murdered by the incompetent hands of doctors. The film follows Phibes as he dishes out his revenge via various ingeniously twisted methods.

Brightly coloured and carried off with tongue firmly in cheek, this film will be enjoyed by those with a dark sense of humour. Price revels in his role and allows himself to run riot with his character. Some may dismiss this as mere cheesy cinema but it's one that's been executed with precision and style. This is certainly worth your time.

Disillusioned with the steady proliferation of hardcore pornography (the onset of VHS was just around the corner), Russ Meyer decided to call it a day, making Beneath The Valley of the Ultra-Vixens his last feature-length film.

Unfortunately this disillusionment is evident in the film with numerous shots being repeated far too often and the overall structure is rather messy. Of course the film is still full of voluptous women but they aren't as pleasing on the eye as some of his earlier "stars". Narration duties this time goes to Stuart Lancaster which whilst fun does grate after a while. Meyer's infamous manic editing is at a far less break speed here but this actually detracts from the film's appeal.

Overall, if you are a Meyer fan then you will no doubt enjoy this film regardless but unfortunately it's a rather tame effort for the King of Sleaze to go out on.

During the 1970s an explosion of drive-in cinemas and grindhouse movie houses led to an increase in production of sleazy exploitation flicks. One of the more "interesting" off-shoots from this period was the Woman In Prison genre, of which B-movie stalwart Jack Hill provided two entries (this and the follow-up The Big Bird Cage). of course this film also set in motion the career of the curvy, charismatic cult actress Pam Grier.

Admittedly the appeal of this film will be somewhat limited, no doubt the majority of people will scoff at the poor acting and laughable plot. However for 70s B-movie aficionados like myself this is a neat little package of tongue-in-cheek dialogue, sleazy action and unintentional humour. From the mud fights to the shower scenes and ridiculous gun battles, this film dishes out more than its fair share of memorable moments. Whilst the content of the film is considerably tamer than some of its European/Asian WIP counterparts, this should prove essential viewing for Hill/Grier/Haig fans alike

Two inmates, one black - Lee Daniels (Grier) and one white - Karen Brent (Markov) find themselves in priosn and at the mercy of tough loving lesbian guards. However, Brent's association with a group of revolutionaries means that the pair have to be moved to another prison but along the way they get ambushed and the women escape. Whilst they are on the run they are pursued by gangster Ernesto, a cowboy bounty hunter named Ruben (Haig), and the aforementioned revolutionaries, all of whom occupy various sub-plots.

During the 1970's exploitation flicks flourished and all imaginable sleazy tastes were catered for. Whilst the Women In Prison (WIP) genre began in the late 60s, the 70s saw it peak. This entry comes from one of the genres more talented directors, Eddie Romero whom had just finished shooting his low budget "Blood Trilogy". Co-written with Jonathan Demme (who himself directed the WIP "classic" CAGED HEAT) this is a decent, if rather muddled, interpretation of the genre.

After surviving a car accident, Mary (Hilligos) becomes plagued with visions of a mysterious white-faced man and finds herself drawn to an abandoned pavilion. Despite its low budget origins and flimsy script, Carnival of Souls is an atmospheric piece of cinema that will delight "old school" horror fans. With its crisp black and white cinematography and art-house surrealism, this is a genuinely eerie and haunting title. With a cast of mainly amateur actors, performances are a little on the wooden side, but this is more than made up for in the visual department.
A curious but interesting oddity.

One of the few genuine exploitation classics of the 1970s, The Candy Snatchers is a film that succeeds where numerous others have failed - in that it effectively combines the sleazy realism of a low budget production with a solid script to produce a chilling piece of cinema. The plot follows the nefarious activities of a rag-tag group of wannabe criminals looking to make a quick buck by kidnapping a local jeweller's daughter (the titular Candy). Unfortunately things don't quite go to plan and the simmering tension present amongst the group some begins to boil.

Tight pacing, dark in tone and ripe with youthful energy, Candy Snatchers produces wonders within its obviously limited resources. Despite the lack of acting experience the cast hold their own, with Director Trueblood's own son playing the spookily mute little boy who witnesses Candy's ordeal. Everything else is kept lean and trim which enables to move the film along even when it looks like it may stutter.

Now available from Subversive in it's full, original form I recommend you go out and buy it.

Not as foxy as Grier but Dobson is able to kick some ass none-the-less.

This 1974 Drive-In "classic" reunited to of the finest purveyors of 70s American B-movies - Pam Grier and Jack Hill. Whilst the pair had worked together on the WIP title THE BIG DOLL HOUSE, this was the first of two collaborations under the blaxploitation genre (FOXY BROWN being the other). However the effective partnership of Grier's on-screen charisma and the slick, off-beat direction of Hill ensured that COFFY reached a larger audience than the usual genre fans.

The plot itself is a familiar one - someone's life is being ruined by local drug dealers (in this case Coffy's sister is an addict) and the only way to deal with them is via some hard vigilante "justice". However, this film succeeds over other examples of this genre thanks to Hill's ability to crank up the cliches into overdrive. the violence is fairly graphic in places, King George wears some of the most outrageous pimp suits committed to celluloid, the topless cat fight is hilarious and the dialogue is highly quotable.

Those unfamiliar with the style of B-movies may struggle with the mediocre acting on show and the sometime nonsensical plot, but for those who relish kitsch, OTT films you'll love this one. This is purely popcorn cinema at its best and would provide anyone with an open mind a night's entertainment.

Giallo inspired murders, lesbianism, sex scenes, nail gun attacks, cheesy dialogue and a convoluted plot = an amusing piece of 90s "erotic" thriller trash. Bruce Willis is Dr Bill Capra, a therapist who finds himself tangled up in a web of murders amongst his colleague's therapy group. As the body count rises it's upto Capra to identify the murderer in his midst...

Probably a film that's been quietly left off Willis's resume, Color of Night is the kind of film that trash fans like myself lap up. I can only imagine the bemusement that was felt by Willis fans when they picked this little gem off the rental shelf. If you are looking for Die-Hard style exploits then walk away now but if you are looking for no-brainer fun then slap this into your player now!

Low on quality, high on fun. Ignore the awful acting and nonsensical plot and instead reveal in the cheesy dialogue and pretty impressive effects.

Another brilliant installment of Ray Rudy Moore badness! Trash cinema at its finest!

One of the finest bad cinematic experiences you'll ever have.

If you are looking for an example of jaw-dropping ineptness, awful dialogue and point-it-and-shoot style directing then one is a humdinger! Obviously an attempt to cash in on the popularity of flesh-eating flicks like Cannibal Holocaust and the Don't Go Near titles of the late 70s/early 80s, this plays more like an unintentional comedy than a horror film.

Acting and dialogue is more wooden than Noah's Ark but is all the amusing for it. True it does drag a little towards the end but you'll be too dazed and confused to really notice. Avoid alcohol or drug consumption while watching this movie otherwise they'll cart you off to that nice white padded cell.....And to think this was actually banned by the BBFC in the UK during the 1980s....

How you react to this film will depend entirely on your appetite for Z-grade schlock. Fans of cheese monger Adamson will revel in the numerous continuity errors (check out the various incarnations of Dracula's face make-up), an ad-hoc plot and laughable dialogue. To be fair to Adamson the largely incoherent script was forced on him by producer Sam Sherman - apparently he was looking for more bangs for his bucks (hence the abysmal "bad-guy" skirmish and pointless ageing hippies sub-plot).

Amongst the random stock shots of surfers and protestors (there's even some shots of a seagull!), there are some wonderfully awful pieces of cinema that will have you shaking your head in disbelief. The acting is woeful (Naish is obviously reading a card and Chaney is reduced to gurning at the camera) and the effects made on the back of a 10 cent budget.

Not everyone loves this train wreck of a feature but I enjoyed it purely for its sheer stupidity value. Sit back and enjoy.

Laura Mars (Dunaway) is a New York fashion photographer whose life in the fast-lane screeches to holt when a number of acquainatnces are bumped off in a series of bloody murders. To make matters worse she actually witnesses them through the eyes of the killer.

To begin with, yes Barbara Streisand does sing the theme tune but don't let this painful experience put you off watching the rest of the film since this is pure, unadulterated trash. Big hair, pounding disco music and over-the-top performances are the order of the day and this all rounded off with some delightfully disastrous improvised dialogue.

Obviously influenced by the Italian Giallo genre, this film, believe it or not, is based on a story by John Carpenter (although he disowned the film). For fans of bad movies this will be a natural choice and is worth renting solely for the most absurd murder motive ever committed to film.

This is trash of the highest order and should become a instant hit for those who like bad movies.

Considered by many to be one of the finest examples of trash cinema, Faster Pussycat! exudes more than a faint whiff of the camp and kitsch. From the go-go dancing antics of the lead trio (who were all actual club dancers) to the bitchy dialogue that's spat out with such meaningful venom. However, what makes this film really unique (for Meyer at least) is the complete lack of nudity, although that didn't stop Meyer casting his usual "top heavy" leads (here the wonderfully catty performances come from Satana, Haji and Williams).

If you aren't familiar with the world of B-movies and exploitation cinema in general then the wooden acting and lack of coherent plot will probably leave you muttering "this is crap" after the first 10 minutes. However, if you are a fan of Meyer or cult movies in general then prepare to wallow in the low brow, rapid-fire dialogue, the demented script, the cat fights and the geneal oddity of it all. A great piece of trash 60s cinema.

When her undercover cop boyfriend (Terry Carter) gets whacked by local drug dealers, after being betrayed by her drug-addicted brother Link (Fargas), Foxy (Grier) poses as a hooker in order to track down his killer.

An outrageous follow-up to Coffy, Jack Hill manages again to cram 90 minutes full of over-the-top set-pieces, colourful costumes, snippy one-liners and probably the world's finest lesbian bar fight. Whilst not as structured as Coffy, it serves up a nice piece of blaxploitation action and shouldn't disappoint fans of the genre

Jeffrey Franken (Lorinz) attempts to re-construct his girlfriend after his home made lawnmower (?) accidently butchers her leaving only her head intact. To obtain the various body parts needed, Jeff takes a decidely unorthodox approach of blowing-up prostitutes and then selecting the appropriate appendages. Of course things begin to spin out of control and it's not long before his mish-mash monster is on the loose.

Essentially a schlock spoof of Mary Shelly's Frankenstein, Frankenhooker isn't quite as funny as it thinks it is but is just cheesy enough for B-movie fans to enjoy. For a Henenlotter film it is surprisingly lacking in blood and gore which results in some rather tame exploding body sequences. In a film where the women are given little more to do than strip off, the acting duties fall to Lorinz who unfortuantely can be rather annoying at times. But then when you've got silicone enhanced breasts flashing around the place I doubt if most audiences will care.

Basically this is low brow rental material for watching after several pints down the pub.

T & A silliness from the Sidaris crew. Great to watch whilst single and drunk...

I laughed until I cried watching this!

Real life gangsters/pimps were used in the film and Pryor was out of his skull with coke. The result a super pimped up Blaxploitation title.

Despite Attenborough's lacklustre direction, this horror title is an enjoyable watch thanks mainly to some superb performances from Hopkins and Margret and that old chestnut - the evil puppet. This pleasing oddity deserves more exposure than it's currently getting. Recommended.

A rather flaccid attempt at the serial killer/ slasher genre that garnered more attention on its release than it actually deserves. Aside from the odd bloody set-piece, this film runs on neutral with jarring characterization, incoherent plotting and a laughable attempt at portraying a "maniac".

Held in some quarters as the ultimate "Grindhouse" film but unfortunately in this a case the bark is definitely worse than the bite.

After a series of brutal murders in New York City are linked to a cop, the City's police force find themselves under pressure to catch the culprit as NY's twitchy residents begin blowing away anyway in a cop uniform. So when a cop's wife is found strangled to death and in possession of tape recordings incriminating her husband, Officer Jack Forrest (Campbell) finds the finger of blame pointing squarely at him.

Maniac Cop is trash and never tries to be anything else. Full of OTT action, illogical plotting, 80s electro score, cheesy dialogue and a decent body count. Campbell is undoubtedly undersued but the little time he spends on screen is fully utilised by some great lines (check out the motel scene) and his natural on-screen charisma. The supporting cast visibly struggle with the roles given to them but the tongue-in-cheek tone just adds to proceedings.

Perhaps not the most coherent or high-brow film to surface from the US (this was the 80s remember) but it's a fairly entertaining one at least and worthy of a rent.

A bad monkey suit, women wrestling, random nudity, obviously fake park grass, lots of bloody mayhem and laughable dubbing make this a must for schlock fans.

Don't be lulled into a false sense of security by the period setting and languid pace because this little gem packs a rather hefty punch. Disturbing without needing gory SFX or cheap scares, this is horror at it's psychological finest . Highly recommended.

One of the great pieces of cinematic trash.

When the Chairman of an advertising agency dies during a Board meeting, the remaining Board Members vote for his successor and unwittingly appoint the token black man, Putney Swope (Arnold Johnson) in the misguided belief that no-one else would vote for him. The result is a radical overhaul of the company, with black employees replacing whites, offensive adverts and lots of unorthodox management practices.

Shot on a miniscule budget and with a cast of mainly non-union African American actors/actresses, Putney Swope is a prime slice of 60s "underground" satire that gleefully mocks a culture guided by the whims of consumerism and capitalism. Drawing upon his own personal experience in the advertising industry, Robert Downey Snr employs a rapid fire approach in his attack and whilst admittedly not all find their mark, he certainly gets to bite the hand that fed him.

Despite the fact that some of the gags have dated poorly and the low budget meant sacrificing quality acting, the film's strong points lie in its rapier-like dialogue (spat with particular venom by Antonio Fargas as the "Arab") and a number of gloriously trashy TV advert parodies. Perhaps the most subversive aspect of the film is its in-your-face take on race relations in the US and I have no doubt that some white patrons would have felt a little uneasy sitting in the cinema.

The film does lose some of its impetus as it progresses but a number of bizarre, almost surreal additions, such as a dope-smoking dwarf as the President of the US, ensure that it remains interesting if not always entertaining. And just in case you are wondering it was a deliberate decision to dub Swope (the voice is that of the director as Johnson could not remember his lines).

If you are a fan of the whole American counter-culture/underground period of the late 60s/early 70s then this is certainly worth a looking. The lack of coherence and plot make it difficult to watch at times but taken in its historical context this is essential viewing. Recommended.

With a plot that centres around a woman with blood sucking arm-pits you'd think this film would have a lot going for it (well I did!). However what you actually get is a rather sub-par flick that lacks any real punch and probably only drew a crowd on its release due to the presence of pron starlet Marilyn Chambers. Though to be fair Ms Chambers is the only one that puts in any real effort as most of the cast seem to be either to be uninterested, or in Frank Moore's case, trying hard not to be mistaken as being part of the set.

The film does have some interesting moments (the whole phallic arm-pit thing certainly provides an interesting talking point) but the film ultimately suffers from poor pacing and is a little more than ragged around the edges. However, Cronenberg fans will no doubt want to check out one of his earliest pieces of work in order to see how the director has develoed his themes and polished his skills. Worth a rent.

3 and a half. A decent action film from Starrett and a good performance from the ever-dependable Oates

What director in their right mind would give a hard-as-nails biker gang member a hearing aid? Al Adamson that?s who! Infamous for his mind-bogglingly inept style of filmmaking, Al comes up trumps again here with another piece of unintentionally hilarious B-movie trash. Jumping on the cool-for-the-kids biker bandwagon, Adamson focuses his film on a gang of hairy hell-raisers led by the sadistic Anchor (Russ Tamblyn) and his tendency to kill anyone who crosses his path.

Full of clunky dialogue, a "groovy" soundtrack and a series of murders so incredibly stupid I nearly give myself a hernia laughing at them. Of course with such zero budget affairs the levels of schlock are high and the quality of everything else very low. Russ Tamblyn is great as the blood thirsty killer and he gives a delightfully insane speech justifying his murderous rampage during the later part of the film.

If you have not had any exposure to any of Adamson?s previous films or to cheesy B-movies in general, then this film will no doubt either confuse or bore the hell out of you. But if you like to spend your evenings laughing at duff pieces of cinema I recommend you track down a copy of this film and enjoy the ride.

Clint Ramsey (Pitts) is on the run after he's wrongly accused of murdering his nymphomaniac girlfriend (Eubank). On his travels he meets a series of violent characters and a number of bountiful beauties (Uschi Digard, Christy Hartburg, Sharon Kelly and Deborah McGuire) who each have an insatiable craving for sex!

All the familiar Meyer trademarks are on display here - an eccentric score, rapid-fire editing, outrageous plotting and of course large breasts. There's also a rather brutal female murder scene which no doubt raised the hackles of his critics.

However, that incident aside Supervixens is a gloriously trashy piece of cinema and does exactly what it says on the tin. This is a must for any self respecting fan of cult cinema.

The story line here is a familiar one for fantasy buffs - Evil leader wants more power so kills rival leader. Son of deceased King vows vengeance. Many years pass and said son is now skilled warrior who single-handily slaughters opposing army and beds distressed maiden. However, there are a number of aspects here that ensures this film is more enjoyable than the standard fare.

Firstly, there is the ridiculously unwieldly 3 bladed sword which not only shatters metal but can also shoot out its blades! Secondly, the main hero isn't played by a dense block of wood (a la DEATHSTALKER) but instead carries an air of Errol Flynn style swashbuckling mixed with a dash of Indiana Jones rogue charm (well that maybe pushing it but you get the idea). Credit is also due to whoever came up with the idea of him still being able to after being crucified! Finally even though the film runs for a 100 minutes it doesn't drag, obviously the director understood that he was making a tongue-in-cheek action movie rather than a sociological drama... The female lead also goes against the grain in that she spends more time kneeing men in the groin rather than shedding her clothes every 5 minutes.

There are some drawbacks, the main one being the under use of Richard Moll's character and the meandering plot but overall this is a decent piece of fantasy cinema. Worth a look.

Nice trashy outing from one of my favourite Drive-In directors

Never one to shy away from controversy, Russ Meyer decided to up-the-ante with this 1978 offering. In the film's rather short running time ne manages to squeeze in homosexuality, a S&M loving Hitler look-a-like, a piranha attack, two rape scenes, a number of large prosthetic phalluses, a bloody chainsaw melee and of course plenty of big breasted women....

Up! is low on plot but high in sleaze and is probably one of Meyer's more explicit offerings. Some may find the numerous scenes of couples copulating in the great outdoors a little tedious and the rather frivolous treatment of rape may leave more than a bitter taste. Thankfully Natividad's lyrical narrative ensures that the film doesn't stray too far from Meyer's jovial mischievous touch.

Overall this probably isn't the best Meyer film and probably isn't the best starting place for the uninitiated. However if you are a Meyer fan or looking for something a little "dark" but also full of attractive, full-bodied women then this is certainly worth a look.

"Naked girls and lots of blood, that's what Vampyres is about," - And that's what Larraz delivers...

Vixen (Erica Gavin) is a woman whose bark is probably much worse than her bite. When she isn't spewing racist diatribe at her brother's (Jon Evans) black friend (Harrison Page), she's cheating on her naive husband (Gareth Pillsbury) with both men and women.

Given this is a Russ Meyer film you'll be unsurprised to hear that Vixen combines fast dialogue with even faster female nudity. A wide range of "hot" political topics at the time are given the Meyer treatment with everything from racism to Communism to Vietnam draft dodgers gleefully exploited. Again the rapid fire wit and Gavin gives a wonderfully seductive yet acid-tongued performance. Ranking up there with Supervixens and Faster Pussycat, Vixen finds the King of Sleaze on top form.

Emotionally scarred by an abusive upbringing, Molly's (Perkins) already frayed mental health begins to completely unravel when she begins to fantasize about the grisly deaths of local young men. Visions which are undoubtedly antagonised by her consumption of an intoxicating cocktail of alcohol and pills. However, when two American Football stars wind up murdered, she is uncertain whether those vivid images really are just confined to her imagination.

An almost unpalatable blend of art-house pretension, exploitation shock tactics and possibly one bad acid trip too many, the Witch is an "unique" title which, despite its flaws, is worth watching soley for the sterling performance provided by Millie Perkins. Her rather uncomfortable portrayal of a young woman teetering on the brink of psychological collapse helps save the film from being lost in an untelligible mish-mash of psychosexual babble and fractured structuring. That said there is something about the film's unconventional nature that keeps you watching and would no doubt require a repeat viewing in order to dig a little deeper.

Banned by the BBFC during the infamous "Video Nasty" period, The Witch for the most parts is more psychological horror than splatter-fest. I'm assuming it was the sexual nature of the violence and the rather disturbing child abuse sequences that rankled the censors, the latter scenes are perhaps a little to close to the bone and will shock even the most ardent cult film fan. That said those expecting some kind of blood frenzied slasher flick will be disappointed. If you are someone who likes to stray into the more obscure regions of American cinema then this is certainly worth a rent.

Dumb but lovable piece of Sci-Fi trash that throws everything at the screen and more. Coherent it ain't but there's fun to be had here.

Solid Bartel fun.

It's got the Meyer look but unfortunately not the Meyer flair. The half-arsed attempts to "push the envelope" of cinematic taste ultimately bring this film down and so do the (artificially) big chested starlets, who are a million miles away from Meyer's girls. The plot is lightweight and for the most part seems more than a little padded.
That said it is well shot considering the tight budget and should entertain exploitation fans for it's short running time.